Hypnosis is just a form of focused relaxation that allows access to the unconscious mind by guiding your attention away from the everyday world so you can concentrate on a goal, such as overcoming a fear or quitting smoking. What you experience when you’re hypnotised is called an altered state of consciousness. So you’re awake, but you’re not paying attention to the ‘conscious’ world in the same way. Instead, your thoughts are focused inward and you go into a mild trance.

Hypnosis works because the change is made at the unconscious level, which is where all your habits are stored and run your life. Hypnosis is 100% safe, and is very effective at changing deep-rooted issues and habits… fast.

A trance is the term for the state you enter when you undergo hypnosis. It might sound mysterious or like a frightening form of mind control, but it’s neither of those, it is simply a natural state of consciousness.

Hypnosis is a natural state of focus and relaxation. It can be likened to guided meditation or even daydreaming. Many people are unaware, but you enter hypnosis many times a day. It can occur when you’re doing something routine and your mind wanders, like staring out the window on a rainy day. In fact, whenever your mind drifts or wanders, you’re experiencing a light trance. Some people call it daydreaming. Ever driven your car and forget that you’re driving, yet somehow you got home safely? That’s hypnosis!

When you’re hypnotised, this trance state is induced on purpose. It’s simply another state of consciousness, somewhere between being awake and being asleep.

Though everyone is different, there are some things that usually happen when you’re in hypnosis.

First of all you get very relaxed, and yet most people feel focused and awake. While you’re in this deeply relaxed state, your deep inner mind is brought to the forefront, and your conscious mind is quiet. So when you’re relaxed, you have greater access to material that is more deeply embedded inside of you. When you’re in this relaxed state, you’re also often highly suggestible and responsive.

Secondly, once you’re relaxed and your attention is focused inward, you’re able to accept suggestions without distractions. The hypnotist’s suggestions are spoken aloud to your unconscious mind. As long as your conscious mind believes these suggestions are beneficial for you, it accepts them easily and creates your life from then on to reflect the new changes.

Finally the exit, this is where you come out of the trance and return to your normal waking state. Feeling refreshed, relaxed, simply fantastic.

Hypnosis feels like relaxation and the focus of attention at the same time. Your attention is focused, and it’s almost as if your body is sleeping while your deeper mind is fully aware and awake. You may feel light or heavy in your body, or you may not experience having a body at all. You may feel various sensations, such as tingling, floating, relaxation or deep peace.

Sometimes you will feel like you’re daydreaming, other times you will remain focused with your entire attention on the hypnotist’s voice.

There are varying degrees of hypnosis; some people go deeply and some go lightly. Most people are right in the middle.

When you’re in this relaxed state of trance, you’re often highly suggestible and responsive.  You’re able to bypass your normal waking consciousness and cross the bridge into the often buried parts of yourself. The trance state is also the hypnotic state, and it has many uses. You can connect with the subconscious mind and the higher or superconscious mind. You can get in touch with creativity, spirituality, your past and future and especially become more aware of the present moment. You can look at your motivations and emotions, and with your innate abilities.

Hypnotherapy can be used to treat thousands of different problems, from the standard ‘smoking cessation’ or ‘weight loss’ sessions to more unusual conditions such as ‘fear of baby ducks’ or a ‘sexual attraction to baked beans’. Here are some of the main problems hypnosis is used to treat:

Smoking, weight management, addictions, insomnia, phobias, pain management, concentration, confidence, anxiety, memory, sport performance, sexual problems, motivation, allergies, PTSD, IBS, skin conditions, blushing, stuttering, nail biting, exam stress, the list goes on…

Hypnotherapy is a tried and tested solution to a huge array of problems, with many people successfully resolving issues that other treatments failed to remedy. Why? Because a great many problems are in themselves psychological. Often events and experiences from our past, shape the way that we behave today, sometimes even if we have absolutely no memory of the experiences themselves. Drugs are not always the answer… Talking to someone about your problems won’t always work… Cold turkey doesn’t always cut it… Hypnotherapists aim to find the source of the problem and cut it out at the root, often with a great deal of success.

Results of a comparative study by American Health Magazine:

• Psychoanalysis after 600 sessions shows 38% recovery
• Behaviour therapy after 22 sessions has 72% recovery
• Hypnosis after 6 sessions is at 93% recovery

Hypnotherapy, like almost anything, is never 100% guaranteed to work. Different hypnotherapists report different success rates – often this is because all hypnotherapists are not created equal, some are just better trained or trained differently than others.

That said, the rates of success encountered with hypnosis are often higher than when compared to the rates of other complementary therapies and even some widely-accepted medicines and treatments.

Many people struggle with the pressure and stress of modern-day life to the point of finding themselves unable to enjoy any quality of life at all. This can often result in eating disorders, loss of confidence, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression etc.

Hypnotherapy provides an effective alternative for better health and personal development. It can assist you to break free from any destructive thought patterns or habits. But it’s not just about tackling problems. It is about making effortless change, getting in touch with what has made you the way that you are now, and letting you take control to become the person you really want to be.

It’s time for you to reach your peak!

When the mind and body are working in harmony your chance of success in achieving your goal is greatly increased. A few sessions of hypnosis can give you the edge you need.

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Forget any preconceptions you may have about hypnosis. Hypnosis is less about being manipulated and being under someone’s control and more about taking charge of your own inner thoughts and behaviour.

Forget the cheeky stage hypnotist and cartoon scientist dangling pocket watches. There is another side to hypnosis and it is all about helping you overcome phobias, stress, weight loss, drinking problems, to stop smoking, learning relaxation techniques, visualising and goal setting and other health problems. Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that can be used to help overcome any problems with their origins in the mind.

Hypnosis helps clients access their subconscious directly by bypassing the critical faculty of the conscious mind.

Empowerment Hypnotherapy and Coaching are disciplines that focus on making use of the resources inherent in each person and our ability to help ourselves. Each of us is the best expert on our life. At their simplest level, hypnosis, coaching and mentoring are conversations where insight and learning takes place; a space to slow down and make time to think; and time open up to possibility and maybe think differently. A purposeful conversation that inspires you to create your best life.