FAQs
Notes For The Person Who Seeks Hypnotherapy Help
Notes For The Person Who Seeks Hypnotherapy Help:-
Before committing yourself to private treatment, you should first seek conventional medical advice. For instance, if you have had constant nagging pain or some other debilitating ailment for a considerable time, have it checked out - it may be a condition that requires medical treatment.
Many GPs these days are becoming increasingly willing to refer patients to non - conventional practitioners, but there are still a few doctors who scorn the idea. Don't be put off, trust in your judgement - you are the one stuck with the problem.
If you decide to seek this form of treatment yourself, when you have found the therapist of your choice, it would be a courtesy to notify your doctor of the therapists name and address.
Do remember also that there are many practitioners out there who operate independently, or who belong to an organisation. Some are extremely competent and some are not.There are also many organisations which are highly professional, and quite a few who are most definitely not. Don't be afraid to phone around and ask questions, for instance, do they have a written code of practice, and a procedure for dealing with complaints, how long have they been in existence. Do they have a therapist in your area.
The following tips, while by no means fool proof, will at least assist you in your search to find a competent therapist you can rely on and trust.
- Check out the therapists in your area.
- Talk to someone who has had this form of treatment, if you know of anybody. Can they recommend their therapist?
- Is your Doctor prepared to recommend a suitable therapist in you area?
- Contact the BIH.
- There is also of course the Yellow Pages, but be careful, anyone can call themselves a Hypnotherapist and set up in private practice.
- Don't be afraid to ask some questions before you commit yourself. Any genuine therapist, and there are plenty out there, is going to be helpful and supportive, and will not try to push you into making a commitment for treatment. They will not mind answering questions. If they do, move on.
- You need to know what the treatment is going to cost before you decide. If a therapist suggests a free session during which they will explain the costs, forget it. They can easily do that over the phone.
- Beware of the therapist who wants you to book ten or fifteen sessions before they have seen you. Some problems can be resolved in two to six sessions.
Make sure fees quoted are for a full consultation, and not per hour -this can be costly.
What Is Hypnosis?
Have you ever wondered why hypnosis is so effective as a tool of the mind? Have you ever wondered how hypnosis works.
Simply put, hypnosis works because it allows the person direct access to their subconscious mind. The subconscious is that area of the mind that processes emotions. It is not 'logic bound' like the conscious mind, instead, it receives, stores and emits, feelings. If you are in a bad mood or depressed, you will perceive even neutral and positive things as negative. With hypnosis you can restructure your perceptions, and experience rapid positive change.
Hypnosis is a voluntary state. It is not possible to force someone into hypnosis, and while hypnotised it is just as impossible to force someone to do something against his will.
Hypnosis is a state of altered consciousness that occurs normally in every person just before the sleep state. In self hypnosis we are able to prolong this normal brief interlude so that we can work within its bounds.
Deep relaxation is required for hypnosis. Tension, fear, nervousness and distractions keep the conscious mind active and prevent a person from entering a hypnotic state. Once hypnotised you do not suddenly lose the ability to hear, remember or respond vocally nevertheless the hypnotic state makes a person more sensitive to his feelings and better able to deal with them.
Hypnotherapy helps people balance their lives, physically, intellectually and spiritually; it helps people realize their full potential. Unquestionably, people who are working and living at their full potential are much happier than those who are not.
The ability to attain the deep relaxation necessary for hypnosis is within each person. Let your trainer be your guide to a fuller and more productive life.
Is There Any Danger In Hypnosis?
The hypnotic state is no more dangerous than the sleep state. Unskilled operators may give subjects foolish suggestions, such as one often witnesses in stage hypnosis, where the trance is exploited for entertainment purposes.
A delicately balanced and sensitive person exposed to unwise and humiliating suggestions which so much as to imply anything against the subject's moral, religious and spiritual values, will induce anxiety, which then immediately snap him or her out of hypnosis. So, a hypnotized subject can resist suggestions which are repugnant to him or her.
