I've got a confession to make.
I often get asked about whether hypnotherapy will help with a variety for problems; but the answer is often, but not always, yes.
There are times when I say to a client, “I don’t think hypnosis is for you at this moment in time.”
That might shock you, but the truth is that any therapy is a two-way relationship and a client MUST be in the right frame of mind to make progress: an attitude of "I'm willing to try, do and be something different."
So, under what conditions MIGHT I recommend to a client not to book a session?
Here are some common times where I would recommend NOT to choose hypnotherapy:-
1. If there is any history of mental illness or they are on some involved psychotic medication, then it is certainly advisable to see the GP instead
2. If someone does not believe in “therapy or “hypnosis.” I have seen many miracles in clients, but only when they are “sold on the idea” that therapy CAN work and that it IS POSSIBLE for a person to change. If you remember that a therapist cannot force a person to do anything, not even go into trance, then you already start to realise how much personal power you have! A therapist or coach simply supports YOU to make the changes you wnt. Their job is not to sell the “concept” of therapy to you. If you decide to book a session, you must be open to the therapy or coaching – and willing to commit to the process
3. If you are someone who always has to be “in control” and are NOT open to trying new things, then perhaps hypnotherapy is not for you
4. And the final category of folk would be those people who want to “prove” that hypnotherapy, hypnosis or therapy does "not" work. These folks need to reconsider the aspects of their life that lead them to that place. There are lots of folk who are serious about making a change.
After all, when you see a therapist, you are paying for their time. They will of course want you to get wonderful changes and results but - in the long-term - each individual has to take responsibility for that! The therapist can suggest, guide and talk to you about many aspects of the change process, but you must be committed to co-operate in that process.
However, if you are determined to stop, willing to believe in therapy, willing to co-operate with the therapist, are willing to try something new and already believe that hypnosis works (as clients must do), then you are in for a treat.
If you are one of folk *serious* about making a change, as you probably are if you are taking the time to read this, then please take the time to check out the Hypnosis Cardiff website. I invite you to sign up for one of the free online courses there and enjoy a complimentary hypnotioc trance.
If you do, you might just be like our recent client Sue who raved that she is, “very relaxed and feel able to resist cigarettes [for the first time in 40 years].”
Friday 16 February 2007
Friday 9 February 2007
Demystifying Hypnosis - and why it just might help you
As people generally have certain things on their mind when they first think of “hypnosis” I thought it might be good to give you the low down on what it is and what it isn’t!
Simply stated, “hypnosis” or “trance” is a state of narrow and focused attention where you are focusing on one thing to the exclusion of all else. It’s like day dreaming or being engrossed in a film or that state you are in when neither asleep nor awake.
The real benefit is that you can give your self-suggestions, start to relax and feel and see yourself differently if you let yourself get into a lower brainwave frequency (which is what happens in trance). You body and brain literally slow down what is known as a theta brainwave state.
Everyone…and I mean everyone has natural body rhythms that mean they start to slow down and drift off every 90 minutes. These cycles happen when asleep or awake, but people often choose to override their own biological programming and have a coffee or force themselves on, rather than a break! The net result is that we see so much more stress and anxiety today. You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? The more I consider it, the majority of people’s problems, even weight gain, are linked strongly to “stress.” You might call it “anxiety,” or feel you are a “worrier” but unless you learn something like meditation (a close cousin of hypnosis) or a form of trance, then chances are that it will get worse over time.
That’s where a skill hypnotherapist comes in. He or she can help put you at ease, assist you to relax quickly and start to help you focus your mind on what you actually want - automatically. I have seen people in my own practice scared since childhood of talking in front of groups suddenly start smiling at the prospect after just minutes of focusing the mind like this in trance. I’ve seen clients stop biting their nails in seconds and stop blushing in minutes. I’ve seen them quit smoking in minutes (which is normal as I estimate it takes the average client about 20 minutes to stop – when they are motivated and focus their mind appropriately)
You see you mind is very powerful. You may have heard, “as you think, so you are.” It is so true. A friend of mine told me a story recently about the force of expectation – and that is what hypnosis is – it’s the “induction of conviction.” Years and years ago, a highly unethical and ad hoc study or rather a set of random observations was done. Criminals were told they were going to be beheaded, but actually at the crucial moment, they had a bucket of water thrown over them. They still died.
