AD Hypnotherapy
I tell this to people who say they cannot be hypnotized. When was the last time you drifted off, then came back minutes or hours later, with no idea of where the time went ?
I contend that nearly anyone can enter a trance state, and therefore become hypnotized. However, this does not mean that any one practitioner can hypnotize just anyone. There are a number of techniques and schools of hypnotherapy. Building rapport is an important skill, with some therapists believing this matters more than the technique used. Preparedness to change can make all difference. Resistance, fear, and even scepticism are an ever-present concern.
Trance is a waking state where you have the best access to the subconscious, and this is where the patterns and beliefs that rule our lives largely reside.
In my opinion, the only hypnosis is self-hypnosis. As a practitioner, I give suggestions and guidance, but it is the patient who does the work, and it is the patient who is in control. In consultation, we work out what they are seeking, and we work on a way of achieving this.
Everyone is different. I treat each person as an individual. I help each individual construct their own humanity.
So what can hypnotherapy treat ? The bread-and-butter items for many therapists are quitting smoking, weight loss, and stopping nail-biting (example to follow shortly).
For my part, I have been steeped in hypnotherapy for 35 years, and am privileged to have as a mentor and close friend the Grandfather Of Aus Hypnotherapy, Bryan Perry. However, it is just last year that I qualified as a practitioner, studying a diploma course down in Melbourne, under another senior figure, Rob McNeilly. Rob encouraged us to view hypnotherapy as natural, and to apply it widely.
Focussing on my own practice, my passion is helping to improve the lives of people with mental illness. This is the vision at the centre of my practice.
It is important to note that I do NOT offer a cure. False hope is a highly corrosive commodity, in which I refuse to deal. I have yet to meet anyone with a mental illness who has only the illness to contend with. Smoking rates are around 70% amongst those with severe mental illness – much higher than the average. Other poor life choices abound. Drug abuse and drinking – both endemic. Even addiction to soft drinks is a major problem. It continues to amaze me the number of Coke addicts I encounter.