One who is under hypnosis maintains his or he ego at all times and will not allow himself or herself to deviate from his or her normal code of ethics. Therefore, the claim that there had never been a single recorded casualty resulting from hypnosis is a logical truth. On the whole, there are no dangers in hypnosis when practiced by ethical and qualified practitioners.
Can A Person Be Hypnotized Against His Will?
Under normal circumstances, a person cannot be hypnotised against his will by the power of suggestion. However, we can hypnotize a person by using drugs, and by so changing normal sleep into a hypnotic sleep. Some hypnotic mechanical devices will eventually break down the resistance of the subject, thus allowing for quick access to the subconscious mind.
Can Everybody Be Hypnotised?
Yes, because it is a normal state that everybody passes through just before going to sleep.
Anyone who wishes to be hypnotised, can be. Various reports on hypnotizability, based on controlled research, indicate that, of those tested, 95% are influenced to some degree. Of these, 20% reached a medium trance, and 10% a deep or somnambulistic trance level. The rest responded with a lighter trance but were able to increase dept after one to three repetitions of hypnotic induction.
In fact, just about anyone can be hypnotised, as everybody goes through a state akin to hypnosis before falling asleep. There is no reason why you should not be able to enter a hypnotic state. A hypnosis is a consent state, you hold the key to entry.
Factors such as motivation, personal rapport between therapist and subject, and physical surroundings all contribute to, or detract from, hypnotizability.
What Determines A Good Hypnotic Subject?
The subject must have the intelligence to understand what is asked of him or her and the ability to concentrate his or her thoughts upon what the hypnotist is saying. Those who can concentrate and visualize well make good hypnotic subjects. The probability of success is increased considerably when a subject can completely relax.
Are Only Gifted People Able To Hypnotize?
Anyone can learn to hypnotize. A person can get a basic understanding of hypnotism by merely witnessing the induction of hypnosis. It is erroneous to assume that only specially gifted people are able to use hypnosis. The hypnotist does not possess unusual, mysterious, or remarkable powers through which he is enabled to overcome the wills of his subjects. On the contrary, he has simply learned the techniques of inducing the hypnotic state.
Can I Hypnotize Myself?
Yes. All hypnotism is in reality a matter of self-hypnosis. The hypnotist guides the subject to sleep, but the unconscious or conscious auto-suggestions of the subject are really responsible for its attainment. The easiest way to acquire the art of self-hypnosis is to be hypnotized first, then to receive a post-hypnotic suggestion which makes it possible to go into a state of self-hypnosis at will. This establishes the basis for the conditioned reflex response. Self-hypnosis can accomplish the same therapeutic results as hetero-suggestion.
Is It Difficult To Awaken A Hypnotized Person?
No. There is never any difficulty in wakening a subject. You can wake the subject by simply saying, "Wake up." Other techniques include counting to five, clapping your hands, snapping your fingers, or using any other signal or cue, as long as a suggestion has been given previously to the subject that he will awaken when such a command is given. If the hypnotist should leave, after hypnotizing a person, the subject will awaken because the rapport has been broken. In certain cases, the subject may fall into a natural sleep and awaken later much refreshed. The problem is primarily that of putting the subject into the hypnotic state. We never encounter difficulty in waking the subject.
9. How Does Hypnosis Work?
The human mind is extremely suggestible and is being bombarded constantly with suggestive stimuli from the outside, and suggestive thoughts and ideas from the inside. A good deal of suffering is the consequence of "negative" thoughts and impulses invading ones mind from subconscious recesses. Unfortunately, past experience, guilt feelings and repudiated impulses and desires are incessantly pushing themselves into awareness, directly or in disguised forms, sabotaging ones happiness, health and efficiency.
