Susan Downham, Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist Counsellor and Psychotherapist 'Dip Hyp CS' 'Dip CP'

What is hypnosis ?

The word  Hypnosis was named by  English doctor ‘John Braid.’  In 1840, he coined the name hypnosis from the  Greek God of sleep ‘Hypnos’ but this in fact is misleading because, in practice, hypnosis  is a trance like state that falls somewhere  between consciousness and sleep.

Braid realised his mistake and tried to change the name but unfortunately the name had stuck.  Hypnotherapy is a talking therapy which relies on the therapist helping the client to relax in order to access  the unconscious mind. Clients who are in a  hypnotic state  are fully awake but have more focused attention on the content of the therapists words and  show an increased response to suggestions.

What does Hypnosis feel like?

  It can  be compared to daydreaming. A good example is when you are engrossed in a book; you are aware of your surroundings but you are using another part of your mind (the unconscious part) to form images and feel the emotions from the authors words.  When in a trance, the Hypnotherapist is the author of the script and the script is all about you making positive choices. It is escapism with a purpose!

So how does it work? 

The mind works on two levels; the conscious mind, where we make our daily decisions like what to wear, how we plan our day etc and the aforementioned unconscious mind. The unconscious part is our data base, where we store all we have learnt and all we have experienced; it holds our imagination, dreams emotions and is also responsible for our involuntary actions such as breathing and blinking. Sitting in between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind lies the ‘Conscious Critical Faculty’ or ‘CCF’. This acts as a filter and checks our belief system as to whether what we have experienced or heard, is to be stored in the unconscious mind as a negative or a positive and thus will evoke negative or positive emotions accordingly, when faced with the same experience in the future. To put it another way, negative and irrational behaviours are a consequence of how experiences are registered by us and stored in the unconscious mind.

They can be borne out of an actual event or our perception of an event. The good news is, we can change the messages that our unconscious stores... The process is simple; The hypnotherapist will help the client to slow their breathing, relax physically and in turn the unconscious mind is accessed because the clients focus is narrowed. The hypnotherapist will then give the client guidance, positive suggestions and choices as alternatives to what has been previously registered.

As a hypnotherapist and a Psychotherapist I use a variety of techniques that require clients to assess their own feelings- so be prepared to do some homework. I can also help with coping strategies for many issues, including chronic illnesses like crohn's disease, IBS.. Hypnotherapy can also have positive effects for cancer patients too.

How Many Sessions are needed?

Every person is different so the amount of sessions required vary; this very much depends on the issue. Very often clients come with a presenting issue and there may be further underlying issues that also need to be addressed During the consultation, you will have the opportunity to discuss in confidence whatever it is that is having a negative impact on your quality of life. We can explore its origins and once we both agree that I have gained a true understanding of your issue or issues, we can further discuss your therapy goals and I can then recommend a plan.