I am often asked questions by potential clients wanting to know if hypnotherapy might work for them. Fair enough. But many of these questions hint at misconceptions on hypnotherapy, as a therapy. Mostly people worry that they will not be able to remember past memories, if we do a regression; or that they won’t be able to be hypnotised, like you see on television. So let’s look at these two concerns.
Misconceptions on Hypnotherapy – Recalling Memories
OK, so first up, it is anticipated that 30% of all memory is false, whether that be in a court room, or a hypnotist’s clinic. There is absolutely no guarantee that your memories will be accurate. But it doesn’t matter. That’s because it is the way that your mind understands the issue that matters. Whether that information is through accurate recall or through a metaphor that your mind has created.
A metaphor requires your mind to adapt the meaning to your own personal situation. And so, when your unconscious mind is making new, more useful and more positive meanings out of the information that comes, whether accurate or not, then change can happen.
In hypnotherapy, I guide you so that your unconscious mind can create a new story out of the old one, whether that old story is from an event, or events, that you clearly do remember, or whether that old story has formed through a feeling, inside, that you don’t know where it came from. Misconceptions on hypnotherapy about not being able to remember only serve to create worry and criticism, and that is a great way to block the process. Just go with it. Trust a little. Approach it with an attitude of curiosity.
Misconceptions on Hypnotherapy – Being Hypnotised Enough
“Can you make me unconscious?” I am often asked. “Can you make me do things without any effort on my part?”. OK so when someone asks me this question I know that they are thinking of stage hypnosis, where the hypnotist can make unwitting people cluck like chickens. The presumption is that if they can make you cluck like a chicken, they can stop you smoking, eating chocolate, being depressed, getting anxiety, and anything else. Sound like magic!
This is one of the most troubling misconceptions on hypnotherapy because it implies complete control over the client. To me that is scary, and no, I don’t do that.
“Contrary to popular belief, you are always in control and can’t be hypnotised against your will.”
Better Health Channel
On TV what you see is a very small proportion of the audience who the hypnotist has vetted with certain exercises to see how suggestible they are. Around five per cent will be suggestible enough to end up clucking like a chicken, if that’s something you really want to do.
It is your life and it is your mind, look after it! Hypnotherapy is not brainwashing, it is therapy. The ideal state for therapy is between Alpha and Theta levels of brainwaves, and that is a nice, relaxed meditative state. It is actually a daydream state. If clients drop too deep in session, I wake them up because the best state for the unconscious mind to make lasting change is somewhere between Alpha and Theta.
Most people need to be able to integrate the changes on the conscious and unconscious minds. Alpha is a relaxed state and Theta is asleep. Other states include Beta, which is the most awake state, a busy state, and Delta, low down the scale, is an unconscious state.
Some stage hypnosis will work for some people, it’s true, but it is a small percentage and it is with people who are possibly not great with critical thinking, which is centred on asking questions, learning, forming opinions etc.
The other thing to remember is that I use a lot of different techniques in hypnotherapy. Many of them require you to be largely conscious so that you can observe and contemplate the processes. Hypnotherapy has a much broader scope than direct suggestion and regression.
If you have any queries about the process, make contact and I’d be happy to address them. Horizons Clinical Hypnotherapy Sunshine Coast.