Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy, healing by trance state (or an altered state of
awareness) is among the oldest phenomena known to man and is
found, in one form or another, in virtually every culture
throughout the world. It could also be legitimately
described as the original psychological therapy and somewhat
more contentiously, as the basis for many of the more recent
styles of psychological intervention.
Although such altered states have been known for thousands
of years, the term “hypnosis” (from the Greek “hypnos”,
meaning “sleep”) was only coined circa 1840 by Dr James
Braid, a Scottish physician and remains a somewhat less than
accurate description of the experience, as the hypnotic
state is, in most respects, entirely dissimilar to sleep.
At our current level of knowledge, the phenomenon of
hypnosis cannot be conclusively defined but perhaps a
reasonable interim definition might be that: Hypnosis is a
state of mind, enhanced by (although not exclusively) mental
and physical relaxation, in which our subconscious is able
to communicate with our conscious mind. It may be better to
define “hypnosis” by what it does rather than what it is and
in this regard, it is widely accepted as a most excellent
method by which we may access our inner potential. The state
of mind referred to may be brought about either by oneself,
unaided (self-hypnosis) or with the help of another person.
If this other person is a trained professional, who utilises
the resultant state of mind to encourage beneficial change
to occur, the process is referred to as “Hypnotherapy”.
Given that hypnotherapy can be utilised to access a person’s
inner potential and that probably no one is performing to
their actual potential, then this answer is literally true.
However, it is not just potential which Hypnotherapy is well
placed to address but also one’s inner resources to effect
beneficial change. In this regard, it is the innate healing
capacity of our own body that may be stimulated by
Hypnotherapy. Consequently, the list of problems which may
be amenable to Hypnotherapy is far too long and varied to
catalogue but certainly includes: stress, anxiety, panic,
phobias, unwanted habits and addictions (e.g. smoking,
overeating, alcoholism), disrupted sleep patterns, lack of
confidence and low self-esteem, fear of examinations and
public speaking, allergies and skin disorders, migraine and
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Additionally, it has proved
of value within surgery, where normal anaesthetics have not
been practical, in the wider sphere of pain management and
in the areas of both sporting and artistic performance
enhancement. As an adjunct to other counselling techniques,
it can also assist in helping to resolve relationship
difficulties and be useful within anger management
strategies.
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