Hypnotherapy is a powerful therapeutic tool which has been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians.

Essentially, hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness in which the
patient is neither awake nor asleep. It is the intermediate period between
wakefulness and sleep.

Psychologists liken the mind to an iceberg. The one-tenth above the surface of the sea is compared to the conscious mind. This part is the left side of the brain and represents our everyday awareness. It is the rational, objective, logical and analytic part of the mind. It sleeps when we sleep.

The 90% of the iceberg below the sea surface equates to the unconscious mind. This represents the right side of the brain which is emotional, subjective, intuitive and creative. It is awake when we are asleep. It dreams for us. It is this part that not only contains memories, learned behaviours and unwanted habits, but is also a reservoir of unrecognised potential and knowledge.

Hypnosis provides a way of delving into the unconscious mind. As Albert Einstein once said: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.”

The majority of people have experienced trance-like states. Most notably
when daydreaming; during reverie; when totally absorbed in a favourite
TV programme, book or piece of music - to the complete exclusion of
everything else; or when driving along a familiar route and suddenly
reaching the destination without conscious recall of part of the journey. During the aforementioned situations, the person is highly focused – yet very relaxed.

In hypnotherapy, the hypnotist induces relaxation so the inner-self,
the unconscious mind, can be accessed in order to change unwanted behaviour and negative thinking patterns.

Hypnotherapists aim to discover the cause of the presenting problem by examining the seeding event or behavioural conditioning that has taken place in the past. During relaxation a person is receptive to positive suggestions, analytic and behavioural therapy. This is when positive change can occur.