Frequently Asked Questions
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These are some of the questions that are often asked about hypnosis, hypnotherapy downloads and online therapy. If you have a question which is not answered here, please get in touch via the contact page.
About Hypnosis
Hypnosis is actually a natural trance-like state which we all experience, usually several times each day. Everyday examples you might relate to include day dreaming, travelling to work and not remembering the journey or simply being absorbed in a good book or film.
Your mind is like an iceberg. Only a small part of an iceberg can be seen above the surface of the water and this is similar to your conscious mind; the part of your mind which responsible for everyday thoughts, analysing information, using logic and making decisions. Below the surface, is your subconscious mind; the much larger part of your mind which controls your autonomic nervous system and deals with memories, emotions and instinctual behaviours. This part of your mind controls the behaviours and responses that make you who you are.
Although often mistaken as a type of sleep, hypnosis is an altered state of awareness where the subconscious mind is very alert. During hypnosis, the subconscious mind becomes more receptive to suggestion and through hypnotherapy, new ideas, thoughts or behaviour patterns and responses can be suggested.
Hypnosis is a natural psychological state which we are all familiar with, so most people can experience a light to medium hypnotic trance, providing that they want to. However, hypnosis is not usually suitable for people who are experiencing serious mental health issues, some people with epilepsy, the very young or those under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs.
No, it’s not. Although both stage hypnotists and hypnotherapists use hypnosis, the way in which it is used is completely different. Stage hypnosis is, what it says; hypnosis carried out on a stage. It is used as a form of entertainment and is for the benefit of the audience and volunteers taking part. The people who go to a stage hypnosis show are usually well aware that the volunteers who go on stage will be asked to do funny and sometimes embarrassing things. Nobody has forced the people who are on stage to be there; they have volunteered themselves by choosing to follow the hypnotist’s suggestions.
Hypnotherapy uses the process of hypnosis to help people with a wide range of problems in a safe and appropriate manner which is for their benefit. You cannot be hypnotised against your will. For hypnosis to happen, you have to want it to happen.
It’s a common misconception that hypnotherapy involves a hypnotherapist ‘putting’ you into a hypnotic trance and then ‘making’ you stop smoking, lose weight, overcome a fear or other problem. You cannot be made to do something that you do not wish to do. The only person who can make you do something is you.
Hypnotherapy, whether in person or via an audio download, is a two-way process, where your level of motivation, commitment and participation determine whether you will be successful. A hypnotherapist is a bit like a taxi driver; they can give you directions and show you the quickest route to your destination, but you need to make the journey yourself.
You are aware throughout hypnosis and so you will usually remember everything that you experience. Sometimes people do find that they can’t consciously remember it all afterwards and it’s quite common for people to feel as though they have been ‘drifting’ in and out of hypnosis. It is during these drifting moments that you may not consciously remember every little detail, but your subconscious mind remembers everything. It is similar to forgetting what someone has just said because your attention was elsewhere rather than focusing on the conversation.
There are no particular feelings associated with being in hypnosis because we all experience it differently. Some people say that it feels very similar to a relaxed day dream. You might experience a sense of weightlessness or your may experience a feeling of heaviness as your muscles begin to relax, or you may not feel very different at all, just very relaxed.
People sometimes describe it as being similar to drifting off to sleep at night, where you are not quite awake and not quite asleep. Everyone’s experience of hypnosis differs slightly and most people are pleasantly surprised at how calm and relaxed they feel afterwards.
There are many different ways to induce hypnosis, from the very rapid, shock-inducing methods often used by stage hypnotists, to more relaxing methods usually used in therapy and hypnosis audio download products.
Some of the most common methods used in hypnotherapy sessions include being asked to relax various muscles in your body, focusing your attention on a spot on the wall or ceiling, or imagining relaxing scenes such as walking through a meadow or along a beach.
The downloads available from Hypnotherapy-Downloads.com use similar relaxation suggestions and imagery to help you drift into a relaxed state of hypnosis.
