Hypnotherapy is what I do. As a bit of background, I never intended to become a hypnotherapist. I mean seriously, who wants to announce that in answer to the annoying ‘So, what do you do?’ question at parties.
I’ve actually tried it out – ‘So, what do you do?’. ‘Oh, I’m a hypnotherapist. I help women manage their stress better using mindfulness techniques.’
SILENCE
Since then I’ve worked on the ol’ elevator speech a bit and it goes down much better now (props to Ash Ambirge and Rebecca and Ellen for that one!).
But the fact remains, all you read on here stems from my training in hypnotherapy and yoga. And the results continue to surprise even me.
When I was training (because people, those people who claim they are hypnotherapists after a weekend course are most definitely NOT qualified to mess with your mind), one of my case studies was nail biting. Simple, annoying habit. I didn’t have a lot of faith in the process at the time. I understood the theory and the relaxation element linked with yoga so I was all good with that, but one hour and never biting your nails again?! I really wasn’t sure.
Well, one hour of me droning on with lovingly constructed suggestions and word weaving in my ‘hypnotherapy voice’ (imagine a slightly lower, lilting and rhythmic version of myself – seriously. Soooooo sexy) and Katie woke up feeling the stereotypical ‘relaxed and refreshed’. That was 2011. She has still never bitten her nails.
So, we know, with a properly trained professional, hypnotherapy can help a vast array of problems, sometimes much more easily that traditional therapy (not knocking counselling at all – I am also a counsellor), but here are a few things you may not have known about this seemingly mysterious art form:
Fact Numero Uno: Hypnosis as I learned it, was developed by an American therapist called Milton Erickson. ME was known for telling funny stories and anecdotes in a way which had a profound effect on his patients and he was one of the first to combine traditionally talking therapy with hypnosis. He’s been known to get clients to climb mountains (every day) and wash their feet as part of his therapy. You probably wouldn’t get away with that nowadays, but he was an interesting character nonetheless!
Fact number 2: Hypnotherapy is very useful in treating depression. Bottom line – depression is a mental disorder. That is, it’s all in your head, literally. A lot of people think that you need CBT or some other form of counselling to help depression. Truth is, all a lot of people need is to be refocused to look for things that will tell their subconscious that there are things worth living for. We take in 2m bits of information a second. It sounds super cliché but refocusing at an unconscious level will have a profound effect on depression sufferers.
Fact number 3: Hypnotherapy is AWESOME for stress-busting. I have a lot of clients come to me merely to learn how to chill the frick out. Whatever you come to hypnotherapy for, chances are it will involve deep relaxation which, it turn, allows the body to rest fully and learn how to rebalance itself.
Fact number 4: Self-hypnosis is easier than it sounds. So you know how I went on about being properly trained above? That doesn’t stop you being able to do basis hypnosis on yourself, especially if it’s a follow on from a therapy session with someone trained e.g. ooh I dunno…me? Self hypnosis is a great way to cement in learning gained during your hypnotherapy session, so if you’re therapist doesn’t give you a recording or technique to go home with, ask for one!
Fact number 5: Hypnosis has a lot in common with meditation. Yogis please don’t hate me for saying that! It is true though. One stage of meditation is focused attention on one thing, to the exclusion of all others. This is what hypnosis is. Once you get someone focused on just one thing, it’s then a lot easier to work with them therapeutically. You could say hypnotherapy is also meditation-therapy.
So there you have it, five things you may not have known about hypnotherapy. If you thought hypnotherapy was just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, I am living proof that it actually works.
Think you might like to have a go and see what it’s all about? Sign up on the right hand side of this post (or the bottom) and I’ll give you my 5 min complete confidence audio, sent straight to your inbox. Experience hypnotherapy first hand, for free, in your own bed!