What to expect from hypnotherapy sessions

A “suggestion” is a statement given in hypnosis that something will happen. For example, a hypnotherapist may suggest that you feel completely relaxed as you think about a peaceful and pleasant scene. In a therapeutic context, a hypnotherapist uses suggestions as a tool to help you reprogramme your mind to respond in a healthier way to something.

You can view your hypnotherapist as being a navigator of your life journey. She is there to make suggestions for the best possible route for your next move. You can choose to accept her suggestions, or reject them if you want; after all, it’s your mind and you are always in control.

I will provide you with a simple registration form to fill in. This is for me to have an initial understanding of your presenting concerns and also for you to think about and get prepared for sharing what you would like help with.

Any information learned in therapy remains confidential unless it is necessary by law to disclose, or the disclosure is solely for the protection of the client’s safety as well as the therapist’s.

If you opt for online therapy, below are some useful tips prior to our session:

• • • Choose a comfortable chair to sit on and ensure your back is well supported.
    • Ensure you have used the toilet prior to the therapy.
    • If possible, switch on your webcam throughout the session, and put on your headphone to ensure the best sound quality.
    • Leave your phone or any of your gadgets in silent mode, and make sure your surroundings are quiet and peaceful.
    • Inform those staying with you that you would like to be left undisturbed for the next hour or so.
    • If you are using a smartphone or tablet, ensure that it is fully charged, switching all the notifications to silent mode, or if you are using a notebook or desktop computer, have it connected to AC power.
    • Should the internet connection be interrupted, you can be assured that you will awaken quite naturally (just like when you are asleep, and you sense something needs your attention and you just wake up normally), and you re-establish the connection so that the session can continue.

First, I will ask questions about the issues that brought you to therapy. If relevant and necessary, we will also talk a bit about your relationships, your history, your interests, your strengths, and what you want from the therapy.

It is important to tell me what is in your mind so that I can better understand your concerns and help you create solutions to your problems. I will then answer any questions that you might have about hypnotherapy, my methods, and what you can expect from the session.

After the consultation, I will guide you into hypnosis using the method I believe works best for you. After a session, you will most likely feel uplifted, lighter, and more relaxed.

Hypnosis feels like meditation – a gentle, deeply relaxed state. You are awake, you are still aware of your surroundings, you are still in control, and you will likely continue to have thoughts running through your mind (especially early on in your practice).

It’s important to understand that if you continue to have thoughts during hypnotherapy, you are still “doing it correctly”, just as you would be with meditation. There is no blackout state, no amnesia, no getting stuck, no truth serum. That’s all Hollywood and stage-show nonsense.

Generally, it takes 3 to 6 sessions to resolve common medical or psychological problems. Some complicated issues may take a longer time and rarely, a year or so. Having said that, the speed depends on many factors and should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

According to a study published in Psychotherapy, researchers found that hypnotherapy outperformed both psychoanalysis and behavior therapy in terms of number of sessions required to achieve a specific result – with 93% recovery after six sessions for hypnotherapy, 72% recovery after 22 sessions for behavior therapy, and 38% recovery after 600 sessions for psychoanalysis.