Some people I see for hypnotherapy have previously experienced what is known by hypnotherapists as the ‘trance state’ and know what to expect. Others may have a friend who has experienced hypnotherapy and will expect to have the same experience as them, and some of my clients have no experience at all but have heard that hypnotherapy works.
If you don’t know what to expect then the prospect of the unknown can be somewhat unnerving. The reality is that the ‘trance state’ is a wholly relaxing and enjoyable experience. I often describe it as a ‘massage of the mind’. The majority of people will dip into some form of hypnotic state several times a day, typically when day dreaming or drifting off to sleep at night. If you have ever driven a car on a familiar route and seemed to arrive without any recollection of the journey then you would have just experienced a hypnotic state.
The actual experience of being hypnotised is difficult to describe, feeling as if you are neither asleep nor awake. The state is characterised by a voluntary pleasant state of relaxation, sometimes described as an altered state of consciousness which enables the reception of desired beneficial suggestions given directly by me to your unconscious mind. Of course everybody experiences hypnotherapy differently. Many of my clients describe their experience as ‘feeling so deeply relaxed, I know I can move but I just don’t want to’.
I always explain to my clients that they are in full control throughout the session and should anything be suggested that they are uncomfortable with or perhaps not ready to accept, they are able to terminate the trance. In saying that, as a hypnotherapist it’s my job to ensure that the content of each session is driven entirely by the client’s needs and is consistent with their value set and as such is gladly received.