Understanding Hypnotherapy

Media and entertainment have always portrayed hypnosis as an intimidating idea, making the person believe they become slaves to the one performing hypnosis. It is shocking to see how many times we hear questions like – ‘So I will not remember anything after a session?’ ‘ Are we going to be made to do things the therapist wants?’ Even though we happy to see that our understanding of hypnosis has advanced a great deal over the past years, let’s gain a better perspective on how this technique works.

Hypnotherapy is used effectively to reprogram your mind in a positive way. The therapist takes you into a deep trance-like state through a relaxation technique. Once in this relaxed state, the therapist provides perspective to the individual’s situation that would change some of the belief systems in their mind through the power of suggestions.

During the session, the client feels very relaxed, just how you feel when you are watching a movie, or when you are in a dreamy state. The client is consciously aware of what is happening and is 100% in control of their own mind. Everyone has their own unique experience with hypnosis, but most people generally feel calm and relaxed.

It is our deep beliefs and patterns that shape our lives and decisions, so hypnotherapy helps change the beliefs and patterns that are negative or no longer serve us. Hypnotherapy can be effectively used to address fears, phobias, and addictions such as smoking, nail-biting, anxiety, stress, traumas.

It can also be used for treating chronic pains, physical ailments, or in weight management. Through hypnotherapy, we gain a better understanding of ourselves and of what is going on in the deep layers of our subconscious mind. We can then use this to our best advantage to change our lives for the better.

Busting 3 myths about hypnosis:

1. I don’t have control over myself, or my mind during hypnosis:
This is completely false. During hypnosis, you are completely aware of the suggestions being given to you and everything that is happening around you. Your mind will automatically reject a suggestion if you don’t agree with it. During a session, if you feel thirsty or feel that you don’t want to continue, you can easily drink water or stop the session in between.

2. I have never been hypnotized:
We all enter a mild state of hypnosis almost every day. For example, those moments you feel right before you are falling asleep, or when you are watching a movie, reading a book, or driving.

3. I can get stuck in hypnosis during a session:
Hypnosis is a natural state and no one can be stuck in trance. It is relaxing and you can snap out of a hypnotic state by simply opening your eyes or after making a few gentle prompts.