About hypnotherapy

Hypnosis is now a well-recognised scientific phenomenon in which a trance is induced. A hypnotic trance is a deeply relaxed state in which you are neither fully awake nor fully asleep. At this relaxed level your subconscious can be utilized for the benefit of your health. The trance state is familiar to most people. You experience this state when you daydream, or become so absorbed by a novel or a film that you are totally unaware of other things going on around you. You have then become ''entranced''.

The concept of using trances to alleviate illness recurs throughout the history of medicine. Hypnosis has been practiced for thousands of years. Hieroglyphics on Egyptian tombs from 3000BC record a form of hypnosis. There is also evidence in ancient Sanskrit writings of the use of healing trances in healing temples in India. Healing temples also existed in ancient Greece and Rome. Over 4,000 years ago the founder of Chinese medicine, Wang Tai, used words as a healing tool.

Hypnotherapy has steadily progressed since then, to the extent where in 1955 the British Medical Association (BMA) approved hypnotherapy as a valid medical treatment and the American Medical Association (AMA) followed suit in 1958.

This therapy can do a lot for you. Look at the Treatments page to see the numerous conditions that can benefit from hypnotherapy. Hypnosis is a natural state of relaxation during which you are still in total control of your mind and body. Many clients are astonished to find just how enjoyable it is, how comfortable they feel, and how aware they are throughout the session.

There are, of course, many myths surrounding hypnosis. But you are always in control. You cannot be made to say or do anything against your will and afterwards you will remember everything that has happened. It is important for you to note that a trance state can be terminated by you at any time. It is your choice to enter the trance state, and you can always choose to leave it. The technique is safe and enjoyable, without unpleasant side-effects, and it can work wonders for so many problems

Next: What happens in a hypnotherapy session?