Hypnosenses
Hypnotherapy is an incredibly effective tool, to eliminate unwanted thoughts and behaviours, whilst refocusing the mind to embrace new challenges and more effective ways of thinking.
Hypnosenses specialises in accessing parts of the mind, other therapies can't reach, and draws on skills from psychology, counselling and mental health training, to offer tailor-made therapeutic solutions, specialising in the treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), anxiety and depression, alongside stop smoking and weight management.
Anxiety and Confidence
Let go of fear and anxiety, and take control of how you feel. Anxiety and Fear, Confidence and Motivation, Inner-Child Therapy and more...
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Hypnotherapy is now offered as a first-line treatment for IBS, and reduces both the severity of symptoms, and the frequency of IBS flare-ups.
Weight Management
End "yo-yo" dieting, deal with cravings, make healthier choices and distinguish between real and emotional hunger. Hypnosis helps you stop obsessing about food, and maintain a healthy weight.
Smoke Free
Remove the addiction at an unconscious level, and discover how easy it is to quit smoking, and free yourself to become healthier and happier.
What is Hypnosis?
One of the first things to know about hypnosis, is that it affects how we pay attention to things. Whether it be for entertainment or clinical therapy, when people are hypnotized their attention is focused on their inner experiences, so much so, that they don’t pay attention to the environment around them, unless directed to do so. In some ways, this focused state of attention is a bit like how it feels to get lost in a good book or film – you're so absorbed that everything else simply drifts away.
The second big thing to know about hypnosis, is that it affects how you respond to suggestion. Whilst under hypnosis, suggestions are absorbed in such a way that they are readily accepted, without interference from the conscious mind.
Clinical Use
Differing from stage shows and entertainment, Hypnotherapy is the clinical use of hypnosis for medical and therapeutic resolutions. Many doctors, dentists, psychologists, and other health professionals, use hypnosis to help their patients. Hypnosis is not actually a therapy in its own right, but is better thought of as a medical procedure, which a skilled therapist can use to help bring about change. Just like a mechanic should know how to fix cars before getting to work with a wrench, a hypnotherapist should have at least a medical or psychology degree to practice hypnosis.
Why?
Because hypnosis is not a toy! Medically phrasing, it is a neuro-catatonic state, with brain activity similar to Rapid Eye Movement (REM Sleep). Consequently, the patient experiences reduced peripheral awareness, characterized by an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion. This altered state of consciousness is often referred to as a “trance state”, in which your learning ability is significantly amplified.
A Brief History of Hypnosis
Doctors, Psychologists and other health-care professional have been using hypnosis for nearly 200 years. In the 1840’s, pioneer surgeon James Braid developed a technique to use in place of anaesthesia during surgical procedures. And he called the technique...Hypnosis; from the Greek word meaning Sleep. A kind of "waking-sleep", in which patients were both conscious and unconscious at the same time, but unable to feel the surgeons scalpel. Braid’s techniques were revolutionary and contributed to the advancement of medical hypnosis in both anaesthesia and pain relief.
By the early 20th Century, renowned Psychiatrist Milton Erickson was successfully treating patients with hypnosis, for a variety of medical and psychological conditions. Erickson first became interested hypnosis at an early age when a traveling entertainer visited his town. He later described that hypnosis was “too powerful of a tool to be left to entertainers”, and decided the only responsible thing to do was to further understand how hypnosis could be used in a medical context beyond anaesthesia and pain relief.
Throughout his professional career, Erickson collaborated with a series of colleagues and field experts, who recognised the uniqueness and effectiveness of Erickson’s approaches. Erickson developed a method of communicating directly with the unconscious mind (a term first coined by Sigmund Freud a hundred years earlier), which produced long-lasting and stable success with his patients.
By 1973, Erickson’s fame and reputation, exceeded far beyond the medical community, and following his death in 1980, Erickson’s research and case studies were amassed into volumes, and his clinical innovations in hypnosis, are credited with techniques and models used in psychiatry, psychology and hypnosis, still used today.
Hypnosis Simply Put...
Hypnosis (in terms of its medical application and use), is a medical procedure, developed by a surgeon, with thousands of post-graduate, peer-reviewed clinical studies and observations, from all over the world. Thanks to the invention of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI Scans), we can now measure brain activity during hypnotic trance. Visibly different from either waking or sleeping, brain activity more closely resembles that of Rapid Eye Movement (REM Sleep). This is the stage of sleep where you dream, and your unconscious mind processes vast amounts of information. There is nothing mystical or magical about it…it’s neuroscience! It can used as a powerful tool to change how you think, feel and behave. And what makes hypnotherapy so powerful, is that it doesn't rely on belief or will power. Your system responds whether you are consciously aware of it or not.
Is hypnotherapy right for me?
It is estimated that between 10-15% of the population can't be hypnotised. Generally speaking, there are only two requirements for hypnotic trance; one is the ability to follow instructions, and the second is an ability to focus your attention. If you are capable of these two things, then you're able to go into hypnosis.
Regardless of popular misconceptions, studies confirm a causal link between increased intelligence and depth of hypnotic trance. This is because hypnosis relies on abstract thoughts and concepts. For this reason, hypnosis would not be effective for people with autism or learning disabilities.
Hypnosenses now offers a free consultation in clinic or online, to help you decide whether hypnotherapy is right for you. This is all about getting to know you better by understanding how you are feeling, and the impact on your life. This means that your treatment plan can be tailor-made, and is as individual as you are. Your consultation will focus on what's happening at an unconscious level, and how by changing things on the inside, you can change what needs to be changed at the most fundamental level of your existence, because once you make sense of what's happening under the surface, everything else above it clicks into place.
