All hypnosis is self-hypnosis; we can’t be hypnotised against against our will. Hypnosis is a natural state of deep relaxation we’re invited to enter and the therapist is merely our guide.
In a hypnotic trance, we are neither asleep nor awake. Our body may feel heavy but our mind remains alert. Trance is a heightened state of awareness in which we become more aware of our surroundings and more sensitive to the feelings in our body and the thoughts in our mind.
Trance isn’t a new experience. Have you ever driven somewhere and been unable to remember a single minute of the journey? Or felt sleepy while driving on a motorway even though you’re not at all tired? And who of us hasn’t read a page from a book from beginning to end but not taken in a single word because we just ‘spaced out’. These are all naturally occurring states of trance.
How does it work? In the place between awake and asleep, our minds are free to wander. Our thoughts flit randomly from one thing to another and while we are distracted by those thoughts, the therapist is able to make suggestions that slip into the unconscious, uncensored by our usual critical judgement. These agreed suggestions support us getting what we want for ourselves (becoming a non smoker, changing attitudes, reducing anxiety etc). Each of us has the capacity to choose the way we live our lives but the narratives we live by often make us feel trapped into repeating certain behaviours, believing that these behaviours are in someway helping us or keeping us safe (from some unnamable danger). Hypnotherapy can embed a different narrative deep into our unconscious, one that says we are safe to do things differently if we want to.
Fees and T&Cs
- A one off hypnotherapy session last 90 minutes and costs £140.
- Smoking cessation happens over two sessions, the first is a 90 minute session followed a week later by a 60 minute session. The cost for both sessions is £220.
- There is a 48-hour cancellation policy. This means if you have to cancel a session for any reason at all, strictly within 48 hours of the time booked, you will be asked to pay for the session.
- You are welcome to record your session for repeated use at home.
Hypnotherapy FAQs
Will I remember everything?
It’s unlikely – unless you’ve got an extremely good memory. I will be talking for a long time but if I was to say something unexpected, like, “…every time I say the word NOW, you will remember to add £5 to my fee…” your unconscious would stir you into action and the trance would be broken.
Will you be able to find out my secrets?
I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. Rest assured you can keep your privacy just as well under trance as you can out of it!
Can you make me do things I want to do?
Only if your unconscious mind agrees with what you say you want. Your conscious mind might think it wants to stop smoking/stressing/over-eating etc, but if these behaviours are supporting an unconscious, more insecure (inner) self, the inner self will usually win. This is why hypnotherapy sessions include psycho-therapeutic investigation into your unconscious motivations.
What if something happens to you while I’m in trance?
You would fall into a natural sleep and wake up in a short while as you might if you’d fallen asleep watching TV. Even in the deepest trance, your consciousness will eventually realise I’ve stopped speaking and curiosity would make you open your eyes.