Is hypnotherapy for me?

Important questions – answers you want to know before experience hypnotherapy.

Although “hypnotherapy” is nothing new for mankind, it is still shrouded in mystery. Probably because of the first part of the word “hypnosis”. For some people it may evoke feelings and images such as: laying on the coach, sleeping, loss of consciousness, manipulation, losing control over their behaviour…

In this article I want to give useful answers about some common questions. Maybe you were already thinking about using hypnotherapy to help yourself and this info can help you to decide. Perhaps you will realize now, that this powerful tool is safe and could work for you.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis -- or hypnotherapy -- uses guided relaxation, intense concentration, and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness that is sometimes called a trance. The person's attention is so focused while in this state, that anything happening around this person is temporarily blocked out or ignored.

What does it feel like to be hypnotized?

Since hypnosis is a conscious, alert state, a hypnotic trance will not feel “unusual” to you at all. Clients (not only my clients) described it as a very pleasant, relaxing, calm experience. After hypnosis they wish “it” lasted longer😊. Mostly, they are surprised they were aware of what they were doing all the time. And felt they could choose to follow my suggestions or not. This point is very important to me, since I prefer not to use hypnosis in an authoritative way. I am giving the clients the possibility to co-create the process.

In this state you are able to focus deeply on what you are thinking about. Actually, this helps to activate all your sources to solve the issue. Don´t forget that because of hypnotherapy we are able to use more of our potential.

Is hypnosis a natural state?

Sorry to say, but hypnosis or trance won´t be for you an absolutely new experience, since we already experience this state on a daily basis 😊

Have you ever been so absorbed in your work that you lost track of what was going on around you? Have you ever had an experience of losing yourself in a book or a movie to the point that you forgot about everything else? Have you ever had the experience of driving your car, arriving at a destination, and not being able to fully remember what you saw along the way?

All of these experiences are common examples of self-induced hypnosis.

Athletes, musicians, dancers, actors, and other performing artists may become so completely immersed in their practice or performance that it is obvious to an observer that nothing else exists to them at that moment. They are in a hypnotic trance. The hypnotic trance experienced by athletes and performers is frequently called “the zone” or “flow”. During the state of hypnosis, athletes, artists and performers reach peak performance levels. Because of that, many professional sports teams have a hypnotist on staff.

Hypnosis it’s definitely a natural state, so the good news is that we can learn to use it to our advantage.

How does the hypnotherapy session look like?

No matter if our session is online or face-to-face – ** we start by talking. ** You won´t fall into a trance immediately when you enter the room😊. You will have the chance to ask me whatever about my method of work or anything else you are curious about. I will ask you about your goal, wishes, desired future so that we can define our cooperation contract. I need to know as well what is my aim as a therapist. From time to time it happens, that we continue the therapy without hypnosis, or we add this technique only at the end. Yes, I called hypnosis a technique, since it is “only a technique” and a good therapist shouldn’t be dependent on or adore only one. Every client is different and also, what they need may vary over time.

If we do hypnosis, we start with induction. It´s something like a gate to trance, hypnosis. It´s good to find a comfortable position (you don´t need to lay, in fact many clients prefer sitting position). There are many ways how to enter a trance, sometimes we use counting, another time it could be breathing or simply observing some object.

In trance itself I lead you into a deeply relaxed state. I use your agreed methods to help you towards your goals. You're fully in control when under hypnosis and don't have to take on the therapist's suggestions if you don't want to.

After this comes deinduction - it’s a phase in which we slowly and safely quit the trance. I prepare you and give you space to find your own tempo to “wake up”.

At the end of the session, we usually briefly reflect the whole experience

Can I be hypnotized to do something that I don´t want?

Hypnosis doesn't work if you don't want to be hypnotised. On other hand, neither too much cooperative attitude is helpful. I always say: “be open, you don’t need to help me neither fight against it, just be neutral, maybe curious”

What is hypnosis good for?

Hypnotherapy gives you the opportunity to amplify and use resources within yourself which you would usually consider to be outside the realm of your "normal" consciousness. If you were lacking in confidence or self-esteem, you could experience what it was like to speak in public with total confidence or be assertive in a positive way in a relationship.

It works by changing negative thought patterns and habits. Replacing them with healthy ones at a subconscious level.

Hypnotherapy can help you for example with: anxiety, depression, stress release, insomnia, smoking cessation, addiction, fears and phobias, self-esteem, chronic pain, weight management, IBS, motivation, sports performance, anger, bed wetting, public speaking, exam nerves and lots more.