When it comes to hypnotherapy, there are a lot of misconceptions.
Myth #1: Your hypnotherapist is in control of you
This myth comes from stage hypnosis, which is a very different concept from clinical and Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy.
The principles of hypnosis are the same but with stage hypnosis, the emphasis is on entertainment. The participants aren’t being controlled or forced to do something against their will. They are usually very suggestible and often very keen to entertain and are chosen on this basis. Not everyone is a good candidate for stage hypnosis, especially if you don’t relish the idea of being up there.
It all adds up to the idea that hypnosis is a form of mind control and this is definitely not true!
You won’t take hypnotic suggestions on board if they don’t feel good for you. In fact, it’s not possible. Your mind will resist because you are in control. If you don’t agree with a suggestion you’re given during hypnotherapy, your subconscious mind will simply reject it.
As your hypnotherapist, I can’t force you to do anything – and that’s not our aim in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. It’s a form of therapy, after all. We want to create lasting positive change, which starts with deep relaxation. Having a client cluck like a chicken isn’t conducive to this!
Here’s another way to look at it. Hypnotherapy can help you to have more control over your thoughts by reducing stress, anxiety, pain and other factors that can prove unhelpful for clear thinking.
Myth #2: You’re asleep during hypnosis
This is another myth that has a lot to do with stage hypnosis. No doubt you’ve heard the likes of “When I click my fingers, you’ll wake up” from stage hypnotists, which has perpetuated the idea that you’re asleep and unaware of what’s happening during hypnosis.
You’re actually completely aware of your surroundings while you’re in a trance. You’re deeply relaxed but there’s no worry that you‘ll be “stuck” in hypnosis. There’s no need to wake up from a trance as you’re not asleep in the first place. It’s a state of focused attention or hyper-awareness rather than sleep.
You likely enter a trance multiple times per day without even realising it. When you’re lost in a daydream or engrossed in one of your favourite TV shows, you’re in a trance. If something brings you back into the room, you’ll easily come out of the trance. It’s the same in a hypnotherapy session. You could bring yourself out of the trance if you choose to.
Myth #3: Hypnotherapy doesn’t work
There’s lots of evidence that hypnotherapy is highly effective for treating many different issues.
When you understand how hypnotherapy works, it’s much easier to understand why it’s so powerful as a therapeutic intervention.
When you’re in a trance, your unconscious mind comes to the fore. This is the part of the brain that is strongly linked to the creation of thoughts, beliefs and habits, and it stores information and emotions. Even though this part of your mind can influence the conscious part, you’re probably completely unaware of what is being held in your unconscious mind – that’s why it’s called the unconscious mind!
Hypnotherapy enables the conscious mind to be bypassed so that we can create positive change without its interference.
We can work on replacing the thoughts, beliefs and habits that are not serving you and swap them for alternatives that serve you better.
Myth #4: You need lots of sessions for hypnotherapy to work
Depending on the challenges you’re trying to overcome, significant change can be possible in just a couple of sessions. Long-standing issues or complex issues need a little longer. It takes time and repetition to “rewire” the brain
Even where numerous sessions are needed, a slight change can often start to be seen after the first session and can continue to be noticed after each session. Some people take longer than others to see results, which is why it’s hard for me to say upfront how many sessions may be needed for a particular issue.
Myth #5: Hypnotherapy brings overnight miracles
On the other end of the scale, there is also a myth that hypnotherapy is an instant cure. In reality, everyone makes progress at their own rate and while some clients may experience quicker results than others, there’s no such thing as an overnight fix. Some issues simply don’t need as many sessions but that’s not because hypnotherapy is a magic cure.
Myth #6 – Hypnotherapy is only for mental health conditions
It’s true that hypnotherapy can be incredibly effective for managing anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. But it’s also the case that hypnotherapy can help with building confidence and self-esteem, overcoming phobias, improving your sleep patterns, reducing pain levels, weight loss, stopping smoking, sports performance and physical health conditions such as IBS.
Myth #7 – You can only get so far without talking about your problems
You don’t need to talk about your problems to start resolving them. We may talk about this in the initial consultation as we set your goals but after that, we’ll rarely need to go back over past events. You can move forwards without having to relive the past.
Myth #8 – Online hypnotherapy is less effective
Having completed many sessions of online hypnotherapy over the last few years, I can tell you that online hypnotherapy works just as well as face-to-face sessions. In fact, they can work better as clients can engage from the comfort and familiarity of their own homes and at a time that works for them.
Did this blog clear up any myths about hypnosis? I would love to hear if your thoughts about hypnotherapy have changed after reading this post.
For more information on how we can use hypnotherapy to create lasting positive change, you can contact me at 0786 2255131 or e-mail me at adele@hypnotherapyloungeleeds.com.
Or if you’re ready to book your initial consultation, you can do so by visiting https://hypnotherapyloungeleeds.com/book-now/
