What is Hypnosis?
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’.
What Is Hypnotherapy?
Psychological therapy and counselling (sometimes referred to as the ‘talking cure’) is the treatment of emotional and psychological disorders, unwanted habits and undesirable feelings, using psychological techniques alone. The aim of all such therapy is to assist people (usually referred to as clients) in finding meaningful alternatives to their present unsatisfactory ways of thinking, feeling or behaving. Therapy also tends to help clients become more accepting both of themselves and others and can be most useful in promoting personal development and unlocking inner potential. There are many forms of psychological therapy but Hypnotherapy is distinctive in that it attempts to address the clients subconscious mind. In practice, the Hypnotherapist often (but not exclusively) requires the client to be in a relaxed state, frequently enlists the power of the clients own imagination and may utilise a wide range of techniques from story-telling, metaphor or symbolism (judged to be meaningful to the individual client) to the use of direct suggestions for beneficial change. Analytical techniques may also be employed in an attempt to uncover problems deemed to lie in a clients past (referred to as the there and then) or therapy may concentrate more on a clients current life and presenting problems (referred to as the ˜here and now”). It is generally considered helpful if the client is personally motivated to change (rather than relying solely on the therapists efforts) although a belief in the possibility of beneficial change may be a sufficient starting point. Regardless of the techniques employed, perhaps the most important thing is that a client should expect to feel comfortable and at ease with their therapist. This is of particular importance in Hypnotherapy, in which the value of the treatment is greatly enhanced when there is confidence in the practitioner. For this reason it is recommended that a single session only is initially booked, leaving the client subsequently free to decide if they wish to proceed with more. Unlike many other psychological therapies, Hypnotherapy is generally considered to be a fairly short-term approach in which beneficial change, if it is to occur, should become apparent within a relatively few sessions. (N.B. In actual practice, most Hypnotherapists will combine hypnotic procedures with other appropriate counselling and therapeutic techniques. Should there be any doubt about the combination of skills utilised in individual cases, the therapist should be asked directly for a further explanation of their preferred methodology.
Who Can Be Hypnotised?
The answer to this question is undoubtedly virtually everyone. This claim must, however, be qualified by the observation that some are more readily hypnotisable than others and that it will also depend upon one’s willingness to be hypnotised at the time. This willingness will itself depend upon a number of factors, not least of which will be the strength of the persons particular need and their trust and confidence in the therapist concerned. A corollary to this question is ˜What level of trance is required in order to achieve a beneficial outcome? Although there remains some disagreement over the answer, most researchers concur that the actual level (or depth) of trance experienced does not relate to the beneficial results that might be obtained. In practice, this means that even where a person feels that they have not been hypnotised, given time (and this is a very important factor), the desired outcome of therapy might yet materialise. This matter of time is especially important in our current society, which has, in many respects, been coerced into believing that gratification of every desire should be instantaneous. Hypnotherapy can be extraordinarily effective but it is not magic. However, if the right ingredients are present, if the time is right and if a suitable practitioner can be found with whom the client is willing to work, then all their (realistic) goals are achievable.Who may benefit from Hypnotherapy?
Again, the answer to this question is virtually everyone. Given that hypnotherapy can be utilised to access a persons 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. Although there remain many other areas of human suffering in which Hypnotherapy may bring relief, there are instances in which it may be contra-indicated. These could include some manifestations of depressive illness, epilepsy, psychosis (e.g. schizophrenia) and some breathing problems.Some Common Concerns
People are sometimes concerned that they will lose control in hypnosis. However, general consensus indicates that regardless of how deeply people may go in hypnosis and however passive they may appear to be, they actually remain in full control of the situation. They are fully able to talk if they wish to (or not, as the case may be) and can stand up and leave the room at any time. Neither can a hypnotised person be made to do anything against their usual ethical or moral judgement or religious belief. It is likely that the notion of a loss of control stems from most people’s misconception of stage hypnosis, wherein participants are apparently made to perform all manner of (usually foolish) acts. However, the reader should be aware that participation in a stage act is an entirely voluntary process (thus permission is already given to the hypnotist) and that there can be no such volunteer who is unaware of exactly what they are letting themselves in for!
Accreditation
Our Foundation and Diploma courses our accredited by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC), and graduates of our courses are eligible to enrol on the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR).
