Hypnotherapy is often applied in order to modify a subject's behaviour, emotional content, and attitudes, as well as a wide range of conditions including dysfunctional habits, anxiety, stress-related illness, pain management, and personal development.

What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a state of mind, enhanced by (although not exclusively) mental and physical relaxation, in which our subconscious is able to communicate with our conscious mind.  It may be better to define hypnosis by what it does rather than what it is and in this regard, it is widely accepted as a most excellent method by which we may access our inner potential.

Healing by trance state (or an altered state of awareness) is among the oldest phenomena known to man and is found, in one form or another, in virtually every culture throughout the world. It could also be legitimately described as the original psychological therapy and somewhat more contentiously, as the basis for many of the more recent styles of psychological intervention.

Regardless of the techniques employed, perhaps the most important thing is that a client should expect to feel comfortable and at ease with their therapist. This is of particular importance in hypnotherapy, in which the value of the treatment is greatly enhanced when there is confidence in the practitioner.  For this reason it is recommended that a single session only is initially booked, leaving the client subsequently free to decide if they wish to proceed with more.

Unlike many other psychological therapies, hypnotherapy is generally considered to be a fairly short-term approach in which beneficial change, if it is to occur, should become apparent within a relatively few sessions.

Who can be hypnotised?           

The answer to this question is undoubtedly virtually everyone. This claim must, however, be qualified by the observation that some are more readily hypnotisable than others and that it will also depend upon one's willingness to be hypnotised at the time. This willingness will itself depend upon a number of factors, not least of which will be the strength of the person's particular need and their trust and confidence in the therapist concerned.  A corollary to this question is what level of trance is required in order to achieve a beneficial outcome.  Although there remains some disagreement over the answer, most researchers concur that the actual level or depth of trance obtained does not relate to the beneficial results that might be obtained.  

In practice, this means that even where a person feels that they have not been hypnotised, given time (and this is a very important factor), the desired outcome of therapy might yet materialise. This matter of time is especially important in our current society, which has, in many respects, been coerced into believing that gratification of every desire should be instantaneous. 

Hypnotherapy can be extraordinarily effective but it is not magic.  However, if the right ingredients are present, if the time is right and if a suitable practitioner can be found with whom the client is willing to work, then all their realistic goals are achievable.

Who may benefit from Hypnotherapy?

Again, the answer to this question is virtually everyone.  Given that hypnotherapy can be utilised to access a person's inner potential and that probably no one is performing to their actual potential, then this answer is literally true.  However, it is not just potential which hypnotherapy is well placed to address but also one's inner resources to effect beneficial change.  In this regard, it is the innate healing capacity of our own body that may be stimulated by hypnotherapy. 

Consequently, the list of problems which may be amenable to hypnotherapy is far too long and varied to catalogue but certainly includes: stress, anxiety, panic, phobias, unwanted habits and addictions (e.g. smoking, overeating, alcoholism), disrupted sleep patterns, lack of confidence and low self-esteem, fear of examinations and public speaking, allergies and skin disorders, migraine and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).