Yahoo News Everything you need to know about hypnotherapy
Think hypnosis, think swinging pendulums and snake charming, right? Hypnosis has long been plagued by myths that 'going under' will have you running round like a chicken and revealing your deepest, darkest inner secrets.
Professional hypnotherapist Chloe Brotheridge explains how hypnotherapy could be beneficial to you:
What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is working with the subconscious, the part of our minds that controls of a lot of our feelings, habits and thoughts. During hypnotherapy, the conscious part of your mind quietens down, allowing the subconscious to take over. Once that happens, the subconscious becomes much more open to taking on positive ideas. Effectively, it’s a way of making changes within the subconscious.
How does a hypnotherapy session work?
It’s a bit like being in a daydream. I talk to people and guide them through a relaxation, helping them to go to a deep, calm part of themselves. I don’t swing a pendulum or click my fingers or anything.
How does it compare to meditation?
It’s similar. People often find that hypnosis is easy – you don’t have to concentrate or control your mind, you can easily go into a deep state.
What are the common illness and afflictions that people come to you with?
Confidence and anxiety-related issues, mostly. I work with a lot of people on public speaking and also Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The latter is often caused by tension, stress and pressure and it’s a fairly common complaint.
Or else, if someone’s had a stressful experience in the past, I let them know that they’re safe and can handle things. I help people to be more present and to focus their concentration in the present moment when they’re going through their day-to-day lives.
With anxiety it’s commonly about people projecting into the future, imagining all the things that can go wrong and how they won’t be able to handle it. Helping them to be more present is fundamental.
What would you say in a session about quitting smoking?
Part of it will be about seeing their body as this amazing machine, reminding them how intelligent it is, and asking why they would you want to put smoke into it. Through that I would aim to change their perspective.
Similarly, lots of people have the belief that it’s really difficult to stop smoking; that they’ve ‘tried everything’. But if they can believe that it is easy to stop, it actually becomes easier. I aim to boost their belief in their ability to stop. I don’t necessarily talk about all the chemicals in cigarettes though, because people know that already.
Can anyone be hypnotised?
Hypnotherapy is not something you can do against your will. It won’t work for someone who has been forced to undergo it; someone whose partner, for instance, insists they quit smoking. That said, anyone has the potential to get into the state of mind where they become more receptive to suggestions. But obviously, wanting to be there and being open to the experience will help things.
What about ‘stage-hypnosis’, the classic scenario where the hypnotist snaps their finger and the participant starts doing a chicken dance - are they actually aware of what they’re doing?
It’s totally real but the person up on the stage has been vetted before the show and will be someone who wants to be onstage and part of it. Subconsciously they are committed to going along with whatever the hypnotist asks them. So it’s all absolutely real but not everyone would want to go along with that, and therefore in the same situation, they wouldn’t.
With hypnotherapy, you’re in control and you can’t be made to do something you don’t want to do. In a therapy session, it’s about helping the person, not about entertainment.
How much do you have to know about someone for hypnosis to be successful?
If I see someone one-to-one, we’ll have a discussion about their past and as sessions go along, people often emerge and we might go more deeply into it. But I don’t have to know every detail of someone’s life in order to help them make a change.
Do people interact during sessions?
There’s no interaction in a group session. But one-to-one, I might ask people questions to get to the root of things. In a group session it’s about listening, relaxing and absorbing positive suggestions.
Where did you train?
I did my hypnotherapy diploma in the Academy of Change Work in Islington and am registered with the National Council of Hypnotherapy. Before that, I studied nutrition at university – which is useful for my weight loss clients. But since I was 14, when I met a hypnotist, hypnosis has always intrigued me.
You are hosting a group session at Hoxton Holborn tomorrow. What will that entail?
Everyone will lie on the floor and get really relaxed. I’ll work on helping them let go of their stress and baggage, enabling them to leave feeling light, calm and good about themselves.
A Calmer You takes place tomorrow at Hoxton Holborn, 199 - 206 High Holborn WC1V, tomorrow 5th April, at 6:30pm; hoxton.com / easywaytochange.co.uk
