What is Hypnotherapy?
We are, each of us, made up of two parts. The first is our conscious. This is the part of us that thinks hard, plans, fits in with other people and worries about what we should and shouldn't do. The second part is our unconscious. This is a more primal, more feeling side of ourselves. It is the stuff of dreams, ambition and desire. You may well have an idea of these two sides within yourself. The first is the more present, more day-to-day and more pragmatic side of yourself that gets you through the details of life. The second is the deeper part of you that gives you a powerful sense of who you are.
A great many of our problems spring from the two parts of ourselves working against each other. To put it crudely, there being a conflict between what we think we should do and what we want to do. Typically we lose contact with our unconscious mind.
The process of hypnotherapy allows you to bridge the gap between these different parts of yourself. As you begin the work you will come to learn about many parts of yourself, not just the conscious and unconscious. You will, through the work, learn how to allow your different aspects to communicate with themselves. In doing so, you will begin to find a harmony among your motivations. The reality of this is that in doing so, you can make radical changes to your life. This might be giving yourself to change career, overcoming a phobia, lifting yourself up out of depression or allowing yourself to experience genuine contact and love with another. This is all done through the tool of hypnosis.
The Hypnotic State
The majority of our sessions will involve me moving you to a state called hypnosis. Often popularized to be far more dramatic or scary than the reality, it is, in fact, an incredibly natural and time-honoured method for managing our well being. While it involves deep relaxation it is not akin to sleep. In the state, the barriers around your unconscious mind begin to drop and you are able to open up deep and insightful communication with yourself. It is important to remember that this is different from being unconscious. You are still well able to say when you want to come up and out, and you will at all points be aware of what is happening.
Normally this will last about an hour to an hour and a half, all depending on what feel's comfortable and how much progress we are making. Our sessions will start and end quite mundanely with a few questions as to how things are. When we both feel ready, I will begin to guide you into a state of hypnosis.
Hypnotherapy Techniques
Advanced techniques including parts therapy, emo trance, colour therapy, regression therapy as well as suggestions. these involve active participation therefore throughout the session I will be in dialogue with you
empowering, as the client you form your own solutions
issues
In addition I also work with the following areas using solution focussed hypnotherapy and regression therapy techniques :
- Weight loss
- Fears & phobias
- Smoking cessation
- Self-esteem / confidence
- Sleep disorders
- IBS
- Performance enhancement, motivation and focus
- Habits and addictions
- Stress management
- Unexplained health conditions
- Pain management
How Do I Know if I Can Be Hypnotised?
Most of us can recall a time when we have reached our destination without actually noticing how we got there, that is because we were in a trance state, our mind was focused elsewhere. Virtually everyone can enter the hypnotic state using the right techniques and a hypnotherapist with whom you can build a good rapport. Some of the best hypnotic subjects are intelligent people with a strong ability to visualise.
Is There Anything I Can Do Before My Session To Make Going Into Trance Easier?
Those who meditate regularly go into trance quicker as they are more practiced in quieting the analytical mind. If you do meditate you could try making it a regular part of your daily routine in the weeks prior to your session.
Will I Be Unconscious?
EEG recordings show that during hypnosis you are more alert than during the waking state. It is similar to daydreaming or to how you feel in the few seconds before you drop off to sleep, when your attention is focused inwards and you are less aware of what is going on around you. You are in a state of deep relaxation where the analytical part of your mind closes down and you are able to tap into the resources in your unconscious mind.
Will I Still Be In Control?
Definitely. You retain full control throughout entire hypnotherapy session. You cannot be made to do anything against your wishes and will not disclose anything that you wish to keep a secret.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a wonderful tool that is design to assist you in reducing or in completely solving a range of personal issues. These include emotional problems such as anxiety, anger, powerlessness, guilt, sadness, shame, guilt, loneliness, betrayal and fear.
At Mistral Therapies we aim to work one to one with clients in a safe nurturing and therapeutic environment as we examine, explore and address personal issues.
Whilst, in a hypnotic state you remain relaxed but in control and aware; able to communicate at many stages of the process. We use visualisation and suggestion to work with the subconscious mind on the areas of conflict as we effectively teach it new ways to respond to your problems.
Please call and discuss with me any particular issues as we can always develop a relevant treatment plan to meet individual need. I always from the client as the centre of the treatment and work outwards, as in my experience we change ourselves and others often change around us as a direct result of this difference.
