Hypnotherapy uses the client's own altered state of awareness to make suggestions to the client's unconscious self. Most of the population have the ability to achieve an altered state of awareness. This is experienced when totally absorbed whilst reading a book or watching a film, or when daydreaming about the future, or remembering pleasant events and also when drifting off to sleep or beginning to waken in the morning. (Uses & Benefits)

 

Initially the client will receive a free half hour to an hour consultation to discuss their issue. At this time the therapist will outline the best course of treatment and the number of therapy sessions that they envisage will be required. At this practice the client is taught self-hypnosis within the first therapy session and is asked to practise the technique at least once a day. This enables them to learn a new skill, a self-empowering resource that can be utilized in the future for self-help whenever necessary.

 

A hypnotherapy session will involve the client sitting in a comfortable chair or if they prefer to recline on a couch. The hypnotherapist will then begin to talk and gently guide the client into an altered state of awareness where the body and mind become relaxed and comfortable. As the hypnotherapist continues to guide the client to a favourite place of relaxation where they feel safe and secure the client drifts into deeper relaxation as if almost asleep. In this deeper state the mind is still aware and the hypnotherapist will make the appropriate suggestions of beneficial change to the relevant parts of the mind. Clients may picture, as if in a daydream, the things that the hypnotherapist speaks about and also experience the associated pleasant feelings. Some client's become so relaxed that they actually feel that they are asleep, but should the client feel uncomfortable at any time during the session they will return from the altered state of awareness at once. When it is time for the session to terminate the hypnotherapist guides the client back to full alertness and will ensure that the client is fully awake.

 

A session may last from 60 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the issue being addressed.

The number of sessions required will depend on the motivation of the client and the issue being addressed. Therapy methods are mutually discussed before the start of treatment.