Do you feel stuck, frustrated or struggle with certain relationships? Perhaps you are feeling stressed or lacking motivation or confidence? Or maybe you are looking to create some healthier habits for the new year, but don’t quite know where to start or are combatting symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion?
Did you know that clinical hypnotherapy can help with all these areas in life and more? But what are your first thoughts when you hear the word ‘hypnotherapy’?
For some, it will conjurer up thoughts of stage show performances where a hypnotist places audience members under a form of trance and they become active participants, mimicking farmyard animals, or are triggered into action by hearing a ‘trigger’ word. For others it may be a mystery, with little understanding of how hypnotherapy can and is used widely to help with various conditions.
Believe it or not, clinical hypnotherapy has been used to treat medical conditions since the late 1700s and is commonly used today to help with many phobias, anxiety and habits and is a world away from what you may have seen on TV or film.
Many clients may arrive with preconceived notions or even scepticism about what hypnotherapy might involve. However, once they understand the process, they find sessions to be both relaxing and enjoyable.
Firstly, it is important to understand that solution-focused hypnotherapy works by focusing on what you want to achieve instead of the perceived problem at hand. By reframing our focus to where we want to be, we can start to help retrain our thoughts and pre-existing limiting beliefs to break free from what may be holding us back.
Human beings thrive on routine, we can’t help ourselves and our brains and thought processes are no different. A lot of what we do is done on autopilot, for example, have you ever driven to work and thought ‘I don’t remember most of the journey, yet here I am’? That all comes down to our in-house autopilot, something we’ve done lots of times, that we rely on.
Through learnt behaviours or experiences, we develop our own coping strategies, which we may have relied on for decades. They weave themselves into our autopilot settings, but might not actually be as fulfilling or beneficial to our overall health and wellbeing. Perhaps this has led to certain habits being developed, such as emotional or physical ones which may hold us back.
Solution-based hypnotherapy can re-establish new processes and outlooks, which can help us feel more in control, energised and ready to either break free of old habits or develop newer ones.
The multitude of benefits that hypnotherapy can bring is realised throughout the journey with many documenting a new found freedom and sense of control. Some may feel this as a gradual process, to begin with, and then accelerate leaving them feeling happier, better equipped to deal with situations, people and places.
As a clinical hypnotherapist, I work with a wide range of clients across an incredibly diverse spectrum of conditions such as:
Confidence and Motivation
If you’ve ever felt stuck at work or in a particular relationship or found yourself envious of other people’s confidence, you’re not alone. Hypnotherapy can help carve out space to explore how you feel and more importantly help you reignite your confidence and positive energy.
Grief or Loss
Grief is a very personal journey and one that is completely unique and takes time to process. Hypnotherapy can offer a way to manage and process your thoughts and feelings to find peace of mind. From my own personal experience and from working directly with clients, it can offer a safe and supportive space to explore a wide range of feelings and emotions.
Insomnia, IBS and Pain Management
Whether you suffer from pain every day, have problems in getting a restful night’s sleep or experience IBS which seems to dominate your life, all of these areas can be helped with hypnotherapy.
As an alternative to conventional medications, hypnotherapy can offer relief from symptoms of stress and anxiety which can greatly improve physical symptoms and help you feel better equipped to cope and feel more positive. There is increasing evidence of the benefits of hypnotherapy, particularly in the areas of IBS and pain management by researchers in the UK and abroad. Professor Peter Whorwell, a gastroenterologist at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, runs a hypnotherapy clinic for IBS patients with great success.
Positive changes can be discovered quickly through hypnotherapy, allowing clients to often break free of existing blocks that may have held them back for years.
Smoking Cessation, Fears and Phobias
Whether you are looking to become smoke-free or combat a long-standing fear or phobia, hypnotherapy can support you take your life back. Breaking well-established habits such as smoking can prove difficult going ‘cold turkey’.
According to NHS figures, only three in every 100 smokers manage to stop permanently this way. But by harnessing the power of your mind, and taking control, becoming a non-smoker is just one appointment away. Equally, if you are looking to overcome a deep-seated fear such as flying, lifts or crowds, then reframing these with hypnotherapy can help you regain peace of mind and a calmer sense of control.
Menopause
There are at least 34 symptoms of menopause, ranging from mood swings, weight gain, difficulties sleeping, hot flushes, anxiety, changes in libido and difficulties with concentration to name just a few. Hypnosis can help relieve both the frequency and severity of symptoms, for example with hot flushes. Without the addition of further medications to your daily schedule, hypnotherapy can in some cases help reduce the dependency on conventional treatments such as HRT.
It is important to understand the trance you experience during a hypnotherapy session. is one where you will be totally relaxed. You are aware of your surroundings, the conversation and in control at all points.
People look forward to this part of the process because it is so relaxing and enjoyable. I often use the audio I was given when I had hypnotherapy to treat my Tinnitus, as it still helps me relax and unwind; 10 years after seeing my therapist. Since the start of the pandemic, hypnotherapy sessions are mostly delivered online, in the comfort of your own home. The joy of hypnotherapy is that it can be successfully delivered remotely with the same benefits as if it were a face-to-face consultation, meaning access is borderless and for those travelling abroad, sessions can continue seamlessly.
Hypnotherapy can be beneficial to those of all ages, from school children upwards. With a background in education, I understand all too well the challenges that some children encounter during their school life, from problems with anxiety to exam stress. Creating solid and resilient foundations that can pave the way forward, leading to healthier relationships and confidence.
Perhaps as an adult you have struggled with long-standing issues or want to develop happier, healthier habits – either way, regardless of where you are right now in life, hypnotherapy can provide a multitude of benefits, leaving you feeling more balanced and in control of your life.
Interested in learning more about the author? Read more about Christopher Morris founder of Time to Think.
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Do you feel stuck, frustrated or struggle with certain relationships? Perhaps you are feeling stressed or lacking motivation or confidence? Or maybe you are looking to create some healthier habits for the new year, but don’t quite know where to start
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