Frequently Asked Questions

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a state of relaxed focus.  Hypnosis is perfectly natural and safe.  When you drift off to sleep, you briefly pass through a natural state of hypnosis, and you do the same thing in the morning when you wake up.  It’s that fuzzy mental place when you are neither fully awake nor fully asleep.  You are also in a hypnotic state when you are driving and you arrive at your destination and can’t remember how you got there.  Being engrossed in a TV show, listening to music, or reading an article or book can also produce hypnosis.

All you need to do to enter hypnosis is to allow yourselves to relax and follow my instructions. 

What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is the therapy that takes place whilst in an hypnotic state.

Hypnotherapy is the use of positive suggestions, visualisation and story telling whilst in a very relaxed state of mind.  Put simply, once in hypnosis you are more able to accept possible solutions and alternative perspectives than you are when in a normal conscious state. Why is this? Right now we don’t know. Neuroscience is only now developing the tools to measure that level of brain activity that may explain this phenomenon, but we are some years off a full explanation yet.

A Hypnotherapist is a navigator, not the Captain. We never have control of the wheel. We rely on the power of your mind, your resourcefulness, experience and abilities. We are mostly concerned with eliciting those dissociated, hidden, or otherwise inaccessible resources that we all have.

What does it feel like?

Hypnosis can be a wonderful experience. You can feel so calm, peaceful and as if in a dreamlike state or drifting off into a comfortable sleep. You are aware of everything around you, yet your mind may wander onto something entirely different. Everyone is individual – some people remember everything that is said, however, some drift off and only remember parts of the session. Both are completely normal and do not affect the outcome in anyway.

What can it help with?

So many of the problems we suffer from stem from stress and anxiety, hypnotherapy is brilliant for helping with this, whether it be exam stress, performance anxiety, holidays, Christmas, divorce, parental guilt and anxiety, or simply the stress of everyday life. I always spend some time in each session ego strengthening and resource building, this is often enough to elicit positive change

It is also very beneficial for those with fears and phobias, low self-esteem and confidence, concentration and memory, insomnia, procrastination, pain management, unwanted behaviours and bad habits, IBS, menopausal symptoms, weight management and psychogenic infertility.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, if you have a specific issue that you would like help with, I am always happy to discuss it with you prior to making an appointment.

Is it Safe?

Hypnosis is a safe and effective method, arguably the most effective method of helping people get unstuck. There are no drugs. There are no risks of overdoses or side effects as marked on the label.

You are completely in control of your own mind and body, and you will not do anything your body does not want to do, you will always be able to take yourself out of hypnosis at any point during the session.

Without a doubt, there are some people and some conditions that you would not want to use hypnosis with, therefore I will always undertake a thorough assessment prior to any therapy.  In some cases, I will ask you to get permission from your GP prior to commencing any therapy.

How many sessions will I need?

It all depends on what your issue is. After your consultation I will have a rough guideline of how many it will take. I like to see results fast, however your peace of mind and progress is my priority.

Can I hypnotise myself?

Yes, you can hypnotise yourself, it could even be argued that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis as you are always in control of what you are doing and whether or not you go into hypnosis. 

You will need to learn the proper way to do it but once you’ve had some instruction it’s possible to hypnotise yourself.  Some people prefer self-hypnosis because they may find it easier to relax on their own and in familiar surroundings. You can also hypnotise yourself between sessions if you feel you need a little extra relaxation or a boost in your therapy.