actually, no, it's not.

If you haven't experienced hypnosis before you may well be expecting to be 'put to sleep' for what feels like two minutes, only to wake up and find out its an hour later and now you cluck like a chicken when anyone mentions Elvis Presley.

Whilst the world of stage-hypnotism may have introduced us to such ideas, the reality of hypnotherapy is very different. For a start, most clients will not have an experience of 'falling asleep' during the session and will be awake and aware throughout. They will have heard every word said to them by the therapist and this can often lead to them feeling that 'nothing actually happened', or that they 'never went into a trance'. This is quite usual, and in no way impacts on the effectiveness of the therapy.

So what will actually happen then?

In a usual hypnotherapy session you will be guided into a state of deep relaxation whereby your conscious mind and the associated critical functions are quieted and distracted, allowing for communication to take place directly with your subconscious. Rather than requiring you to fall asleep, this actually means a state of heightened and tightly focussed awareness is required. This state is not your usual one, so I will work to guide you into it, deepening the trance until effective communication can take place and change can be facilitated. 

So can anyone be hypnotised then?

In a word, yes. BUT, and this is very important, you must actually want to be hypnotised for it to occur. No one can be hypnotised against their will - the subconscious mind simply won't allow it - so if you attend the session with a strong desire to resist, to not 'go under' for whatever reason, then this resistance will ensure that the hypnosis will fail. For this reason it is essential that anyone attending for a hypnotherapy session actually wants to be there and are personally committed to embracing the process and achieving change. If you attend 'because the other-half talked you into it', or simply to 'prove its all nonsense' then you'll be wasting both your time and money.

will there be side-efects?

Only the positive changes you are hoping to bring about in your life. There are no pharmaceuticals involved in hypnotherapy, so there is no risk of undesirable side-effects from pills or potions. The work done during your sessions, embedding positive suggestions and recalibrating the impact of past events or ingrained, negative behaviours, will be tailored to bring about only positive changes to your life.   

There is a great deal of relaxation involved in hypnotherapy and this alone can have very positive effects. In addition to the work being done to tackle specific issues, clients often find themselves simply feeling better all-round as a result of undergoing hypnotherapy. Modern life allows so little time and space for genuine relaxation that it has become a scarce commodity. The hypnotherapeutic process brings a much-needed boost of intense relaxation into the client's experience, the benefits of which can be felt in almost every aspect of the individual's life. As side-effects go, its a pretty desirable one.  

I'm still not sure.

That's hardly surprising - if you're completely new to the world of hypnotherapy then you will probably still have any number of questions you'd like answered. I want to make sure that everyone feels confident and fully-informed before deciding to invest their precious time and hard-earned money, so please get in touch, either by e-mail or phone, and I’ll happily chat through the process with you and address any of your concerns. 

e-mail newroadhypnotherapy@gmail.com or call on 01732 387 127