José Penrose

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is simply psychotherapy applied through and around the medium of hypnotic trance. Thanks to Hollywood films and stage hypnotists, there are a lot of misconceptions about hypnosis and its use. Most people don’t realise that hypnotic trance is a natural state we all experience on a daily basis – not dissimilar to daydreaming - and that during the process the client remains completely conscious and in full control at all times.

The hypnotherapist views the mind as two parts, the outer, conscious mind and the inner, emotional subconscious mind. She works with the inner mind to enable clients to bring about beneficial changes in their daily lives. This is achieved by inducing a trance-like state of complete relaxation which frees up the inner or subconscious mind to receive messages and suggestions which allow the client to reframe unhelpful beliefs and experiences.

To understand this better, it may be useful to think of the subconscious mind as an inner, organic computer. When you are born this computer has no programming, only an operating system. As you journey through life, the computer receives its programming from your environment and through your senses to make you what you are today. The subconscious mind is also responsible for your permanent memory. Whether or not you recall it consciously is a different matter.

Your habits and self-perception are stored at this inner, subconscious level and, of course, your automatic body functions – breathing, circulation, healing, digestion and elimination – all take place at a subconscious level.

It is important to stress that at no time will the hypnotherapist be able to make a client act out of character or do anything he or she would not normally be comfortable or willing to do.

The work of the hypnotherapist is solution-focussed and goal oriented. Through solution-focussed questioning and deep relaxation, the therapist can enable the client to achieve the changes they wish for in their life, even through they may have failed to do so many times in the past.

Hypnotherapy is useful and effective in the treatment of the following disorders:

Anxiety; Stress; Depression; Anger; Panic attacks; Sleep disorders; Confidence;
Weight and dieting; Smoking cessation; Relationship and sexual difficulties;
Phobias; Pain management; Post traumatic stress disorder