Helping you with:
Stress Management
Building Confidence
Removing Phobias
Changing Behaviours
Panic Attacks
Depression
Weight Loss/Slimming
Personal Performance
Reducing Fear
Anxiety
Stop Smoking
Poor Self Esteem
Exam Nerves
Driving Test Nerves
Alchohol Issues
General Concerns
Stage Fright
Coaching for Success
Stress Management
Building Confidence
Removing Phobias
Changing Behaviours
Panic Attacks
Depression
Weight Loss/Slimming
Personal Performance
Reducing Fear
Anxiety
Stop Smoking
Poor Self Esteem
Exam Nerves
Driving Test Nerves
Alchohol Issues
General Concerns
Stage Fright
Coaching for Success
What is Hypnotherapy?
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a very normal and natural altered state of consciousness (an altered state of awareness), one we all experience from time to time in which the mind remains clear, alert and focused on something. Have you ever "become really absorbed" while watching TV? Or driven to work on "auto pilot?" That's the same kind of altered state as hypnosis.
Some misconceptions about hypnosis are that it's a frightening or eerie state, or that it feels very weird, but it's actually very normal and very pleasant.
Some people ask if they've really been hypnotised, just because it feels like such a normal state and they were expecting something very strange. The zombie-type states you see depicted in movies and on TV are pure fantasy. .
Hypnotherapy?
Hypnosis itself is unlikely to assist in a relief of symptoms, whatever those symptoms might be.
It is the therapy - hypnotherapy - which is carried out within the altered state that is significant.
It adopts two altogether different forms in its clinical approach.
Suggestion Therapy
This clinical form of treatment is ideal for helping to cope with such things as self-development, particular fears, doubts, nerves, smoking, certain habits, some weight-control problems, stress, hypno-healing
(working with the body’s immune and healing systems) and so forth.
NLP and Hypnotherapy
NLP is used for the more fundamental or deep-seated problems or issues. This approach aims to find and eliminate the underlying rudimentary cause of such things as irrational fears, emotional problems, relationship difficulties, psychosexual problems, lack of confidence, personality problems, sleeping difficulties, stuttering/stammering, anxiety, inferiority complex, unhappiness, phobias, etc. and most other problems and issues where there is a psychological factor at work.
How does it feel to be hypnotised?
It feels great! Hypnosis is a natural state that feels similar to that feeling you get right before you fall asleep at night. When you awaken, you feel refreshed and revitalised.
You just feel as if you are relaxing in a very comfortable space with your eyes closed. You can hear everything--my voice, the sounds outside the building, a car going down the street outside, whatever. Think about it - your unconscious mind uses the same set of ears that your conscious mind hears with! How effective would it be if, once you entered the trance state, you suddenly lost all ability to hear the hypnotherapists's words?
You're mindful the entire time, aware of everything going on around you as well as what your unconscious is revealing to you.
I liken it to watching TV in one room while a radio plays in another; you can shift your awareness back and forth between the two, concentrating on one but still aware of the other.
How do you put people into hypnosis?
Using words, a soothing tone, mental imagery and various exercises and techniques (such as deep breathing) to induce a pleasant, lethargic state to begin with.
Is hypnosis "mind control?"
Not at all. No one under hypnosis can be induced to do anything against his or her will. Whatever moral and ethical codes you hold in a normal waking state will still be in place under hypnosis. You can actually lie when in hypnosis.
Your unconscious mind was formed when you were about age five. Its job is to protect and help you. Just like you cannot be made to do anything against your moral code, you will not say anything that is embarrassing and will not reveal more than you are comfortable doing. Usually, if a hypnotherapist`s suggestion conflicts with a client's value system, the client simply brings him or herself up out of hypnosis; they just "wake up." You are in complete control at all times.
Hypnotherapy is a gentle, loving process and hypnotherapists are trained to not judge.
You will heal and change in your own timing.
How much will I remember?
You'll remember everything--everything I say and everything you experience or everything you need to remember. However, because most clients receive a great deal of information it may take days, weeks or months to really process.
How deep will I go?
Depth of the hypnotic state is an idea that used to be a focal point, but lately the hypnosis community and hypnosis professionals have realised that depth (or not) has little bearing. My view on this is that my clients go as deep (or stay as light) as they need to and what is appropriate for them, and we still get good results. It is a fact that the more hypnosis one undergoes, the greater and easier one drops down into the altered state.
It is a skill and like all skills - improves with practice.
How do I know if I can be hypnotised?
Everyone can be hypnotised but one has to be willing to do it. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis, which means if you want to do it, you will. The very small minority of people who have difficulty in a session are usually those who a) don't really want to be hypnotised (perhaps to debunk the idea); or b) can't relax and let go enough (perhaps fearing loss of control, which we know is a myth, or fearing the unknown) to go with the experience. Some things you can do to increase your ability to go under hypnosis easier and faster are practising meditation, visualisation, yoga or relaxation techniques.
Can I "get stuck"?
