Bluebell Therapy

I’m a counsellor and hypnotherapist and probably do an equal amount of both. However, in terms of curiosity, the focus is firmly on the latter.

Just what is hypnotherapy?

How does it work?

What does it feel like?

Does it mean that you lose control? (the sub-text of this: Will you make me cluck like a chicken? !!).

So, I’m going to try to cover all bases – but please contact me if you have unanswered questions and I’ll get back to you.

F.A.Qs:

1. What is hypnotherapy?Hypnotherapy is a type of psychological therapy which utilizes hypnosis. This process alters our state of consciousness in a way that represses the conscious part of the mind while also revealing or stimulating the subconscious part. This part is susceptible to positive suggestion, which can bring about meaningful change to thoughts, feelings and behaviours. A qualified hypnotherapist is able to use suggestion in an appropriate way to facilitate this change.
2. How does hypnotherapy feel?Hypnotherapy feels really relaxing. Different people, however, report slightly different sensations – clients have described it as ‘floating in my own head’ for example, ‘drifting’ and so on. Whatever, your experience, it’s comfortable and pleasant! Many people also experience time distortion, where a 40 minute session can seem like 5 or 10.
3. Will I fall asleep?The hypnotic trance is not the same as being asleep. However, you will probably feel detached from everyday life, perhaps in a bit of a bubble. When I’m hypnotized, I’ve sometimes felt like I’m in that ‘space’ between waking and sleeping – completely aware of what is going on but reluctant to emerge back into normal life. It’s a lovely, relaxing feeling – you’ll love it!
4. Can I be made to do something I don’t want to?You are in control at all times. Stage hypnosis works on the principle that the participants want to engage in extrovert behaviour – you don’t volunteer for a stage show unless you are willing to make a bit of a fool of yourself. In a hypnotherapy session, you cannot be made to do something that you don’t want to. Moreover, the therapeutic relationship is one of trust and you and the therapist will have discussed your goals for treatment in depth.
5. Can everyone be hypnotized?Everyone can be hypnotized if they want to be – if you go for treatment, you need to be able to relax into it. Clients are sometimes nervous the first time but a good therapist should explain the process to you so that any fears are allayed.
6. What issues can hypnotherapy be used for?Hypnotherapy is a fantastic type of therapy for lots of different issues including anxiety and stress-related issues, phobias, weight loss, stopping smoking, habit-type behaviours and even pain management. I treat lots of people for anxiety with hypnotherapy and get great results.
7. How many sessions of hypnotherapy will I need?This is a really difficult question to answer because everyone is different. So, for example, for a habit like nail biting, one person may stop after 1 session while others may take 3. For deep-seated issues such as anxiety, I usually think that 4 is the magic number but again it’s personal and you need to talk to your therapist about it.
8. How successful is hypnotherapy as a treatment?It’s very successful – I see the positive effects of hypnotherapy regularly and it’s amazing to see people who now feel liberated as a result of treatment. Of course, it’s not a ‘miracle cure’ and you need to work with it – just like any other form of treatment.

There are probably loads more questions that I could cover! If you have a specific one that you would like me to answer, please contact me and I’ll get back to you.

Best wishes,

Judith