Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is hypnosis?
A: In hypnosis, you are in a very relaxed state where your conscious mind has switched off and your subconscious is in a state of heightened awareness. This is something that happens as part of everyday life - for instance when you daydream, are engrossed in a book or drive on autopilot.
Although the conscious mind has relaxed, as soon as it is needed it will take over in a split second.
Q: What is hypnotherapy?
A: Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis to help bring about desired changes in behaviour, emotions and the way you perceive yourself and others. The therapist is able to suggest ideas and lifestyle changes which are easily accepted and become firmly rooted.
Hypnotherapy can be used to overcome irrational fears, negative thoughts and unwanted emotions, and to reprogramme destructive patterns of behaviour.
Q: Will I remember everything afterwards?
A: That depends on how deep in hypnosis you are, but generally most people remember all or most of the experience. You will find that suggestions which have been given to you in hypnosis will resurface in your conscious, thinking mind after the session and these will be the thoughts that produce changes in your behaviour or in your thinking and feeling.
Q: How do I know I will wake up?
A: No-one has ever remained in hypnosis indefinitely. Even if something were to happen to me during the session, you would still come out of the trance state once rapport had been broken. You are still aware of everything that is going on around you.
Q: Are there any side effects?
A: The only side effects are beneficial. You will feel more relaxed afterwards and almost certainly more positive. Hypnosis is a perfectly natural state.
Q: Can hypnotherapy be helpful for children?
A: Yes, very helpful. Children have wonderful imaginations which can be extremely beneficial when making changes with hypnotherapy.
Hypnotherapy can help children with many problems including confidence and self-esteem, motivation, sport, nail biting, eating, study, exams, anger, and coping with bullying.
Q: How many sessions will I need?
A: You are unique and so your treatment plan will be. The number of sessions needed will depend on you and your particular problem. The one exception is the smoking cession treatment which is completed in one hour-long session.
In order to make the most of the therapy, self-help techniques are taught and tasks can be undertaken by you between sessions. This ensures that you make the changes you are looking for as quickly as possible.
Q: What is NLP?
A: NLP (neuro linguistic programming) is a form of applied psychology which looks at how we receive, store and retrieve the information which makes up our experience of the world and how we function in it.
Q: What is CBT?
A: CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) is a combination of cognitive therapy, which helps with unwanted thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs (called cognitive processes) and behavioural therapy, which focuses on behaviour in response to those thoughts.