Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation and focused concentration.

It is an altered state of consciousness into which you allow yourself to enter, with the guidance of a therapist. You are in control all the time, you always know what is happening, and you can come out of the altered state at any time in the same way one can snap out of a vivid daydream.

The hypnotic state can feel as if you are dreaming or daydreaming and is a natural form of consciousness which many people experience on a daily basis.

For example if you have ever been so absorbed in a book or a film it has felt as if you are actually there, that is a form of hypnosis, as is the experience some people have when waking in the morning being aware of everything going on around them yet still being in a very relaxed dream like state.

Within the hypnotic state one can by-pass the barriers to our inner thoughts and feelings, and suggestions are acted upon much more powerfully than is possible in a normal state of mind.

Mental imagery can also be utilised to assist people to make changes in their lives. The subconscious mind does not distinguish between ´real` and `imagined` experiences, which is why dreams can feel real.

This phenomenon can be used so that clients can create new positive realities for themselves or alter their perception of past events which may affect current behaviour.

Hypnotherapy can be used to bring relief to existing conditions or to change areas where there are issues. The list of situations where it can aid the individual is endless and it is particularly effective for those who wish to take greater control—or perhaps regain control—of some aspect of their life.

The hypnotherapist guides the subject into a state of deep relaxation, similar to the stage between waking and sleeping. The subject remains aware of what is happening at all times and remains in complete control. However, because the hypnotherapist has relaxed the conscious mind, it is the subconscious mind that has taken control and while the subconscious is at the forefront of the mind, the therapist can speak directly to it and persuade it and encourage it to modify its behaviour. The reason hypnotherapy is successful where other methods may fail, therefore, is simply that it is often the subconscious mind that is preventing behaviour changes, and because hypnotherapy deals directly with the subconscious the therapist is able to treat the problem at its core.