What can Hypnotherapy do for me?

Hypnotherapy can be used to accomplish many things, including to change habits, develop positive and healthy behaviours, gain creative insight and new solutions to life problems, to visualize and achieve peak performance in your chosen sport or field, and to replace stress and anxiety with a sense of relaxation and renewed energy and purpose. Hypnotherapy is also an excellent way to gain a deeper understanding and sense of balance between the rational, emotional, and spiritual parts of yourself.

What does it feel like?

It can feel similar to meditation or yoga for some people. For others it may be more similar to a daydream. Some people find that it feels like the time when you are starting to emerge from a deep sleep, when you are not quite awake yet. Most people agree that it feels pleasurable and very relaxing, with a noticeable reduction in the anxiety or tension that is often with us during the course of a usual day.

Will you control my mind? Will you make me cluck like a chicken?

Clucking like a chicken costs extra. Just kidding! I absolutely will not control your mind. I have no interest in controlling your mind, and could not do so if I tried. Hypnotherapy is a co-operative process. I will not attempt to control what you feel or think. We will spend time listening carefully to your conscious and unconscious mind. We will gently and co-operatively re-frame your feelings, thoughts, and motivations according to your wants and your goals. We will do nothing against your free will. Instead, hypnotherapy can often leave your free will feeling enhanced with more clarity and purpose than before.

Is hypnotherapy magic?

No - it's much better than magic.

Some people wish that someone else could magically make their life different right away. However, the actual process of hypnotherapy is much more empowering than that. Once you tap into and harness your own inner resources, you realize that you are a powerful person who can make all kinds of things happen for yourself - without having to rely on someone else to magically fix things for you. I am confident that you can learn to make your own magic.

What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a set of techniques used to help a client gain access to the unconscious mind. Having increased access to normally unconscious resources allows you to gain new perspectives, have a deeper understanding of your own behaviour and motivation, and gain increased mastery and control in your life.

What do you mean by "unconscious mind"?

Basically, any mental process which affects your behaviour but that you are usually not aware of. Thoughts, emotions, motivations and memories which are not part of your normal awareness all fall into this category.

There are also skills and abilities that do not involve our consciousness. For instance, once you have practiced driving a car many times, you can find that you do it without having to think about it - your hands just seem to know what to do. This is an unconscious ability. The unconscious mind has enormous untapped resources which can handle complex tasks without us needing to use our conscious thoughts to control the details. Hypnotherapy can help gain access to these unconscious resources and use them to help us achieve our goals much more easily and comfortably.

If you are familiar with the works of Sigmund Freud, you will notice that this is not quite the same way that he used the term "unconscious mind". I have used the words in a simpler and broader sense. You could substitute "subconscious mind", or any other term that pleases you. I am simply referring to those mental resources and processes of which you are not normally aware in the course of an average day.

Will I remember what happens?

Usually, yes. Many people find that after a hypnotherapy session, the contents of their session feels like a daydream that they have just emerged from. The memory is there – but on some occasions it is a bit vague, like a remembered dream. Occasionally people may not remember much at the time, but find that it filters back into their memory over the next few days.

Can you make me quit smoking? Or lose weight?

I can't make you do anything. You have free will to do whatever you want, and I will not and can not take that free will away.

However, hypnotherapy can definitely help you reach your goals sooner and more easily. It can help make your habit changes both more relaxed and more permanent. It can help curb cravings, and find new and healthier habits and choices. It can help you understand your own smoking / eating / exercise behaviour, and to find new and more creative ways to satisfy yourself. It can help you find the strength within yourself that you didn't know you had, to move past old habits that you don't want anymore. It can help you re-imagine and re-build yourself as a non-smoking person, or as a fitter person – and as someone who is healthier, stronger and happier.

Can you guarantee that it will work for me?

No, I cannot guarantee it. Any work that we do together will be co-operative, and it will depend on both of us. I cannot wave a magic wand and change you without any help from you.

I can guarantee that I will bring my utmost willingness to explore your goals with you, and to help you find your own resources, strengths, abilities, power and wisdom. I have seen so many people surprised by their discovery of their own inner resources that I am confident you too can surprise yourself, and I look forward to helping you in that process of exploration and discovery.

Contact me or click here to schedule a free consulation to answer any other questions you might have.