Myths and Misconceptions

Isn’t it great to be alive? Ever since I started my training, I have been acutely aware of something I feel is significant. At every turn, as each new technique was introduced and practiced, I thought ‘I know someone who could do with a bit of this’. I quickly came to realise that a whole host of issues, which I would never have connected with Hypnotherapy, could indeed be tackled quickly and effectively with hypnosis, NLP and/or simple Life-Coaching techniques. These include anger/rage; grief; depression; social confidence; public speaking; phobias; or just generally feeling ‘stuck’ and not knowing how to get your life back on track. One of the great challenges is to get this message across to decent ordinary people (who maybe think ‘therapy’ is only for ‘posh’ people), without sounding patronising or preachy. That’s why I started writing this column, and I am grateful for all the comments and feedback I have had, which basically tells me I am on the right track.

Most people’s experience of ‘hypnotism’ is limited to seeing a comedy Stageshow. Now these can be great craic - watching (hand-picked) people being ‘made’ to dance like a chicken, or eat a raw onion like an apple. Very entertaining, but hardly the kind of thing to inspire people to look to hypnotherapy for a solution to their everyday problems. So perhaps it is time to look at a couple of these urban myths and misconceptions. What can you expect if you go to see a hypnotherapist?

Guaranteed Results! 95% success rates!
First, some advice. Stay well away from people who make claims like this. Neither they, nor you, can prove or disprove it. Who determines what ‘success’ is? Them or you? It’s nonsense plain and simple. Any anyway, maybe what they really mean is that they are really successful at parting vulnerable people from their hard-earned cash!

Look into my eyes…
Next is the sometimes thorny subject of Trance. You can forget any notion of docile, sleeping ‘subjects’ being manipulated by the ‘hypnotist. Most people will never enter a somnambulistic (deep) trance. Some people find the notion of surrendering control comforting. Most of us, and most certainly including me, would run a mile at the thought of it. This is the stuff of the comedy Stageshow. Even if you could send everybody to sleep, what would be the point? If somebody comes to see you because they have a problem over which they have no control… how do you give them back their control, if the first thing you do is take control away from them. More nonsense. But nonsense that is powerful enough to put some people off.

Again, some clarity is required. Have you ever been driving and thought ‘Oops. I dunno where I was for the last while?” Have you ever day-dreamed and had somebody say ‘hey, are you listening to me?’ Well, that’s being ‘in a trance’. That’s the level you need to be at to achieve positive change. It involves closing your eyes and relaxing a bit. Many clients I see arrive with a fear of not being ‘in control’. Once I’ve explained that they will be absolutely in control, and that any ‘secrets’ they have will stay exactly that – their secrets – they can relax.

No Magic Wand
Let’s be clear. I don’t have a magic wand. I cannot ‘make’ anybody do what they don’t want to do. Simple as that. Hypnotherapy is a two-way process. If you want to throw your money at some Charlatan clown who claims he has magical powers; and can instantly ‘fix’ you by reading a script he downloaded from the Internet; help yourself! There are certainly plenty of them out there. If however, you are prepared to enter whole-heartedly into this two-way process then, together, we can get some great results, quickly. The fact is that people already have everything they need to solve their issue, they are just having trouble seeing it. My job is to act as a kind of tour guide, to help them release, and to realise, their own potential. I’m good at what I do because I understand my role. I don’t have delusions about ‘magical’ powers. What I do have is a training, a skill-set and an array of tools and techniques which is second to none. How do I know? Because I made it my business to train with the best, not the easiest.

The Internet is full of people offering to bestow some kind of dodgy ‘qualification’ on anybody willing to part with their money. They ask no questions, just count the cash and send out your worthless certificates. Then there are those who actually believe in what they do, and who have a vision worth sharing. I spent a lot of time, and money, training with the internationally acclaimed Quest Institute (www.questinstitute.co.uk). I chose to train with them for two main reasons. Firstly, for Quest ethics, honesty, and respect and honour for your clients were principles, not buzz words. And secondly, because they said it would not be easy. To graduate you would have to work hard. To apply yourself like you’ve maybe never done before. The Hypnotherapy Practitioners Diploma (HPD) I submitted ran to 17,000 words.

It was tough, and challenging; and I loved every minute of it. Now, for a living, I help people solve problems that have held them back for years, and to fulfil their potential. Not a week goes by without a Client telling me I have helped to change their life. Often, they are tearful when they say it. Often, I am as well. And I love that too. Thank you for listening.