Viv Adams’ explanation of hypnotherapy
My philosophy is; all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.
And self-hypnosis simply is harnessing our natural human ability to lift the quality of our mind-body experience in each moment, building momentum for positive change, and producing tremendous satisfaction. It’s a bit like how in tipping the first domino you open the way for the rest to settle gracefully into place, and in the same way it’s all you who is creating these new patterns of thinking and feeling that serve you better.
My professional and personal experience is as our skill in using self-hypnosis develops and we find we’re overcoming our blocks ourselves, our self-confidence really soars. We then start embracing present and future challenges as opportunities to keep growing stronger. And when we relish taking ownership and accountability for our life and health journeys, we notice we feel more comfortable riding life’s ups and downs, and more at ease expecting the unexpected – this is an excellent way to feel empowered living in our world now.
Can I be hypnotised?
This is the most asked question I get.
And my answer is, Yes, and no… let me clarify this answer for you.
Yes, you can be hypnotised by me but only after you say “yes” and you freely give informed consent, and then after you have signed the consent form.
And no you can’t be hypnotised by me if you say “No” you don’t want to be hypnotised, and your mind won’t allow it, and also “No” because I always respect your choice.
Interestingly, you can also be hypnotised by yourself. And when we move in and out of this natural state of shifting in out of alertness throughout the day. Just like when we ‘zone out’ when waiting for the green ‘walk’ signal to cross the road in town, and we miss it and have to wait longer.
Will it start working straight away?
Hypnotherapy (as with all the techniques I use in treatments) is an active process, so if you get involved straight away, then yes you may notice some change right away.
But because people take this on in different ways, you may not notice anything until the next day or few days, or weeks from now. There is no right or wrong way here, but being proactive helps. Follow through with the at home activities, play back the recording of your session regularly and trust your body and mind to get there; it will happen when you are ready.
Do you make people go to sleep?
No. I don’t put you ‘under’ in any way, and I don’t put you to sleep.
And most of the time you do not put yourself to sleep. And when people are in hypnosis, they can hear everything I say. Most people after their experience of hypnosis share how truly relaxed and comfortable they’ve felt, and how they’d love to stay in hypnosis longer. Sometimes I need to prompt these people a little to come out and then they freely admit they’re choosing to linger longer because they’re liking it so much and they try to ‘stay in’ as long as they can. Most people say they feel really refreshed after their hypnosis session.
Is hypnosis sleep?
Many people hold the misconception that when we’re in hypnosis we’re asleep. But hypnosis isn’t sleep, or unconsciousness.
And although we may look like we’re drifting into sleep when we’re having the experience of being guided into a formal hypnotic trance state because our breathing slows, our eyes close, and our muscles relax. That’s how it looks physically, but the difference is in the experience; when we’re in hypnosis we can think, and talk, and we can respond through signals like lifting our hand, or nodding. So while we’re nicely physically and mentally relaxed in hypnosis, rather than being asleep, we’re aware of our surroundings, and we can always become fully alert whenever we want to, or if we feel we need to.
When scientists use an Electroencephalogram to measure brainwaves of people while they’re in hypnosis, usually this machine shows their brain waves are in the Alpha or Beta ranges that indicate consciousness
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Can people Get Stuck in hypnosis? Can hypnosis harm people’s minds?
As hypnosis is a state where our focused attention is either inwardly or outwardly directed, we aren’t asleep.
Because of this while we’re in hypnosis we are in control, and we can emerge any time during or after the hypnosis session. We can experience hypnosis with our eyes open and this can be a way to assure people who are new to hypnosis that they are always in control of this process. Hypnosis just describes the normal human ‘trances’ we all go through during everyday experiences, like staring out the window, daydreaming, getting engrossed in reading a book, and any screen time we get lost in, and then there’s the driving trance where we get to where we’re heading but we realise we missed the details of the journey. Like we’ve been on automatic pilot with our eyes open. We’ve all experienced these natural self-induced trances and know they naturally end. It’s the same with trances we enter in hypnosis sessions; these trances end, whether they’re formally ended by the hypnotherapist, or ended naturally by the person.
These days many more of us are now choosing to enjoy the benefits of this natural human process of self-hypnosis, where we can learn to direct our focus and attention on purpose for purpose – exactly how we want to. More people are choosing to use hypnosis to harness their inner wisdom and power now to improve their concentration and lift their performance in all areas of their lives; such as in their careers and work, their relationships, sport and recreation, the arts and creativity, and in their health and wellbeing.
Will you make me quack like a duck?
As humans we all possess within us a fear of losing control. For this reason, your mind won’t let you do something you wouldn’t do normally.
If I suggest something to you under hypnosis, and your mind thinks it wants to follow through on it, it will.
Be assured, I only focus on what you need to hear to be your best self – and I have never met a client whose best self is being a duck.
Is it for everybody?
Hypnotherapy is an effective treatment that is best suited to those who appreciate it is an active process requiring their participation and for the person to work with me.
The success of your consultation is a team effort. I will be putting in 100% effort and focus, and you will achieve more, sooner if you do too. As this is simply a natural process that we are reconnecting you with, this really is easy and fun and delightfully effective.
How many sessions will I need?
Some people who come to see me, I never have to see again.
Others come back for a second, third or ongoing sessions depending on their desired goals and outcomes, how ready they are to fully engage with all aspects of our time together, and how much ‘un-sticking’ they need to go through to break away from limiting mindsets and create new pathways for their unconscious.
Why don’t you sell packages?
With Empowering Minds for Life your treatment is unique to you. Together we identify your issues and your desired outcomes, and we create a plan with reasonable goals for each session.
These realistic chunks support you in achieving sustainable changes that stick, always at the best pace for you. My expertise is in choosing and delivering the most effective therapeutic interventions at the right pace and right time, never pushing too fast, nor going too slow. Initially I can give an idea of the likely number of sessions, though as I don’t want to sell you something you may not need we continually review progress and adapt the plan as required, ensuring you enjoy maximum benefits at the best value for money.
Do you have another question?
Do you have more questions that are not covered here? Why not book a free 30 minute discovery meeting to see whether this is going to be a good fit for you?