What to expect from a hypnotherapy session
One of the most common questions I get asked by both new and potential clients is “What does it feel like to be hypnotised?”. My answer is always the same, “It is nothing to write home about”. With the plethora of movie images and stage shows people often feel like being hypnotised is an example of them losing control. Quite the contrary in actuality, when a person enters the hypnotic state, they are fully in control. For most people they experience a very pleasant state of relaxation, but even this is not mandatory as relaxation is not a pre-requisite for trance. The work of Dabney Ewin, MD demonstrates this best with his work with patients who suffered serious burns. You can imagine that if you had second and third degree burns you would not easily relax. However, when in that state of great discomfort, you would also be highly susceptible to suggestion. It is the ability to accept and act on suggestion which makes hypnosis as a therapy so effective.
So what can you expect from a hypnotherapy session? First, your practitioner should be able to help you feel at ease with the process. Second, you will be induced into trance. This sounds more dramatic than it is, induction is basically helping you to enter the hypnotic state. Third, this state will be deepened through one of many ways, the most common being counting down from 10-1 or using a trigger word like “now” or “relax”. Some therapists will employ both a counting deepener and a trigger word to assist the process. The next step is the therapy, this can take the form of direct suggestion, regression, or the utilisation of a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches. This part of the process is likely to change throughout your time in therapy. Finally, you will be revived. Again this sounds more dramatic than it is, this simply means you will be helped to exit the hypnotic state. This is generally done by counting up from 1-10 or 1-5.
If you found this piece useful and you want to engage in hypnotherapy or hypno-psychotherapy in either Manchester or London please do not hesitate to contact me. Until the next piece, all the best.
Shaun Brookhouse
