Mind Eraser?

Jenny came in and wanted to talk about hypnotherapy. She was very interested in changing certain behaviors and patterns and felt that hypnotherapy was a good fit.  As we sat together and I asked her whether she had any questions or concerns about the process. She began, “Well, I guess my only hesitation is that, while I want certain things to change and go away, I don’t want the qualities I like to disappear.”  Her comment made me wonder how many others have a similar concern.

Jenny’s statement seemed to speak to a common misperception about hypnotherapy—that the therapist is going to “take control” of the session and decide what the client does, says, and/or changes.  This could not be further from the truth. 

The onus of what happens in a hypnotherapy session lies with the client. The client is completely in charge and gets to decide what s/he wants to or is ready to change. The therapist is there to guide the process and to help identify patterns. If the client has certain characteristics, patterns and behaviors that work for her/him, those will not be addressed in the session. 

For whatever reason, people seem to project a certain magical prowess to the hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy. Maybe this comes from the hypnosis stage shows that tend to make the process more of a “show” rather than “therapy,” thereby making the hypnotist seem a bit “magical.”  However, there really is nothing magical about hypnosis. It is a natural state of mind, one that we all fluctuate in and out of throughout our day. What occurs in a session is that the therapist guides the client to attain this natural, hypnotic state purposefully.  Why? Because the subconscious mind, which holds deep-seated patterns, beliefs and behaviors are stored there.  By accessing the subconscious mind, true change happens.

“This state” therefore is not mystical or magical but natural and normal. Everyone can and does access it throughout their day; they just usually aren’t aware of it!

If you had some fear about hypnotherapy like Jenny, I hope that this article has allayed some or all of it and that you consider scheduling a session.  You have nothing to lose, unless you choose to!