By the time one has reached adulthood, they have built up "negative: modes of thinking, feeling and acting which persist like bad habits. Like any habits they are hard to break. In hypnosis, we replace these "negative" attitudes with "positive" ones, but it takes time to disintegrate old habit patterns, so do not be discouraged if there is no immediate effect. When gradually you continue to practice the principles taught you by your therapist, you will notice change. Even though there may be no apparent alterations in the surface, a restructuring is going on underneath.
An analogy may make this clear. If you were to hold a batch of white blotters above the level of your eyes so that you se only the bottom blotter and if you dribbled drops of ink onto the top blotter, you will observe nothing different for a while until sufficient ink has been poured to soak through the entire thickness. Eventually the ink will come down.
During this period while nothing seemingly was happening, penetrations were occurring. Had the process been stopped before enough ink had been poured we would be tempted to consider the process a failure. Suggestions in hypnosis are like ink poured on layers of resistance; one must keep repeating them before they come through to influence old, destructive patterns.
10. What Benefit Will You Gain?
There is, of course, a considerable variation in the difficulty of the various problems and there is no general rule which makes it possible to say how much improvement can be achieved and in how much time.
The simpler problems can sometimes be overcome completely in one session - Hypnosis can be extremely effective. Your therapist, as a member of the Society, is committed to helping you as swiftly and effectively as possible.
Your Therapist may well be able to give you a fair assessment of how much improvement you can expect and how many sessions may be needed by the end of the first session but if the problem is more complex then you will jointly review progress from time to time.
Benefits Of Hypnosis
A wonderful quality of hypnosis is that you can be taught to use it alone, at will, and without complicated procedures. This fact makes many benefits readily available throughout your lifetime. Hypnosis can be used to further any human endeavor. With hypnosis you can:
- Develop and express awareness and intuition.
- Feel worthwhile, self-confident, zestful.
- Gain a happier home life; become a better husband, wife, parent, or friend.
- Acquire the ability to relax completely in any situation.
- Make better decisions.
- Improve concentration.
- Overcome procrastination.
- Increase the quality of your emotional expression.
- Reduce conflict and stress.
- Promote health and well-being.
- Regain your natural ability to sleep easily.
- Sell yourself, your ideas, and your services with confidence and enthusiasm.
- Increase your income.
- Attract and maintain worthwhile friendships.
- Discover your negative mental patterns and how they affect you.
- Free yourself from hostility, resentment, fear of rejection.
- Select your goals in life; chart your course for their realization.
- Program your mind with positive mental concepts and success attitudes.
- Develop the ability to construct mental images easily.
More Questions You May Have About Hypnosis
1. What Is The Value Of Hypnosis?
There is no magic in hypnosis. It is employed in medicine to reduce tension and pain which accompany various physical problems and to aid rehabilitative procedure. In psychiatric practice it is helpful in long term treatment where obstinate resistance's have been encountered. In sports and business training it is used to give you the ability to visualize the results you want to achieve.
2. Why Do Some People Have Doubts About Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a much misunderstood phenomenon. For centuries it has been affiliated with spiritualism, witchcraft and various kinds of mumbo jumbo. The exaggerated claims made for it by undisciplined persons have turned some people against it.
3. I Am Afraid I Can't Be Hypnotised
All people go through a state akin to hypnosis before falling asleep. There is no reason why you should not be able to enter hypnotic state. As hypnosis is a consent state you hold the key to entry.
4. What Does It Feel Like To Be Hypnotised?
The answer to this is extremely important because it may determine whether or not you can benefit from hypnosis. Some people are disappointed in their first reactions, believing that they are not suitable subjects. The average person has the idea that they will go through something different, new and spectacular in the hypnotic state. Often they equate being hypnotised with being anaesthetised, or being asleep, or unconscious.
When in hypnosis you find that your mind is active, that you can hear every sound in the room, that you can resist suggenstions if you so desire, that your attention keeps wandering, your thoughts racing around, that you have not fallen asleep and that you remember everything that has happened when you open your eyes, you believe yourself to have failed. The experience of being hypnotised is no different from the experience of relaxing and of starting to go to sleep.
