Looking around the stands at a recent wellbeing event I attended, I was amazed at the number of different therapies on offer. From mainstream to complimentary therapies, there are so many different therapies out there to choose from.
So is it cognitive behavioural therapy you need? Would reflexology or counselling be better for you? Would seeing a homeopath or a reiki practitioner be more suited to helping you overcome the challenges you are struggling with? Could a life coach help you achieve your goals and help you understand the things that are stopping you moving forwards, or would neuro linguistic programming be better for you to try? At this event, with so many seemingly endless options to choose from, the question I was most frequently asked was so why should I choose hypnotherapy?
Here are four reasons why hypnotherapy could work for you too:
It’s effective and transformative As a hypnotherapist I’ve seen first hand the incredible changes that this form of therapy can bring. The staff at the wellbeing centre where I work, often comment on how someone can come into see me in one state and leave looking a lot better than when they came in. Let’s think for instance about losing weight. People often ask me, why is it so difficult to give up a habit even though I know it’s not good for me? Chances are, there’s a battle going on between the conscious and subconscious parts of our minds. The conscious part of our minds – the part you’re using right now – houses our rational decision-making and will power. But that only makes up approximately 10% of our brain power. The rest is all happening at a subconscious level. Now I’m no mathematician but I can see that 10% against 90% is never going to make for an easy win. So if you’re struggling to change a behaviour, a pattern of thinking or a habit, it’s because on some level there is a subconscious motivation to keep it.
Let’s say you want to lose a few pounds but every evening you can’t resist a bag of crisps, a chocolate biscuit, or two, and a glass of wine. You may consciously understand that this isn’t helping you achieve your weight goal. But your subconscious mind – whose job it is to keep you safe at all times – says, ‘but this makes me feel good and gives me comfort and pleasure.’ And so we continue.
It’s at this subconscious level – where all our experiences, knowledge, memories, beliefs and habits are stored – that hypnotherapy is targeted. Hypnotherapy helps us to get to the root cause of things. Often, we just deal with the symptoms, which is a bit like putting a sticking plaster over a wound, only it’s still festering and never heals completely, and we wonder why things aren’t changing. Getting to the root cause of things helps us to heal from the inside so the changes we do make are long lasting and sustainable.
It’s faster than many conventional therapies. Another question people always ask me is ‘how many sessions will I need?’ It’s a bit like asking ‘how long is a piece of string?’ Everyone is so different, and everyone’s individual needs and circumstances vary. There is no definitive answer. However, while some talking therapies see people working with practitioner for a year or more, hypnotherapy tends to be a much faster process. The average length of time I spend with clients is around four to six weekly sessions. Many people tell me that they start to see significant changes after two to three sessions.
It would be easy for you to think in reading this that hypnotherapy is a ‘quick fix’. However, there is no magic wand and no miracle cure. Hypnotherapy is something we do together. You commit to your goals and I provide the metaphorical assistance.
It can be content free One of the things I often hear from people is ‘I’m just fed up of talking about it.’ Apart from the initial consultation where we discuss what’s happening, why you are here to see me and where you want to be, there is not the need to keep revisiting old ground. The kind of language used in sessions allows your subconscious to deal with things without you having to give voice to what may have been some dark times in your life.
It can be used for so many things. It’s difficult to think of an issue that hypnotherapy couldn’t help with. It’s often thought of as helping with stopping smoking and for fear of flying. But did you know it can be used for lots of different fears and phobias such as the fear of being sick, heights, driving on motorways or the fear of needles? Exam stress and confidence in public speaking are both issues I see regularly as well as confidence for interviews.
Does anxiety or IBS prevent you from living life to the full? Hypnotherapy helps you to learn to change the way you perceive stressful situations as well as giving you the tools you need to help you manage and prevent those anxious feelings and thoughts. Managing pain, addictions and sports performance are all areas that can be treated using hypnotherapy. The list is long!
Whatever your concern is about, hypnotherapy could be just the treatment you’ve been searching for. Get in touch today to see how I can help.