GHSC
The General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC) and General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) are the UK’s largest and most prominent organisations within the field of Hypnotherapy and together present an exemplary model for the simultaneous protection of the public and the provision of practitioner credibility and services. The GHSC is responsible for overseeing the criteria for the ongoing registration of individual practitioners within the GHR, all complaints brought by the public against such registered practitioners and for the assessment and accreditation of hypnotherapy training courses which lead to that registration. It comprises more than 140 separate affiliated Professional Bodies & Training Schools, which can be viewed via our online hypnotherapy directory.GHR
The GHR is overseen by the GHSC and is responsible for its day to day administration together with the implementation of all GHSC decisions. It is a professional association and register of practising hypnotherapists, comprising in excess of 3,000 UK based individual practitioners, together with registered therapists in some 35 countries around the world, which can be viewed via our online hypnotherapy directory. We are additionally a verifying organisation for those practitioners who wish to register within the Hypnotherapy section of the profession’s Voluntary Regulator, the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council, set up with Department of Health fund Some Benefits of Registration- Eligibility for a standardised, professional award, the General Qualification in Hypnotherapy Practice (GQHP), for graduates of Practitioner Level accredited training courses.
- Eligibility for fast track registration for training school graduates of Practitioner Level validated courses within the Hypnotherapy Sections of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) – the voluntary regulator for complementary medicine set up with government funding and support – and the alternative regulatory body, the General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies (GRCCT).
- Free registration of training school students within the GHR throughout their period of tuition.
- The provision of essential information from the Department of Health and all other relevant agencies.
- The distribution of regular News E-bulletins.
Curriculum
Unit 1: Introduction Introduction to Hypnosis, History of hypnosis Common misconceptions, Every day forms of hypnosis Hypnoidal states, Trance states The six depth stages in hypnosis Four criteria for judging depth of trance
Unit 2: Session Structure Induction process Induction methods Closing a session Direct/Authoritative vs. Indirect/Permissive Complete session script
Unit 3: Effective Voice Usage Embedded Commands Maximizing the effects of intonation and voice emphasis Incorporating distractions
Unit 4: Components of the Mind Freud’s Structural Theory The Conscious, Subconscious, and Unconscious Minds Prime Directives of the Unconscious Mind Anchoring Discuss Assignment 1
Unit 5: Safety / Modalities and Sub-Modalities Precautions and Safety Mechanisms Suppression, Repression and Abreaction Dealing with abreaction Legal and Ethical Issues Modalities and Sub-Modalities Safety aspects of Sub-modality manipulation
Unit 6: Self Hypnosis Methods of Self Hypnosis Indirect language script How To Perform Self hypnosis Demonstrations and Review
Unit 7: The Therapeutic Relationship / Parts Integration Congruence Maintaining Professionalism Rapport building Parts integration Parts Integration Procedure
Unit 8: Posthypnotic suggestions Self-Esteem & Hypnosis Two Approaches to Ego Strengthening Ego strengthening Script The laws of suggestion Post hypnotic suggestions Three factors that influence positive suggestion management
Unit 9: Fear and Panic Management Anxiety and Panic Attacks Phobias Fast Phobia Cure: (V/K Dissociation or Rewind Technique) Systematic De-sensitization Future Pacing
Unit 10: Regression Past life regression Progression Swish Patterns Chunking Sub-modality manipulation scripts
Unit 11: Aversion therapy Weight loss Smoking cessation Hypno-Birthing Gastric band
Unit 12: Definition of NLP Strategies and Theories Five principles for success Presuppositions of NLP NLP Communication model The Meta Model The Milton Model
Unit 13 Favoured Representational Systems Eye patterns Eye pattern chart.
Unit 14: Return to Anchoring Stacking, Chaining, Collapsing anchors Keys to an achievable outcome Ecology
Unit 15: Metaphor outline Pre-mapping Mapping Strategies
Unit 16: Confidentiality Boundaries Data Protection Contracts
Unit 17: Introduction to Strategies Types of Strategies Strategies Theory The Five Fundamental Strategies T.O.T.E Model of Strategies
Unit 18: Advanced Marketing Techniques Membership of Professional Bodies Insurance
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