Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy can be easily described as "the giving of therapeutic suggestions to a person whilst they are in a state of hypnosis".

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a state of mind where the body is very relaxed. An individual, whilst in hypnosis looks as though they are asleep as when in bed at night. When a person is asleep at night, they are unconscious, or it could be said that they are unaware. They are certainly unaware that they are asleep, unaware of what is going on around them. Their conscious mind is asleep.

While a person is asleep they are not thinking such things as “it is good to be asleep”. When a person is in hypnosis, or in the hypnotic sleep/state, they are very conscious. They hear very clearly and are aware of where they are and who is there with them. They are very conscious, they can think and reason, and they have full control of themselves.

Hypnosis is a conscious state where the body is asleep and the mind is awake. It is not the ability of the hypnotist that puts people in the hypnotic state, but it is always the ability of the subject that results in hypnosis. Hence all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.

Why would we want to do this?

First of all, it is a fact that everything that we have learned has been learned by suggestions and these suggestions lodge in the subconscious mind and become our 'knowledge'. That knowledge in the subconscious mind is what causes us to behave the way that we do.

The conscious mind is the mind that we think with, whereas the subconscious mind does not think but simply records all the things that we experience through the senses. Everything we touch, taste, smell, hear and see, records in the subconscious mind.

As we go through life, learning continues and every time we experience something through the senses like touching, smelling, tasting, seeing and hearing, these experiences are lodged within the subconscious mind. Every time we experience something, programming associated with these things is reinforced in the subconscious mind.

Where problems arise is when the programming of the subconscious mind is such that it overrides the intention of the conscious mind. A person may decide that they will behave in a certain way and this decision is made by the conscious mind which is the thinking mind. However, if the person’s subconscious mind is programmed for something else, a conflict arises between the two minds and it is the subconscious mind that always wins, for it overrides the conscious mind decision.

Hypnotherapeutic treatment works and targets directly, the programming of the subconscious mind. If the subconscious mind is given a different programme, we would then have a position where the conscious mind and the subconscious mind are in agreement.

The way to re-programme the subconscious mind is to talk to it directly by bypassing the conscious mind. There is only one way to bypass the conscious mind and talk directly to the subconscious mind and that is while a person is in the state of hypnosis. The bypassing of the conscious mind and talking directly to the subconscious mind is the key to effective treatment in hypnotherapy.

To assist people with hypnotherapy, the therapist must be able to, along with the client, decide on the real problem rather than trying to deal with a symptom of the problem, and often the presenting problem is a symptom of a core issue.

Once the core issue has been determined then the therapist gives suggestions to the client in the hypnotic state, ensuring that these suggestions are appropriate and compiled in proper therapeutic language. The therapist always ensures that their client works with an appropriate treatment programme which may or may not include hypnotherapy depending on the client’s individual needs.

The courses we provide, ensures that our therapists have been trained in a hypnotherapy programme of sufficient length and depth so that their clients receive hypnotherapy programmes of the highest calibre and quality.