2 minute read
HYPNOTHERAPY
Hypnotherapy? It’s all mumbo jumbo, isn’t it?
I have recently been talking with people about what I do. It occurs to me that there are a lot of opinions about hypnotherapy. I started thinking about the kinds of questions I am asked. I want to share those questions with you.
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What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a talking therapy, similar to counselling. However, counselling mainly deals with conscious reactions to questions and suggestions. Hypnotherapy deals with the subconscious mind and its responses. The subconscious (sometimes called the Unconscious) mind is the part of you that functions without you realising it. It controls breathing, blinking, moving, and remembering. It helps you to remember how to drive, cook, write a letter—all those things you don’t have to consciously think about.
Are you asleep?
Most people are not asleep and are very aware of everything throughout their session. Although it is theorised, 10% of the population are Somnambulists. In which case, you may not remember what happens in your hypnotherapy session, but you are still not asleep. How do I know? Because everyone opens their eyes when I tell them to.
Can you make me cluck like a chicken?
I guess the real question here is: Do you want to cluck like a chicken? I imagine at some point you’ve seen or heard about a stage hypnotist. How people have got up on stage and eaten a raw onion as they’ve been hypnotised into believing it’s an apple. Yes, in a way this does show the power of your subconscious mind making an onion taste like an apple. Here’s the thing though stage hypnotists will only choose you if you are ‘Game for a Laugh,’ its entertainment, pure and simple. So don’t worry, I can’t make you give me a million pounds, or make you cluck you like a chicken. But if you do want to give me a million pounds…
Does it work?
Yes, is the simple answer. I always spend time chatting with my clients. I ask the ‘WHAT’ questions. What do you want to change? What benefits will you get from this change? This is part of the Hypnotherapists job to identify the desire for change and what it means to you. I then use this information to help the client’s subconscious make the change during our session.
Why would I need it?
We all have bad habits, for example eating unhealthily, or drinking too much. The truth is all of our habits and fears are learned. We call it learned behaviour. And though it may seem like you are stuck with these the truth is you can unlearn them. This is the core of hypnotherapy. We deal directly with your subconscious mind as this is where all your habits and phobias are stored.
Claire Butcher
Can anyone hypnotise me?
I’ve seen the video tutorials on YouTube, and I’m declaring it now. It is not as simple as watching a video and hypnotising your friend to help them. To become a hypnotherapist, I attended a fully accredited Diploma course. I undertook over 300 hours of practical study before I could qualify. A good hypnotherapist has a toolbox of techniques. I am trained to the level of Master Practioner in Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Gestalt Therapy, Parts Therapy and many other techniques essential to providing a therapy centred around the client. In other words, I’m not using one method and making the client fit it. Hypnotherapy is NOT a one-sizefits-all therapy.
