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What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a two part process - the ‘Hypno’ part, and the ‘Therapy’ part.

therapy

"Hypno" (aka Hypnosis) in and of itself, is not a treatment for anything. It is little more than a method of administering a treatment – a special way of carrying out a treatment which could, if requested, be given without hypnosis.

 

For example, when you are treated by a doctor, and they give you an injection, it’s what’s inside the syringe that cures the illness. Hypnosis is like the needle and syringe – it does not treat the problem, but merely conveys the treatment to you. 

 

Hypnosis is often a quicker and more effective way of delivering a treatment, just as an injection may be a quicker and more effective way of getting the medication to work compared to a tablet.

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Hypnosis on its own, can be a very relaxing experience. However, when coupled with therapeutic modalities, it’s at its premium. When combining hypnosis with a range of psychological and psychotherapeutic tools and techniques, it is a very powerful driver for change.

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What can hypnosis be combined with?

Hypnosis can be combined with various psychotherapeutic interventions. There are a wide range of schools and styles of psychotherapy, however the underlying theories can be divided into three broad categories:

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Psychodynamic

Originating from Freudian psychoanalysis, the essential features of this approach are that it tends to emphasise developmental factors, especially “defence mechanisms” such as “projection” and “repression”, which are acquired to cope with anxiety - provoking desires or emotions.  This approach tends to utilise emotional insight brought about by analysis and interpretation, or, in hypnosis; the use of hypnotic regression.

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Humanistic

Places more emphasis upon understanding the individuality of the client as a human being, rather than subsuming their behaviour under general categories of interpretation.  The humanistic approach places less emphasis upon unconscious factors and instead emphasises the client’s ability for acquiring self-understanding over the therapist’s interpretation - emphasis is placed on empathy and listening skills, and to eschew (avoid) active-directive techniques, deep interpretation, or advice.  Carl Rogers’ person-centred therapy, the dominant model of counselling theory; is an example of the humanistic approach. 

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Cognitive-Behavioural

Modern cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) began to develop in the 1950s following the “cognitive revolution” in academic psychology.  Behavioural psychology focuses upon the mechanisms of conditioning established by Pavlov’s early research on animals (commonly known as “Pavlov’s Dogs”), and in therapy it therefore tends to emphasise the role of training in relaxation techniques and other practical coping skills. Cognitive psychology attempts to observe and measure patterns of thinking and in the form of cognitive therapy, it works by identifying negative thoughts and teaching clients to dispute and re-evaluate them before installing and rehearsing new positive patterns of thinking.

What is Hypnosis?

It’s a ‘do with’ process, not a ‘do to’ process...

Many people’s understanding of hypnosis is via media depictions or stage hypnosis shows – where the hypnotist appears to be turning people into clucking chickens – giving the impression that hypnosis is a mode of control. This far from accurate!

 

In fact, there’s only one kind of hypnosis – self hypnosis. All hypnosis is self induced. The therapist is there to aid the client with the onset of this state and to facilitate the therapeutic interventions which make up the session. Hypnosis is successful ONLY if the client wants to follow the instructions offered by the therapist.  

What can Hypnotherapy help with?

  • Addiction

  • Anger management

  • Anxiety

  • Binge/comfort eating

  • Burnout

  • Business success

  • Confidence 

  • Depression

  • Emotional processing

  • Exam nerves

  • Fears

  • Grief

  • ​Goal achievement 

  • ​Guilt

  • Habits (nail biting, hair pulling etc)

  • Illness

  • Insomnia

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

  • Loneliness

  • Low self-esteem

  • Motivation

  • Nerves

  • Pain relief

  • Panic attacks

  • ​Performance anxiety 

  • Phobias 

  • Pregnancy & childbirth​

  • Relationships

  • Sex & intimacy

  • Smoking cessation

  • Stage fright/public speaking

  • Stress management

  • Tinnitus

  • Trauma

  • Weight management/loss

  • Worry​​

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Can’t find what you are looking for? ​Please do get in touch anyway...

Hypnotherapy is so versatile that it can be applied to a wide range of conditions that's affected by how you think, feel and behave - so chances are I can make a difference to whatever is troubling you. 

