Hypnotherapy is the use of different types of therapy in hypnosis, along with the mind’s own natural abilities, to resolve issues, relieve emotional burdens and achieve personal goals. It is a safe, effective process and involves the client and therapist working together to bring about positive changes in how they think, feel and act.
What is Hypnosis?
It is a trance like, naturally occurring state of mind that can bring you into a safe, natural state of relaxation. There are many schools of thought on this, but it is generally agreed that it is a state of focused attention which uses both the conscious and unconscious mind to facilitate change. You have probably experienced hypnosis naturally thousands of times whether you are aware of it or not. Normal, everyday hypnosis occurs when you are driving down the road and lose track of time, or when you are focusing on a book or a good film – often you don’t notice what is going on around you. You are not asleep, and you are in control. It’s an imaginative free-floating and pleasant state of mind where you’re far more aware than usual but also a lot more focused. Brain scans on people who are in hypnosis show that brain wave activity moves from a Beta state to an Alpha state, and sometimes, to a Theta state. This is not dissimilar to the pattern of brain activity during meditation.
What is Hypnotherapy used for?
Hypnotherapy can be used to improve, and in many cases entirely remove, any symptom or challenge that is caused by emotions, habits, behaviour or psychological issues. Experts now agree that many life problems, including physical disease, may have underlying causative factors that are predominantly psychological or emotional. Hypnotherapy works well with any issue involving psychological/emotional factors. Resolving a problem that’s “inside you but feels out of your control” can give you your life back. As well as resolving problems, many now use hypnotherapy to improve performance in sport, business, study, the arts and personal relationships.
Are there different types of hypnotherapy?
Yes, hypnosis is a tool, and many types of therapy can be carried out using hypnosis. In fact many of our therapists use a variety of psychological techniques with a client in hypnosis. The main ones are:
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy
Solution focused hypnotherapy is a goal oriented type of hypnotherapy that involves minimal (if any) dwelling on the past. The hypnotherapist utilises a variety of psychological techniques which may include NLP, visualisation, suggestion and metaphor, to help an individual to do something they want to do (e.g. public speaking) or make it easier to stop doing something they don’t want to do (e.g. smoking); or to resolve an issue such as fear using techniques to ‘rejig’ the amygdala. Solution focused hypnotherapy is often considered a short-term therapy compared with other types of therapy, and changes can occur within the first 1-3 sessions.
Cognitive Hypnotherapy
Cognitive hypnotherapy is a type of solution focused hypnotherapy that utilises cognitive behavioural and other psychological techniques combined with hypnosis to help break patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour.
Ericksonian Hypnotherapy
Ericksonian Hypnotherapy is a type of solution focused hypnotherapy that utilises hypnosis in a naturalistic way combined with therapeutic techniques such as metaphor to achieve targeted goals.
NLP
NLP is a type of mind coaching and use of visualisation and other psychological techniques to help a person achieve a goal. NLP can be combined with hypnosis in solution focused hypnotherapy.
Analytical Hypnotherapy
Analytical Hypnotherapy (also called hypnoanalysis) seeks to find the root cause of a problem, and deal with the underlying issue, rather than the presenting problem. Analytical hypnotherapy usually requires much more commitment than solution focused hypnotherapy.
Is Hypnosis Safe?
Yes. Hypnosis is safe because you are in control the whole time. Hypnosis has been approved by the British Medical Association in 1955 and the American Medical Association in 1958. The American Psychological Association approved hypnosis as a science in 1960. For over 200 years prior to official recognition medical and psychological professionals were using hypnosis to benefit their patients.
What is the difference between the Conscious and Subconscious Mind?
The Conscious part of our mind deals with reasoning, calculating, analyzing and remembering what we need to get through the day. The Subconscious houses all of our permanent memories, creativity, belief systems perceptions and programmed habits and behaviour. Hypnotherapy can bring the Subconscious back in harmony with the Conscious, so our experience reflects what we want, not what we are conditioned to accept.
Why Should I choose Hypnotherapy Now?
Hypnotherapy is a tool that can help you, just like it has helped millions of other people, to take back control of their lives. Hypnosis is an extremely efficient, scientifically proven, state of mind often referred to by artists and athletes as ‘the zone’. The naturally relaxed state of hypnosis allows individuals to make rapid enhancements to their lives through a process of learning appropriate new beliefs, breaking unwanted habits, changing negative behaviour patterns, overcoming learned limitations and removing the root cause of your symptoms.
Why choose a CHPA Therapist?
We are the largest Hypnotherapy Association in Ireland. Each of our Therapists is fully qualified from an Accredited Institute, bound by our Professional Code of Conduct and Ethics, and committed to Continuing Professional Development and Supervision.
Now you know you hypnotherapy can help you and it is safe, effective, you can make contact with a qualified, professional and registered therapist by clicking here.