"I have seen stage hypnotists....what are you going to make me do?!"

People often have an idea of hypnosis in their mind that relates to stage hypnotists that they may have seen with the subjects doing silly things, like clucking as if they were a chicken, for the entertainment of the audience. Let me reassure you that clinical hypnosis is very different.

There have been lots of definitions of the state of hypnosis. One of the more straightforward ones is "a waking state in which the person's attention is focused away from his or her surroundings and absorbed by inner experiences such as feelings, cognitions and imagery". In other words, being absorbed by what is happening in the mind. This is exactly what happens when we daydream. The same thing can happen when reading a book, or listening to music and you suddenly become aware that somebody is talking to you and you have not heard a word. That is the state of hypnosis happening naturally in everyday life. In that state you are able to bring yourself back to continue your normal day, and so it is when using hypnosis for therapy.

It is important to understand that there is no loss of consciousness and you are not asleep. Nor is there a loss of control. It is not possible for you to be made to do anything that you are not comfortable with. This includes blurting out your deepest darkest secrets. Under hypnosis you are aware of what you are saying and whether or not you want to say it, and you remember as much as you would during a normal conversation.

When you are in a hypnotic state you should become totally relaxed and comfortable. This can be achieved with the guidance of a hypnotherapist, who uses relaxation methods, such as positive verbal repetitions and mental images, to successfully lull you into a state of heightened focus and awareness, which usually makes you become more susceptible to suggestions that can benefit you. Positive suggestion empowers you to take control of your life, allowing you to think more positively and better able to deal with difficult situations. This deeply relaxed state of mind and body has a beneficial effect on physical health, leading to a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure and nervous anxieties.

So the result of a hypnosis session is a relaxed body and mind, and not a clucking chicken in sight!