There are a lot of myths and beliefs about hypnosis and many of these stem from what people have seen or heard about stage hypnosis, as well as the popular portrayal of a stage hypnotist or hypnotherapist as a sinister character who has absolute power and control over his or her ‘subjects’.
You cannot get ‘stuck’ in hypnosis. It is a natural state of awareness which you drift in and out of by yourself on a subconscious level every day. You have control over whether you enter a hypnotic trance or not and therefore, you also have control over whether you remain in hypnosis and for how long.
Each hypnosis audio download contains suggestions for you to emerge from hypnosis by yourself at the end of the session. Even if these awakening suggestions were not given, all that would happen is that at the end of the audio download, you would either wonder why the voice and music had disappeared and so emerge from hypnosis by yourself, or if you were tired, you might fall asleep and then wake up as normal after a short while.
With online therapy sessions, you are communicating with your therapist in the same way as you would in a face-to-face session, so they ensure that you are fully alert before your session ends. Even if the internet connection was lost and you were unable to hear the therapist’s voice, then as with hypnotherapy downloads, you would either awaken from hypnosis by yourself or if you were tired, you may fall asleep and awaken a short time later.
Hypnotherapy uses the process of hypnosis to help people with a wide range of problems in a safe and appropriate manner which is for their benefit. You cannot be hypnotised against your will. For hypnosis to happen, you have to want it to happen.
Hypnotherapy can be beneficial for a variety of medical conditions including migraines, tension headaches and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) to name a few.
By helping you to relax, reduce stress and anxiety and change the way that you feel about a particular condition or diagnosis, hypnotherapy can have a positive effect on various symptoms that you may experience.
However, it is important to know that hypnosis and hypnotherapy cannot ‘cure’ a medical or physiological condition, despite some of the claims that are often made, especially regarding the treatment or management of cancer and other associated conditions.
Despite some of the fancy titles such as ‘Hypno-Oncology’ which can often be found on the internet, hypnotherapy cannot change or treat physical problems. Where it can often help, is by reducing stress and anxiety, thereby changing the way that some of the symptoms may be perceived or experienced and therefore enabling people to cope better with their condition.
If you are seeking hypnotherapy for a medical, physiological or psychiatric condition, you will need to consult your doctor first to confirm that they are happy for you to seek help from a hypnotherapist.
You will probably feel more relaxed than usual and slightly refreshed, but you will be fully alert and because hypnosis is a natural state of awareness that you are used to experiencing by yourself anyway, you should not experience any other after-effects other than the positive changes that have been suggested as part of your hypnotherapy download or online therapy session.
Online Therapy Sessions
Everything that we discuss during your sessions or via email, remains confidential and is not discussed with anyone else without your permission. There are a few exceptions to this, for example if someone was at risk of harm or where a referring healthcare professional required a progress update or report. In such cases, I would endeavour to discuss this with you first before any information was disclosed. Further information regarding confidentiality can be found in the Client Agreement.
For more information, please see the Fees page.
Standard therapy sessions are 50 minutes in order to maximise concentration and get the best from the process. The initial consultation is usually a little longer (approximately 60-90 minutes) to allow sufficient time to discuss your situation and answer any questions you may have.
I receive regular supervision in line with The National Hypnotherapy Society’s guidelines in order to maintain standards and promote best practice. Supervision sessions involve discussion of client work, however client confidentiality is maintained and my supervisor is also a qualified and experienced therapist who is bound by a code of confidentiality and ethics.
As an experienced therapist, I am also an Accredited Supervisor and provide supervision for trainee, newly qualified and experienced Hypnotherapists. In addition to this, I also sit on the Professional Development and Supervision Committee for both The National Hypnotherapy Society and The National Counselling Society.
The number of sessions will depend on the problem or issue, along with your level of motivation and participation and the type(s) of therapy used.
Hypnotherapy involves working on a subconscious level and so this form of therapy is often relatively rapid, with many issues requiring between 3 to 6 sessions, depending on you and your situation.
