Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is the application of hypnotic techniques in such a way as to bring about beneficial changes. An outside influence - the therapist - assists in activating the inner resources of a person - the client - in order to achieve realistic goals.

The problems that hypnotherapy is best placed to help with fall into the following broad classes:

Thoughts and ideas

People can suffer from thoughts of low self-esteem, or obsessive thoughts about someone or something. They may not be able to get out of their minds the idea that they are suffering from an illness (despite medical reassurance), or that their partner is being unfaithful.

Hypnotherapy can help the client to change such obsessive ideas.

Feelings

People can suffer from a wide range of distressing feelings such as panic attacks, anxiety, jealousy, guilt, anger or inadequacy.

Whatever the problem feeling, hypnotherapy can deal with it more specifically than can a drug, and without harmful side effects.

Habits

People can find themselves in the grip of many habits that they seem unable to control, from something like nail-biting or smoking to more deep-seated compulsions.

Hypnotherapy, using hypnotic techniques, can help to remove habits with precision and a freedom from side effects.

What can you expect to happen?

Perhaps the most important thing is that you can expect to feel comfortable and at ease with your therapist. This is of particular importance in hypnotherapy, in which the value of the treatment is greatly enhanced when you have confidence in your practitioner. For this reason, it's best to just book a single session first, and only afterwards decide if you want to proceed with more.

The next stage is that you will be asked about the problem and notes may be taken. The therapist will need to find out something about you and something about the problem.

The third stage is hypnosis itself. There is a certain personal variation among therapists, and they will often use different approaches for different individuals. But most hypnotherapy involves the following:

You are led, by means of the therapist's gently guiding voice, into a state where your body and mind are relaxed and nearly asleep. To an onlooker it would seem as if you were totally asleep, but in fact, though you will normally feel very relaxed, you will remain awake enough to be aware. Also awake will be those parts of your mind which the therapist is working with to induce beneficial changes. This may mean that you will be picturing, as in a daydream, the things which are being spoken of, and that you may experience the associated pleasant feelings.

Remember, if at any time you feel uncomfortable and want to terminate the session, then you will be perfectly capable of doing so.

The fourth stage, after the hypnosis proper, is when you may discuss any experiences that you had while in a trance. This is often an important part of the process.

Finally, any further appointments are agreed and payment is made.

What benefit will you gain?

There is, of course, a considerable variation in the difficulty of the various problems, and there is no general rule which makes it possible to say how much improvement can be achieved and in how much time.

The simpler problems can at times be overcome completely in one session; hypnosis can be extremely effective. More deeply rooted problems may take longer.

The National Council for Hypnotherapy

Unfortunately, there is no statutory regulation of hypnotherapists in the UK. Anyone could set up as one tomorrow. There are lots of competing 'professional' associations, usually linked to a particular training institute, of which there are also many, of varying quality. The most established is the National Council for Hypnotherapy (formerly known as the Hypnotherapy Register), the largest independent register of hypnotherapists in Britain.