Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is one of the more familiar forms of alternative therapy, and one that has experienced a great deal of exposure over the past few years.  When you ask someone what they know about hypnotherapy often the answer will involve stage shows and people pretending to be farmyard animals.  This 'celebrity hypnosis' has had a huge influence on people's perceptions of the therapeutic aspect of hynosis.  Often the response is to dismiss it as a hoax, or conversely people are scared by the apparent power that the hypnotherapist has over the client.

My own ideas about hypnotherapy were very unclear and I was eager to learn more about this increasingly popular form of therapy.  Stephen Donnelly, a hypnotherapist practicing in and around Bristol, was kind enough to offer to explain what hypnosis involves, help dispel some common myths surrounding the subject, and also give me a taste of hypnosis itself.

I met Stephen at his practice in Bristol and was surprised at my own reaction on entering the treatment room.  The view of the consultation chairs and the treatment couch triggered some previously hidden fear that I could only recognise in retrospect.  Without knowing it I had fallen into the category of people that was concerned about the loss of control that hypnotherapy is seen to involve.  I consider myself to be open-minded and am not generally quick to draw conclusions, however I was somewhat nervous at the idea of being 'hypnotised'.  

I asked Stephen if many people felt this trepidation when coming for a consultation, and was pleased to discover I was far from alone.  Some clients had confessed to almost cancelling their session hours before they were due to be seen.  Loss of control is often one of people's greatest fears and sometimes hypnotherapy is seen as the manifestation of this fear.  So the obvious question to ask was, 'Is this fear justified?'.

Stephen explained that hypnotherapy is in no way a form of mental domination and that, in fact, it the client themselves that is the most important factor during the treatment.  It is the clients' receptiveness to the techniques used and their desire to see a positive change that will ultimately determine the outcome of the therapy.  The hypnotherapist helps the client by directing them into a more receptive state where positive and lasting changes can be introduced.  Once this 'trance' state has been achieved the therapist is able to communicate with the parts of the mind that often govern the way we feel and the way we react to situations.  

I will not try to explain the exact mechanics that operate during hypnosis as this should be left to a qualified practitioner.  As far as I could understand our past experiences leave an imprint in the subconscious mind that will affect our present experience of reality.  Positive experiences in the past will illicit similar positive responses when we are presented with a given situation.  It is, however, the negative experiences and responses that hypnotherapy is concerned with.  A hypnotherapist will attempt to uncover situations which create these negative responses and, during the trance state, suggest a more positive subconscious dialogue that will prevent or reduce their occurrence in the future.  

When it came time for me to sample the hypnotic state for myself I was concerned that my overactive mind would sabotage the process.  I have learned from experience that thinking too much is a sure fire way to prevent any kind of deep meditation from taking place, and I was concerned that knowing that I was going to be hypnotized would cause me prevent it from happening.  

I was asked to lie down on the treatment couch (which was extremely comfortable) and a blanket was placed over me.  Stephen explained that during hypnosis the blood pressure can drop slightly and the blanket was there to prevent too much heat loss.  I had suspected that the trance state of hypnosis was somehow similar to the meditative state and the use of the blanket to prevent heat loss is something that both practices share.  Although this is a seemingly innocuous similarity, it was the first of many that I was to discover.

The method used by Stephen to induce the trance state was a running dialogue that held the concentration and encouraged deeper and deeper physical and mental relaxation.  I had experienced similar relaxation techniques used during guided meditation, and yet during this session the dialogue was continuous and more insistent in some ways, ensuring that the concentration was held and that relaxation continued.

In a way it felt as though it was meditation that someone else did for you.  Despite my initial scepticism the running dialogue was extremely effective in bringing about a deeply relaxed state.  Where as during solo meditation your mind can be your own worst enemy and wander off frequently, with hypnosis the running dialogue holds your concentration and focuses it on the task at hand.

What makes hypnosis an effective form of therapy is what happens when the trance state has been achieved.  This is when the positive suggestions are made to the subconscious and when negative beliefs are challenged and altered.  I was told that normally the session would begin with a process of determining where the client's issues lie and what they would like to achieve.  My introductory session did not involve this aspect and so I was given a standard selection of confidence boosting suggestions aimed directly at my subconscious.  In such a deeply relaxed and receptive state I felt that the dialogue had great potential to bring about positive changes, and the deep sense of relaxation seemed to allow Stephen's words to be more fully accepted.  

After the session finished I felt very positive and wide awake and I was impressed with the results from one short session.  I could see how a few sessions could dramatically help people with a wide range of issues and it seems that hypnotherapy has a much wider scope than I had previously believed.

There are a number of different approaches to hypnotherapy and often a hypnotherapist will be trained in more than one approach.  It is often the individual's personality and circumstances that will determine which approach the therapist chooses to take during treatment.  When choosing a hypnotherapist you should always make sure that they are properly insured and are a member of one or more of the professional bodies that govern the conduct of therapists.  These bodies generally dictate codes of conduct which help ensure that the client is treated in an appropriate manner and that therapists are fully qualified and receive ongoing training and supervision.

Stephen Donnelly DHP LAPHP MNCH(lic) LNCP LHS practices hypnotherapy in Bristol and Weston Super Mare.  His approach is warm and welcoming and he provides new clients with a free initial consultation where he will explain how hypnotherapy works and develop a treatment plan.  To view Stephen's contact details please click here.