Fact sheet

The more you understand hypnotherapy, the more effective it is likely to be. If you do not understand any of these points below, or wish to obtain further clarity; please do not hesitate to discuss them with me:

 

  • Hypnosis is a way of using various naturally-occurring psychological and physiological states. It’s a collaborative process in which you (as the client) allow yourself to follow the guidance of me (the therapist) by using your imagination to evoke positive emotions and rehearse behaviour changes.

  • Everyone can, in principle, be ‘hypnotised’. It has been shown to help if you relax, think positively, and imagine the things being suggested by the therapist.

  • Hypnotic “trance” - as it is so called, is an increased ability to respond to positive suggestions, usually accompanied simply by related attention to the ideas being suggested.

  • The hypnosis state is definitely not a state of sleep or unconsciousness.  Roughly 90% of people report being aware of everything that happens, and relaxation helps but is not essential to the process of hypnosis.

  • The state of hypnosis is definitely not a state of mind control.  You cannot be made to do anything against your will.  On the contrary, you must want to accept suggested ideas and actively imagine responding to experience their effects.

  • Hypnosis is completely safe and is used by myself in a responsible and professional manner.  Nobody has ever been “stuck” in hypnosis.

  • Comedy stage hypnosis shows have very little to do with clinical hypnotherapy, and unfortunately has been shown to foster misconceptions which can prevent people from benefiting from treatment.  Take what you see on television with a generous pinch of salt.

  • Hypnotic suggestion is a means of experiencing certain helpful ideas at a level profound enough to directly influence our emotions and behaviour.

  • Psychological and emotional problems can be seen as the result of negative cognitions (thinking), whereas hypnotherapy aims to encourage (“suggest”) positive ideas which lead to improvement.

  • Hypnotherapy, usually requires more than one session. However, it is one of the briefest forms of psychological therapy, and in clinical studies; the average number of sessions is around 4-6.

  • Hypnotherapy can help with an enormous range of different issues.

  • Thousands of positive experimental and clinical research studies on hypnosis have been published.  Highlights include: Recognition as an effective treatment by the British Medical Association (BMA) and American Medical Association (AMA) in the 1950s and, more recently, by the American Psychological Association (for obesity) and NICE guidance (for IBS) used by the NHS.

  • Hypnosis is essentially a simple, down-to-earth, and common sense therapy.  For example, by relaxing, thinking positively, and picturing your goals, hypnosis can help you to progressively improve your habitual thinking, feelings and behaviour.

 

References

  • AMA (1958). ‘Council on Mental Health: Medical use of Hypnosis’, JAMA, Sep 13, 1958: 186-189

  • BMA (1955). ‘Medical use of Hypnotism: Report of a Subcommittee appointed by the Psychological Medicine Group Committee of the British Medical Association’, Supplement to the BMJ April 23, 1955: 190-193, Appendix X.

  • BPS (2001). The Nature of Hypnosis. Leicester: BPS.

  • APA (1997). Update on Empirically Validated Treatments, The Clinical Psychologist, 1997

What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)? 

Uplifted Youth

NLP is a users manual for your mind!

NLP is about how the brain works and stores information of your life’s experiences - it is the study of the structure of subjective experience. Using NLP techniques, you can successfully make changes to limiting beliefs, addictions, health issues, phobic responses and many more!

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The Association of Neuro-Linguistic Programming defines NLP as follows:

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“NLP combines theories, models and techniques from a range of scientific and esoteric fields, to create accessible, understandable ‘tools’ which can be used by individuals, teams and organisations and applied in a variety of contexts to improve outcomes, support wellbeing and create change”

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These models, techniques and strategies have evolved from modelling excellence, in order to help us better understand how our thought processes and behaviour, including how the language we use, influences the way we think and the results we get. 

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Creators Richard Bandler and John Grinder developed NLP in the early 1970s in America - around the time the human potential movement was in full swing. They studied people who were highly successful in their particular field and identified the common factors that contributed to their success. In the early days of NLP, Richard Bandler put all these techniques together based mostly on the modelling of three highly successful therapists: Fritz Perls (the father of Gestalt therapy), Virginia Satir (the mother of family therapy) and Milton Erickson (psychiatrist, psychologist and practicing hypnotherapist).

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NLP looks at and utilises the power of the brain, communication and habitual or “self-programmed” responses. It is the science of how the brain codes learning and experience.  NLP has been defined as the “users manual for your mind”, a software for the brain because it gives us insights into how our thinking patterns can affect every aspect of our lives - and thus used to successfully facilitate change, and nurture personal and professional growth. 

