Hypnotherapy is the use of trance to achieve beneficial therapeutic change. It relies on communication with the unconscious mind, sometimes called the subconscious mind. We all have two systems of operation, one, which we use actively, eg making, decisions and then generating the actions required. So if you want to go to visit a friend you make a decision about when you will go and how you will get there and then you proceed through a set of actions which will lead to you being at your friends house. The whole time that is happening there is another operating system working that does not require conscious thought eg breathing, walking, opening and closing doors. How does this happen? Two reasons, one is that we have an autonomic nervous system that operates functions like our organs and breathing and the other because anything we learn well passes into unconscious behaviour. Without unconscious knowledge we would not be able to open doors, turn taps, do up buttons or laces or a multitude of other things that we do unconsciously and instead we would have to learn how to do them each time we came into contact with them

The first session should be made up of:

• The client explaining what they want to achieve/change
• Information gathering by the therapist including personal details and medical details
• An assessment by the therapist of the clients suitability for hypnotherapy
• A clear explanation by the therapist of what will happen and an estimate of how many sessions will be required to meet the clients needs.
• An opportunity for the client to ask any questions about the treatment and the therapist.
• An agreement signed by the client to verify that they have given accurate information about their health
• Some trance work based on ego strengthening to allow the client to experience the effect of trance in a therapeutic situation.
• Future sessions will be made up by a chat between you and therapist when you can update the therapist on what has taken place since the last session followed by a session of trance.
• Therapists will sometimes give clients techniques to practice at home including self hypnosis
• Number of sessions will depend on what the client wishes to resolve as will the length of sessions and you should clarify these details at the outset. However, anticipate that some change should be observed within 3 or 4 sessions

A more appropriate question here would be ‘why does hypnotherapy work’? When we block out our immediate surrounds and focus our attention and immerse ourselves in an unfolding story, whether we are listening to it, watching it or reading it ourselves, we suspend the usual scrutiny and scepticism of our conscious mind, allowing the fantasy to engage freely with our unconscious. At its best, this process is hypnosis.

This is the reason why we can become physically and emotionally excited, as well as seeing and hearing the story, we emotionally feel it too, and this focused state is enough to convince much of our brain that we are active participants and so these stories become opportunities for us to learn. In instances when we have to generate visual images and other sensory elements by ourselves we are able to learn even faster because we are creating the detail from our personal store house of information. So if you see a piece of film with someone in a boat floating on a stream on a fine day you will know what it would be like to be in that boat and are able to enjoy the sensations even if you are not in the boat. If I ask you to imagine being that you are on a boat floating on a gentle stream and the temperature is just right and there is a gentle breeze the sensory images will be unique to you and therefore more powerful emotions and images are evoked leading to a stronger experience. In this way together with a competent therapist you can create new learning eg being in a situation which might normally induce stress but experiencing it while feeling calm this learning can then be transferred to conscious knowledge and the possibility to replicate the experience in reality becomes possible.

We are also hard wired to recognise how one thing resembles another so that each time we see a door even if it is not exactly like the last door or any door we have seen before we still recognise it to be a door and therefore an entrance or exit. This means that when we hear a story we look for the familiar. Our innate pattern-spotting wiring causes us to wonder how a storyline might apply to us. So the combination of trance and storytelling creates the ground for new learning through focus of unconscious mind, avoidance of the critical conscious mind and ability to experience scenarios we would not otherwise experience.

"I will lose control"

Far from losing control, hypnotherapy allows you to gain control by providing the opportunity for you to experience your goal

"I will get stuck in trance"

This is not possible because even if your therapist left the room or passed out the natural progression of trane is sleep from which you would wake because your autonomic system would not allow you to sleep without waking.

"I might stop breathing"

Again this is not possible as with falling asleep your autonomic system would prevent this from happening. If you held your breath beyond a point of safety (a challenge many children try but do not succeed at) your autonomic system would ensure that you would pass out so that it can begin the breathing process over riding your conscious behaviour.

"I will say something I don’t want to say"

Talking is actually not easily done during trance. If you allow yourself to be completely relaxed with all the muscles in your face and neck relaxed as well as the rest of your body you will find that talking and being legible is almost impossible. For this reason therapists use IMR (Ideo Motor Responses) to communicate. They ask the client to respond to yes no questions by raising a finger or making some other small movement. This form of communication is used to establish if a client is for example feeling comfortable, able to see the images the therapist is describing etc.

Ultimately even in trance you are in control. If at any time you hear something that you are not happy with you will immediately become alert. Imagine being in bed comfortable and about to fall asleep when you hear a noise – you recognise the noise as being safe (someone else in the house for example) you would not stir or get up. However, if the noise was unfamiliar you would be immediately alert and up able to investigate completely consciously.

It is important to understand that not all qualified hypnotherapists are qualified to treat all conditions and some conditions should not be treated by a therapist who is only trained in hypnotherapy. Below is a guide to the type of therapist required for different conditions.

• Registered conventional medical professionals trained in hypnotherapy
• Registered Psychologists, psychotherapists and councillors trained in the use of hypnotherapy
• Registered hypnotherapists

So a therapist can be registered in their own discipline eg doctor, nurse, psychologist, councillor etc and have additional training in hypnotherapy in which case you need to check credentials and registration for the profession they belong to. Additionally there are therapists who have trained exclusively in therapeutic hypnosis with or without psychotherapy training and for these therapists there are a number of registering bodies they can choose from. Always choose a therapist that is registered and check what the registering organisation requires for membership, it should include: evidence of recognised training, insurance and CPD (continuing professional development) as a minimum.

• Brain damage
• Epilepsy
• Multiple Personality
• Manic Depression
• Schizophrenia
• Severe Depression
• Active Suicide (where the patient is actively considering suicide)
• Severe Mental Illness

  In the case of severe drug and/or alchohol abuse only those who can show specialist training in this area and only with a G.P.’s permission or in collaboration with drug rehabilitation unit.

  These conditions should only be treated by a therapist who is trained in some form or psychotherapy/counselling as well as hypnotherapy

  • Depression
  • Serious life events including bereavement, relationship breakdowns, divorce
  • Trauma resulting from physical or mental abuse, victims of crime
  • Clinical eating disorders

• Smoking
• Habits such as nail biting
• General anxiety including speaking in public
• Exam nerves
• Phobias and fears
• Low self esteem
• Insomnia
• Weight issues
• Sexual dysfunction
• IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome)
• Spelling
• Concentration
• Relaxation
• Improved athletic performance