Harness Your Power

Introduction to Hypnotherapy

As with electricity, we know more about how to make hypnosis work for us than what it actually is because much of what is happening with our spirit/body/mind is not entirely visible. With the advancement of devices such as EEG’s, FMRI’s scans, we are now able to get visuals of our brains during hypnosis. These scans clearly show certain parts of the brain lighting up during hypnosis. So our understanding of this ancient practice has gotten better in recent decades.

As with electrical energy, many applications have been developed for hypnosis which can dramatically improve our lives. So, hypnotherapists, like engineers, do know how to make it work. And often, it works when other options have been tried and were unsuccessful. Perhaps someday, it will be the first option for certain challenging conditions when people would like to engineer positive changes into their lives.

Many Benefits

Hypnosis allows us to get in touch with our inner resources.

Hypnosis gets our conscious and subconscious minds connected. Have you ever decided to do something then not been able to follow through?

When part of you wants to do something but another part of you works to defeat the plan? Hypnosis provides a way to get those parts of you on the same page and working as a team.

Many conditions have been shown to improve through the use hypnotherapeutic tools.

Below are just a few of the more common categories hypnotherapist successfully addressed.

  • Smoking Cessation
  • Memory Recall
  • Divorce
  • Trauma
  • Pain Management
  • Self-Confidence
  • Self-sabotage
  • Fear of Flying
  • Self-image
  • Sports Performance
  • Public Speaking
  • Dating / Romance
  • Test Taking
  • Speed Healing
  • Letting Go
  • Stress Reduction
  • Anesthesia
  • Regression work
  • Weight Management
  • Performance Enhancement
  • Grief

The word hypnosis is commonly used to describe a Process, as well as, State or Level of Consciousness. Let’s look at both uses of the word hypnosis.

Hypnosis as State of Being or Level of Consciousness

Although sometimes compared to sleep, hypnotic states are actually more similar to meditative states because in both states individuals become more relaxed and aware.

Hypnotic states occur in all of us throughout the day. We just don’t think of them or label them. For instance, do you recall a time when you were driving on a highway and found yourself not remembering the last few exits? Did you ever wonder “how did I get here?” Highway hypnosis is a very light naturally occurring trance state.

Or, have you ever had the experience of “getting lost” in a project, book, movie, or a piece of music? Those are all naturally occurring hypnotic trances we slip in and out of every day. The key difference between those examples and what happens in a hypnotherapists office is that therapists bring you to a hypnotic state with the purpose of achieving your goals of making positive life changes you wish to accomplish.

From an EEG brain wave perspective, we all move through four basic brain wave states daily. From lowest energy level to highest they are: delta, theta, alpha and beta. Beta is what you are in right now, and when you are problem solving or functioning in an active fast thinking state. Alpha and theta are lower, slower, less active, longer, brain wave states as shown on an EEG. Alpha and theta levels are where both hypnosis and meditation take place.

Your Conscious Mind

Now, let’s examine why these lowered brainwave states are so desirable to achieve. Your conscious mind is responsible for logical, analytical, linear thinking. Hypnotists refer to it as the critical mind. The conscious mind functions in the beta wave range. Visualize the conscious mind as the tip of an iceberg. Another analogy for the conscious mind are icons that you have on your computer’s desktop display. They are visible and just an easy mouse click away to retrieve.

Your Subconscious and Unconscious Minds

The subconscious is just below the conscious mind, and most of its contents are normally out of immediate reach. Think of the subconscious, and the even deeper unconscious mind, as the larger and less visible below the water portions of the iceberg. On a computer you could compare these to what’s stored on your hard drive memory. It takes a little more effort to access.

The language of your subconscious and unconscious minds are more symbolic and holistic in nature. Emotions, habits, beliefs and automatic body functions such as breathing and digestion are housed in these realms. Together, they are responsible for the majority of a person’s behavior and beliefs.

Much of the mind’s contents programming were recorded at a young age, and without adult abilities to question and process information.

Often we learn or accept ideas consciously, and then as a learned behavior it becomes coded into the subconscious and unconscious minds. So, behaviors that we once learned step-by-step, like tying our shoes, riding a bike, or driving a car become automatic unconscious behavior.

We’ve learned to do these so well that we don’t have to think too much about them. Habits are a prime example of automatic behaviors. Once beliefs are accepted at these levels, we behave as if it is true. And once accepted and learned, the conscious or critical mind acts as a guardian to the subconscious. So, when someone tells you something that is coded as false…then your conscious or critical mind may reject the idea.

