Hypnotherapy – what to expect

Are you a bit worried about what happens during hypnotherapy? And has it put you off having a go? You’re not alone! Never be afraid to ask your hypnotherapist what they do and tell them what you’re worried about. They will be happy to explain because a nervous client is always going to be more difficult to hypnotise than a relaxed one!

These are the things that I’m asked most often (and that I’m always really happy to discuss/answer!)

1.     Who uses hypnotherapy? That’s an easy question – just about anyone! I have clients from all age groups and job types. The thing that they have in common is that they have recognised the importance of self-care and that they all want to take control of their lives.

2.     You will know what’s going on. So, what happens during hypnotherapy? It’s not a general anaesthetic when you’re knocked out – we need you to join in! My clients describe the experience as feeling that they could get up and walk out whenever they want to – but they don’t want to! When we talk about a hypnotic trance it’s the state somewhere between fully asleep and fully awake – like when you’re just dropping off or just waking up.

3.     You will be properly with it when you leave the session. No hypnotherapist will allow you to leave the session until they are sure you are properly back to normal awareness. You will have been very relaxed, and usually within 5-10 minutes of being brought out of the trance, you will find yourself being alert and feeling really good.

4.     You won’t do anything you don’t want to do. Stage hypnotism is very different to therapeutic hypnosis. People who do wild and weird things on the stage are fully complicit – they may have lost their inhibitions, but they’re not doing anything against their will. As I said in no.1 – you will know what’s going on, and in therapeutic hypnosis, no one is going to get you running down the road waving your knickers in the air!

5.     You won’t suddenly revert to being hypnotised when you hear a trigger word. This comes up in old comedy programmes. It doesn’t happen. You may have an ‘anchor’ installed which means that if you know things are difficult, if you pinch certain fingers together, stroke a crystal or visualise a certain object then good feelings will be released inside of you, helping you to overcome the self-doubt/phobia/anxiety. But you’re in charge of that.

6.     So, what does happen? Hypnotherapists have different techniques but, in my sessions, I usually spend time getting you into a really relaxed state so that your conscious mind can have a break, and your subconscious mind can be accessed. I then do some work with you on your issue, where you, for instance, will be asked to visualise or imagine yourself in various situations, trying out new ideas/actions. Then I tell you a story that uses lots of metaphor to help your brain take on new ideas, suggestions and ways of looking at things and finally I wake you up. I then give clients a recording of the relaxation and story part to listen to on their own to help embed the work.

7.     How many sessions will I need? Its up to you! In my practice I agree a number or sessions and the spacing out of them with each individual client. For some it’s once a month, for others its 10 days-fortnightly and sometimes it’s weekly. I rarely do more than 5 sessions but many of my clients come for a top up every 3 or 4 months – self care is important! For fears and phobias, it’s usually one session, sometimes two. Smoking is one session – but longer than usual. Anxiety, confidence and self-esteem tend to be 3-5. Each session is paid for as it happens. Other hypnotherapists work to different arrangements so you need to ask at the beginning.

If you’d like a confidential chat about whether hypnotherapy can help you. Please get in touch via our website www.hypnotherapyetc.com or our Facebook page: Hypnotherapyetc We deliver hypnotherapy in person if you live in lovely Northumberland, or online if you don’t.