No. Again, hypnosis is a very natural and normal state and cannot hold anyone against his or her will. If a client were to go so deep as to enter a truly unconscious state (a very rare occurrence), they would simply go into natural sleep and awaken when they were rested. It is impossible for anyone to be `left or lost` in hypnosis.
After hypnosis, a person awakens naturally, just as they do after sleep! If the hypnotherapist were to leave before counting them awake, the subject would eventually realise that the session had ended and would awaken on their own.
During the session, if there were an emergency, or the subject no longer wished to participate, they could easily awaken themselves at any time and simply stop.
Can hypnosis hurt me?
In over two hundred years of recorded hypnosis history, there is no documented case of anyone being hurt with hypnosis. Hypnosis can only be used in a positive way. If anyone tries to give you suggestions against your morals, religious beliefs or anything you feel strongly about, you could instantly emerge from the state of relaxation on your own.
Is hypnosis a 100% consent state?
If at any time you want to emerge from the state of hynosis, for any reason, you will instantly, naturally open your eyes and become fully alert. No one can keep you in hypnosis against your will.
What if I'm under a doctor's care or taking medication?
If you have any questions about whether or not hypnosis will help or conflict with a present medical condition, ask your GP.
The interesting reaction of hypnosis on medication is that, over long periods of time, it tends to "potentiate" medication, which means if you're currently taking medication, after a series of hypnosis sessions you may find that you need less amounts of it, or a lesser strength of the drug. Hypnosis can often complement traditional medical care and better or more informed doctors favour it. It can act as an adjunct to medical treatment.
Can hypnosis help me?
"Helping me get past my fear of public speaking?" "Improving my golf game?" "Helping me relax during exams?" "Curing my insomnia?" Etc. Let's put it this way: think for a moment about any issue in your life that you'd like to improve and ask yourself, "Does my mind interact with this issue/activity in any way? Do my thoughts/beliefs affect my performance?
Do my feelings contribute to my experiences in this area? Have I had past experiences that are reinforcing my beliefs/thoughts/emotions in a negative way? Is it my expectation that I will NOT get the results I desire?"
Are you getting the picture? The mind, body and emotions are all connected. Therefore, I'm not aware of ANY issue that can not be at least significantly improved/relieved through the regular use of hypnosis. Generally, there is a positive effect from hypnotherapy. When pain and trauma is released from the unconscious mind and the physical body's stored stress is also released from your cells. You can experience calmness. peace. and a feeling of joy from resolving an old issue, changing your behaviours and old patterns, leaning new information connecting with your inner wisdom, changes in how you perceive yourself and others. You can actually learn to let go of old hurts and angers, so they no longer affect you physically and emotionally. Your unconscious mind holds our keys to health, happiness and self-empowerment!
Hypnosis is a very normal and natural altered state of consciousness (an altered state of awareness), one we all experience from time to time in which the mind remains clear, alert and focused on something. Have you ever "become really absorbed" while watching TV? Or driven to work on "auto pilot?" That's the same kind of altered state as hypnosis.
Some misconceptions about hypnosis are that it's a frightening or eerie state, or that it feels very weird, but it's actually very normal and very pleasant.
Some people ask if they've really been hypnotised, just because it feels like such a normal state and they were expecting something very strange. The zombie-type states you see depicted in movies and on TV are pure fantasy. .
Hypnotherapy?
Hypnosis itself is unlikely to assist in a relief of symptoms, whatever those symptoms might be.
It is the therapy - hypnotherapy - which is carried out within the altered state that is significant.
It adopts two altogether different forms in its clinical approach.
Suggestion Therapy
This clinical form of treatment is ideal for helping to cope with such things as self-development, particular fears, doubts, nerves, smoking, certain habits, some weight-control problems, stress, hypno-healing
(working with the body’s immune and healing systems) and so forth.
NLP and Hypnotherapy
NLP is used for the more fundamental or deep-seated problems or issues. This approach aims to find and eliminate the underlying rudimentary cause of such things as irrational fears, emotional problems, relationship difficulties, psychosexual problems, lack of confidence, personality problems, sleeping difficulties, stuttering/stammering, anxiety, inferiority complex, unhappiness, phobias, etc. and most other problems and issues where there is a psychological factor at work.
How does it feel to be hypnotised?
It feels great! Hypnosis is a natural state that feels similar to that feeling you get right before you fall asleep at night. When you awaken, you feel refreshed and revitalised.
You just feel as if you are relaxing in a very comfortable space with your eyes closed. You can hear everything--my voice, the sounds outside the building, a car going down the street outside, whatever. Think about it - your unconscious mind uses the same set of ears that your conscious mind hears with! How effective would it be if, once you entered the trance state, you suddenly lost all ability to hear the hypnotherapists's words?
You're mindful the entire time, aware of everything going on around you as well as what your unconscious is revealing to you.
I liken it to watching TV in one room while a radio plays in another; you can shift your awareness back and forth between the two, concentrating on one but still aware of the other.
How do you put people into hypnosis?
Using words, a soothing tone, mental imagery and various exercises and techniques (such as deep breathing) to induce a pleasant, lethargic state to begin with.
Is hypnosis "mind control?"
