What is hypnotherapy?
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Hypnotherapy is a skilled communication aimed at directing a person’s imagination in a way that helps elicit changes in some perceptions, sensations, feelings, thoughts and behaviours.
Hypnotherapy may be found to be helpful for those seeking relief from a range of problems and is used alongside a person’s own willpower and motivation to seek a desired goal. It is often used to help relieve anxiety, aid sleeping, help to address bedwetting, address attitudes to weight, and help clients achieve behavioural change to stop smoking. It may also help with minor skin conditions that are exacerbated by stress and confidence issues, and may also be used to enhance performance in areas such as sport and public speaking. Hypnotherapy may help people to cope with and manage the relief of perceived pain.
Hypnotherapy has also been used with both adults and children to help manage the pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome. There is evidence to support its use in this condition for both adults and children, and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Guidance (NICE) recommends the NHS should consider referring patients for hypnotherapy if their irritable bowel is persistent and has failed to respond to simple prescribed medicine.
This is the description of hypnotherapy that is approved by the CNHC. For further information about the CNHC click here www.cnhc.org.uk/what-we-do.
Choosing a practitioner
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It is important to choose a qualified hypnotherapist who has undertaken all the necessary training to understand the theory and practice of hypnotherapy.
You can check whether a hypnotherapist is registered with the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) by searching the register here.
Move in the right direction
What is a hypnotherapy session like?
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Hypnotherapy can be defined as any therapy in which the use of hypnosis forms a fundamental part of the treatment. If you would like to put an end to unwanted habits, control irrational fears and anxiety, or deal with problems such as insomnia or addiction, hypnotherapy can help you do this. It will be most effective if you truly want to make a change.
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The hypnotherapist will always begin by having a chat with you to make sure hypnotherapy is suitable for you, find out what you are hoping to achieve, and decide with you on the methods to be used during the session.
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If you are both satisfied that a hypnotherapy session can help you reach your goal, the hypnotherapist will start by making you feel very relaxed and leading you into a focused state of consciousness or trance. Being in a trance-like state is something we are used to - it is very similar to being completely absorbed in a book or an activity, such as painting. It is when you are in this trance state that you will be most receptive to the suggestions the hypnotherapist will make during the next part of the session, which is the therapy. When the chosen therapeutic technique has been completed, you will gradually be brought out of hypnosis.
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You should remember that hypnotherapy can only be effective if you agree to be hypnotised. Also, it is perfectly safe; you remain in control under hypnosis and you will decide whether or not to accept any suggestions made by the hypnotherapist. You will be able to come out of the trance at any time if you want to.
Clinical Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation
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At the end of this programme, 17 out of 21 subjects (81%) reported that they had stopped smoking. A 12-month follow-up revealed that 10 of them (48%) remained smoke-free. Read the full article here.
Numerous studies have documented the effectiveness of hypnotherapy – see the examples below.
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Why not give it a try?