Sometimes as part of your treatment I may ask you to complete additional tasks outside of your treatment as a way to reinforce any changes made during your sessions. Sessions are expected to last between two and 2 1/2 hours for an initial interview which includes reviewing your questionnaire and working out the best treatment plan for you. In essence I expect general issues to be complete in 3 sessions, unless other issues arise to be dealt with; such as migraines, exam preparations for recalling information during exams, Fears and Phobias. More complex issue such as Weight gain and Weight loss, Jealousy, Anger management, could be up to 4 or more sessions. This will be discussed in-depth before treatment starts.
When in a trance you will be in light state of semi-conscious awareness and in that state you will be able to talk to me in discussion as you move forward. You will not be instructed to anything radical as this is treatment aimed at healing your problem. Not only this, hypnotherapy cannot plant anything negative into your subconscious and so it is a gentle and reflective method of treating a fear, phobia or habit. If you are not suitable for treatment this will be discussed with you at your session, as often during your interview areas will be covered that will provide the relevant information. All treatment sessions are conducted in strict confidence and records are held in a secure cabinet. It is a marvellous treatment that allows you the client to remain in control as you navigate areas for healing.
Hypnotherapy is a beautiful treatment, and one in which the client is always fully in control. It is a relaxing way to bring positive elements and thoughts back into the mind, eliminating more negative belief patterns. A Hypnotherapy session is akin to bringing the Love from the Heart right back into the mind - enabling us to make changes for the better within our lives. A cd recording of each session will be given to you, to use for your reinforcement of all the positive suggestions given. Read more
Hypnotherapy can be used for a wide variety of issues both emotional and physical, and can help you to reach certain goals in your life:
- confidence building
- stress reduction and relaxation
- sleeping difficulties
- habit reduction such as stopping smoking or nail biting
- weight reduction
- help with exams, interviews or presentations
- sporting enhancement
- simple phobias such as fear of flying or spiders
- healing and pain management
Hypnotherapy sessions cost £50 for an approximate 1 hour session, this includes a CD recording
After 6pm and weekend charges: £70
Where would you really like to be in life? What sort of person would you like to be? Try a course of hypnotherapy sessions and see that there is really nothing to hold you back from becoming all that you wish to be….
What is Hypnotherapy?
Our subconscious holds our thoughts, patterns, beliefs, and experiences. Our Subconscious does not differentiate between truths and untruths. Our mind is capable of creating stories for example, phobias which are irrational fears. We can develop unhealthy thoughts which limit us and hold us back from being happy.
Hypnosis is a natural therapy and when a person is deeply relaxed and in an altered state of awareness, the use of carefully worded suggestions prompts clients to make positive changes. Hypnosis happens naturally when a person is relaxed such as daydreaming, driving or reading. Clients are completely in control of the session. Hypnosis helps a person in a positive way and will not interfere with their own belief systems.
What can Hypnosis be used for?
- Confidence Building and Personal Power
- Habit reduction such as smoking or nail biting
- Phobias and fears
- Weight loss
- Stress and relaxation
- Insomnia and sleeping difficulties
- Help with exams, interviews and driving tests
- Sporting enhancement
- Post Traumatic Stress
- Public Speaking
- Health improvement
- Overcoming depression and sadness
- Pregnancy and Childbirth.
- Gastric Band Hypnosis. This is a Hypnosis which allows you to put new thought patterns in place so you can easily feel full. It can free your mind from constant thoughts of food, dieting and eating. The virtual Gastric Band provides a safe and natural method of loosing weight and keeping it off.
How long is a session?
It is important with Hypnotherapy to have a rapport with your therapist and so if you wish, you are free to leave after 20 minutes with no charge. Sessions will be 60 minutes at a cost of £70. Smoking cessation and Gastric Hypnosis cost £140 a session. A follow up session may be advised to reinforce the initial session.
Will I remember the session?
Your subconscious mind will remember! At the end of each session you will be given a free recording to reinforce the session.
Hypnosis has been used by thousands of people around the globe to stop smoking.
It is safe and effective, utilising the power of your subconscious to enable you to kick the smoking habit for good. It is not a magic remedy, but a therapeutic tool that boosts your the will and determination to make the journey from smoker to non-smoker easily and decisively.
Stop smoking in two hypnosis sessions.
The first session is a preparatory session. We discuss what has made you a smoker and why you continue to smoke cigarettes despite knowing that they are harmful to your health. We identify the obstacles in your path and develop strategies to change your smoking habits. We also take time to look at how your life would change by becoming a non-smoker and all that you would gain. After the interview, we undertake a short hypnosis session to make you familiar with hypnosis and to activate your willpower to stop smoking.
