YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS, I'VE GOT ANSWERS
Having questions about hypnotherapy is perfectly normal.
In fact, I'd be more concerned if you didn't!
Here's some of the questions I get asked the most:
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Can I be hypnotised?
Anyone of normal intelligence can be hypnotised - if they want to be.
It's important to understand that a hypnotic trance is not a mysterious state. It is more akin to a relaxed form of daydreaming, where a skilled hypnotherapist can help influence better choices around difficult or troublesome thoughts or behaviours.
Hypnotherapy is not simply sitting down, closing your eyes and waking up with no issues. It is an imaginative, engaged, therapeutic process that requires work from both of us.
What's it like to be hypnotised?
Everyone's an individual, and your individual experience of hypnotherapy will be different from someone else's. But I can say some things about what you'll experience:
You won't be asleep - although you may feel very relaxed.
You'll know where you are.
You might not consciously hear or remember everything I say, and that's perfectly normal.
You might feel lighter, more relaxed or simply happier after your appointment.
Do you hypnotise everyone?
No - as a cognitive hypnotherapist and coach, I have a variety of techniques that I can use, and hypnotherapy is just one. The techniques I use will depend on who you are and your needs; we might use hypnotherapy but we might also use eye movement work or coaching style discussions that change how you see the problem you've come to see me with. I ask that you're open to other techniques beyond hypnotherapy.
What if it doesn't work?
Hypnotherapy and coaching is a collaborative process: we work together to facilitate change.
f you desire change - and are willing to work towards it - then you'll be surprised and delighted by what we can achieve together!
However, if you don't want to change (perhaps you have booked an appointment under duress and are actually quite happy as you are), or decide not to participate in the process, then nothing will change.
Like other hypnotherapists, I do not offer a "money back guarantee" should not you achieve the result you desire.
Does coaching and therapy really work online, too?
Quite simply, yes! But you need to prepare a bit more.
If you'd like to see me online, you need to:
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Have a quiet room where you won't be disturbed (not sat in your car)
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Have a strong, stable internet connection that can manage to support video calls
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Have a fully charged phone (on a stand or tripod) or laptop or computer
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Be sat upright, at a desk or a table (lying in bed won't work).
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If you can't meet these four requirements, please come and see me in person instead.
How often do I need to come and see you?
Everyone is different and everyone's problem is different, so it's difficult to say exactly how many appointments you might need. I generally recommend a minimum of two appointments for most issues. When it comes to weight management issues, I stipulate that you will need to attend three appointments.
To read more about why I recommend more than one appointment, please click here.
Are there some problems you can't help with?
Hypnotherapy and coaching are brilliant but they are not the solution for everything and everyone, and there are some problems that hypnotherapy is not suitable for.
For instance, if you have been diagnosed with particular psychiatric disorders, such as EUPD or Bipolar Disorder, or if you have anorexia or bulimia, or you have an addiction that requires medical intervention (something that if you stopped taking it would cause you to suffer medical side effects), then you should seek guidance from your doctor or health care team, because hypnotherapy is not the best treatment for you. If you are so unwell that you are suicidal or self-harming regularly, hypnotherapy cannot provide the help you need as quickly as you need it, and you should seek help from your health care team or call 999.
Do you work with children under 18?
Techniques like hypnotherapy and eye movement therapy can be brilliant for children struggling with anxiety or other emotional issues - but it's important the child wants to come and see me. Because of this, I offer a free "meet and greet" session, where your child and I can have a chat, and they can see if they want to work with me. A parent or adult relative needs to be present during any work carried out with the child.
Sometimes, it becomes apparent that a problem the parent has is affecting the child's behaviour. Children can and do adjust their behaviour around the parent, and in such cases it may be necessary for the parent to consider having some work as well. If I believe this to be the case, I will discuss it with the parent. If the parent is unwilling to work on themselves, I reserve the right to stop working with the child, because it'll just be a waste of everyone's time.