Hypnosis ... it's what you think it is!

When I became a hypnotherapist I made it my mission to help the world understand that hypnosis is not the sinister phenomenon it is sometimes portrayed to be in the media.

Hypnosis provides a fast, natural and effective way to create positive change in your life, simply by harnessing the power of your imagination. We all drift in and out of hypnotic trances throughout the day when we are focusing on the various aspects of our lives. It's natural to all of us, so you already know how to do it - but you may not realise how to channel it for your benefit yet.

Here are just a few of the misconceptions I hear:

It's mind control! I might tell you all my deepest secrets!

The only person controlling your mind is YOU - and you'll learn how to do it for positive benefit, to take yourself out of anxiety and fear or unwanted thoughts, behaviours and habits. You won't tell me anything you don't want me to know, because you will be creating your own hypnotic trance. It’s not something I do to you, I just guide you into a place where it becomes easy for you to make the changes you need.

I might do crazy things, like those people in hypnosis stage shows!

You won't. Those people act like that because they have been selected for their very great hypnotic abilities. All participants volunteer to take part and they do all those crazy things because they are there willingly and want to be part of the show.

You'll make me sleep!

Hypnosis isn't sleep. You'll maintain a comfortable level of awareness and control throughout, and just as you can 'snap yourself out' of a daydream, you can do the same with hypnosis. Stage hypnotists use the word 'SLEEP' in their shows because it's an easily understood command - and it creates a dramatic effect for the audience!

Isn't hypnosis just another word for meditation or mindfulness?

Meditation and mindfulness are concerned with what is unchanging; with hypnosis we are actively trying to change something in your experience. The process can feel a little similar - think of those guided visualisations you get at the end of a yoga class. The language I use is subtly different, though, designed to encourage your analytical, conscious mind to drift off, giving access to the unconscious part of you where all your automatic functions, memories and deep-seated beliefs are held. By getting the conscious part of you out of the way, we can slip helpful suggestions into the unconscious, creating the change you need.

Sounds too good to be true? Think about how children learn best when they are having fun and losing themselves in imagination. They soak up new ideas without even realising it. Hypnosis is exactly the same. It’s natural and powerful - and it can help you!