What is Clinical Hypnotherapy?

Beyond the stage hypnosis hype.

By utilising a hypnotherapeutic technique together with therapeutic tools, a skilled hypnotherapist can treat a large variety of issues effectively. Clinical hypnotherapeutic processes only work if the client's focus is directed internally so they become more self-aware. This is ordinarily achieved by relaxing the individual as far as possible. While in this hypnotic state, the client has the capacity to reach information and resources which are considered to reside in the subconscious.

The hypnotic state is a natural state that everyone experiences inside of everyday life.

A hypnotherapist uses the effectiveness of hypnosis in order to help clients to make long lasting changes in their lives and by doing this help them to change their behaviours.

Clinical hypnotherapy is a higher kind of hypnosis that can treat numerous mental and physical health issues, including destructive addictions, panic attacks, aches and pains.

The great thing about hypnosis is that it can be used in partnership with conventional medicine without a negative impact. By doing this, it can create even greater and faster change than a lot of people would imagine. Other treatments that work well with hypnosis are cognitive, psychological and behavioural therapies. Hypnotherapy combined with physiological knowledge helps to determine the functionality of the mind and how the state of mind can be altered in a beneficial way.

A hypnotherapist has access to a range of tools and techniques to help people make changes, and so the type of treatment offered may be tailored to the individual. For instance, to gain an insight into an issue that has stemmed from past events analytical methods are sometimes used, however suggestion therapy maybe more appropriate in other circumstances. On occasions, the customer may only wish to proceed without the analysis of how the situation arose, and there are techniques to help in these cases too.

Whichever form of clinical hypnotherapeutic approaches are used, the customer will remain in control at all times, being able to hear everything that is said. To encourage successful treatment, a qualified hypnotherapist will always provide a comfortable environment for the client.

The number of problems that can be treated by hypnotherapy is vast and varied. Examples of these include; addictions such as cigarette smoking and consuming, anxiousness, bereavement, low confidence, habits, phobic disorders, relationship problems, sleep problems, unnecessary eating along with numerous others. Because clinical hypnosis is successful in a significant number of issues stated earlier it is no real surprise that its popularity is growing.

Because clinical hypnotherapy utilises a wide range of therapies and techniques it has a lot of tools in its tool box enabling a skilled hypnotherapist to adapt to whatever the matter presents. In addition to traditional hypnotherapy tools, I also use Thought Field Therapy a specialised method that helps deal with negative emotions often a driver and root cause of behavioural problems. I also use NLP or Neuro-Lingusitic Programming which is the main therapy method used by Paul McKenna to work with clients and is excellent at identifying and changing thinking patterns and negative internal communication that often supports habitual negative behavioural problems such as addictions and obsessive compulsions. Over the years I have found that NLP is the most effective method at breaking these thinking patterns.

By John Plester, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Norwich Hypnotherapy Practice, Norwich, Norfolk.