Some people use it to ease their aching backs. Others find it has helped them be able to speak in front of groups of people. Even one person used it to find a misplaced object after having suffered a closed head injury and losing her memory. Hypnotherapy, or trance work, is a group of techniques that allow practitioners and clients/patients to take advantage of the mind-body connection to foster healing in all aspects of life.
Hypnosis and its uses in the practice of hypnotherapy is rapidly emerging as a highly effective science in solving the problems of people.
It can be very beneficial in many cases as a therapy in itself. It is a valuable adjunct in psychotherapy and psychiatry, yet it is probably the lowest risk procedure available from the standpoint of contraindications. Few therapeutic procedures are less understood, or more plagued by misconceptions and misunderstandings. First, I'd like to dispel some common misconceptions about this therapy. When asked what he or she thinks hypnosis is, a client's typical reply ranges from sleep, to unconsciousness, to surrender of mental powers and control, to magic or voodoo.
Taking Hypnosis
To A Whole New Level
Everything in your life is based on the programs / beliefs that are held in your mind, specifically your subconcious mind. Those beliefs are what cause us to do what we do or hold us back from creating the life we want. Have you ever asked yourself, "Why isn't _____ the way I want it to be?" Then all the thoughts of "why not or I don't know" come running into your mind. These thoughts are your conscious thoughts holding your back. It has been scientifically said that you only have 7 conscious thoughts per second at most, BUT the subconscious mind can access and process millions of thoughts per second along with an override of the conscious mind with out you even knowing it. The override happens through your emotions of fear, doubt, worry, anxiety, etc... that will stop you dead in your tracks if not take you backwards. So just imagine if you have beliefs that are holding you back consciously, how many are running in the subconscious! I use specific techniques (thought field and hypnosis) that target beliefs in the subconscious that hold you back. Once targeted, we clear the negative beliefs (blocks) that once sabotaged you from moving forward and achieving results.
What is Hypnotherapy?
Listen to a sample of a hypnotherapy session:
"This year I became aware of my deepest trauma from childhood and I could clearly see how it was keeping me stuck in old thoughts and behaviors. I needed extra help that didn't require extra work on my part since I was already overwhelmed and exhausted. I saw Patty five times and each time she added a hypnotic script that built upon the prior ones. After listening to the first one twice a day for 4 weeks, I was stunned at my new ability to calmly express my thoughts and to hold boundaries with people who used to send me into an anxiety tailspin. She takes the time in each session to listen with her ears, heart, and intuition which allows her to customize the best script for each thing that I wanted to shift in my life. I have scripts for the trauma, freedom from guilt, setting myself free of anxiety, new relationship with eating, letting go and creating a peaceful environment for myself. Each night I play whichever one I need a boost from and the next day I get to work and continue to make great progress for myself in all areas of my life. Before life often felt like I was climbing a wall and could not get over it. Patty gave me that boost over the wall and I will forever be grateful. The best part is that her goal is to empower her clients to move beyond needing her help. I know she's there if something new comes up and if that happens, I won't hesitate to call her."
~Kim Swartz
In most cases the subject is fully aware of communication and is able to respond on request either verbally or by signal. Neither is unconsciousness involved. A subject asked to make a specific movement will comply with the request unless it is objectionable, in which case there will be a refusal. There is no surrender of mind or control. A person who does not want to be hypnotized cannot be hypnotized or be induced to do or say anything which violates personal standards of behavior or integrity. The fact is that we've all experienced trance states in everyday life - whether daydreaming, watching a movie, driving home on autopilot, or practicing meditation or other relaxation techniques. Essentially, a trance is an altered state of consciousness marked by decreased scope and increased intensity of awareness featuring "selective perception." The subject, who is in complete control, chooses to see only what is relevant to his/her task, blocking out everything else. What distinguishes hypnotherapy is that it involves a deliberate choice to enter this state of consciousness for a goal beyond relaxation: to focus your concentration and use suggestion to promote healing and changes in your life. All humans have two distinct minds - the conscious and the unconscious mind. All are in error. Hypnosis cannot be sleep.
The unconscious mind is vastly larger and more powerful than the conscious mind, yet it is the least understood and used by mankind. The subconscious mind receives and retains, neither accepting nor rejecting, all the messages we receive from our backgrounds, whether genetic, social, religious or experiential, plus all the conflicts (little or big) that enter our lives daily.
When, for whatever reason, the conscious mind (which deals with everyday living, logic, reason, etc.) becomes overloaded, the subconscious prepares us for what is considered appropriate action (usually fight or flight); however, the subconscious mind does not analyze, as does the conscious mind, but accepts all messages in the literal sense. In essence, hypnosis is a means of communication between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Many human problems, habits, stresses, anxieties, attitudes or apparent deficiencies can be traced to interpretations by the subconscious mind which, when understood by the conscious mind, can reduce or resolve specific problems.
From Ancient Roots To Modern Use
Known as "sleep healing" in ancient Greece and "mind cure" in the fourteenth through mid-nineteenth centuries, what we now call hypnosis has a long history of therapeutic use. In the first half of this century it came into favor as a treatment for battle fatigue (what would now be called post-traumatic stress disorder), and later found a niche as a useful approach for kicking habits such as smoking and overeating. More recently I've seen this versatile modality gain wider acceptance for a broader spectrum of applications, as more and more people explore mind-body approaches to healing. Healing applications are preparing for surgery, alleviating pain, erectile dysfunction, gastro-intestinal and dermatological problems. Some other non-health uses are: natural childbirth without drugs, eliminate a habit, reduce stress, increase sales motivation and overcome sales obstacles, lose weight, stop smoking, improve memory, improve grades, overcome fears, build self-confidence, overcome depression, become success conscious, end bed wetting, end nail biting, pass exams, increase concentration, achieve self acceptance, overcome insomnia, improve learning skills.
What To Expect
Your first session will include a lot of talking because it is exploratory. You will learn about hypnotism and become comfortable with it. We will discuss your concerns, give you some small tests to determine your type of suggestibility, your ability to relax and your skills at visualization. This will help me adapt to you as an individual so I can design a program personalized for you which will be acceptable to your subconscious. Once you are in a hypnotic and relaxed state, I will offer suggestions specifically geared to your goal. Your unconscious mind can then transmit these thoughts and images throughout your mind and body, setting the healing or learning process in motion. A typical course of hypnotherapy may require from one to four visits depending on your hypnotizability, the medical condition involved, and your response to treatment.
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