COGNITIVE HYPNOTHERAPY
What Is Cognitive Hypnotherapy?
Let me begin by assuring you that I do not own a pocket watch, and I will not at any time ask you to cluck like a chicken or “look into my eyes…”
Cognitive Hypnotherapy is a modern approach based on recent discoveries from neuroscience. We take from a mix of different therapeutic influences including the most effective elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Positive Psychology, Gestalt, Traditional Hypnotherapy and Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP).
Our approach is fluid, flexible and designed in such a way that the client and therapist work together in order to achieve a certain goal. What this means is that Cog Hyp empowers you with the knowledge and skills needed to take back control of your own thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Cognitive Hypnotherapy In Three Minutes
To get an idea of what we do, take a look at this great animation narrated by Trevor Silvester, my tutor and the founder of Quest Cognitive Hypnotherapy.
How Cognitive Hypnotherapy Differs From Traditional (Authoritarian) Hypnotherapy
Cognitive hypnotherapy is based on three key principles that differentiate our practice from that of traditional hypnotherapy.
What To Expect From Your Sessions
The rate of development is entirely dependent on the individual client. This makes it difficult to accurately predict the amount of sessions you will need. As a rule of thumb, I usually expect to see clients for somewhere between three and six sessions. Having said that, some people will get what they came for in a single session. Either way, we’ll remain in contact between sessions to calibrate your improvement and organise sessions accordingly.
The Process
We’ll begin by discussing your problem in detail. We’ll analyse exactly how you experience it and the effect it has on your life. From there, we’ll plan your personal treatment programme together to ensure that we work in a way that suits you best.
Over the course of treatment, you’ll be given recordings of hypnotic suggestions to listen to at home. I’ll also give you a therapy diary to log your thoughts and development between sessions.
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Sessions
Everyone is capable of change. Rather than being a magic spell that works for some and not for others, Cognitive Hypnotherapy is more like a process of mental reprogramming. Our sessions will guide you in learning how to think (and consequently, behave/feel/speak etc) in a new way.
So, in case you’re wondering, the popular view that only a few people are able to by hypnotised is a myth. This idea was arrived at during the early history of hypnosis. It was based on results from a limited set of standardised tests from that time. Those tests did not adequately represent all that hypnosis (or hypnotherapy) has to offer, and are largely overlooked in contemporary practice.
Since I began practicing as a therapist I’ve noticed some common traits shared by the clients who seem to make the fastest and most pervasive changes in their lives. These things include curiosity and willingness to learn about themselves.
People tend to think of hypnotherapy as something that is done to them. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In Cog Hyp we see the trance state as something we’ve been doing to ourselves all of our lives, and that’s exactly what will happen in your sessions with me. You’re in control. I’m there merely as a facilitator and guide.