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hypnotherapy

What makes a great hypnotherapist?

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On a regular basis, I speak to people who are set to benefit from hypnotherapy: they have a compelling need to make those changes in their lives, they take responsibility for the outcome and they’re looking forward to enjoying the benefits. Often, they get a bit stuck at this point as they try to find the right therapist for them at that time.

So, what make a hypnotherapist the right hypnotherapist for you at the moment?

 

The over-riding factor is your gut instinct: rapport between therapist and client is so important in achieving the best outcomes. What are your feelings as you look through their website and speak to them?

Beyond that, consider the following – any credible hypnotherapist would be happy to confirm any of these:

  • They are open about what certifications they have, from where and what continuous professional development they do. Remember that the term ‘diploma’ is, in itself, meaningless. The key things to look for when assessing a certification are how much work did it take to obtain, who accredited it and what competence does the accreditor have?
  • That they are required to undertake a level of continuous professional development.
  • They are members of recognised professional organisations. There are many of these – The key thing to look for is the organisation’s affiliation with the National Council for Hypnotherapy and / or the Complimentary and Natural Health Care Council.
  • That they have Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII). This is not to expect anything to go wrong but it does give a degree of assurance as to the quality of their qualifications. Each broker offering PII to hypnotherapists has a list of certifications they accept as being suitable – and they are pretty shrewd about who they insure.
  • They have lived experience of the issues you have chosen to resolve.
  • They are clear about their overall balance between therapy and hypnosis.
  • They allow you to set your own goals and they work to your (rather than their) agenda.
  • They encourage and support you to become proficient in self-hypnosis and managing your wellbeing for the long term.
  • They are happy to share content, resources and references with you to give a deeper understanding of what they, and you, are doing.
  • They focus on you achieving your goals efficiently – there are no signs of them spinning things out for extra sessions.

 

 

Hypnotherapy – A day in the life.

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This gives an example of the type of questions that commonly get asked about hypnotherapy on social media. I’ve copied over the original post and my response:

Hypnotherapy after breakup. Is it working? I have questions.

I was recently broken up with after 4 years. I’ve been severely anxious and depressed (diagnosed with GAD and social anxiety) lately. A few weeks ago, I saw a psychic/life coach/hypnotherapist. She did hypnosis on me and recorded it and said to listen to it every day for 30 days. The things she says are like “You will let go of people who do not serve a purpose in your life anymore. You will be filled with confidence. etc”. So I have a few questions:

1. Is this legit? Can this actually help?
2. I haven’t cut contact with my ex. Is this limiting the ability for the hypnosis to truly work?
3. I know I need to truly let the suggestions take hold of me. But what if I don’t truly believe my ex doesn’t serve a purpose in my life? I don’t want to let go.
4. She told me if I miss a day of hypnosis I have to start over. I’m on day 12. I missed day 11. Is this true?
5. Do you know of any hypnosis videos to help me?

My Response:

My comments will echo some of the others from accredited hypnotherapy practitioners:

Anxiety and depression are the most common reason for my clients asking to see me – almost all are experiencing anxiety, or one of its myriad manifestations (psychological, behavioural, physical or a combination of these). Many are pleasantly surprised at their progress and enjoy the forward looking – Solution Focused – approach.

I am writing from the UK and am aware there of very different regulations between the UK and the USA (and indeed between states within the USA). In the UK ‘hypnotist’ is not a reserved term so, essentially, anyone can call themselves a hypnotherapist. This makes it difficult both for prospective clients and accredited practitioners. As a prospective client looking for the optimal therapist for you one key check can cut through an awful lot of bull: check their professional indemnity insurance. As a general rule, insurers have a good understanding of the areas they cover – they know which qualifications, training schools and accreditations are – and are not – worth the paper they are written on. While a therapist having PII will not, in itself, guarantee that you have found the best therapist for you, it will give you a level of assurance. If a therapist does not have PII – you really do need to understand why not. On a related issue this also serves as a good ‘acid test’ for assessing the real value of the myriad of training courses out there. If you’re considering a particular course, ask an insurance broker if they would insure you on its strength.

Depending on any individual client’s needs, there could well be a high degree of overlap between hypnotherapy and life coaching so I don’t see anything surprising there. Their ‘psychic’ claims are, bluntly, concerning. The main purpose of hypnotherapy is to help you identify your chosen future (which could be anywhere on the spectrum between specific and general) and identify how you can use your (and develop further) capabilities to achieve that desired state. I don’t see how any psychic ability would be of benefit to you in your situation – unless you’re happy to pay someone to tell you what they think you want to hear.

Genuine hypno’s do not ‘do hypnosis on people’: when working hypnotically (half of the time my clients spend with me is not – formally – in hypnosis). Hypno’s create and hold the ‘space’ in which the client can ‘do the work’ – if, and as, they choose. It would be highly unusual – and questionable – for a hypno to make a suggestion of their own volition I.E. to think they know what is best for you. At best this is arrogant and could be entirely counter-productive. You are the expert of you!

