What is hypnotherapy, and how can it help me?
Hypnotherapy, hypno-analysis and psychotherapy in Ireland

  Modern clinical hypnotherapy is a natural, holistic way to help people to heal themselves. It uses no medicines or tablets, simply utilising the power of the subconscious mind to bring about the positive changes a person wishes to see in their lives, freeing them to be the person they are meant to be.

Both hypnotists and hypnotherapists use hypnosis to relax clients and communicate positive suggestions to the subconscious mind. Suggestion hypnosis, whilst powerful, can wear off after a time if there is resistance in the subconscious mind to the suggestions made, or if there are deep, complex or long-standing causes for the client's problems. However, the certified hypnotherapist has been trained in hypnotic uncovering methods such as age regression, parts therapy and hypno-analysis, to allow the client to get to the root case of his problems, ensuring lasting relief.

  Therapy is carried out whilst you are enjoying the relaxed state of hypnosis because the conscious critical mind is then bypassed, enabling direct communication with the subconscious mind, where all our habits, beliefs and patterns of thought and behaviour are stored.

  You can think of the mind as a computer, with the often repeated habits stored on the hard drive. The more often you repeat a behaviour or pattern of thought, the more deeply ingrained it becomes. Using hypnosis to access the hard-drive (the subconscious mind), you can uninstall or over-write old programmes of negative habits such as smoking, nail biting or repetitive thoughts, and install the new positive habits you wish to experience in their place, such as feeling calm, relaxed and in control.

  There are two basic types of hypnotherapy - suggestion therapy and psycho-analysis. These therapies are often combined with each other and the hypnotherapist may also use NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) combined with other cognitive techniques.

  Suggestion therapy is used for simpler problems or problems of recent origin, and analytical therapy is used for more complex or longer standing problems. In practice, the two types of therapy are usually combined during a series of sessions of hypnotherapy. The modern hypnotherapist has a wide variety of therapeutic tools and techniques which they are trained to use, and therapy is tailored to each client individually. Hypnotherapy is client centred rather than therapist centred.

  There are many old wive's tales about hypnosis and you may fear that you are giving up your control to the hypnotist if you have seen stage shows, but this is simply not true. You are in control at all times and you cannot be coerced into giving up your secrets or saying or doing anything against your own wishes. Please see our list of frequently asked questions about hypnosis.

Many hypnotherapists are also helping their clients obtain swift and lasting relief by combining hypnotherapy with energy psychology, with the meridian therapies such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), EmoTrance (Emotional Transformation) and ECT (Energy Cone Technique). Find out more about these wonderful new advances in the understanding and relief of emotional problems, which can also be used as self-help tools.

  Hypnotherapy is a co-operative process and requires time, commitment and often hard work from both therapist and client. In 2008, hypnotherapists are using the most up-to-date techniques to find and remove the root cause of client's problems, worries and fears.

  Clients are taught self-help procedures such as self-hypnosis and stress reduction techniques, giving you practical tools to use to help reduce stress and negative thinking for the rest of your life.

  If there is something inside you but outside your control, hypnotherapy can help. Here is a brief list of problems and challenges for which hypnotherapy can be beneficial.

  When choosing a hypnotherapist, you should assure yourself that they have been trained to the highest standards. The letters M.I.C.H.P. after their name means that they trained with and are members in good standing of the Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy (I.C.H.P.) in Ireland. These hypnotherapists will be fully trained in both analytical and suggestion therapies and will have agreed to abide by the ICHP Code of Practice and Ethics.