Where does NLP come from?

The name Neuro-Linguistic Programming was an attempt to describe in a succinct manner the scope of this extensive body of insights and skills. It comes from: 

Shadow Portrait

Neuro

The study of the mind and nervous system (how we think), through which our experience is processed, how we represent the outside world to ourselves via our five senses:

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  • Visual

  • Auditory

  • Kinaesthetic

  • Gustatory

  • Olfactory

Linguistic

The study of language and how we use it. Language and other non-verbal communication systems through which our neural representations are coded, ordered and given meaning. Includes:

 

  • Pictures

  • Sounds

  • Feelings

  • Tastes

  • Smells

  • Words (Self Talk)

Friends at Cafe
Together at the Top

Programming

The sequence of our actions; how we motivate ourselves to achieve our goals.  The ability to discover and utilise the programs that we run (our communication to ourselves and others) in our neurological systems to achieve our specific and desired outcomes.

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Your brain is like a computer; running natural thinking programmes, processes and strategies all of the time. And just like a computer you can upgrade your software so you become more effective in what you do, how you think, and how you feel. 

Man Looking Out the Window

NLP can be described as...

  • An advanced set of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques

  • A programme that allows you to explore one extreme of human behaviour - namely EXCELLENCE!!

  • Changing your thought processes so that you can remove limiting decisions, negative emotions; eliminate phobias and unresourceful states. 

  • A recipe for happiness.  The strategies behind excellence and achieving peak performance.

Benefits of NLP:

  • Personal development tools that will create ongoing change and success.

  • Enhancing business performance, with improved coaching and communication skills.

  • Learn and develop successful techniques to improve your health and well-being

  • Improved relationships and be confident to live your life to the full.

People who’ve used NLP for successful change...

  • Abbie Clancy – for nerves & anxiety

  • Andre Agassi – for game changing goals

  • Barack Obama – NLP language & presentation techniques

  • Cheryl Cole – for confidence building

  • Geri Halliwell – for health and wellbeing

  • Jonny Wilkinson – for goal visualisation and game focus

  • Oprah Winfrey – for audience engagement and motivation

  • Orlando Bloom – to remove a chocolate addiction

  • Pharrell Williams – to build rapport and relationships

  • Sophie Dahl – for weightloss techniques

  • Tiger Woods – for game and swing improvement

What is coaching? 

Navigating in Woods

Coaching is the process of helping someone find the path between where they are now, and where they want to be.

Coaching is outcome orientated – it’s about identifying and setting goals, finding ways of achieving said goals, and removing obstacles that are in the way.

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You could think of coaching as a matter of: Performance = Potential - Interference (P=p-i)

 

Coaching aims to maximise a clients potential and minimise the interference. Interference can manifest itself through limiting beliefs and fear. The coaching process involves reflective questioning to help clients identify goals they want to achieve, recognise and understand their current circumstances, help them consider all the options available to them and choose which actions they will take within an agreed timeframe.

 

The goals one sets for themselves can be across a broad range of areas in life, such as business, health and wellbeing, career, relationships and work-life balance. Sometimes, individuals are unsure about which direction they wish to head in life, and are only certain about what they don’t want – making it difficult to identify particular goals in which to aim for. 

 

A coach can help a client consider all areas of their life, and narrow down what they want to focus on and what might be holding them back from achieving it. A coach will also help a client identify their values, helping them understand what drives and motivates them. From this insight, clients can set goals which they want to move towards; something they wish to achieve – instead of fears which they want to move away from and avoid.

 

Coaching is not about giving advice – the process is predicated on individuals being able to achieve their goals through identifying, acknowledging and utilising their own resources, rather than being told what to do.

 

A way to think about this is; the client is in charge of the content, and the coach is in charge of the process. Using Lego as an analogy, the client provides the bricks, and the coach works with the client to build and order the bricks into a robust and solid framework; structurally helping them reach their goals.

 

A benefit of coaching is that it can bring objectivity into the equation. It can be very challenging to be objective with oneself – a coach can bring an objective perspective on the clients circumstances, free from emotion which can be burdensome and hinder productive decision making. This allows clients to reflect about their decisions, and about themselves; bringing reality front and centre, and can guide people to find replacements for behaviours that are not achieving the intended results.

 

The tools, techniques and strategies that one can learn during coaching can benefit an individual for many years into their future.

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