Giving clients downloads, and be-spoking them for each client is very common – especially as we now have the means to make good quality productions on our laptops. I do encourage my clients to listen to my downloads – preferably on a daily basis. The difference between clients who do this and those who don’t is very easy to see. I can get the ethos of the message ‘every day for 30 days’ to encourage a good habit formation. Missing a day is unlikely to be a problem. The concept of ‘starting over’ after missing a day is simply BS.

The use of ‘you will’ looks poor. Preferable would be something more like ‘I AM using my unique set of skills….and abilities…and wisdom….to achieve X’ and better still would be to have you develop your own image / representation of what success means to you: this can then be used to get you up to speed with some form of the SWISH pattern which you can make your own with your own self-hypno practice.

Letting go of ‘stuff’ from the past is a very common thing to do. Some do this in a very direct way. Personally, I tend to take a more metaphoric approach: neither is better or worse than the other – the issue is what is best for you. NB – you will only let go of what you are good and ready to let go of.

Your questions:

Is this legit? – hypnosis, for many, proves transformative in their personal development.

Is this practitioner legit? – that’s not for other genuine hypno’s to say as the full facts aren’t available.

A therapist could have the conversation with you about your future relationship – or otherwise – with your ex. The extent of the benefits is largely down to your ‘threshold’, motivation, clarity of outcomes and expectations. Hypnosis is not a magic wand. It is a highly valuable skill which can accrue significant benefits. A fundamental issue here is to use your time with a hypno to become adept at your own self-hypno practice. This paves the way to your own long-term practice and hypno becoming a routine element of your personal wellbeing.

Pre-prepared recordings are entirely hit or miss – and there is little correlation between cost and quality. The issue here is to be clear about what you are trying to achieve and realistic about what you are going to get for free.

Happy to pick up on any of the issues here.

hypnotherapy

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy

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”Hypnotherapy, for me, really shines in the treatment of conditions such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and many other stress-related conditions. Interestingly, the very conditions which standard prescription medication struggles to deal with….. Hypnotherapy can be more than just a supportive add-on therapy, softening the impact of conditions like depression, eating disorders, anxiety & IBS. it is a real standalone treatment in its own right, often acting more rapidly and effectively than antidepressants, the current drugs of choice for such issues.”

 

A brilliant quick read by Solution Focused Hypnotherapist Claire Noyelle

 

A Pharrmacist’s View

 

Ask yourself: What is the greatest area of chaos in my life and how will I impose positive order upon it? What components of my daily life have become much too orderly and rigid and how will I open doors to a bit of creative chaos?

Stress – are you the one in three?

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‘’Studies have shown that one in three adults suffer from the effects of unmanaged stress. Many of us don’t even realize how stressed we actually are. We often become accustomed to being tense. So we think of it as normal. Stress damages our health, our work, our relationships. It destroys families, businesses, and lives. And it costs companies staggering amounts every year in health costs, absenteeism, and poor performance. In fact, stress built up over a long period can reduce our ability to regenerate. Which means less energy and tolerance to combat daily stress. This is the serious, silent threat.’’

How stressed am I?

Ask yourself – How will I take action today…to begin to utilise my own resources…both in the interest of my own future…and those important to me…and as I do…what will I continue to notice…that becomes a useful feedback mechanism?

 

Cycling between anxiety & depression?

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‘’It is because you are in such pain with depression that we need to take care of you the right way. We need to both hold on to your feelings and help you respond to them in a way that is helpful’’

Behavioural Shutdown Model

An interesting description of depression. It resonates with the Solution Focused Hypnotherapy approach to helping those experiencing the symptoms of depression.

Ask Yourself – Which of the key points in this article will I immediately apply to improve my life…to change my circumstances…What is going on in my life…that has gone on for too long…and what will I do about it…now?

What do hypnotherapists actually do?

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“People who come to hypnotherapists have already decided to change. I just guide them down that path.”

The Sherpa guides the way: you climb the mountain for yourself.

A sceptic’s Experience

Ask yourself – What is the one area of your life that has the greatest potential for growth…and what changes are you committed to make…in that area…now? What things can you do right away…that will yield immense benefits…to you…and to others?

Crossing the threshold?

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A great example of being at ‘threshold’. This change needs to happen, it needs to happen now, and it’s up to me to own the outcome. And enjoy the benefits!

Are you at threshold?

Ask yourself – What is the most empowering thing I can add to my life right now, and how will I make it permanent? What key thing will I do today that will maximize the benefit, and make it last?

Cycling Between Depression & Anxiety?

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This article from Psychology Today offers valuable insight for those caught in the cycle of Anxiety & Depression.

For many, Solution Focused Hypnotherapy proves to be highly effective in breaking this cycle by supporting improvements in both the internal and external environments.

What if depression is trying to save us?

How is your creativity?

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”Creativity – the process of having original ideas that have value”

How creative are you?

It is interesting to explore how trance, flow – being ‘in the zone’ and creativity are interlinked.

This is one of the most watched TED talks – and for good reason!

If you’d like a transcript of this video, just ask.

 

Ask Yourself: What are the stories that you keep on telling…are they still relevant…are they still useful…and what is the story of your life…now that you know…how much it actually matters?