If you decide to proceed with treatment, there is a £50 non-refundable deposit, which is payable at the consultation. You will be required to complete a contact form, giving permission to write to your GP and/or Consultant Specialist, to inform and update them of your treatment and progress.* All sessions are subject to the cancellation policy (see below).
*Please note that this is solely for the purpose of updating your medical records. Your medical records remain confidential, and at no time are requested from your GP or Specialist.
Online Hypnotherapy
Hypnosenses also runs an online treatment service. You will be asked to download Zoom (a free app on any Google or Android device), and be given a Meeting ID and password. Simply log in at your appointment time, and enjoy all the benefits of hypnotherapy, from the comfort of your own home.
One of the main reasons online hypnotherapy is so popular, is because it offers the same personal approach to self development and understanding as face-to-face sessions, without restrictions on where you live.
Hypnosis is an all-natural approach, that doesn’t rely on the therapist to be in the same room as you.
As long as you can see and hear them, you’ll experience exactly the same benefits you would with a face-to-face session. Many patients prefer to work online because it allows you to remain in familiar surroundings throughout your treatment, without the added stress and uncertainty of leaving the house.
So if you’re struggling to cope with anxiety, low self-esteem, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or indeed just want to stop smoking or control your weight, then online hypnotherapy could be a fantastic option to explore. And the best bit…your online consultation is completely free!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still have hypnotherapy in lock-down?
Yes! For those who are self-isolating, Hypnosenses offers an online service, delivering all the benefits of hypnotherapy, from the comfort of your own home.
All patients attending clinical sessions, will be required to wear a mask upon arrival, which should be worn in all communal areas. Once you are comfortable in the therapy room, you may remove your mask. We also kindly request you adhere to the two meter distance rule in reception, to protect other patients and practitioners.
Extra time is allocated to cleaning therapy rooms between patients.
What happens when I book a session?
When you've decided it's time to make a change, you will be invited to a free consultation, to discuss your problem and learn how the treatment works. This usually lasts 30-45 minutes.
If you decide to go ahead, a non-refundable deposit of £50 is required, prior to your first session. Your first session would usually be the following week, allowing time to create tailor-made therapy, as unique as you are.
If you prefer online hypnotherapy, you will be required to download Zoom (free app), and create a space in your home, which is quiet, comfortable, and free from interuption.
Will I be asleep?
No! Hypnosis is not sleep. Trance is an altered state of consciousness, characterised by deep relaxation and extreme focused attention. You will be aware of your surroundings, although you will chose not to pay attention to them.
By far, the most common side-effect of hypnosis is time distortion and amnesia. Although uncommon, abreactions such as; crying or muscle spasms, do occasionally occur with during hypnosis. These tend to happen during the hypnotic induction and are caused by a sudden "letting go" of the conscious mind, which acts as a cathartic release of emotions. If this happens, be assured that what you're experiencing is nothing to be frightened of, and for some, can be a normal occurrence in hypnosis.
How many sessions will I need?
Although you should notice a change following each session, most therapy (with the exception of Smoke-Free) generally requires a course of treatment. Issues can be complicated, and multiple sessions gives you more time to address the issues from different angles, using different techniques. This also allows for therapy to be tailored and adjusted with the changes you make between sessions.
So the amount of time and how deep we explore the various therapeutic techniques, is reflected in the amount of sessions you have. If the feeling, problem or habit is deep-routed, or has a significant impact on your life, you’re more likely to benefit from a course of six sessions.
Smoke-Free is a 3 session treatment program. Generally, one or two sessions are enough to stop smoking, leaving the remaining sessions free to target any specific concerns and re-enforce your sucess. Easy as 1-2-3!
What are the fees and how long do the sessions last?
Because everyone responds differently in hypnosis, and no two trance states are the same. Prices are charged by the session, rather than by the hour, and typically last 45-50 minutes, but may overrun in some circumstances.
Individual Sessions: £80
Four Sessions: £290 | Six Sessions: £410 (payment required at first session)
Individual Sessions: £80
Four Sessions: £290 | Six Sessions: £410 (payment required at first session)
Individual Sessions: £80
Four Sessions: £290 | Six Sessions: £410 (payment required at first session)
Fee: £360 - Three sessions, which can be taken anytime within 4 months of the date of the first session. (subject to availability, payment required at first session)
What is your cancellation policy?
Your consultation is free, and if you decide to proceed with treatment, a non-refundable deposit of £50 is required, prior to your first session.
We understand that you may occasionally need to cancel or amend your appointment, and will do our best to accommodate you where possible.
In respect of this, we kindly request you give as much notice as possible, but not less than 48 hours before your appointment time. This should be done by contacting 07845 447 945, or by emailing: laura.smith@hypnosenses.co.uk
Missed appointments, cancellations or amendments (with less than 48 hours notice), will result in the loss of the session. Additional or missed consultations will incur a charge of £20.
Fill in the contact form to book a free consultation in one of our clinics.
Changing minds for over 10 years
Laura Smith:
In 2005 I graduated with a BSc in Psychology and Criminology. I have extensive training in mental health services, and I am also a trained counsellor. In 2009 I completed my HND (Diploma) in Clinical Hypnotherapy. And in the 10 years between certification and setting up Hypnosenses in 2018, I have worked in the mental health sector, various advisory rolls, HR and mental health forensics.
In short, I know how to hack heads…to see deeper inside people, than they can often see themselves. I know how to read people, and I know how to fix them, which means you can be confident of receiving the highest possible standards of clinical care.
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