HYPNOSIS is simply a natural state of relaxation that we all experience during daydreaming, falling asleep, reading a really good book, and 'automatic' driving when we suddenly realise that we haven't been aware of driving for the last ten minutes or so. During this state our conscious mind (the analytical, decision making part) relaxes, thereby allowing us to access the subconscious mind (our automatic part which controls our emotions, urges, imagination, experiences, memories and even our central nervous system).
However, no one can ever enter this state against their will and no therapist can induce or maintain this state without constant co-operation and permission from the client. Although the conscious mind is relaxed, it is not asleep. It can jump in and interfere whenever you decide or feel it is necessary, because you are always consciously aware of what is going on.
For example, when you are drifting off to sleep and therefore in a state of hypnosis, you may hear the telephone ring but your conscious mind is likely to decide it is not important so you will remain relaxed. However, if a fire alarm were to sound then you would probably jump to your feet and respond. You always have control of your mind and do not need to be 'brought out' of hypnosis.
HYPNOTHERAPY is the therapeutic use of hypnosis. A hypnotherapist can induce this natural state to treat symptoms and problems, and this is often done by providing suggestions to the subconscious to suppress or change the symptom. Using hypnosis the therapist identifies where the misinformation or misinterpretation lies in the subconscious, and then reinterprets the information in a logical way. Once the cause has been corrected, there is no need to treat the symptoms at all, as the subconscious will automatically correct the reactions and therefore dispose of the problem completely and permanently.
During this form of treatment you will NOT be required to relive any traumatic event or experience any emotions. All you will feel is beautifully relaxed.
NLP
NLP
provides tools to change your actions into performance of the highest
standards.
Present yourself feeling confident, communicate with
clarity and elegance in any situation, at home, in business or
socially.
The basis of Neuro-Linguistic Programming is that all
behaviour is rooted in the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is the
bit of the brain that is still awake and fully functioning when we are
sleeping. The unconscious mind stores all our memories, processes all
our experiences, filters everything we feel, hear, see, taste and smell,
and it attaches emotion to everything we do.
NLP allows us to
access the unconscious mind easily and make changes there. That way,
change is easy and learning is simple.
NLP is an extremely
powerful concept. It is said by many to contain the most accessible,
positive and useful aspects of modern psychology, and so can be helpful
in virtually every aspect of personal and inter-personal relations.
NLP has many beneficial uses for self-development, and
for businesses and organizations; for example NLP enables better
communications in customer service, and all types of selling.
NLP enables better awareness and control of oneself,
better appreciation of the other person's feelings and behavioural
style, which in turn enables better empathy and cooperation.
NLP improves understanding in all one-to-one
communications, especially interviewing and appraisals (whether used by
the interviewer or the interviewee).
NLP certainly features strongly in facilitative
selling.
NLP is an enabling tool of Emotional Intelligence
(EQ), which is an aspect of multiple
intelligence theory.
NLP can also be very helpful for stress management and
developing self-belief and assertiveness and confidence. The empathic
caring principles of NLP also assist the practical application of
ethical and moral considerations (notably achieving detachment and
objectivity), and using loving and compassionate ideas (simply, helping
people) in work and life generally.
These few examples illustrate the significance of NLP
as a concept for personal and organizational development.
CBT
CBT can help you to change how
you think ("Cognitive") and what you do ("Behaviour)".
These
changes can help you to feel better. Unlike some of the other talking
treatments, it focuses on the "here and now" problems and difficulties.
Instead of focusing on the causes of your distress or symptoms in the
past, it looks for ways to improve your state of mind now.
We
use CBT during our sessions and have found it to be helpful in the
treatment of Anxiety, Depression, Panic, Agoraphobia and other phobias,
Social phobia, Bulimia, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Post traumatic
stress disorder and Schizophrenia.
GUIDED IMAGERY
GUIDED IMAGERY
is the most fundamental language we have. Everything you do, the mind
processes through images. When we recall events from our past or
childhood, we think of pictures, images, sounds, pain, etc. It is hardly
ever be through words.