Because this experience is so familiar to you and because you may expect something startingly different in hypnosis, you may get discouraged when a trance is induced. Remember, you are not anaesthetized, you are not unconscious, you are not asleep. Your minds are active, your thoughts are under your control, you perceive all stimuli and you are in complete communication with the operator.
The unique thing you may experience is a feeling of heaviness in your arms, and tinglingness in your hands and fingers. If you are a habitually deep sleeper, you may doze momentarily; if you are a light sleeper you may have a feeling you are completely awake.
5. How Deep Do I Have To Go To Benefit From Hypnosis?
If you can conceive of hypnosis as a spectrum of awareness that stretches from waking to sleep, you will realise that some aspects are close to sleep and participate in the phenomena of light sleep. Over the entire spectrum, suggestibility is increased; and this is what makes hypnosis beneficial provided we put the suggestibility to a constructive use. The dept of hypnosis does not always correlate with the degree of suggestibility.
In other words, even if you go on deeper than the lightest stages of hypnosis and are merely mildly relaxed, you will still be able to benefit from its therapeutic and motivational effects. It so happens that with practice you will be able to go in deeper, but this really is not too important in the great majority of cases. (You are not under hypnosis - you are in hypnosis!)
6. Who Can Do Hypnosis?
Only a qualified professional person should decide whether one needs hypnosis or could benefit from it. The professional person requires special training in the techniques and uses of hypnosis before he or she can be considered qualified and certified by the Hypnotherapy Chapter of the Ministry of Health's Complementary Therapies' Department or any kind of legal/recognized authoritative body representing hypnotherapy in the country. In Malaysia, the Hypnosis Association, Malaysia is the vehicle, with Ms. Goh as the Hypnotherapy Chapter Leader for the Malaysian Society of Complementary Therapies.
7. How Can I Help In The Motivation Process?
It is important to mention to your trainer your reactions to using Self Hypnosis, regardless of how unfounded, unfair of ridiculous these reactions may seem. Important clues may be derived from your reactions, dreams and resistance's that will provide an understanding of inner conflicts and help in your progress.
8. What Can You Expect To Happen?
Perhaps the most important thing is that you can expect to feel comfortable and at ease with your Therapist. This is of particular importance in Hypnotherapy, in which the value of the treatment is greatly enhanced when you have confidence in the practitioner. For this reason we recommend that you book a single session at first and only afterwards decide if you want to proceed with more.
The next stage is that you will be asked about the problem and notes may be taken. The Therapist will need to find out certain necessary information both about the problem and about yourself.
The third stage is hypnosis itself. There is a certain personal variation among therapists and they will often use different approaches for different individuals, but most Hypnotherapy involves the following:-
You are led, by means of the Hypnotherapist's gently guiding voice, into a state where your body and mind are relaxed and nearly asleep. To an onlooker it might seem as if you were totally asleep but in fact, though you will normally feel very relaxed, you will remain awake enough to be aware. Also awake will be those parts of your mind which the Therapist is working with to induce beneficial changes. This may mean that you will be picturing, as in a daydream, the things which are being spoken of and that you may experience the associated pleasant feelings.
REMEMBER that if at any time you feel uncomfortable and want to terminate the session, then you will be perfectly capable of doing so.
The fourth stage, after the Hypnosis proper, is when you may discuss any experiences that you have had during the session. This is often an important part of the process.
Finally, payment for the session is made and any further appointments are agreed.
N.B. Fees can vary widely from one therapist or area, to another and it is therefore important to establish, in advance, precise fee levels and methods of payment.
Note that only a general indication of the possibilities can be illustrated, and no guarantees are ever given but success rates are surprisingly high. It is essential that those attending should not only consult their medical practitioner but keep that medical practitioner informed at all times.
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