Why Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapy?
1. What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is quite simply a down to earth and common sense therapy that utilises relaxation, positive thinking and goal imagery to progressively help you improve habitual feelings and behaviour. IT IS NOT falling asleep (although a common side effect!) or losing control of your mind or body.
2. What happens during hypnosis?
Hypnotherapy sessions usually consist of an induction, deepener, therapeutic suggestions and then an emergence sequence. Inductions can vary but the simplest and most successful is the eye induction whereby the client stares up at the ceiling until their eyes become heavy and sleepy as the therapist counts down and they close their eyes. Deepeners are a wonderful way of bringing your imagination to life as you fall deeper into relaxation, the winding staircase is my favourite. Once you are relaxed the therapist will use positive suggestions to help you achieve your goals which you will absorb so deeply thanks to hypnosis. Then you will be emerged gently and feel wonderful! You will have complete control of your mind and body at all times. The therapist cannot make or suggest you do anything that you do not want to do. You can also emerge from hypnosis whenever you want.
3. How will I know I’m hypnotised? Being successfully hypnotised is a bit like when you’re half awake in the middle of the night trying to find your way to the bathroom! You will know you were in hypnosis if, after hypnosis you feel like you have awoken from a beautiful nap, except you were completely aware of everything going on around you the whole time.
4. What do I need to do in a hypnotherapy session?
All types of therapy demand a working alliance between the client and their therapist. As a team we will work towards you achieving your goals. What this means for you: your therapeutic outcome will be more successful if you maintain a positive attitude towards your treatment by committing to the work collaborated by you and the therapist. The clearer you are about your goals and your intended outcome, the more likely it is you will succeed in reaching them. To help with this you can imagine the therapeutic suggestions as strongly as you can while in hypnosis. Completing any home tasks between sessions will also help you reach your goals faster
5. What is the evidence that hypnotherapy works?
Please see my page: Evidence Based Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy for references that support the successful use of hypnotherapy.
6. Can anyone be hypnotised?
I have yet to hypnotise the entire population, however the general notion is yes, most people can be successfully hypnotised but some are more susceptible than others. This means that some people may have to practice self-hypnosis more until they get the hang of it and some people need to be woken up at the end of a session!
7. How many sessions will I need and how much does it cost?
The amount of sessions needed is decided on an individual basis however most people feel between 6-10 sessions is adequate. Promotional rates are available but the usual rate is £55 per session. A session is around 1 hour but it can be longer if both parties agree beforehand.
8. Can I work on multiple issues at the same time?
Sometimes the treatment for one issue can be very similar for another. For example, treating procrastination and low self esteem might utilise the same tools therefore they can be tackled together. This is not the case for all issues however and usually better results are achieved by focusing on one issue at a time.
9. How does therapy work online? Since the beginning of covid 19 many therapeutic practices had to adapt their communication style to adhere to safety regulations. Following this people have experienced great success from receiving over the phone therapy, online group therapy and video sessions through the NHS. CBT is essentially a talking therapy therefore whether it is done in person, over the phone or via video feed it will be effective. Hypnotherapy is similar in its effectiveness however as a therapist it is important to be able to see the client during hypnosis to ensure they are safe and performing inductions properly. Sessions can take place on Microsoft teams or whatsapp, whichever is best for the client. If you are not sure about the effectiveness of hypnotherapy online why not book in for a free 30 minute consultation and find out if it could be right for you?
10. What if I’ve done hypnotherapy before and it didn’t work? Hypnotherapy, like all cognitive therapies is a collaboration between the therapist and client. The client has to want the results and put in the effort for it to be successful. For example if you know you should give up smoking but actually only feel that way because of pressure from others then hypnotherapy may not help you quit smoking because you have to want it. If you have had hypnotherapy before and you didn’t receive the results you wanted there could be a number of reasons why which can be discussed with a free 30 minute consultation. Send me a message using the contact form and I’ll be in touch.
