What
happens when you go to see a qualified hypnotherapist?
When you take this step, you are already part of the way to solving
your problem, because you have acknowledged to yourself that you need
help and have made that all-important decision to do something about
it. On your first appointment, the therapist elicits from you your personal
details, a description and history of your problem, and various aspects
of your life.
The therapist needs to understand your problem: this type of understanding is called 'empathy'. He also needs to establish mutual trust or 'rapport'; the therapeutic relationship within which both you and he can work together upon your problem.
One thing that a hypnotherapist does not do is make moral judgments. If you have had a bad time arising from your particular problem, the last thing you need is a moral judgment. You may indeed have already had that from yourself, your spouse, family or friends.?
In preparation for hypnotherapy, the therapist helps you to make yourself comfortable on a couch or reclining chair, and then talks you through sequences which are designed to help even the most tense of people to relax both physically and mentally. This process of helping you to relax into the hypnotic state is called 'induction'. Most modern hypnotherapists find their voices sufficient for this and have no need of devices such as pocket watches, metronomes, flashing lights or staring eyes.
The therapist then focuses on your problem and helps you to gain insight into its nature by bringing to the surface the hidden thoughts, fantasies and events from the past and present, and to release bottled-up feelings associated with these.
In this way, you overcome your problem yourself by mobilising the hidden resources of your unconscious mind. Thus hypnotherapy is a joint venture whose success depends on how strongly you wish to improve. It is simple, safe and effective and offers the additional benefits of relaxation and mental toning-up. Of course, to understand fully what takes place and how it works, you need to experience it for yourself.