With talking therapies such as counselling, working with and resolving issues can often be achieved in a fairly short number of sessions and some issues may require longer term therapy. Often problems are resolved in short term therapy (12 sessions or less). A course of six sessions is often recommended in the first instance, followed by a review.
Although Hypnotherapy-Downloads.com is based in the UK, online therapy is available worldwide.
To access online therapy sessions, you will need:
- A desktop PC, laptop PC, tablet or mobile phone with webcam and internet access
- A reliable internet connection
- The ability to speak and understand English fluently as all sessions and communications are conducted in English
Online therapy sessions are available during office hours which are Monday to Saturday 9.00am to 5.00pm. All times are stated in UK time (GMT).
Payment for each therapy session is payable online via the Hypnotherapy-Downloads.com website at least 24 hours before your scheduled session start time.
24 hours before your scheduled session start time, if payment has not been received, your session will be cancelled and the appointment may be offered to someone else. Therefore it is advisable to pay the session fees in plenty of time prior to each session to secure the appointment.
For more information, please see the Client Guide.
You are more than welcome to enquire about therapy sessions on behalf of a friend or relative. However, motivation and participation are essential in order for therapy to be successful, therefore it is important that your friend or relative contacts me directly before any appointments can be booked. This is to ensure the suitability of hypnotherapy or talking therapy for their situation.
Please note: Appointment bookings on behalf of another person will not be accepted. Online therapy sessions are not available for people under 16 years of age.
I am an Accredited Member of The National Hypnotherapy Society and as such, abide by their code of ethics. The society were the first and currently only hypnotherapy organisation to hold a register which is accredited by the UK’s Professional Standards Authority under its Accredited Registers programme.
All professional registrants must adhere to the society’s code of conduct and ethics, have undertaken appropriate training and qualifications, receive regular supervision and be fully insured as well as undertaking regular Continuing Professional Development (CPD). For more information, please click here.
I have full professional indemnity insurance along with a current DBS certificate.
Hypnotherapy sessions are usually 2 to 3 weeks apart as this allows sufficient time for your subconscious mind to process new ideas and for you to start making changes.
Talking therapy sessions are typically weekly, especially in the early stages. We will discuss the frequency and number of sessions during your initial consultation.
Hypnotherapy Downloads
There are many different factors that can affect the outcome of any hypnotherapy sessions whether delivered in person or as an audio download and these include; the level of rapport with the therapist, the problem you’re seeking help for and the therapy techniques used, but most importantly, your level of motivation and commitment which is vital in order for you to achieve your goals. Because of this, no responsible hypnotherapist could make any promise that your problem(s) will be completely resolved or guarantee that hypnotherapy will definitely work for you.
What Hypnotherapy-Downloads.com can promise is that each audio download has been written and recorded by a professional hypnotherapist and combines years of experience along with a number of different therapy techniques to create a hypnotherapy session which is designed to address many of the issues or problems that people often encounter.
Some people notice changes straight away, whilst other people benefit from listening to the hypnotherapy download several times before they become aware of positive changes. In hypnotherapy, the subconscious mind works best when suggestions are repeated a number of times, therefore with most hypnotherapy downloads, unless otherwise indicated, it is recommended that you listen to the audio track every day for at least two weeks to begin with and then after two weeks, you can listen as often as you feel you need to.
During a face to face hypnotherapy session, the therapist is able to assess how you respond and make any changes or adjustments to the therapy as necessary. With hypnotherapy audio downloads, although they are designed to address a specific problem and use a variety of therapy techniques to maximise the chances of a successful outcome, the session has been pre-recorded and so there isn’t the same opportunity to tailor the session to your needs as it progresses. However, that does not necessarily mean that an audio download will be any less effective.
Think of it this way; if you were studying a distance learning course in a foreign language, you could study the course in your own time using books and the internet and you would probably learn enough of that language to get by. But if you really wanted to understand the language and get real practical experience of using it, then you would need attend a course in person and be taught by a tutor who speaks that language.
No problem. Visit the contact page to get in touch.
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