Now think about that. I know it might seem “far out” to believe, but there are many such well-documented stories such as the Haitian Voodoo Men pointing at believing villagers and “cursing “them – and healthy individuals dying within 24 hours.
Now, I know that you probably don’t believe in that stuff and you might be thinking, “that’s terrible.” And it is. But that is the force of expectation and we all get what we expect to get.
When you feel uncomfortable or out of control, your mind may well be creating things you don’t want – like persistent old habits or weight gain. But I guarantee you that the results you are getting now be they financial, health or relationships boil down to how you feel and what you expect. Hypnosis is a really easy and non-intrusive way to change old patterns that have frustrated the hell out of you – and start to focus your mind on what you do want - and when combined with NLP (which will be covered in a future post) can help to quickly release old patterns.
As a client who had suffered terrible fears for years told me recently after just one session of hypnosis: “I now feel so much more happy, restful and full of optimism. Thank you Richard”
If you liked this article, the website or this blog, why not refer a friend to it? it’s easy. Simply go to our website at www.HypnosisCardiff.co.uk and click on any one of the “refer a link” buttons.
Simply stated, “hypnosis” or “trance” is a state of narrow and focused attention where you are focusing on one thing to the exclusion of all else. It’s like day dreaming or being engrossed in a film or that state you are in when neither asleep nor awake.
The real benefit is that you can give your self-suggestions, start to relax and feel and see yourself differently if you let yourself get into a lower brainwave frequency (which is what happens in trance). You body and brain literally slow down what is known as a theta brainwave state.
Everyone…and I mean everyone has natural body rhythms that mean they start to slow down and drift off every 90 minutes. These cycles happen when asleep or awake, but people often choose to override their own biological programming and have a coffee or force themselves on, rather than a break! The net result is that we see so much more stress and anxiety today. You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? The more I consider it, the majority of people’s problems, even weight gain, are linked strongly to “stress.” You might call it “anxiety,” or feel you are a “worrier” but unless you learn something like meditation (a close cousin of hypnosis) or a form of trance, then chances are that it will get worse over time.
That’s where a skill hypnotherapist comes in. He or she can help put you at ease, assist you to relax quickly and start to help you focus your mind on what you actually want - automatically. I have seen people in my own practice scared since childhood of talking in front of groups suddenly start smiling at the prospect after just minutes of focusing the mind like this in trance. I’ve seen clients stop biting their nails in seconds and stop blushing in minutes. I’ve seen them quit smoking in minutes (which is normal as I estimate it takes the average client about 20 minutes to stop – when they are motivated and focus their mind appropriately)
You see you mind is very powerful. You may have heard, “as you think, so you are.” It is so true. A friend of mine told me a story recently about the force of expectation – and that is what hypnosis is – it’s the “induction of conviction.” Years and years ago, a highly unethical and ad hoc study or rather a set of random observations was done. Criminals were told they were going to be beheaded, but actually at the crucial moment, they had a bucket of water thrown over them. They still died.
Now think about that. I know it might seem “far out” to believe, but there are many such well-documented stories such as the Haitian Voodoo Men pointing at believing villagers and “cursing “them – and healthy individuals dying within 24 hours.
Now, I know that you probably don’t believe in that stuff and you might be thinking, “that’s terrible.” And it is. But that is the force of expectation and we all get what we expect to get.
When you feel uncomfortable or out of control, your mind may well be creating things you don’t want – like persistent old habits or weight gain. But I guarantee you that the results you are getting now be they financial, health or relationships boil down to how you feel and what you expect. Hypnosis is a really easy and non-intrusive way to change old patterns that have frustrated the hell out of you – and start to focus your mind on what you do want - and when combined with NLP (which will be covered in a future post) can help to quickly release old patterns.
