What is Hypnotherapy?

What is Hypnotherapy?

What is hypnotherapy and how does it work? Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic approach that uses hypnosis to help people make positive changes in their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Clinical hypnotherapy is very different from the hypnosis you may have seen on television or in stage shows. In therapy, hypnosis is used collaboratively. You remain aware of what is happening, you stay in control, and you can stop at any time.

What Is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a state of focused attention in which you can become more absorbed in therapeutic ideas, imagery and new ways of responding.

Some people feel deeply relaxed during hypnosis, while others simply feel focused and absorbed. Relaxation can be useful, but it isn't essential for hypnosis.

You might compare the experience to becoming absorbed in a good book or film, or becoming so familiar with a journey that your attention seems to flow naturally.

Hypnosis is not sleep, unconsciousness or mind control.

What Happens During Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy combines hypnosis with therapeutic techniques chosen according to the individual and the problem they want to work on.

During hypnosis, focused attention and therapeutic suggestions may be used to help you:

• explore different ways of thinking
• rehearse new responses
• build confidence
• respond differently to anxious thoughts and feelings
• change unwanted habits
• manage stress
• develop healthier behaviours

At Calm Mind, hypnosis is not simply something that is “done to you.” You are an active participant in the process.

How Does Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy Work?

At Calm Mind, I use Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH), which brings together evidence-based cognitive and behavioural techniques with hypnosis.

We may look at the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviours and identify patterns that may be keeping a problem going.

Depending on what you are experiencing, therapy might include techniques such as relaxation training, cognitive techniques, imagery, behavioural experiments, graded exposure, coping skills and hypnotic rehearsal.

Hypnosis can then be used to help you focus on and mentally rehearse the skills and responses you are learning in therapy.

The aim is not simply to make you feel relaxed during a session. The aim is to help you develop practical skills and new ways of responding that you can increasingly use in everyday life.

What Can Hypnotherapy Help With?

Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy may be used to support people working with a range of difficulties and personal goals, including:

• anxiety and stress
• phobias and fears
• confidence and self-esteem
• unwanted habits
• smoking and vaping cessation
• sleep difficulties
• public speaking and performance anxiety
• exam nerves
• weight-management behaviours
• some pain-management difficulties

Hypnotherapy may also be used alongside appropriate medical care for certain health-related problems. It should not replace medical assessment or treatment where this is needed.

Is Hypnotherapy Scientifically Supported?

Hypnosis has been studied scientifically for many years, including its use alongside psychological and medical interventions.

Research suggests that hypnosis can be useful for some people and some conditions, particularly when it forms part of a broader evidence-based therapeutic approach.

However, hypnotherapy is not a magic cure and no responsible therapist can guarantee a particular result. People differ in how they respond, and treatment should be tailored to the individual.

Will I Lose Control During Hypnosis?

No. This is one of the most common myths about hypnosis.

During clinical hypnosis you remain aware of what is happening and can communicate, move or end the exercise if you wish.

The therapeutic relationship is collaborative: we work together towards goals that you have chosen.

What Does a Calm Mind Session Involve?

Your therapy begins with understanding what you would like help with and what you would like to change.

Together we can explore what may be maintaining the problem and agree on a treatment plan. Rather than using the same hypnosis script for everyone, the techniques and hypnosis are tailored to you and your individual goals.

You may also be given simple exercises to practise between sessions, helping you take what you learn in therapy into everyday life.

Taking the Next Step

If you are curious about whether Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy could be suitable for you, you are welcome to contact Calm Mind for an initial conversation.

We can discuss what you would like help with, answer any questions you have about hypnosis and decide together whether this approach is appropriate for you.