Are there any risks associated with hypnosis?
There are very few risks associated with clinical hypnotherapy. As long as you choose a suitably qualified practitioner, then you are in good hands. There is a small potential for damage if you use the services of a poorly or non qualified practitioner.
Jon Rhodes
I will give you an example. A patient may ask a hypnotherapist to help them deal with their fear of traffic when crossing the road. A poorly trained hypnotherapist may attempt to remove ALL fear of roads. This is not a good thing! We need some fear when crossing a road or else we could be careless or even reckless when doing so. A properly qualified hypnotherapist will ALWAYS remove all UNNECESSARY fear, rather than ALL fear. This is a small, yet potentially important distinction for safety reasons.
I have said before that the unconscious mind will only accept the suggestions it wants to, so even in these circumstances it is likely that the unconscious mind will interpret a removal of ALL fear as a removal of all UNNECESARY fear, but it is best to be sure and work on removing just the unnecessary fear.
In itself a hypnotic state is very safe as it is a normal and natural state that we all enter into at many points of the day. It is very similar to a daydream or a meditative state, and these are not associated with danger in any way. Hypnosis has simply been tarnished by its portrayal in the movies and in the media.
What is the difference between sleep and a “hypnotic sleep”?
A lot! A hypnotic trance is a completely different state of mind to sleep. Many years ago hypnotists often used the word ‘sleep’ to suggest going into a trance. Very few do this now, even though it is still commonly portrayed. This is because it was realised that it might cause confusion. A patient might be expected to go into a sleep state and be confused as to what state of mind they are actually seeking, thinking they are not in a trance because they are not ‘asleep’.
When in a hypnotic trance you are aware of your surroundings and what the hypnotist is saying. If a fire broke out for example, you would be able to ‘wake’ immediately and evacuate the room without any extra problems. In fact many hypnotherapists argue that you are likely to be even more aware, and react quicker to what is going on around you.
Some hypnotherapists do ‘hypnotic sleep’ sessions that are actually relaxation sessions. The patient is very deeply relaxed and can benefit greatly from the rest, almost like they have been asleep for several hours.
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If hypnosis works on the unconscious mind does this mean I have to be unconscious during a session?
Not in the sleep or knocked out sense! The waking mind basically consists of the conscious and unconscious parts. The conscious is that logical deliberate thinking part, whereas the unconscious is that more automatic part that flows effortlessly.
I’ll give you an example to clarify. When you first learn a skill, such as driving, you perform it primarily with the conscious part of the mind. You are slower to react, more ‘mechanical’, and it is very draining on the mind. When you have developed the skills enough, you can start to use the unconscious part to think about driving. A skilled driver can drive ‘without thinking’. Of course they are still thinking, just not thinking consciously. The more powerful part of the mind, the unconscious part, is doing the thinking. This is the effortless flow, the non conscious thinking, which feels automatic and easy.
A hypnotherapist attempts to talk to this unconscious part of the mind as this is the powerful part of our minds that contains our habits and drives. This is the deep part of us that needs convincing to change. You are still very much awake when in a hypnotic trance, but your conscious mind is often quietened to allow the hypnotist to make suggestions to the unconscious part.
I’m interested in becoming a hypnotherapist, how did you go about finding a course or teacher when you were training?
Before I started training to become a clinical hypnotherapist I did not know any hypnotherapists to ask for their advice. Instead I checked out the internet on all the courses that were available to me in my area. I asked many hypnotherapists online, and read a lot of information on all the main courses before finally choosing on the London College Of Clinical Hypnotherapy (LCCH). I chose them because they were a large reputable organisation, came highly recommended, and were situated at a convenient location for me to be able to reach them.
I would recommend you also chose a large and well established training school, and avoid those online courses like the plague. You cannot possibly learn enough from them. You need to meet people, watch them practice, and practice on them. In a real classroom situation you can be observed and evaluated so you know where you are going wrong, and what you are doing right. So I would advise you to join a hypnosis forum or social network and ask around for recommendations in your area. A good hypnosis social network is HypnoThoughts.com.
Have you ever found a patient that is just unable to be hypnotized?
I occasionally have difficulty with some patients. It’s usually for one of two reasons. They are either scared to let go and allow themselves to go into a trance or they are not accustomed to relaxing very much.
For the former I simply reassure them that it is perfectly safe and guide them into a light trance for a few minutes before guiding them back out. They usually see what an enjoyable and peaceful experience it is, and consequently have no problem continuing for the rest of the session.
For the later I use a similar strategy of giving them some short sessions, and build up their ability to relax and let go. A patient quickly becomes accustomed to the deeply relaxing nature of hypnosis, and usually wants more!
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