Is Hypnotherapy a Magic Wand? - Can Hypnotherapy Help Me?
I often get enquiries asking if I can Hypnotise someone to make them lose 2 stone, or if I can wave my magic wand and make them less anxious. Quite often these enquires are from people who have tried counselling, CBT and other forms of talking therapy. They arrive at the clinic desperate to try 'anything' as all other forms of therapy simply didn't work for them. They are seeking out that serene, contented, untroubled feeling that many of us spend our life searching for.
So how do we get that feeling and what or who can get us there? The answer lies within YOU!
The first thing is to understand how hypnotherapy works and to dispel any myths. During any stage of hypnotherapy, you are not under the control of anyone else. We have stage hypnotists to thank for this myth and the process of hypnosis (including how stage hypnotists work) is fully explained during the initial consultation. All hypnosis is in fact self hypnosis.
Contrary to belief, I cannot actually 'do' anything to anyone unless they want the change for themselves and are committed to the therapy. As all hypnosis is self hypnosis and the change comes from within the person. The only person who can make you lose 2 stone or learn to manage anxiety is you. I am always open to my clients from the start of our journey together that they need to be committed to the therapy. If they are, then wonderful, life changing things can happen.
So how or why does Hypnotherapy work if it's not a magic wand or a quick fix? One of my colleagues posted a social media post which summed up our work perfectly.
"I am a lighthouse rather than a lifeboat. I do not rescue, but instead help others to find their way to shore."
We all need a bit of guidance or help from time to time. I like to call it exercise for the brain. Whilst hypnotherapy may not be a magic wand or a quick fix, it does have remarkable results. It works with the subconscious mind unlike most other therapies.
The subconscious is important because it's where our instincts lie. We are born with natural instincts just like animals. A turtle for example has a hard-wired natural instinct to use their beak to break the shell when they are ready to hatch, dig upwards out of the sand and get to the sea as fast as possible. This is purely a natural instinct and conscious thought does not get in the way of this process.
Animals have no choice but to follow their instincts. Humans however, can chose NOT to follow their instincts. This can get us into all sorts of bother and cause an array of problems in adulthood. Not all of our instincts as humans are natural and many of these 'instincts' or 'beliefs' are picked up during our earliest childhood years when we are at our most suggestible.
Hypnotherapy works with these subconscious beliefs and uses a number of different techniques tailored to the client and issue to create new, more helpful beliefs. There are many different ways to achieve this. Accessing the true self and how we are meant to be is a liberating process to say the least.
So while hypnotherapy is not always a quick fix, it can achieve life changing results as long as the client is willing and committed to doing the work.
