WHAT IS HYPNOTHERAPY?
Hypnosis has been used for centuries to bring about positive change to negative behaviour patterns. It is hugely successful in creating calmness, peace of mind, confidence and positivity.
What is the Altered State of Hypnosis?
This may be familiar to you and involves ‘the client’ being taken into a wonderful state of deep relaxation (often referred to as a ‘trance’). You are always in control and it’s rather like the state you reach just before you fall asleep.
Whilst in this deeply calm and very pleasant state, the conscious mind relaxes, allowing the unconscious mind to be receptive to suggestions. Through the therapy, these positive suggestions become embedded and alter behavioural patterns. Ultimately achieving positive outcomes.
In order to achieve this relaxed state, the hypnosis begins by the therapist delivering direct suggestions of relaxation. As the session continues, the suggestions and instructions will allow you to go deeper and deeper relaxed.
Conscious awareness is reduced at this point – rather like when you are engrossed in a film or in a day dream or just about to fall asleep.
When deep relaxation is achieved, the unconscious mind then becomes more open and the suggestions can be given. The technique is used to focus attention and enhance the ability to respond to positive suggestion.
The overall experience is very pleasant, calming and rejuvenating. It’s like taking ‘time out’ for the mind. Similar to our bodies, our mind needs to relax and recharge in order to function at its best.
What is the unconscious mind?
The unconscious is the part of the mind that we’re not consciously aware of “in the moment”. It stores memories, feelings, behaviours that we have learnt through all the experiences in our lives – from being a tiny baby right up to yesterday.
This part of the mind is responsible for the automatic things we do. Imagine learning to drive – at first you are very conscious of all the actions you have to complete to make the car move. As you become more familiar with them and your experience of driving increases, the unconscious mind takes over and driving becomes an automatic behaviour. You no longer have to consciously think about changing gear or moving the steering wheel – you just do it.
The unconscious mind is also responsible for your survival – the ‘flight or fight’ instinct. In early times, this instinct would have kept you alive, from hungry predators who were a threat. Now-a-days, we no longer have to fight off hungry predators to stay alive, yet our instinct remains very strong within us. So, the mind has adapted to use this instinct to respond to perceived threats – situations that make us very uncomfortable or frightened. It then adopts a behaviour pattern that seems suitable at the time to combat the threat but unfortunately can lead to disruptive or negative thoughts and behaviours.
I can treat a range of negative behaviour patterns with tailored hypnotherapy strategies.
My main area of interest is in wellbeing an reducing anxieties and stress, which can develop for a variety of reasons. Modern life can be very demanding, so my aim is to help you deal with life in a calmer, more confident and happier way.
General wellbeing
Stress management/relief
Anxiety
Low self esteem
Confidence and motivation boosting
Working-life based issues/stress
Fears and phobias
Pain management
Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS)
Light depression
For adults*
Fatigue
Difficulties sleeping
Bruxism (grinding or clenching teeth)
Nail biting
Dealing with change or uncertainty
Dealing with difficult emotions, experiences or memories
Smoking cessation
Vaping cessation
Weight management
Anxiety and stress
Problems with sleep or being alone
For children*
Exam stress
Perceived pressure from schooling
*Not an exhaustive list - please contact me if you have a difficulty that is not listed.
Find your place of calm
My therapies can support you as you overcome difficulties to find happiness in your life.