The second session is where you stop smoking for good, you arrive as a smoker and leave as a non-smoker. This session is written with you specifically in mind, using information gathered from the first session. Everything is put in place to enable you to stop smoking for good. You become fully aware of the damage smoking is doing to your body and your life; you begin to feel a strong repulsion to the smell and taste of cigarettes; you envisage your life free of addiction to tobacco. We work at a deep sub-conscious level to take you from smoker to non-smoker. You leave the session knowing you will never smoke another cigarette.
A little note about Hypnosis:
“You use hypnosis not as a cure but as a means of establishing a favourable climate in which to learn.”
- Milton H Erickson
Hypnosis is simply a way of working with a naturally occurring state of mind; the ‘trance’ state. We all enter into some form of trance state – an inwardly focused state of attention – on a daily basis. Whether it is when we are daydreaming or when we are sitting and reading a book - fully engrossed in the story and characters –and totally unaware of the noises and activities going on around us in the ‘real’ world. Or maybe when we are driving along the motorway, lost in thought – we may get to our destination having manoeuvred our vehicle at high speed, whizzing past places and turnings but not fully remembering the scenery or the actual moment to moment motions of driving the car. In both of these examples we had entered a light trance state where we have become attuned to our inner world and the outer world has shifted into the background.
Hypnosis can be helpful when used as a tool for entering the subconscious realm. This is the part of us that is mostly hidden from the conscious, waking day to day part of ourselves that we most often identify with – the rational, logical ‘brain’ mind – the part dealing with our everyday activities, making decisions and seemingly running the show. However, it is the subconscious part where the majority of our first memories and beliefs are actually stored and most times, unwittingly inform and sometimes sabotage our day to day actions and reactions. It is an immensely powerful arena where these memories and emotional/thinking reactions are held. Through deep relaxation we can access and address these deep seated body memories, issues, emotional memories and beliefs that are not serving us positively in the here and now. We can easily access this emotionally charged information – from the very beginning of our life – and sometimes from before – in order to alter how we feel about these experiences. It enables us to make the unconscious conscious.
The success of therapeutic hypnosis is very much dependent on how comfortable you feel with me, the practitioner, how you are feeling on the day, how motivated you feel to make change in your life and your willingness to nurture and follow through on the learnings and insights you garner during the process. Being in this wonderful space allows you to access a rich source of wisdom, insight and creativity. Because our ‘minds’ find it difficult to differentiate between a real experience memory and a strongly imagined one, it is possible to sensitively re-frame memories and beliefs to positively benefit you.
Often the act of being hypnotised is unhelpfully associated with the images of entertainment hypnosis we may have seen on TV or stage. Hypnosis used in a therapeutic setting is very different. In a therapeutic trance state one merely becomes less tied to thoughts and concerns, yet never loses the ability to over-ride what is being suggested by the therapist. It is a safe and comfortable process where, if you wish, you can move your body or stop the process. It will not contravene your own personal values and belief system, you are never ‘controlled’ and after the session you will be able to recall what I have said to you.
I provide a complete recording of all Hypnosis and Regression Therapy sessions with my clients.
What is hypnosis?
An internally focused state of mind, induced by mental and physical relaxation, in which your subconscious is able to communicate with the conscious mind. A natural state of mind that occurs many times during a day, you may have experienced trance if you have ever day dreamed or stared into space lost in thought. Listen below to hear hypnosis in action
Quite often described as a half awake and half asleep state, you will be aware of my voice, your own inner process and your external surroundings although the focus of your attention will be mostly on your inner process.
A deeply physically and mentally relaxing experience, your subconscious also acts as a protective shield, just as it does when you are awake, to protect you against anything that goes against your core values and beliefs.
I also adhere to the BACP ethical framework, working with great care and respect to ensure your safety at all times.
Can You Be Hypnotised?
85% of the population are able to successfully access the hypnotic state.
A few basic prerequisites for undergoing successful hypnotherapy sessions:
- The client must not have borderline personality disorders
- The client must not have severe thought or mood disorders (pre-psychotic or psychotic disorders)
- The client must want to be hypnotized.
- The client must believe he or she can be hypnotized.
- The client must eventually feel comfortable and relaxed.
- The client must not consume alcohol or excessive caffeine before (and after) a session.