In a previous post I discussed hypnosis, so what is the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy? A very important fact to remember is that all hypnotherapy uses hypnosis but not all hypnosis is hypnotherapy.

Once someone has allowed themselves to be guided into a state of hypnosis, a good, skilled professional hypnotherapist could help the person overcome or improve upon existing thoughts, feelings, emotions or behaviours.

Hypnotherapy is the art of helping someone make desired changes themselves, at a subconscious level, and these changes are wanted and acceptable to the person involved.

There are two main approaches to any session of hypnotherapy, one is referred to as "Direct Suggestion" and the other is "Hypno-analysis".

Direct suggestion is just that, the client receives positive suggestions that are acceptable and desired, and the subconscious mind takes on-board these new thoughts, ideas or concepts. This approach is usually used when the cause of an unwanted thought, feeling or behaviour is known e.g. someone had a riding accident and would like help with getting their confidence back.

The second approach is hypno-analysis and this is used when the initial cause of an unwanted thought, feeling or behaviour is not known. Very often, the conscious mind thinks it knows why it feels the way it does, but most times it is completely wrong. This is one of the many wonderful benefits of hypnotherapy, finding the true cause. Traditional counselling focuses on the reasons why you think you feel crappy, after 20 or 30 sessions you really know why you feel crappy, but you still feel crappy. With hypno-analysis, a deeper part of who and what you are will let you know the real cause, and this leads to a whoooa moment when all of a sudden it makes sense, and the old habit patterns can be released so that a permanent change could be made. In the words of the great GK, "Find the cause and fix it".

So, hypnotherapy utilises the state of hypnosis to help people bring about a desired, positive change quickly, safely and naturally.

You'll remember that a TV programme or advert could bypass your critical factor, as can a session with a good, skilled hypnotherapist, so are there different levels of hypnosis?

Indeed there are, but that is another posting for another day!

Have a great weekend and be happy.

Dave.