Hypnotherapy is a brief strategic therapy - one that is aimed specifically at finding a resolution to your problems as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible. It gives you the power to change any behaviour that you want to change, including:
• weight control
• anxiety
• stress
• depression
• phobias
• eating disorders
• insomnia
• post-natal depression
• fear of failure
• lack of focus/motivation
• low self-esteem
• smoking
Hypnotherapy & Hypnosis - What hypnotherapy feels like
If you've never been for a hypnotherapy treatment you're probably wondering what hypnotherapy or hypnosis feels like. With all the myths and misconceptions concerning hypnosis and hypnotherapy, it's understandable that you might feel apprehensive about booking your first hypnotherapy appointment - or maybe even listening to a hypnotherapy CD. So it's probably a good idea to find out as much about hypnotherapy as possible, including what being hypnotised actually feels like. Many people - and I did too - expect to somehow feel very different or to have an ‘out-of-this-world experience’ when they're hypnotised. That would be truly amazing.....But the truth is that hypnosis is really a very normal state. It's very similar to daydreaming or the feelings of complete and utter relaxation you experience just moments before you fall asleep. The difference is that during a hypnotherapy session this pleasant state is deliberately induced by your hypnotherapist. There's no one particular feeling in hypnosis or hypnotherapy. Each person's experience is different and will vary from time to time. However, hypnotherapy is generally a safe and very pleasurable, enjoyable experience. During a session with an experienced hypnotherapist you'll most likely feel extremely relaxed, comfortably warm, and very peaceful. Hypnotherapy is a pleasant, peaceful state of physical and mental stillness giving you a general feeling of well-being. The wonderful thing about hypnotherapy is that there's no correct way of being or feeling. Whatever you experience is absolutely right for you. Most people who undergo hypnotherapy - sometimes called clinical hypnosis or medical hypnosis - are amazed at how deeply relaxing and useful the whole experience is. You'll most likely find that by the end of the session you're very deeply relaxed. In fact, it feels so good that you'll probably want to do it again! You'll still be aware of everything that's going on around you
Although you're pleasantly relaxed, you'll still be conscious of everything that's happening. You know who you are, where you are, what's going on around you and what's being said to you. Sometimes you're so relaxed that you just can't be bothered moving or talking or worrying about your problems! You'll be surprised by how calming and very enjoyable hypnotherapy is. The fear that some people have of hypnosis and hypnotherapy, is simply the fear of not knowing quite what to expect. You've experienced hypnosis many times before. Hypnosis is a state where your mind is absorbed in certain thoughts or activities. So you're unlikely to feel anything during a hypnotherapy session that you've never encountered before. You'll be surprised by how ‘normal’ hypnosis and hypnotherapy feel. Try this.....Think of the last time you got so absorbed in a hobby or activity that you were oblivious to what was going on around you. Or recall a time when you became really engrossed in a good book or an exciting film. Or think of a time when you drove your car for many miles and were surprised when you arrived at your destination with no memory of certain parts of the journey. Or that warm, dreamy, sleepy feeling of sitting by a warm fire and listening to some relaxing music. All of these are hypnotic type states! Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are as easy and natural as daydreaming. Each person's experience of hypnosis or hypnotherapy is different and will vary from time to time. We're all individuals, so how you feel during hypnosis or hypnotherapy won't be exactly the same as how someone else feels. And just to complicate things, it may vary from session to session. Having confused you, I'm now going to give you an idea of the physical sensations that many people encounter during their hypnotherapy treatment. Physical sensations experienced during hypnosis or hypnotherapy
During a hypnotherapy session you may be aware of some, or all, of the following physical sensations:
What hypnotherapy feels like - some of the physical sensations you're likely to encounter
Feeling either warmer or cooler than normal - usually warmer. What hypnotherapy feels like - some of the physical sensations you're likely to encounter
Experiencing sensations of heaviness or lightness. What hypnotherapy feels like - some of the physical sensations you're likely to encounter
Hearing your hypnotherapist’s voice appear to become louder and then fading out again, or seeing the light which penetrates your closed eyelids becoming darker and then lighter again. This is quite normal for some people and it's nothing to worry about. It simply indicates the different levels of relaxation you're experiencing. it's nothing to worry about either! The relaxation of hypnosis follows a wave pattern similar to the wave pattern of sleep - although hypnosis and sleep aren't the same thing. When the hypnotherapist's voice seems to become quieter or the room seems to become slightly less bright, that's only you going down to a deeper level or relaxation - which is good! What hypnotherapy feels like - some of the physical sensations you're likely to encounter
Finding that your stomach rumbles. Embarassing? Maybe....but take it as a sign that you're relaxing. In fact it’s quite usual for the hypnotherapist’s stomach to make even more noise than the client’s! Or perhaps that's just true in my case. So please don’t be embarrassed and hold your breath trying to stop it from happening. Remember that your therapist hears gurgling stomachs on a daily basis! It’s no big deal! Just accept that it's all part and parcel of the relaxation process. Chill out and forget about it. What hypnotherapy feels like - some of the physical sensations you're likely to encounter
Experiencing a slight pleasant tingling in your face. Or sometimes in your feet and hands. What hypnotherapy feels like - some of the physical sensations you're likely to encounter
Twitching limbs. Some peoples' arms twitch slightly. With others, it's their legs. Many people experience the very same feeling as they fall asleep in bed at night. So if you get the feeling that you've been moving along and then have somehow missed a step, don't worry, it's quite natural! On the other hand, it's not necessary for you to feel this, so if you don't, that's absolutely fine too! What hypnotherapy feels like - some of the physical sensations you're likely to encounter
Becoming so relaxed that you fall asleep. Again that’s not a problem, even if you snore! Your therapist will gently bring you up to a lighter level of relaxation so that you can hear every word that's being said and the session will continue as normal. Even if your hypnotherapist were to continue to let you sleep, whatever he or she says to you would still find it’s way into your subconscious mind where it can do it's work very effectively. However it’s not likely that your hypnotherapist would allow you to miss out on a very enjoyable session. Even if at the end of the hypnotherapy session you don't truly believe that you have been hypnotised, it's very likely that you'll begin to notice positive changes starting to occur in your life. It's then that you'll realise that the hypnotherapy must have had some beneficial impact on your health, behaviour or way of thinking! Possibly all three. Not fully accepting that you've been hypnotised is, more often than not, simply an indication that the state of hypnosis wasn't quite as you'd expected! Hypnotherapy is absolutely safe. You come out of hypnosis feeling very positive, wonderfully rested, calm and relaxed.
