One of the pioneers of hypnosis was Dr Milton H Erickson – a physician, teacher and author and his view was that hypnosis was most likely to be successful if the suggestions, these are the key phrases that the subconscious relates to,  are the main focus of a hypnotherapy session: the reality is that the subconscious recognises the familiar and know it is important.

So you may appreciate that hypnotherapy must be tailored to the client and the listener of self hypnosis, so this is reason why key words have been highlighted below each recording. For the viewer to see if they are relevant to them. Naturally in clinic the hypnotherapy session is structured much closer to the client’s experiences.

People often ask will I go into a trance? The word trance suggests that the client or listener has no control over their actions – this is NOT the case in hypnotherapy or self hypnosis. I don’t like the word trance – I prefer – deep relaxation – and that is what you experience in hypnosis. However, if you are new to hypnotherapy and hypnosis you may find deep relaxation difficult to achieve and your mind is racing, but with practice and it doesn’t take long,  you will learn to relax. Some learn quickly – others take more time.

Will I be stuck in self hypnosis? – no no-one gets stuck in hypnosis.

In basic terms, self-hypnosis means putting yourself in a highly focused and suggestible state. If you’ve ever tried meditation, you might find that a state of self-hypnosis isn’t terribly dissimilar and very beneficial.

Cautions and Contra-indications

People that are not ideal candidates for hypnosis are people that might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol or people that have a learning disability or mental disorder. It is also recommended that those with epilepsy should not be hypnotised because the state of hypnosis could elicit seizures (only for those who currently have epilepsy). In addition, hypnosis may not be suitable for those with a heart condition, those with extremely high blood pressure or those that have psychosis or mental illness. In the case where one has a chronic health condition the hypnotherapist may seek approval from the client’s health care provider.