Hypnotherapy
What is hypnotherapy?
The term hypnotherapy denotes the use of hypnosis in a programme of therapy. Hypnosis in itself does not have a therapeutic value, but when it is used as part of another therapy it can be effective in treating a variety of conditions. Broadly speaking, there are two distinct therapeutic uses for hypnotherapy. First, it can be of use in helping people control, alleviate or overcome particular symptoms or conditions. Secondly, it can be used to help people gain insight into problems which may underlie their symptoms, such as hidden fears, repressed feelings, and emotional conflicts.
For example, a Hypnotherapist may treat a patient complaining of migraine headaches with techniques of relaxation and pain relief, using direct therapeutic suggestions and teaching self-hypnosis; or the therapist may explore whether the migraine is a symptom of some underlying difficulty - perhaps unexpressed anger - which the therapist will help the client to acknowledge and resolve.
How does it work?
The Hypnotherapist generally uses hypnosis as an adjunct to other forms of therapy, such as psychotherapy or cognitive behaviour therapy. Hypnotherapy can be useful in exploring the way in which conscious mind and unconscious mind relate to each other. Hypnotherapists believe that the unconscious mind is stronger than the conscious mind and that it dictates most of our behaviour. The conscious mind has a certain amount of choice, but only within the confines of the unconscious. This mental set-up may lead to situations where we follow an unconscious desire or need without realising it. In hypnotherapy, a person's hidden feelings may surface, forgotten events may become conscious. The situation enables the person to expose their thoughts and feelings, and be able to express themselves in a safe environment without fear of criticism or judgement.
Myths about hypnotherapy
There is a myth that Hypnotherapists can use power over people to make them compliant to their every wish. This is untrue, as people may not accept suggestions, which are displeasing to them. Hypnotherapy is normally used simply as another therapeutic technique within psychotherapy or cognitive behaviour therapy.
At Mind For Life the corner-stone of our programmes is the Dynamic Thought Transfer Technique TM and our methods of teaching. We do not have any magic formulas or special powers, we do not tell people how to live their lives … what we do is guide, teach, support, and encourage; if clients fully participate in our programmes then they will change their behaviour … without exception.