FAQs

Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy


Q. Can I be hypnotised/Is everybody hypnotisable?

For a long time it was thought that some people could not be hypnotised. We now know that anybody who will allow themselves to be can be hypnotised. In other words it is the client who decides whether or not they are going to be hypnotised.

Some people may go into a hypnotic trance quickly others take their time. It is usually found that the speed of going into a hypnotic trance increases with practice. The same applies to the depth of trance; some people go deep in their first session others may not do so until the second or third trance or never go deep at all. 

In my experience about 3% of my clients have not been 'hypnotisable' so I have developed the MIND-EMPOWERMENT CoachingTM system to deal with this problem.



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Q. What are the risks/can I get stuck in hypnosis?

No! In terms of dangerous risks. The only 'risk' is that the therapeutic goal may not be achieved. This is usually due to 'resistance' on behalf of the client who may not actually be ready to change some aspect of their problem/s.

No! You cannot get stuck in a trance; it is like being in a deep daydream and you can come out at any time - even during therapy.



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Q. Can you control my mind and make me do things I don't want to do?

No! I cannot take control of your mind. I am not able to make you do anything you consider to be morally wrong  - your mind would reject those sort of suggestions. I am working in cooperation with you to achieve a goal which has been agreed between us. Therefore, it is a matter of help/guidance towards your aims not controlling you.

The people who you see on stage making idiots of themselves are exhibitionists who want to be seen doing so.



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Q. What does hypnosis/being in a trance feel like?

You will be sitting in the big 'hypno chair' or lying on a couch before I take you into hypnosis. Some people may feel a heaviness in their arms and legs, as though you do not wish to move them (you can move them when I need you to do so). You may also have a similar feeling in your eyelids and your head. Every person is different, some feel like they are floating and no sense of heaviness at all.

You will feel quite happy and euphoric emotions are very common.

Your mind will become quite focused on what I am saying, initially you may find that your attention slightly wanders. However; I will soon have you completing mind-changing strategies and you will remain very focused during this work. All this work is completed unconsciously. Sometimes you may feel slightly irritated when you are emerged from the trance, because it was such a relaxing state to be in that you wanted to remain there.



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Q. Is self hypnosis and hypnotherapy the same thing?

Some hypnotherapists, usually those conducting slower techniques, teach their clients how to do self hypnosis. It is a simple process which allows a person to go into a light hypnotic trance on their own. This is useful for repeating suggestions which the client has been given in therapy in order to reinforce their effect, and also for motivating a person to achieve their goals. The individual can emerge from the trance instantly should there be a need to do so.

As my work it rapid you will not usually need to be self-treating at home - they will be locked in your mind during the sessions. 



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Q. Is hypnotherapy and stage hypnosis the same thing?

Both use trance phenomena but in very different ways. A hypnotherapy session is private and intended to rid the client of a problem. A stage hypnosis show is public entertainment for the benefit of an audience.

The exhibitionists who go up on stage are willing make themselves look like fools. They know that their silly behaviour will cause laughter in the audience. They are specially selected for this trait by the stage hypnotist. 
 



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Q. Will my doctor refer you to me so I don't have to pay?

The British Medical Association confirmed 50 years ago that hypnosis was not only valid but the treatment of choice for certain conditions. Yet it rarely uses the process in treatment.

There are are some doctors, dentists and numerous psychiatrists who use hypnosis in their practice. So these people do their own trancework. Most doctors have received little or no training in the benefits of hypnosis; so have a rather negative attitude to its value based on common uneducated misconceptions. I must say that there are quite a few who do understand its full potential but they are a little thin on the ground.  

There appears to be growing acceptance of complementary medicine including hypnotherapy and it is interesting to see that the NHS now has a Directory of Complementary and Alternative Practitioners. There is now also a Hypnotherapist register on the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). This recognised by the DOH and they are urging GPs to use members of the CNHC.

If a GP refers you to me for private of NHS work I will be more than happy to help you.



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Q. How long will it last for? Will it wear off after a few days?

My intention is that any desired change should be permanent, e.g. smokers who wish to stop smoking will want to do so permanently. I want you to have a happy, independent life and not remain dependent on further sessions.

However; I cannot predict or control what happens in your life after you have completed your session/s with me. Let's use smoking as an example - you were born a non-smoker and you chose to start smoking, you chose to quit using hypnosis and did stop smoking. Three years later you lose your job and feel a failure - so choose to start smoking again. The hypnotherapy was working fine until you chose to ignore it.



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Q. How many sessions do I need?

Until I have sat down with you and found out the details of your problem/s and the goals of therapy set it is impossible to say how many sessions you will need. Often a client comes to talk about one issue and other problems surface which are related but require separate treatment. E.g. a client comes to talk about overeating; they may reveal that the overeating is related to excessive stress at work, abuse or other emotional issues. These need to be addressed before the task of changing eating habits can be tackled.

