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What is Hypnosis
Hypnosis is an altered state of
awareness that we enter
and leave naturally, throughout the day. It feels very much like day dreaming, or
the state between sleeping and waking. Most of us have experienced becoming
engrossed in a film or book, or finding we've driven somewhere on 'automatic pilot'.
Hypnotherapy is a two way process between therapist and client. A
person cannot be hypnotised unless he or she agrees and co-operates. Whilst hypnotised,
nobody can make the client do anything which they do not want to do. The client is able to
terminate the session at any time.
During hypnosis, the rationalising and
critical mind is bypassed, reducing resistance to change. The mind
therefore becomes much more receptive to helpful suggestions, resulting in
positive change.
Everyone is different - some go into a deeply relaxed state and remember nothing
at all about it afterwards - others may stay in a lighter state - but more often
than not they will drift in and out of different levels of relaxed awareness.
Some people worry about not being able to wake up, but even if left,
the client would just go into a natural sleep or awaken. If necessary, the client will be
able to become alert and regain full awareness instantly.
You will only go as 'deep' as you want to go. You may
feel as though your body is a heavy weight or maybe you will feel very light and floaty -
some people say they feel warm and tingly all over - but there should be no discomfort at
all.
Sometime clients will ask if they will know that they are
hypnotised. Well, some do, some don't. You may drift into hypnosis very
gradually and not even realise how relaxed you are until it's time to return to normal
wakeful awareness.
It is thought that the left, analytical side of the brain becomes
less active, while the right, imaginative, emotional side becomes more active. During deep
hypnosis the metabolism, breathing and heartbeat slow down, and the brain produces
alpha-waves, which indicate deep relaxation and are also induced by meditation.
Clinical Hypnosis is not the same as stage hypnosis, which is a
form of entertainment. Evidence shows that
people cannot be made to say or do anything at all against their own moral code.
If a hypnotist or hypnotherapist tried to make you do or say something against
their will, you would be able to simply wake up.
"Hypnotherapists" specialise
in the use of hypnosis as the medium through which they use a variety of
techniques, which are used depending on the problem and the client's goal of
therapy. Hypnotherapy is approved as a stand-alone therapy in the UK
.Many psychotherapists and psychologists use hypnosis and various imagery
techniques as an additional tool to
augment their particular mode of therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioural,
Solution Focused, Systemic, and Psychodynamic approaches.
More information about Hypnosis and
Hypnotherapy:
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
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