Hypnosis as a Process

The hypnotherapist uses a hypnotic process to bring a client into and out of the subconscious mind in a controlled and purposeful manner for healing. The portion of the hypnotic process which most of us are familiar with from watching TV and the movies is called a hypnotic induction. Inductions are used to “induce” or bring people into very relaxed states of mind. “You are getting very sleepy” is probably one of the most famous induction lines from TV shows.

As a process we can separate hypnotherapeutic sessions into 5 stages:

  1. Pre-session talk — to understand your goals and explain how it works.
  2. Induction — to bring you to a hypnotic state.
  3. Intervention — to give suggestions / or have conversation with the subconscious mind.
  4. Return — to return client back from hypnotic state.
  5. Post hypnosis discussion — to handle client questions, give homework, etc.

How Hypnosis Works

When our minds are in these super relaxed states, we are far more open to suggestions. A hypnotherapist converses with the subconscious mind. The subconscious does not filter, question or rebut what we say to it nearly as much as the conscious mind does. So images, visualizations, and words properly said make a far stronger impression on the subconscious mind. The result is that people are more likely to take suggestions and to change their behaviors and beliefs. It’s as simple as that!

The subconscious and unconscious minds run most of the body, our perceptions and emotions, and habits. So, when reprogrammed properly, they marshal resources to make things happen. Deep in your mind, changes can take place that allow you to feel different emotions, have different habits, learn things quickly and respond better.

Safety

Hypnosis has been recognized by the American and British Medical Associations since the 1950’s as an effective modality. It has been used by many professionals in medicine, dentistry, and psychology safely and effectively for 200 years. Here are five important safeguards about hypnosis.

  1. Hypnosis is a process that is entirely consensual, and the client retains full awareness during the process.
  2. In a hypnotic state you maintain your ability to think clearly.
  3. On the off chance that an emergency were to happen you would quickly return to the pre-hypnotic state and take any action you would normally do.
  4. In your sessions you are always in control. Your will is completely intact, and should I say anything that does not sit well with you or feel right, you could open your eyes and simply end the session.
  5. Anyone can emerge from a hypnotic state any time they want to. All they have to do is not follow the hypnotherapists instructions and just open their eyes.

What it Feels Like

People generally describe hypnotic states as very pleasant; they often say it felt like they had a refreshing nap. Muscles may feel limp and relaxed. Sensations of warmth or tingling may occur. Often people report an increased ability to envision, much like daydreaming.

Hypnosis is not sleep or unconsciousness. It feels most like meditation. You will feel very relaxed, alert, focused and aware. The feeling of hypnosis can be very subtle. Some walk out of therapists’ offices wondering if they have been hypnotized! If you wanted to you could respond to anything in your environment. Usually you don’t because it feels so good to rest in a hypnotic trance state.

If you were left in a hypnotic state, you might just fall asleep. Many people who use hypnosis recordings often fall asleep during or as the recording ends. When your body has had enough sleep you simply wake up as you normally would from a nap. What keeps you awake in the hypnosis session is the hypnotherapist’s skill in keeping you at a proper depth so you won’t fall asleep and can follow directions or converse.

Can You be Hypnotized?

Almost everyone can be hypnotized. There is a range of hypnotizability. Those that have memory and focus problems like dementia may not be responsive to hypnosis. Some people with brain injuries and well below-average intelligence may not be able to be hypnotized. On the other hand, some go into very deep trance. It’s like most things, the more you do it the better you will get at it. A rule of thumb among hypnotherapists is that the best clients tend to be intelligent, strong willed, creative and imaginative. If you are familiar with meditation, and you do it on a fairly consistent basis, chances are that you are a good hypnotic client. Hypnosis is like meditation but with specific goals and an agenda. Meditation unpacks the mind. Hypnosis converses with it.

Overview of a Hypnotherapeutic Session

The best way to approach your session is with an open mind, then simply let go and follow my instructions.

There no need to try to make something happen.

By following my simple instructions you’ll have a wonderful hypnotic experience to help you accomplish the changes you wish to make in your life. After the session, we will have time to answer your questions.

So, to sum it all up…as your hypnotherapist my work is to enhance your natural ability to bypass limiting beliefs so that you can use more of your mind than you normally do to solve problems!

Call today and let’s discuss the issue you would like to solve.