Reckon on one session per problem - but sometime I may be able to deal with two small ones in an hour or it may take a couple of hours to shift a really difficult one.

I will make a promise to relieve you of all your problems in as few sessions as possible. 



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Q. Do you have binding Code of Conduct/Ethics?

Yes, all the main hypnotherapy bodies have Codes of Ethics. I follow the one from GHR & GHSc.

Click the link: http://www.general-hypnotherapy-register.com/Code%20of%20Ethics.htm



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Q. Which government body controls hypnotherapy?

There is no single body at present with federal statutory control over the practice of hypnotherapy in the UK. There are a number of registers to which practising hypnotherapists may belong and each register sets standards for training, requires the maintenance of adequate public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and compliance with a code of ethics.

The registers and organisations I belong to are displayed on the left of this page.

 



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Q. Does past life regression really exist?

Past life regression involves taking a client back to a previous life while in a hypnotic trance. This can be for therapeutic purposes or just out of curiosity.

The life story which emerges comes from the client's unconscious mind and may provide therapeutic benefits by revealing issues which the client may have difficulty discussing consciously. Because the client needs to know how to access their inner world the process of regression improves with practice. I am very careful to not ask any leading questions.



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Q. Am I asleep during hypnotherapy?

You are not asleep. You will be in a dreamy altered state of consciousnes. You will be aware of everything that is happening and being said the whole time, however you will be so deeply relaxed that you may find yourself drifting into different levels of awareness. 

Remember, your unconscious mind is active throughout and it is this that I am working with.



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Q. How do you put somebody into a trance?

Using words, a soothing tone, mental imagery and various exercises and other techniques to induce a pleasant and deeply relaxing state.



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Q. How deep will I go/Is a deeper trance better?

Depth of the hypnotic state is an idea that used to be a focal point, but lately most professionals have realised that depth (or not) has not as much bearing on results as originally though. My view on this is that my clients go as deep as they need to and what is appropriate for them, and we still get good results.

It is a fact that the more hypnosis you have, the greater and easier you drift down into the hypnotic state. It is a skill and like all skills – improves with practice.



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Q. What if I'm under a doctor's care or taking medication?

If you have any questions about whether or not hypnosis will help or conflict with a present medical condition, ask your GP. I will never advise you to change any medication - this must only be undertaken with the full consent of your GP or Consultant.

The interesting reaction of hypnosis on medication is that, over long periods of time, it tends to "potentiate" medication, which means if you're currently taking medication, after a series of hypnosis sessions you may find that you need less amounts of it, or a lesser strength of the drug.

Hypnosis can often complement traditional medical care and better or more informed doctors favour it. It can act as an adjunct to medical treatment.



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Q. How quickly will I experience results from hypnosis?

The way I work - usually the first session!



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Q. You have mentioned Trance Phenomena, what does this mean?

The main Trance phenomena are outlined below.

1) Analgesia and anaesthesia for pain relief and child birth can be created by using specific suggestions in trance. I can enable the client to have analgesia (a reduction or elimination of pain, but without loss of other sensation) or anaesthesia (a complete loss of feeling) in either a part of, or the whole, body. (This was used by Dr James Esdaile in India in the 19th century to carry out surgical operations).

2) Amnesia can occur naturally in a trance. I use it all the time to enable a client to 'forget' how to smoke or their fear of spiders, etc. This means it is used to protect post-hypnotic suggestions from interference by the conscious mind.

3) Catalepsy occurs when the eyes and the limbs develop a feeling of heaviness due to mild automatic muscle contraction. The client does not wish to move their limbs or open their eyes, although they could do so if really needed to.

4) Automatic writing and drawing are ideomotor responses where the hand holding the pencil is under the direction of the unconscious mind. The writing is likely to be slow and jerky at first. (I never use this in my therapy sessions).

5) Dissociation occurs when part of the mind or body is out of conscious awareness, for example when the conscious and unconscious minds appear to be functioning independently of each other. Much of the work I do uses this natural and normal phenomena. People may also dissociate from their emotional/physical pain and dispose of it in hypnosis.

6) Hallucinations may be positive or negative. A positive hallucination is perceiving (with any of the senses) something which does not exist. Negative hallucination is denying the existence of something which does exist. An example of the former is an anorexic who imagines that they have rolls of fat on their body. Many people claim that much of hypnosis uses powerful therapeutic hallucinations to achieve the changes needed by the client - who am I to argue. 

7) Hypermnesia is an increased memory ability in hypnosis, when something, previously forgotten, can be remembered in great detail - including images, sounds, smells etc.

8) Ideomotor response is when an idea takes possession of a motor response in the body, causing movement without any conscious intent. Such as a finger signaling to give yes or no answers to questions when in trance. (I do not use these in hypnosis).

