There are many misconceptions about hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

In a therapeutic situation the emphasis is on therapy, not hypnosis. Hypnosis is simply a guided state of relaxation which allows the busy chattering of the conscious mind to take a back seat and allow the unconscious mind to surface gently.

Most importantly you will always be aware, awake and in control. Stage hypnosis is an entertainment, a bit of theatre, and you can remember that the people who volunteered to go on stage wanted to “perform”. This scenario has no relevance to hypnotherapy. The therapist is there purely for your benefit and your benefit alone and you will not have to behave in any way or reveal anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.

In fact during a therapy session there is often no need to do formal hypnosis, as we drift in and out of states spontaneously many times a day without being aware we are doing so. When we learn to drive or touch-type, we consciously work very hard at it and then suddenly it becomes automatic and we don’t have to think about it. That is a hypnotic state. When we listen to music and are transported to another time with which we associate that song, that is a hypnotic state.

When we learn to walk and talk it is a conscious process but if we had to re-learn that every day we wouldn’t be able to function, so you could say that the unconscious mind is like a filing-cabinet, where all those skills are stored so that the conscious mind can get on with the business of the day. Sometimes however we have inadvertently stored unhelpful information and can’t find the file to put it in the shredder or re-cycling bin. This can lead to inner conflict where we find ourselves reacting, not responding to life in the present.