What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnosis is a very natural, deep state of relaxation. Hypnotherapy utilizes this natural, deeply relaxed state to give positive suggestions, your own conscious goals and desires, to your subconscious mind in order to create beneficial changes in your life.

The subconscious mind controls the involuntary functions of the body, including habits and things that we do “automatically” - it is fueled by our emotions and imagination and directs the energy from within. The subconscious mind also contains memories of every single thing that has occurred to us.

The health benefits of hypnotherapy have been studied extensively over the last few decades, and there is now plenty of evidence to support its effectiveness in treating a variety of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, PTSD, and phobias. Additionally, hypnotherapy has been shown to be effective in helping people with physical conditions such as IBS, chronic pain, and smoking cessation just to name a few.

Professional hypnotherapists use hypnotic suggestions to help individuals achieve the desired outcomes of the therapy. The process involves the therapist creating a safe and trusting environment in which they will talk to the client to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to these issues. During this exploration process, the therapist will also introduce hypnotic suggestions that are tailored specifically for each individual’s needs. These suggestions can be used to change thought processes and behaviors, as well as create new beliefs that can be helpful in achieving goals such as managing pain levels and breaking habits and addictions.

The therapeutic effects of hypnosis are due largely to its ability to focus attention. This focused attention allows the therapist to bypass the client’s conscious mind and make suggestions directly to their subconscious mind, which can then be used to help the client achieve their desired mental or physical outcomes.

Music is a perfect example. Just listen to an old song. It takes you back to a specific moment in time. At once, you remember exactly how you felt, precisely where you were, what you were doing, and with whom. Emotions that evoke happiness, sadness, excitement, and more are immediately a part of you and your sensitivity.

If a song can do that, how does everyday life affect your view of the world?

Our minds are so powerful, that some people find it almost impossible to change habits or beliefs about themselves. We become unhappy and remain stuck in one place, forever repeating the same mistakes and wondering why we continue to have the same experiences in our lives.

Hypnosis is a heightened state of awareness and suggestibility that we all experience every single day. No, it is not a sleep state. Have you ever missed your exit on the freeway due to drifting into la la land? That’s hypnosis. Have you ever been so completely captivated by a movie or a book that you don’t notice someone walk into the room, or even hear them talking to you? That’s hypnosis. Perhaps the most common time we all experience hypnosis is when we lay down for bed at night. From that moment your head hits the pillow, until you actually fall asleep, the in between, drowsy relaxation of falling asleep is a state of hypnosis. Essentially, hypnosis is a very natural, deeply relaxed state. So yes, you are hypnotizable! Everyone is. We all go in and out of hypnosis all the time in daily life.

Hypnosis is a very effective tool to help you with issues such as… self-confidence, motivation, reducing stress, anger management,  anxiety relief, smoking cessation, weight loss, procrastination, career success, pain management, fears and phobias, trauma recovery, and much more.

Hypnosis is a therapeutic technique that has been used for many years by health care professionals to help individuals resolve problems and reach their goals.  It involves the use of positive,  hypnotic suggestion to induce a relaxed, hypnotic state.  Hypnosis is highly effective because it bypasses the mind’s resistance, which keeps us from making desired change on our own. 

Hypnotherapy is simply combining the powerful effect of hypnosis with a skilled, understanding, certified hypnotherapist. The first step is to discuss your goals and desires with your hypnotherapist and together agree upon a therapeutic approach. While under hypnosis, your hypnotherapist will work with your subconscious mind to support the agreed-upon goals. 

During the hypnotic session, you are not asleep. In fact, your mind is quite alert and you are very in tune with all that is happening around you. Your senses are heightened and you are able to concentrate on what the hypnotherapist is saying. Everything that occurs during your hypnotherapy session can be recalled. You will leave feeling refreshed and alert with a wonderful sense of well-being.