I was picking my son up from school when I bumped into another parent, when she asked me what I do for a living and I said 'Im a hypnotherapist' she looked taken aback and said 'oh no, all that mind control, its too scary!!' then hurried off. It left me thinking that she cannot be the only person in the world who thinks that way and so therefore I thought its probably best for me to put your concerns to rest.
I too was brought up watching Saturday night television where on the royal variety performance a hypnotist would come on, with a group of people and everyone would laugh in disbelief as he made them cluck like chickens, wear xray specs and reveal their deepest darkest secrets. All why he stood there in a flamboyant waistcoat, a comb over and held a pocket watch!! Then of course there was Matt Lucas in Little Britain who cast spells unsuccessfully over people with 'look in to my eyes, not around the eyes, into my eyes!' speil.
After having this stuff go into our minds its no wonder the parent up the school responded this way. So, I think its only right I put your mind at ease, seeing as you're already here on my page with a bit of Myth/Fact clarification........
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Hypnotism is an occult based / made up therapy - Myth
Hypnotherapy is a form of psychotherapy and has absolutely nothing to do with the occult. Over the recent years (the British Medical Association endorsed the use of hypnosis in 1955 and the American Medical Association in 1958) hypnotherapy has started to be taken much more seriously in the fight to help all people who have fears, phobia, addictions, illnesses, pain management. It is finally being recognised as one of the greatest tools in our minds armoury!
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The hypnotherapist can control your mind - Myth
Believe me if this was the case my husband and children would be soooo much tidier!! Believe it or not, when you're in a session, you (the client) are the only one who is totally in control. A Hypnotic state is something that the majority of us have everyday, like watching your favourite programme on the TV and not hearing what your partners been saying to you for 10 minutes, or driving your car and realising you have no idea how you got somewhere. Both of those scenarios are examples of hypnotic states. Throughout a whole session my client stays totally in control and can 'wake up' whenever they want to. I have no 'power' at all. people cannot be hypnotised against their will and, once under hypnosis, cannot be forced to do something they find objectionable.
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Only gullible people can be hypnotised - Myth
The reverse is true. More intelligent, strong-willed, creative people tend to be the most responsive to hypnosis because their powers of concentration are better. The role of the therapist using hypnosis is to direct this concentration, strong motivation is the most important factor in the ability to participate in the hypnotic experience.
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Will I give away my secrets?? - Myth
Only in film or fiction can hypnosis be used to extract secrets from an unwilling subject. In life, a hypnotised person is aware of everything that happens . While hypnosis can help patients to express what they want or need to express, it cannot force them to reveal secrets unwillingly.
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The hypnotherapist will use a pendulum - Myth
One of the most common preconceptions about hypnotherapy is that the hypnotherapist will swing a pendulum in front of the patient to send them into a trance-like state, and then click their fingers when they want to wake them up. Hypnotherapy is more like guiding people through to a very relaxed state of mind, like a daydream, to access the altered state of consciousness. When with a patient, I talk to them and encourage them to enter a deep tranquil state, it is very gradual and really relaxing.
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Hypnotherapy is like Meditation - Fact
The deep state of relaxation you experience during hypnotherapy has often been compared to the state of being that is achieved from meditation. This is because you quieting the conscious part of your mind, allowing the subconscious to take over.
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Hypnotherapy is TOTALLY safe - Fact
Much like meditation, hypnotherapy is 100% safe and patients can open their eyes and come out of their relaxed state at any point during the process. It’s a completely natural practice; therefore there are no health and safety risks for the patient.
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A person in an hypnotic state is still aware of their surroundings - Fact
Clients have reported different experiences following treatment, however during the process the patient will always be aware of their surroundings, and able to hear sounds. It’s also worth noting that the depth of your hypnotic ‘trance’ doesn’t always correspond to your results.
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Hypnosis only brings about memory loss if that is the intended goal - Fact
Hypnosis is all about suggestion. If the purpose of undergoing hypnotherapy is to forget negative memories, that can be achieved. Forgetting memories is only likely to happen if that’s the goal, and even those memories can be brought back with further suggestion
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Hypnosis feels different to different people - Fact
People who have undergone hypnosis report different feelings whilst “under”. Some describe their experience like falling asleep with the TV on, while others report feeling heavy. Others use words like “light” or “floating”. Since we all internalise experiences differently, it makes sense that the feeling of hypnosis is different for each person.
So, I really hope that this has helped calm any worries that you may have, if not, please give me a call on 07933346813 and I would be more than happy to put your mind at rest.