Not at all. No one under hypnosis can be induced to do anything against his or her will. Whatever moral and ethical codes you hold in a normal waking state will still be in place under hypnosis. You can actually lie when in hypnosis.
Your unconscious mind was formed when you were about age five. Its job is to protect and help you. Just like you cannot be made to do anything against your moral code, you will not say anything that is embarrassing and will not reveal more than you are comfortable doing. Usually, if a hypnotherapist`s suggestion conflicts with a client's value system, the client simply brings him or herself up out of hypnosis; they just "wake up." You are in complete control at all times.
Hypnotherapy is a gentle, loving process and hypnotherapists are trained to not judge.
You will heal and change in your own timing.
How much will I remember?
You'll remember everything--everything I say and everything you experience or everything you need to remember. However, because most clients receive a great deal of information it may take days, weeks or months to really process.
How deep will I go?
Depth of the hypnotic state is an idea that used to be a focal point, but lately the hypnosis community and hypnosis professionals have realised that depth (or not) has little bearing. My view on this is that my clients go as deep (or stay as light) as they need to and what is appropriate for them, and we still get good results. It is a fact that the more hypnosis one undergoes, the greater and easier one drops down into the altered state.
It is a skill and like all skills - improves with practice.
How do I know if I can be hypnotised?
Everyone can be hypnotised but one has to be willing to do it. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis, which means if you want to do it, you will. The very small minority of people who have difficulty in a session are usually those who a) don't really want to be hypnotised (perhaps to debunk the idea); or b) can't relax and let go enough (perhaps fearing loss of control, which we know is a myth, or fearing the unknown) to go with the experience. Some things you can do to increase your ability to go under hypnosis easier and faster are practising meditation, visualisation, yoga or relaxation techniques.
Can I "get stuck"?
No. Again, hypnosis is a very natural and normal state and cannot hold anyone against his or her will. If a client were to go so deep as to enter a truly unconscious state (a very rare occurrence), they would simply go into natural sleep and awaken when they were rested. It is impossible for anyone to be `left or lost` in hypnosis.
After hypnosis, a person awakens naturally, just as they do after sleep! If the hypnotherapist were to leave before counting them awake, the subject would eventually realise that the session had ended and would awaken on their own.
During the session, if there were an emergency, or the subject no longer wished to participate, they could easily awaken themselves at any time and simply stop.
Can hypnosis hurt me?
In over two hundred years of recorded hypnosis history, there is no documented case of anyone being hurt with hypnosis. Hypnosis can only be used in a positive way. If anyone tries to give you suggestions against your morals, religious beliefs or anything you feel strongly about, you could instantly emerge from the state of relaxation on your own.
Is hypnosis a 100% consent state?
If at any time you want to emerge from the state of hynosis, for any reason, you will instantly, naturally open your eyes and become fully alert. No one can keep you in hypnosis against your will.
What if I'm under a doctor's care or taking medication?
If you have any questions about whether or not hypnosis will help or conflict with a present medical condition, ask your GP.
The interesting reaction of hypnosis on medication is that, over long periods of time, it tends to "potentiate" medication, which means if you're currently taking medication, after a series of hypnosis sessions you may find that you need less amounts of it, or a lesser strength of the drug. Hypnosis can often complement traditional medical care and better or more informed doctors favour it. It can act as an adjunct to medical treatment.
Can hypnosis help me?
"Helping me get past my fear of public speaking?" "Improving my golf game?" "Helping me relax during exams?" "Curing my insomnia?" Etc. Let's put it this way: think for a moment about any issue in your life that you'd like to improve and ask yourself, "Does my mind interact with this issue/activity in any way? Do my thoughts/beliefs affect my performance?
Do my feelings contribute to my experiences in this area? Have I had past experiences that are reinforcing my beliefs/thoughts/emotions in a negative way? Is it my expectation that I will NOT get the results I desire?"
Are you getting the picture? The mind, body and emotions are all connected. Therefore, I'm not aware of ANY issue that can not be at least significantly improved/relieved through the regular use of hypnosis. Generally, there is a positive effect from hypnotherapy. When pain and trauma is released from the unconscious mind and the physical body's stored stress is also released from your cells. You can experience calmness. peace. and a feeling of joy from resolving an old issue, changing your behaviours and old patterns, leaning new information connecting with your inner wisdom, changes in how you perceive yourself and others. You can actually learn to let go of old hurts and angers, so they no longer affect you physically and emotionally. Your unconscious mind holds our keys to health, happiness and self-empowerment!
Please use the form below to contact me about hypnotherapy/hypnosis or NLP, thankyou
“Hypnosis/hynpotherapy has gained credibility in the past five years because of research using the latest brain-imaging technology…. Studies show hypnosis can help treat a multitude of disorders...”
Help with stress,phobias and fear, weight loss and stopping smoking with NLP and Hypnosis in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
Hypnotherapy in Hertfordshire
Hypnotherapy and NLP in Hitchin,Hertfordshire
Copywrite © David Marshall 2008
Copywrite © David Marshall 2008
Professional Hypnotherapy, NLP and Coaching