About hypnosis
Hypnotherapy has been around for centuries and currently is one of the fastest growing rapid therapies employing the very natural and normal state of mind that all of us experience in our everyday lives - often several times a day - without even noticing it. Drifting off to sleep, being so absorbed in a book that you don't notice the phone ringing - natural states of changed conscious awareness where our thinking brain enters a more visual state similar to dreaming, a state often associated with a pleasant feeling of calmness, relaxation and tranquility.
Hypnosis is simply a different state of conscious awareness from your normal state, into which all of us can enter very easily, occurring naturally in all of us when all the right physiological and psychological conditions are met. It is possible to utilise this state to make deep and lasting changes to our thoughts, feelings and behaviours - this is hypnotherapy.
Your mind has 2 primary parts working simultaneously; the conscious part - dealing with what is happening right now, and
the unconscious part - dealing with unimaginable amounts of information this part is involved mostly with emotions, behaviours and memories and is busy and active even whilst you sleep, and so is responsible for dreams. It is this interesting part of your mind which the hypnotherapist communicates with during a hypnotherapy session and it is far easier and much more effective to gain access to your unconscious mind when your body and mind are very deeply relaxed and less distracted, and this part of your mind is more easily able to focus on the suggestions of the therapist. When in a hypnotic trance, you are not asleep or unconscious and have very normal brain activity.
Hypnotherapy is the delivery of suggestions by a hypnotherapist directly to your very receptive unconscious mind and these suggestions are instructions for the beneficial changes you want to make being more readily accepted by your unconscious mind in hypnosis than in the normal wakeful state. The hypnotherapist seeds constructive ideas which change your behaviors and attitudes at source often immediately or sometimes happening gently over the days and weeks following the therapy.
So, hypnosis is a very effective and powerful, yet safe, way of making contact with your inner (unconscious) self, which is a reservoir of unrecognised potential and knowledge as well as the deep seated and unwitting source of many of your habits and problems.
Wedgwood Hypnotherapy works on the belief that your needs are of the utmost importance and is committed to helping you meet those needs - making change easier. As a result, a high percentage of our business is from customers' referrals.
A typical hypnotherapy session
It is always natural to feel apprehensive before your first hypnotherapy session, particularly after friends have told you horror stories about hypnotists they have seen. You are trying something different and may be concerned that you won't be in control. You will be very much in control as hypnotherapy is a client centered treatment that concentrates on you. After the initial welcome, a detailed case history will be taken and permission may be sought to contact your GP - this is very important as the therapist needs to be sure that some conditions have been properly diagnosed and investigated before any hypnosis is used and to be sure that hypnotherapy is suitable for you. Of course all discussions are strictly confidential.
You will discuss what you want to gain from the therapy and what realistic outcomes can be expected as well as a discussion about how many sessions may be necessary for your treatment.
Each therapy session usually takes about an hour and you will relax on a comfortable chair or sofa. There are many techniques the therapist can use to help you move into a hypnotic trance and the therapist will have worked out what is appropriate for you from your discussion. Usually it will involve just closing your eyes and listening. Once you are very deeply and comfortably relaxed the work will begin and at the end of the session the therapist will go through a strict awakening process to ensure you are fully awake and ready to go on your way. You are always conscious and in control and you can stop the session at any time you like.
