There are many misconceptions regarding hypnosis, NLP and CBT and there may be many unanswered questions you have. To offer you additional advice concerning the use of the therapies I use during 1-2-1 session I have listed some of the most typical questions asked in the hope that this will help you to understand more about NLP, CBT and Hypnosis.
*Please note: Results may vary from person to person
What Is Hypnosis
Hypnosis has been around for many years and is used to alleviate many problems whilst in an induced relaxed state which is commonly called a trance. Hypnotic state or trance is a safe and proven method which does not impact on your ability to react to a situation if the need arose during a session. It is a deep state of relaxation to where you still have control and awareness but your mind simply allows you to remain calm whilst I suggest specific suggestions to help you to overcome your issue. You are able to respond and co-operate with a therapist speaking to you during this experience.
The trance state that you will experience is a pleasant feeling which many people describe as a pleasant heavy numbness to which you feel comfort and are able to drift off to your own thoughts whilst I address your unconscious mind. We all experience trance states in our everyday lives it’s the same as driving and arriving at your destination but not remembering how you actually got there. This is because your unconscious mind took over at this time and allowed you to safely reach your destination, if at any time during your journey you needed to react promptly you would have been able to do so. Trance can be reached on many levels and some people reach a deep state to which they hear nothing of what I say until I tell them it is time to come back to full awareness, some people drift in and out of a deep to light state hearing only parts of what I say and then drifting off again. Some people on their first experience do find that they only reach a light state where they can hear everything I say but this is completely normal and hypnosis will still begin to work and you will find that the more you practice hypnosis the deeper a level you can reach with each time. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person
During hypnosis, you cannot be advised to do anything that would go against your wishes or morals, for example I could not make you do something that you wouldn’t normally do or want to do in your everyday life. During Hypnosis, you are given positive therapeutic suggestions to encourage you to make the positive changes to your belief system that we would have discussed earlier in the session for you to make the changes you desire.
Hypnosis addresses the unconscious part of the brain which enables us to learn new things during our lives. It is the unconscious part of the brain that tries to protect us from previous harmful experiences by creating fears and habits etc.
To reap the benefits of hypnosis it is important that you are motivated and give 100% to the sessions and any advice or tips that you are given to do at home. Using hypnosis allows us to tap into the unconscious mind which will then absorb the positive suggestions on an unconscious level encouraging you to adopt new patterns of thought developing the ability to alter old habits. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person
All hypnosis is self-hypnosis and during sessions, you will quickly be able to get yourself into the deep hypnotic state with ease. Its as simple as ABC the more you practice hypnosis the easier and quicker you are able to enter this hypnotic state with each time you try.
It is important to remember that hypnosis is a gradual treatment and you may start to see slight changes in how you feel the week after your first session, but big changes could take a while to happen. It’s like the old saying Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your issue wasn’t created overnight you have more than likely lived with it for a long time and you need to allow your unconscious mind and belief system to start to change gradually. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person
What Is NLP
NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) is a concept that addresses all aspects of internal and external relations. It looks at how we think, communicate and behave. NLP concentrates on how verbal and non-verbal communication affects your brain and how this, in turn will allow you to gain more control over your actions leading to positive changes.
So what does each part of Neuro Linguistic Programming mean?
- Neuro – This relates to what is going on in your mind. Your experiences are derived from and through your senses and central nervous system.
- Linguistic – This refers to communication be that internal, spoken word or body language.
- Programming – This part deals with the learned behavioural pattern. People interact as a system in which experiences and communication are composed of sequences or patterns.
NLP is now being used in a large array of situations such as promoting confidence, improving learning, enhancing personal and professional relationships and many more areas in which people are looking to improve their quality of life.
Using NLP in a therapeutic context allows us to focus on teaching you how to change or adopt new positive behaviours that are required to obtain mental and physical states of well-being. Having NLP techniques will allow you to remain focused on what it is you want out of life and give you more choices of how to deal with your certain circumstances. You may find that during sessions where NLP is being used you will learn new things about yourself that you weren’t aware of before giving you a sense of freedom from what was holding you back. NLP in a therapeutic matter is about bringing lasting constructive change.
NLP is a therapy that can be used for any person wanting to make a change to a belief they hold about themselves. during sessions once we have identified the change you want to make we apply NLP to help you to turn that negative belief holding you back into an empowering positive belief.
The process of NLP includes you thinking about what it is you want, analysing how to do things differently to how you have in the past and changing how you view the world. During sessions with myself, you will be given specific NLP techniques to use in your own time at home to ensure you are able to use these techniques. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person
What Is CBT
CBT also known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a therapy that is used to help people overcome emotionally linked problems by looking at how we think about certain situations and this in turn affects the way we act to that situation.
- Cognitive – The cognitive part of CBT is the part that describes our thoughts and the way we think. If we think negatively then this impacts our view on life, in short the aim is to think in a more positive manner to overcome negative patterns.
