Hypnotherapy Made Easy

In my last post I talked about what hypnotherapy is not - so what exactly is it?

Hypnotherapy is a form of psychotherapy used to manage and treat everything from chronic pain, to pain during childbirth, phobias to habits, depression and anxiety to obsessions and addictions. In truth, it's difficult to think of an issue that hypnotherapy couldn't help with. 

Hypnotherapy has gained some popularity in the media recently, with Anna Richardson becoming it's latest famous fan - even training as a hypnotherapist herself - but it's far from a modern fad. Hypnosis has been around for centuries, and though we're not entirely sure where or when it began to be used, it has been documented across ancient Greece, India and Egypt. In the 1700s Franz Anton Mesmer developed a therapy using touch and eye contact to heal various ills. The medical community of the day concluded that Mesmer's patients were healed by the power of their imagination. In other words, they were "mesmerised". 


Although Mesmer coined a term which is still used widely, though usually perhaps unwittingly, it was James Braid, a Scottish surgeon, who in 1842 named the practice hypnotism, from the Greek hypnos -"sleep". Braid believed the hypnotic trance to be induced by fixation on a moving object, which invokes images of the pocket watch swinging slowly back and forth. Hypnosis was used in the American Civil War, in the absence of pain relief and anaesthesia, and again in World Wars 1 and 2, being especially successful in treating "shell shock"; and Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalysis based on his study of the practice.Hypnosis has continued to be used, both by stage hypnotists, and for therapy purposes, and thanks to celebrity hypnotists such as Derren Brown and Paul McKenna, seems to be more well known and sought after than ever before, 

That's a (very) brief history, but it doesn't explain what hypnosis is actually like. I've never yet been tempted to channel Braid and swing a watch before a client's eyes, and while I will vary my approach depending on the individual client and the issue being addressed, I tend to favour sitting us both in comfy chairs, listening to some calming music, and beginning with guided relaxation. Being in a hypnotic trance is something that you probably experience daily, though you may call it "daydreaming". That strange state of mind where you appear to be awake, maybe even engaged in a repetitive task (washing dishes is my favourite daydreamy chore), and yet not really "with it", perhaps imagining your next holiday, or what you'd do if you won the lottery, or any number of scenarios more interesting than your current surroundings. And then your child calls out, or your colleague nudges you to alert you of the boss' arrival, and you jump and blink and come back to the present. You might have been vaguely aware of people around you talking but you weren't really taking it in. 

Everyone experiences hypnosis differently, some people feel as though they've been deeply asleep, others remember every word I say, and still others fall somewhere in between. Just about everybody feels relaxed and refreshed afterwards, as though they've had a wonderful massage, or a revitalising afternoon nap. When you're in hypnosis your concious mind is distracted, leaving your subconcious in a highly receptive and suggestible state, which allows it to take on new ideas, and change old, unhelpful thought processes.

Because hypnotherapy works on a deeper level than other talking therapies which engage only the concious mind, it tends to be much faster. The average length of time I spend working with a client is around 4 - 6 sessions. Imagine, that's less than two months to change behaviour that may have lasted a lifetime! Happily, this means hypnotherapy can work out much cheaper than some other therapies, some of which may require commitment of a year or more. 

If you feel like experiencing some of this lovely relaxation, if you're about ready to tackle those areas of your life you're not completely comfortable with, or if you're just still not entirely sure what I'm talking about, why not try hypnotherapy out for yourself?

I'd love to hear from you, if you've got any comments or questions you can post them below or message me privately on lily@lilycameronhypnotherapy.com

So,Will I Cluck Like a Chicken?

When I tell people I am a hypnotherapist their responses range from interest, to confusion, to outright fear! One of the first questions I'm asked, only half joking, is usually "Would you make me cluck like a chicken?"

And the short answer is... Yes! But only if you wanted me to (so far none of my clients have, but never say never). Hypnotherapy is sometimes confused for stage hypnotism, but although both hypnotherapists and stage hypnotists use hypnosis, the similarities end there. A stage hypnotist is primarily a performer, as opposed to a therapist, and they know how to put on a good show - usually at the expense of their "hapless" volunteers!

But just how hapless are the members of the audience who so eagerly raise their hands? Well, not very, really. They either want very much to be hypnotised - they like to make people laugh, and don't mind making themselves look a little silly in the process - or they want to show up the hypnotist and are determined NOT to be hypnotised! Either way, they are self selecting. The hypnotist will perform a few tests to decide which volunteers are the most highly suggestible. This separates the "class clowns", who will comply with the hypnotist's requests, from the mischievous types who will staunchly refuse. When the hypnotist has determined who's going to play ball they will send the others back to their seats, announcing they only need X number of volunteers, leaving them with the people who are perfectly happy to cluck like a chicken, dance around on stage, and generally make a bit of a fool of themselves in the name of a good giggle. 

Could they refuse, if they suddenly lost their nerve? Absolutely! When you're in a hypnotic trance you are in full control, and will be able to refuse anything you're not comfortable with, you'll be able to move if you want to, and if the fire alarm goes off, or you become so relaxed you feel like you're about to fall off your chair, you'll be able to wake yourself up, completely alert and able to move, speak and think as usual. 

Hypnotherapists, who are primarily therapists as opposed to hypnotists, aren't so concerned with showy gestures and stage presence (they shouldn't be, anyway!), and any reputable hypnotherapist will make your comfort an absolute priority, reassuring you and answering any questions you might have.

In short, stage hypnotists can be a great for a fun night out, whether you're on stage doing your best chicken impression or not, but they're worlds away from hypnotherapists. So stop worrying, OK? :)

I'd love to hear from you, if you've got any comments or questions you can post them below or message me privately on lily@lilycameronhypnotherapy.com