The term hypnosis comes from the ancient Greek word "hypnos", which is translated as "sleep". This is instantly misleading, as hypnosis is essentially allowing your client to go into a gentle trance like state rather than acquiring forty winks! When we gradually lull our clients into hypnosis, it is a completely natural process, where by focusing on the sound of the hypnotherapist's voice and silencing conscious thought patterns, allows the client to relax, therefore accessing the subconscious part of the brain. The subconscious mind is where all our learnt behaviors, memories, imagination and belief system resides.
In order to get the client into a state of relaxation deep enough to peel away the conscious mind the hypnotherapist will often do progressive muscle relaxation, followed by deepening the trance. At this point visualisation can be brought in of somewhere beautiful for the client to imagine in his mind's eye. The area where hypnotherapy comes into its own is hypnotic suggestion, which takes place whilst in trance enabling positive differences into the client's life. Old redundant behavior is shelved and replaced by new, more relevant and beneficial processes.
Comments