Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind, just like a daydream, which often goes unnoticed because it is so natural and normal. It happens when you have a narrow focus of attention such as reading an interesting newspaper article or becoming lost in a movie. The concentration is often so intense that other sounds are blanked out. However you are still aware of your surroundings, you just choose to ignore them. During hypnosis you are more likely to listen to suggestions but you are always in control.

Many people obtain their ideas about hypnosis from stage hypnotists, films and books. All of these are meant to entertain an audience, using tricks, deceit and misconceptions to make it seem as if a hypnotised person is being controlled by some-one else. Take what you see with a large pinch of salt!
Hypnotherapy combines hypnosis with therapy. The therapy I use is cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) as there is much evidence to support its effectiveness, hence the name cognitive-behavioural hypnotherapy (CBH).

The basis of CBT is that the way you think about things, how you feel about them and how you behave towards them, is down to the workings of your mind. If you change your thoughts, you change your feelings and behaviour but this can often be difficult to achieve without help.