what makes hYPnotherapy so effective?
There are some days I think there’s nothing hypnotherapy can’t help change or fix. I see it as a type of mind-body medicine that helps us access our subconscious minds, which is like our central control panel to our whole being. It’s where all of our automated functions and behaviours are stored. It’s the motherboard for any re-wiring, updating or remodelling that it might be in need of. And once our central control panel is totally tip-top, the rest of our brain-body connection becomes totally optimised along with it. It brings everything into balance.
Hypnotherapy's effectiveness stems from a few key mechanisms in how our brains function:
Brain Activity Changes: During hypnosis, brain imaging studies show decreased activity in the conscious mind (our aware, super switched-on part of our brains) and increased activity in areas involved in focused attention and emotional regulation (our unconscious mind). This creates a state where people are more receptive to therapeutic suggestions.
i.e If someone wants to start exercising more to get healthier. They might make that decision, but the conscious mind might start coming up with excuses like; it might be hard, I’m too busy, I need to buy new trainers first, new kit etc.
But by relaxing the conscious mind, decreasing it’s activity, we can bypass that, and instead talk directly to the unconscious mind, and send it the instruction that exercising more regularly is a good, positive thing that will bring a number of benefits to the body and ultimately feel really good.
Other mechaisms include:
Enhanced Suggestibility: In the hypnotic state, people tend to be more open to new ideas and perspectives. This makes it easier to reframe negative thought patterns or behaviors that may be deeply ingrained.
Access to Subconscious: The relaxed state of hypnosis can help people access memories, emotions, and patterns that might be difficult to reach in normal consciousness. This can be particularly useful for addressing deeply rooted issues or trauma.
Physical Relaxation Response: Hypnosis triggers the body's natural relaxation response, reducing stress hormones like cortisol and increasing feel-good chemicals like endorphins. This physiological change can help with pain management and anxiety reduction.
Focused Attention: By filtering out distractions, hypnosis allows people to concentrate intensely on specific goals or changes they want to make. This focused attention can strengthen the impact of therapeutic suggestions.
Bypass Critical Thinking: While in hypnosis, the analytical part of the mind becomes less active, which can help reduce resistance to change and allow new perspectives to take root more easily.
It can be helpful to think of your mind as that shelf in your wardrobe or cupboard under the stairs that has a lot of things that need sorting. Maybe there are some old keepsakes, photos, paraphernalia from old hobbies we’ve no longer kept up with. It can weigh over us, all that stuff in there - the thought of tackling it alone can be overwhelming and exhausting.
Apart from this isn’t a cupboard, it’s our minds and we’re taking them around with us everywhere we go, all day everyday day. But much like sorting out cupboard, once we start clearing that, bringing space, bringing order, deciding what’s useful and worth keeping. Perhaps giving more time to certain things. And also making decisions about what’s not so useful anymore. What’s time to let go of, to allow us to move on in a new and better direction.
Imagine how incredible it would feel to have everything in our minds beautifully filed and stored away, so that we can deal with whatever comes our way next in life, in a totally ordered, calm and clear way.
Well, we can. And if this sounds like something you could really do with, t bring more space and clarity into your life, I can guide you through this process to bring you just that.