- Behavioural – The behavioural part of CBT describes our behaviours linked to our thoughts. By simply changing your reactions/behaviours to situations you are able to change the outcome of the situation.
- Therapy – The therapy part of CBT is simply the term for the method used to help somebody to make changes and feel more positive in life.
*Please note: Results may vary from person to person
How Does CBT Work
CBT works by focusing on the present and how your thoughts at that time are affecting your actions and your feelings. This type of therapy has a structure that is practical and problem focused. When we have negative thoughts which affect our actions you find that you become trapped in a negative spiral or trap that feels difficult to get out of. sing CBT helps you to break this trap and will help you to make sense of what could be the causing factor to these feelings.
Using CBT allows you to break down these negative factors into manageable chunks to encourage you to look at how your thoughts, feelings, and actions are all linked and work alongside one another. The aim with CBT is to change a negative pattern to improve your daily processes and how you feel daily.
CBT can be used for many issues such as stress, anger, weight loss, low confidence, habits, phobias and so on. As mentioned in my video on the home page I use a mixture of all three of these therapies during sessions to ensure we cover all basis. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person
Will I Always Be Able To Exit Trance
Yes! During the hypnosis part of your session there is a wake-up section which gradually assists you to come around to full awareness. Most clients do this when asked to however some enjoy taking a little longer and making the most of their relaxed state they have found. There are many ways of guiding you back to full awareness including counting you back, giving your subconscious mind the go-ahead to open your eyes whenever you’re good and ready and so forth. Each method is aimed at guiding you back easily and gradually to ensure you feel calm and relaxed whilst fully awakening.
If you find that you don’t come around straight away after being guided by your therapist this is completely safe and simply means that you’re not quite ready to do so, in these cases a therapist would give you a little while longer and begin to guide you once again at a slow and steady pace. Trance does not cause you any harm, therefore, there is no issue if you were to stay in your trance state longer than your therapist plans.
Once out of trance you will be given a few moments to reorient yourself and I will make sure that you are completely awake and alert before allowing you to leave my therapy room and drive anywhere. This practice is simply to ensure that you are fully alert and are able to react the way you would be required to whilst driving.
How Many Sessions Will I Need
For all clients, I generally book in a block of three sessions to begin with and upon the third session we would discuss if you require any more. The reason for three sessions is that most of the time three is a substantial amount of sessions for you to make some changes that you can continue to progress with. As mentioned earlier, you are given “homework” after sessions which require you to do in your own time so your progress really does depend upon your commitment and willingness to do the techniques you are given during the time away from therapy sessions.
Sessions typically last between 50-60 minutes and for children they are normally around 40 minutes due to their age and attention span.
What If I Don’t See Progress After Three Sessions
At the beginning of each session you will be asked what changes you have noticed that week and any potential setbacks you may have experienced, this is to help you and me to monitor your level of progress so that we can work as needed during sessions. During each session, we will work together to ensure you have goals and targets clearly set and ensure you remain enthusiastic about making a change. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person
If you have experienced any setbacks during your week we will discuss how to overcome these and work around these kinds of situations in the future. We will also look at what has been beneficial to you during your week to ensure you are able to see the positives as well as the negatives. During sessions, we will revisit the things previously discussed to ensure you are on track and ensure that you have not forgotten some of the crucial factors that can help you in the way of success.
It is vital to remember that during sessions you are given specific techniques and tools that are there for you to use during your own time, this is a time where I am not there to guide you and you will need to remain proactive in completing these tasks to ensure a quicker result is seen. If you chose not to practice these tasks there is a high chance that your rate of results will be slower than of those clients who do practice the techniques in their own time. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person
The way I like to describe it to clients is this: I’m here as your therapist to do 15% percent of the work the other 85% is down to you, see me as your tour guide who is helping and guiding you onto the right path but after I have helped you find that path you have to make your own steps and have your own commitment to stay on that path. Some people have an unrealistic view about therapy in that the therapist is the one who does the work for them but this is not the case. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person
If at any time you feel that therapy is not the right path for you or I feel that your level of commitment has dropped from your first session we will discuss the possible causes and if we are unable to resolve this you will be advised to stop sessions and be welcomed to return when you feel that you are in the correct mindset for therapy once again.
What Is Your Success Rate
As a therapist giving these types of guarantees of success rates is considered impossible and unethical. Realistically there is no way to determine amounts of results for therapeutic input as the result is always dependant upon the individual. Every client is different and see success at different rates, some may see instant results some may return to me months down the line to tell me the changes they have made, some may even take years for them to realise their results. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person
Because of this, it is impossible to obtain result levels for every client as some clients will not contact me to tell me the success they have had and it will require me to be in constant contact with every client that comes to see me which would be nearly impossible.
Therapy of any kind is very much about the client and their level of commitment to determine their results, if you come to see me with 100% commitment and complete all techniques and tasks given you are more than likely to have rapid lasting results, however if you come for therapy and don’t put in any work then the results are likely to take a lot longer to appear. *Please note: Results may vary from person to person.