As a client who had suffered terrible fears for years told me recently after just one session of hypnosis: “I now feel so much more happy, restful and full of optimism. Thank you Richard”
If you liked this article, the website or this blog, why not refer a friend to it? it’s easy. Simply go to our website at www.HypnosisCardiff.co.uk and click on any one of the “refer a link” buttons.
Wednesday 7 February 2007
Does Hypnosis work?
One of the most common questions that people ask me is, "does hypnosis work?"
I guess that this comes from a perception, probably deserved, that stage hypnotism is hypnosis and that its use extends to making people "cluck like a chicken." This is because stage hypnotism and the shows that Paul McKenna used to do are often the only reference point that folk have for "hypnosis." Interestingly, he no longer does stage shows because (I am sure) he realises that it detracts - in some regards - from the positive clinical uses of hypnotherapy.
So what is "trance" and how would you know you were in one? And how do you know you aren't in a trance now???!
Well, the truth is that we are always in a certain state, feeling or level of consciousness. You might think of yourself as always being in a state of "trance." It might be a "happy" trance, a "forgetful" trance, an "absorbed in a TV program" trance, a "speaking to my best friend" trance of a thousand other different experiences. When these things happen, you tend to notice only what it immediately apparent and not notice other things. In fact trance can be defined as "a state of narrow and focused attention where a person focuses on one thing to the exclusion of all else."
I remember one of the first times I went into a formal hyponotic trance was when Paul McKenna defined hypnosis in a class as "the eradication of the multiplicity of the foci of attention." Whooa Paul...slow down...but of course that's what I did!
So anytime that you go inside and daydream, get absorbed in something, drive your car on autopilot, start to imagine things or become totally engrossed in a film to the point where that's all you are aware of, then you are using your body's natural ability to switch off from high end beta brainwave pattern functioning - and starting to relax into a a place where you have more access to latent abilities.
A competent and skilled hypnotherapist can help you get their quicker, deeper and also "re-script" your unconscious mind with new suggestions that you consciously want, but don't seem able to make into a habit - like stopping smoking.
So, yes hypnosis works, but only if you want to chill out and make changes more quickly and easily!
I guess that this comes from a perception, probably deserved, that stage hypnotism is hypnosis and that its use extends to making people "cluck like a chicken." This is because stage hypnotism and the shows that Paul McKenna used to do are often the only reference point that folk have for "hypnosis." Interestingly, he no longer does stage shows because (I am sure) he realises that it detracts - in some regards - from the positive clinical uses of hypnotherapy.
So what is "trance" and how would you know you were in one? And how do you know you aren't in a trance now???!
Well, the truth is that we are always in a certain state, feeling or level of consciousness. You might think of yourself as always being in a state of "trance." It might be a "happy" trance, a "forgetful" trance, an "absorbed in a TV program" trance, a "speaking to my best friend" trance of a thousand other different experiences. When these things happen, you tend to notice only what it immediately apparent and not notice other things. In fact trance can be defined as "a state of narrow and focused attention where a person focuses on one thing to the exclusion of all else."
I remember one of the first times I went into a formal hyponotic trance was when Paul McKenna defined hypnosis in a class as "the eradication of the multiplicity of the foci of attention." Whooa Paul...slow down...but of course that's what I did!
So anytime that you go inside and daydream, get absorbed in something, drive your car on autopilot, start to imagine things or become totally engrossed in a film to the point where that's all you are aware of, then you are using your body's natural ability to switch off from high end beta brainwave pattern functioning - and starting to relax into a a place where you have more access to latent abilities.
A competent and skilled hypnotherapist can help you get their quicker, deeper and also "re-script" your unconscious mind with new suggestions that you consciously want, but don't seem able to make into a habit - like stopping smoking.
So, yes hypnosis works, but only if you want to chill out and make changes more quickly and easily!
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