Images
aren't necessarily limited to visual but can be sounds, tastes, smells
or a combination of sensations. A certain smell, for example, may invoke
either pleasant or bad memories in you. Similarly, going to a place
where you had a bad accident may instantly invoke visions of the
accident and initiate flight or fight response.
Think,
for example, of holding a fresh, juicy lemon in your hand. Perhaps you
can feel its texture or see the vividness of its yellow skin. As you
slice it open, you see the juice squirt out of it. The lemon's tart
aroma isoverwhelming. Finally, you stick it in
your mouth, suck on it and taste the sour flavour as the juices roll
over your tongue.
More
than likely, your body reacted in some way to that image. For example,
you may have begun to salivate.
Imagery
is the language that the mind uses to communicate with the body. You
can't really talk to a wart and say 'Hey, go away,' because that's not
the language that the brain uses to communicate with the body. You need
to imagine that wart and see it shrinking. Imagery is the biological
connection between the mind and body. As we will see, this is extremely
useful in mind body healing.
Imagery Can
Involve Negative Visualizations Too
Unfortunately,
many of the images popping into our heads do more harm than good. In
fact, the most common type of imagery is worry. Because when we worry,
what we worry about exists only in our imaginations.
It is estimated that an average
person has 10,000 thoughts or images flashing through his mind each day.
At least half of those thoughts are negative, such as anxiety of
meeting a quota, a coming speech, job related anxiety, etc. Unharnessed,
a steady dose of worry and other negative images can alter your
physiology and make you more susceptible to a variety of ailments,
ranging from acne to arthritis, headaches to heart disease, ulcers to
urinary tract infections.
Your
thoughts have a direct influence on the way you feel and behave. If you
tend to dwell on sad or negative thoughts, you most likely are not a
very happy person. Likewise, if you think that your job is enough to
give you a headache, you probably will come home with throbbing temples
each day. This is just another clear example of the power the mind
exerts over the body.
Guided
Imagery therapy
promotes visualizing of an imagined scene which causes you to react as
though it were actually occurring; therefore, "induced" images can have a
profound effect on behaviour.
The usefulness of guided imagery
techniques have been shown to be effective in helping individuals learn
or modify behaviours.
Facts & Falacies about Hypnosis
(fallacy:) When I'm hypnotised, someone else has control over me.
(fact:) Under hypnosis, you are in full control of yourself, aware of your environment. Hypnosis cannot make you say or do anything that goes against you ethically or morally and a hypnotised person will not accept an objectable suggestion.
(fallacy:) I have a fear of being left in a hypnotised state and not waking up.
(fact:) Hypnosis is not sleep. They are different psychologically and physiologically. A person cannot get stuck in a hypnotic state. If you are hypnotized and the hypnotist leaves, you will come out in a short time on your own or you will fall asleep and wake up naturally.
(fallacy:) Only the weak-minded can be hypnotised.
(fact:) Actually the opposite is true. The best hypnotic subjects are those of above-average intelligence who are capable of concentrating and those who have active, vivid imaginations.
(fallacy:) I have a fear of revealing a deep secret.
(fact:) Under hypnosis you have a greater awareness than when you are fully awake and you completely retain your powers of selectivity, thus your secrets are yours until you wish to divulge them.
(fallacy:) I wasn't hypnotised because I heard every word you said.
(fact:) One of the biggest misconceptions about hypnosis is that you are in a state of unconsciousness or sleep. Hypnosis is such a natural, normal state that you don't realized you're in an altered state. Think about the last time you drove home and wondered how you got there. Your conscious mind was busy thinking about something else. Your subconscious mind took over and got you home. This is a light state of hypnosis. We go into this natural state every day without realizing it. That's why sometimes after the first session a person may say, "I don't think I was hypnotised." This is because he or she was expecting to be unconscious and unaware of their surroundings and thoughts.
(fallacy:) Hypnosis can cure and solve everything.
(fact:) Hypnosis is very safe and natural and can help improve your life and general well being. Although a very powerful tool, it is not a cure-all.
