Hypnosis...What is it?

Hypnosis is a self-induced state of relaxation and concentration in which deeper parts of the mind become more accessible. It is a practice based on the premise that the mind and body do not work in isolation. By guiding the client into a trance state, the hypnotist aims to trigger the body's mental and physical self-healing processes that lie in the subconscious mind. It can also help you to recall hidden thoughs or events from the past and release any repressed feelings associated with these.

By talking to clients in particular ways and in using particular words, I am able to guide you into a state of very deep relaxation. In hypnosis you will still be aware of your surroundings, but you will be very much more sensitive to my suggestions that are acceptable to your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind will NOT accept ANY suggestion that goes against your moral code, ethical standards, or is in any way deemed unsafe or disagreeable. I will work with you to discover the best states of trance for you to work in, to create the results YOU want.

I studied and qualified as a hypnotist with the great Jerry Kein of the Omni Hypnosis Training Center in DeLand, Florida, and am certified by the National Guild of Hypnotists, one of the largest and oldest profesional hypnotist organizations. If you'd like to learn more about hypnosis or this great organization, and the code of ethics to which I adhere, please visit their website at www.ngh.net  They are very informative and helpful.

What happens at a session?

Your first appointment with me is usually an in-depth initial consultation in which you can state your problems and any questions or worries you might have. There are no set lengths to treatment because everyone's needs are different. You may require an appointment every day, or only once a week--and the frequency can be varied as the treatment goes on. You will be encouraged to talk freely and will be asked questions. Hypnosis will only be used if both you and I consider it to be appropriate and you are ready for it.

During hypnosis, some common experiences are deep breathing, feelings of drowsiness or alertness, and an altered perception of time. You may also experience recollections and strong  feelings from the past, or you may not feel different at all. However, you are usually aware of what is going on. It is not necessary that you "feel like" you are in hypnosis for hypnosis to be taking place and to be effective. If at any level of your mind you decide not to go into hypnosis, you will not. If this happens, I will help you to understand why this conflict is occurring.

What kind of problems can hypnosis help?

According to the National Guild of Hypnotists, the following conditions (and many more) have been successfully treated with hypnosis:

Accident proneness, agoraphobia, alcoholism, allergies, amnesia, anxiety, asthma, bedwetting, blushing, car sickness, claustrophobia, compulsion, lack of confidence, depression, duodenal ulcers, dyslexia, exam nerves, failure syndrome, fear, frigidity, frustration, guilt, "habits", hayfever, hoarding, hysterical paralysis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, impotence, indecision, indigestion, inferiority, infertility, inhibition, insomnia, kleptomania, learning difficulties, marital problems, poor memory, menstrual disorders, migraine headaches, gambling, nail-biting, nervousness, nervous skin disorders, nervous visual effects, nightmares, orgasmice inability, over-compliance, overeating, obesity, panic attacks, phobia, premature ejaculation, procrastination, psoriasis, psychosexual problems, trembling hands, rejection feelings, relationship problems, sea-sickness, self-consciousness, shyness, smoking, stage fright, stammering, tension, timidity, nervous tremor, twitching, warts and worry!

What all these have in common is that they are frequently problems with emotional causes. There are reasons for emotional difficulties, addictions, nervous symptoms and faulty life patterns. Any good hypnotist will therefore help you to investigate these causes and look for the underlying reasons for a problem, in order to re-program your thinking, and not merely suppress the symptoms, which simply masks the original problem and can be dangerous. Surprisingly, the most obvious reasons aren't always the only reasons. Sometimes they turn out not to be the reason at all.

So if you truly want to change, but willpower just isn't enough, consider hypnosis. Once your subconscious and your conscious mind become aligned towards the same goal, permanent change is not only possible, it's much easier to make! I even used self-hypnosis to get over my unwillingness to learn how to make a website, and here's proof that it worked!