9) Post-hypnotic suggestions are used in virtually every hypnotherapy session. These are suggestions given in trance to the unconscious mind with the intention of being acted on after you emerge from the trance. Because the conscious mind has been stilled or diverted there is no critical factor preventing the unconscious mind from accepting the suggestion.

10) Pseudo-orientation in time is projecting you into your future, to experience realities of success right now. This enables you to see how much better life will be when you have overcome anything seen as a present problem or obstacle between you and your desired future.

11) Age regression is taking you back in time in your own memory, in order to recall events at a particular date or age. This is great for re-contacting the former happy or confident self, etc.

12) Time distortion occurs naturally in trance, with the trance appearing much shorter than in reality. Time distortion may also be used as a post-hypnotic suggestion, for example in pain control or to expand the apparent elapsed time for a meal, so that the client thinks they have been eating for 15-20 minutes and so feels very satisfied with the small meal they have 'eaten' in hypnosis.



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Q. Is everything I say to you strictly confidential?

Yes. I am bound by my professional Code of Conduct and Data Protection laws. I am the only person who ever sees your file.



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Q. How do I find the right therapist/Are you a genuine hypnotherapist?

There are many hypnotherapists around and it’s important to find one that is right for you. Take some time to make contact with a few, and find one that you feel you can get on well with. Like many hypnotherapists I offer a free initial consultation. This gives you great opportunity to shop around and check that you have found the right the hypnotherapist for you.

Look for a therapist that is qualified with a UK nationally recognised body such as the General Hypnotherapy Register, (GHR),  run by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council or registerd with UKCHO. Everyone on these registers is trained to a specific level. Highly qualified/experienced hypnotherapist will be classed as Senior Practitioner on the GHR  

There are many other registers you may look at too.  

Make sure the hypnotherapist has full professional liability insurance.

 

 



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Q. Why are your charges high compared to other hypnotherapists.

The cost of hypnotherapy varies considerably from practitioner to practitioner. I try to keep my fees moderate in order to make the benefits of hypnotherapy as widely accessible as possible.

Compared to many sessions of Hypno-analysis I am very inexpensive! In fact my fees are fairly average for a Senior Clinical Hypnotist.*

There are, like all businesses, unavoidable overheads which have to be met. 

These include:

  • Accommodation costs. I try to keep these to a minimum by renting inexpensive commercial offices. I then run my training school from the same premises - this means the rent is split two ways. I will not work from home as I feel this is very unprofessional.
  • Advertising costs. I rely heavily upon people finding us through my internet web sites and direct advertising. Adverts on Yellow Pages, Yell .com, Thompsons Local and their website plus other on-line directories cost a significant amount of money. Without them you probably would not know I existed. I have to reach clients.
  • Every professional hypnotherapist should be a member of a professional association for hypnotherapy. Membership of such organisations entails substantial annual fees. I belong to several such organisations for various reasons.
  • The professional associations require me to demonstrate that I am committed to ongoing professional development. This entails attending various courses/conferences, reading books/journals, etc. A weekend course can cost over £500 when you take into account travel and two nights in a hotel. Even though I run a training institute I still have to attend a minimum number of courses/conferences. These courses allow me to stay at the top of my game - ensuring high quality treatment for you.
  • All the major professional associations for hypnotherapy also require their members, no matter how experienced, to arrange for supervision by a more senior hypnotherapist. This may sound an unusual idea at first, but it is a way of building in further safeguards and supports which will benefit clients. I have to pay for this supervision and it is therefore a cost that has to be met. 
  • All the major professional associations for hypnotherapy also require their members to be covered by full professional liability insurance. 
  • One way to cut costs is to not attend CPD or supervision and don't bother with insurance. Sorry but I don't cut corners. I like to be as professional as I can be - I'm sure you want me to be so too.
  • For every session I spend with a client I may spend another hour in preparation and planning to ensure that the hypnotherapy will be of maximum benefit to the client. I also have to spend time after the session ensuring the notes I took during the session are accurate. I work on the basis the 1 hour with a client usually means well over 2 hours of work for me. You are not just paying for the time you spend with me but also the time I spend working for you when you are not actually present.

*I am a full time hypnotist - not part-time. Many cheaper therapists have a normal job and do hypnotherapy on the side to earn some extra money. I wonder why they only work part-time?

I have many years of experience behind me and run a fully accredited Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy training school. As in all professions you get what you pay for.



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One call can empower your life

Richard Wain, Tailia Santo, Cressingham Hypnotherapy, Clinical Hypnotherapy in Dartford, Hypnotherapist in Dartford, NLP Practitoner, Life Coach, Life Coaching Dartford,  Past life Regression, ADHD, Stop Smoking Kent, Weight Loss Kent, Virtual gastric band Kent, Phobias Dartford, Anxiety, Stress and Anger Management Dartford, Crayford, Bexley, Kent.