Here are 3 questions commonly asked before making an appointment, as well as the answers to help you target your needs, and to dispel some preconceived ideas that sometimes stick to hypnosis.
1. Hypnosis for everyone?
Does it work on everyone?
We all have the ability to put ourselves into this trance that characterizes hypnosis.
This same natural trance is something we find ourselves in every day, every time we connect to ourselves, when we are in our thoughts or engaged in a task that does not require our full attention.
But then, what is hypnosis?
It is a method that uses this trance state to seek within oneself, in one's unconscious, one's own solutions. It allows one to have access to the immense quantity of resources and skills that each person has within them, but which sometimes seem inaccessible or that they are not aware of possessing.
Since we all have access to this natural state, we can all be receptive to a hypnosis session.
However, a therapist cannot guide someone where they do not want to go. This is rather good news because the hypnotherapist is there to help the client go where they want to evolve and grow. Sometimes the resistance is however unconscious and despite the fact that the client wants to move beyond it, they do not know yet how to do it by themselves. It is then the therapeutic work with the hypnotherapist which will allow the client to achieve their goal. The majority of people will be able to enter this trance during the first session, for a minority of people it will take one or two sessions to feel comfortable before going there. It is up to the therapist to put you at ease, to choose tailor-made techniques and to adapt throughout the session.
Hypnosis has different applications, whether in the medical field, for example in anesthesia or obstetrics, or in supporting people in personal development. The varied fields will give completely different techniques. In therapeutic hypnosis, the hypnotherapist and the client work together in to help the client move forward in the subject of his choice.
Again, it is also important to clarify that not everything suits everyone and that your feelings are the key word. That said, the method is most often very effective and really liked and many people continue to use guided hypnosis and self-hypnosis regularly after discovering them! The only way to know if it suits us, if we are curious, is to try!
2. Does hypnosis cure everything?
Hypnosis is a method that can do a lot but it is not magic. On the other hand, it allows us to access our resources more easily and our resources are often quite magical!
Some subjects, such as stress management for example, can be managed by a hypnotherapist. For other subjects such as symptoms of depression, hypnosis can only be a complement to medical care with a psychotherapist, however it cannot replace it.
Hypnotherapy with a complementary medicine therapist can have many applications, however it would be wrong to engage in everything headlong. Through my medical training in parallel (as a pharmacist), I support my clients by informing them when in parallel with our follow-up, it is necessary for them to consult specialists, doctors or psychotherapists, to ensure support that respects the client, their health and ensures their safety.
If you want to know if your goal is suitable or not to work together with hypnotherapy, do not hesitate to contact me, I will be happy to answer you.
3. I don't like to give up control, am I conscious during the session?
Fear of losing control or not being aware during the session is sometimes addressed by clients.
First of all, therapeutic hypnosis is there to help you regain your power and should never put you in a situation where you are afraid of losing control. It is true that there are rapid hypnosis techniques (as used in the shows) but these techniques are far from what happens in a therapeutic hypnosis session, where the client's collaboration is the key to being able to move forward in the work. In my practice, I like to help my clients become autonomous through the work that we do together during the session and also by providing them with the opportunity to learn techniques that they can do again by themselves.
As for the question of whether one is conscious during the session, the answer is yes. The level of awareness during hypnotic trance is both being relaxed and being very attentive and receptive to what is happening. This is why the therapist must always create a climate of safety where you can sort through what he says and take only what is relevant to you at that moment.
Finally, the quality of the therapeutic bond is very important to be able to work on oneself. It is important to choose a therapist with whom one feels comfortable, respected and welcomed without judgment.
I wish you a lot of pleasure in discovering this magnificent universe, and if you want an appointment or more information, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Laura Tchernin
Hypnotherapist based in Geneva