FAQ's
Integrated Clinical Hypnotherapy

Q1: What is Hypnosis?

A: Hypnosis is an education communication process that allows a conscious and subconscious mind to believe the same message. 

During Hypnosis the body and conscious mind are in a relaxed neutral state while the subconscious mind remains awake and receptive to suggestion. In this state the person suspends critical judgment and exercise selective thinking. 

While the body seems to be at rest, the mind is keenly aware in the most intelligent way.

However, for hypnosis to take place – emotional readiness is a must. Therefore, a hypnotherapist only works with a “willing client”.

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Hypnosis is a method by which any person may be guided into an altered state of conscious awareness ('hypnotic trance') in which psychological and physical changes, beyond normal conscious capability, may be achieved. Anyone can be hypnotised, if you can relax and follow simple instructions you can enjoy hypnotic trance. Measurable psychological and physical changes occur in hypnosis.

Q2: What is Hypnotherapy?

A: Hypnotherapy is basically any therapy done in conjunction with hypnotic trance. It is often classed as a form of complementary medicine but is perhaps better viewed as a branch of psychotherapy.

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Hypnosis is not an occult or esoteric art, it is a scientifically acknowledged psychological and therapeutic discipline.

Q3: How is it used?

     A:  

• Hypnotherapy attempts to address an individual's subconscious mind, using the power of suggestion for beneficial change. 

• A hypnotherapist may use hypnosis to give relevant, positive beneficial suggestions to help an individual bring about the change they desire. Although hypnotherapy is not the same as sleep (the individual will still have awareness and control), hypnotherapists often require the individual to be in a deeply relaxed state to enable them to use their imagination fully. 

• For this reason, it’s imperative that the individual feels completely comfortable with their hypnotherapist. Hypnosis is a different state of consciousness from being awake or asleep, and many people compare the deep, relaxed state of hypnosis to daydreaming.

• Altered states of awareness have been recognised for thousands of years and hypnosis is widely accepted as a beneficial psychological therapy to access our inner potential. Techniques can be used to reveal issues from an individual’s past that may be causing them distress, or the approach can be focused more on their present problems. 

• Hypnotherapy can generally help with most emotional problems an individual is finding hard to cope with, and some physical problems can also be effectively treated with hypnotherapy too, such as IBS and insomnia. 

• However, it’s important for an individual to consult their GP before approaching a hypnotherapist if they suffer from clinical depression, epilepsy or schizophrenia.

• Hypnotherapists will often combine hypnosis with other psychotherapy and counselling techniques to benefit individuals. The techniques used will depend on the issue the individual is seeking help for.

Q4: Where does it come from? 

A: Modern psychological hypnosis was first developed in 1843 by the Scottish physician James Braid. However, it has its origins in an earlier form of trance healing called 'Mesmerism', after the famous Eighteenth century Austrian Franz Anton Mesmer.

Q5: What does it feel like? 

A: The experience is different for different people. For most people, however, hypnosis is a pleasant state of deep inner calm and physical relaxation. Deep hypnosis is similar in many ways to the kind of profound trance found in expert yoga or meditation practitioners.

Q6: Does Hypnotherapy really work?

A: 

• Hypnosis and hypnotherapy have many research studies done showing how effective the method can be for many types of problems and conditions. 

• If it was not successful at all, there would be publications saying so. If you do a general search on any of the medical search sites, such as PubMed, (National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health), Medscape, WebMD, etc. you will see professional medical journals full of entries on the successful use of hypnosis and hypnotherapy. 

• For example, for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), hypnotherapy has proven to have one of the highest success rates over other treatment methods, with most studies being done after all other methods have failed with very severe refractory cases.

• Hypnosis has fascinated psychologists and medical professionals for over a century and has been subject to a great deal of rigorous testing and research. It also has an enviable and long-standing reputation for effectiveness among the general public.

Q7: How does hypnosis work?

A: Act at Subconscious Level: Every human being has latent talent to reprogram emotions, attitudes and reactions. Hypnotic suggestions focus on the subconscious part of the mind that accepts them as a new reality as long as the suggestions are framed within the person's belief system, ethical and moral standards.

In a therapeutic hypnosis trance, it is easier to work on issues that are not controlled by the conscious mind. For example, you cannot possibly tell your body to stop the pain. However, with the hypnotic trance and some specific and proven suggestions, you can.

Hypnotherapy as a process may involve few or all of the followings:

• Understanding & Reframing the area of concern.

• Relaxation and deep induction (deeply engaged in the words or images presented by a hypnotherapist)

• Responding (complying with a hypnotherapist's suggestions)

• Formulating suggestions

• Returning to usual awareness

• Reflecting on the experience

Q8: What about the idea that hypnosis can weaken the mind?