What is hypnotherapy and how does it work?

What is hypnotherapy and how does it work?

Since qualifying as a hypnotherapist, I have had lots of interest into how it can help people and the types of issues it can help with. From confidence building to pain management, from weight loss to overcoming phobias, hypnotherapy has long been proven to be a powerful tool in helping people with a wide range of issues.

What is hypnosis? 

When most people think of hypnosis, names such as Paul McKenna or Derren Brown spring to mind along with images of people on stage barking like dogs or doing things that they would never do in their right mind.

This perception of hypnosis is far from the reality of hypnotherapy.

How is Hypnotherapy different? 

Hypnotherapy has been used and well documented for hundreds of years and there is great deal of scientific study around it. From 17^th century warships with amazingly high survival rates through to helping people to overcome mental and physical issues, hypnotherapy has featured greatly throughout history and across the world and was even set to be used instead of general anaesthetic until Queen Victoria popularised the use of chloroform during one of her pregnancies.

What happens during hypnotherapy?

It is a common misconception that hypnosis is some kind of ‘mind control’. You are made to sleep and have your mind tampered with. This is not the case at all.

A state of hypnosis is simply a very relaxed state. Not even as deep as sleeping! In fact, you are still conscious the whole time you are under hypnosis. You can hear, you can understand, you are aware and you can make choices. It has even been proven that your senses are heightened and your reactions time (if necessary) can be even faster than when you are in a conscious state!

You know when you have eaten too much Sunday dinner and you are having a snooze on the sofa but you can still hear people chatting and still know what’s going on? Hypnosis feels similar to this. Or when you are reading a book or are engrossed in the tv and someone is talking to you? You know they are speaking but you simply haven’t registered what they are saying? This is another example of being in a hypnotic state.

When you are in this relaxed state, it switches off your conscious mind and lets your subconscious mind take charge. Your subconscious mind is not some kind of weird, mystical and wonderful thing. It is the part of your mind that does things for you that you don’t have to think about – like keep breathing when you are sleeping or putting one foot in front of the other to walk.

How does this help? 

Imagine your subconscious mind to be a little like your hardwired computer programming. Many of the programmes set there are vital for our survival and development, but many of the programmes have been added over time and have been adapted by our conscious, our experiences and our beliefs. This does not make them all accurate.

Our subconscious plays a bigger part in our day to day life than we might give it credit for. When we imagine how something is going to play out at a meeting… when we think about how what we are having for dinner… when we believe a play or a movie and empathise with the characters… there are millions of examples! This means the programmes set in our subconscious play a big part in our everyday too. And not always helpfully.

During hypnotherapy, we look at programming that is incorrect or not helpful and that have led to unhelpful behaviours, thoughts or feelings and reprogramme them without the conscious mind getting in the way!

Why does it work? 

By reprogramming the aspects that are not helpful to you, hypnotherapy ‘tricks’ the brain into thinking it already knows something. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between real experiences and imagined ones, so we use this tool to rehearse things more helpfully, making your brain believe that you have already done something!

This is especially helpful when it comes to phobias, fears and worries but it can also be used to help our bodies to feel better, to heal ourselves, to feel more confident in certain situations or to change bad habits for good.

If it’s just imagination, why do I need a hypnotherapist? 

A good question! The reality is that all hypnosis is effectively self hypnosis. Nobody can hypnotise anyone that doesn’t want to be. I cannot make anyone do anything they don’t want to.

My job is to help you to get into that lovely relaxed state and then talk you through EXACTLY what you need to do to make your subconscious mind work FOR you and reprogramme those beliefs and patterns that are leading to unhelpful outcomes.

There is no magic. There is no trickery. In fact, it is very simple and very relaxing! You come away feeling energised and great! But it is simple.

What can hypnotherapy help with?

There are a huge range of areas where hypnotherapy can help, however, I do have some specialist areas:

• Weight loss

• Stopping smoking easily

• Dealing with fears or phobias

• Relieving stress when trying to conceive

• Hypnobirthing

• Confidence building

• Chronic pain management  

How do I find out more?

I offer a free consultation where you can ask questions and tell me how you would like things to be different for you. I can also assess your symptoms and talk you through the best options for success.

If you would like to book a free consultation or if you have any questions please get in touch at

info@thinkfertility.co.uk

www.chanya.life

07849 786177