I was a schoolteacher for twenty years, before becoming a full-time writer and Hypnotherapist. I have always taken an eclectic, non-mystical view of hypnosis and use it as a no-nonsense, down-to-earth way of dealing with a wide range of problems; mental, emotional and physical. In recent years, I have explored the links between hypnotic states and the creative process, these links forming the basis of workshops I`ve run in addition to more `orthodox` courses on creative writing and self-hypnosis skills. I have also been a regular guest on Martin Ballard`s BBC Radio Leicester Lunchtime Show to explain the benefits of hypnotherapy to a wider audience.
I am also an author with fifty books published to date. These include - Meditations For Busy People - How To Stop Worrying & Stay Calm (HarperCollins), Imagine That (a handbook of creative thinking skills), and Self-Intelligence (a handbook for developing self-esteem, confidence and interpersonal skills).
My aim in this part of the website is to inform you about what`s involved in a course of Hypnotherapy if you decide you need that kind of help. I also include below a list of questions you can ask any hypnotherapist you contact, either during the initial telephone conversation and / or at the consultation. Hypnotherapists are like plumbers or electricians - they are people endeavouring to sell you a service. There are good practitioners and poor ones: there are hypnotherapists who offer excellent value for money and others who are, frankly, outrageously expensive. Simply put, you should shop around until you find someone who can work effectively with you. This means you must feel comfortable with your therapist and understand and agree with his or her methods.
Hypnotherapy can be a fast and powerful way of making changes in your life. A little groundwork at the outset will result in greater benefits later on.
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Myths & Truths of Hypnosis.
Hypnosis is a normal and natural state when the conscious mind becomes quiet and its point-of-attention is directed inwards, rather than being focussed on the external world. This allows access to the subconscious part of the mind, the part which runs our body automatically and contains our `map of reality`. The underpinning principle of the subconscious is to strive as best it can to allow the individual to survive and flourish in the world. It also endeavours to carry out the instructions, commands and desires of the conscious mind.
Remember that what we call `reality` is based on our perceptions, which in turn are coloured by everything that has happened to us in the past. Each of us is the outcome of all of the experiences through which we`ve lived. What we regard consciously as problems are responses by the subconscious to circumstances which it believes may affect us adversely. The symptoms of a problem are signals from the subconscious, `transmitted` to protect us, warn us, prevent a greater harm, and so on. Hypnotherapy allows a dialogue to take place between the conscious and subconscious parts of the mind, so that the conscious self can realise why the subconscious has responded in this particular way - and so make an informed choice with regard to the appropriateness of that response in the future.
Several important points arise from this:-
: You are not asleep in hypnosis, but in a state of `quiet consciousness`. You need to be conscious to know what the subconscious is telling you.
: You are fully in control of the hypnotic process, and do not have to reveal private details coming from your deeper mind to the hypnotherapist (although the more the hypnotherapist knows, the more precisely (s)he can direct the necessary questioning).
: You do not need to relive the worst experiences of your life in hypnosis, to solve a problem. If unpleasant events have been used to create your problem, you need only understand how they have been used. A good hypnotherapist will negotiate with the subconscious to minimise the release - not of information - but of any unpleasant feelings associated with it.
: Given that your subconscious mind is willing to co-operate in allowing you to understand why it has responded in a way you regard as undesirable, a hypnotherapist should be able to get a result within a a few sessions. The course of treatment obviously various from person to person, and no guarantees can be offered; but given conscious commitment and subconscious co-operations, the chances of success are high.
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Approaching a Hypnotherapist
Open the Yellow Pages and you`ll find hypnotherapists listed by the score. The best way to choose a practitioner is by word-of-mouth recommendation. If you know someone who`s been to a hypnotherapist and got good results, then that person should be your first port of call. In any case, you might bear in mind the following points and questions when you make contact...
Most hypnotherapists offer a free
consultation without any obligation to go ahead with treatment. That initial meeting gives
the therapist a chance to explain how (s)he works, address any concerns you might have and
answer any questions. No decent hypnotherapist will try 'sales tactics' to try to persuade
or pressure you into proceeding.
Do enquire about the hypnotherapist`s
qualifications and the kind of training(s) he or she has done. Because Hypnotherapy is not
very well regulated in the UK, it is possible for anyone to call himself a hypnotherapist
and set up in practice. The worst Hypnotherapy courses are correspondence courses - That`s
like trying to learn to drive just by reading the Highway Code. A decent training course
would involve lots of reading and study, exams, perhaps an interview by the examining
committee, and most importantly practise of the skills in person with a qualified and
experienced trainer.
Ask about the structure and duration
of the treatment. In most cases when Hypnotherapy works then it works fast in terms of
timespan and number of sessions required. The way I structure a course of treatment is
explained below. I do not usually need to see clients more than three or four times,
unless their problems are very severe or numerous. In any case positive change should be
noticed within days or a week or two if the treatment is going to be effective.
Beware of hypnotherapists who tell
you that a certain number of sessions will definitely be required. Some practitioners
offer a six or eight session course, for instance, and advise you that you should see the
course of treatment through, even if you`re feeling better in the meantime. Because
everyone is different and responds differently in hypnotherapy, enquire why a set number
of sessions is being recommended. In the best scenarios, issues can be resolved in a
session or two.
Always ask about price, especially if
you are looking for treatment to stop smoking. Because people are usually highly motivated
to become non-smokers (even if they say they don`t have any will power!), and because of
the way Hypnotherapy works, a good therapist should only need to see you once or twice.
Usually single-session non-smoking treatments work fine. Hypnotherapists love dealing with
such clients because usually it`s so easy to get results. However, some
practitioners charge excessively for this work and people desperate to quit smoking are
happy to pay it. (Some training courses I`ve seen promise income of tens or even hundreds
of thousands of pounds per year for stop-smoking work - And it`s possible too, but only if
such hypnotherapists charge over the odds. My own opinion is that anything over about £75
for a non-smoking treatment is too expensive).
Ask about 'aftercare' - What
provision does the hypnotherapist make once the treatment has concluded. At the very least
(s)he should be available to talk with you over the phone to discuss any further questions
or concerns you might have. It would be reasonable, however, for the therapist to charge
if you wanted an in-person conversation, even if no hypnotherapy was carried out on that
occasion.
Finally, if you are dissatisfied with
the treatment you`ve had, always speak with the hypnotherapist in the first instance. Most
therapists don`t usually offer written 'contracts' for the client, and of course no
guarantee of success could or should be made. But if you think that you have been treated
dishonestly or unprofessionally in any way, then call up the therapist and say so. Most
reputable practitioners will do their best to sort the matter out. If the issue is more
serious then contact the therapist`s professional organisation. If (s)he doesn`t belong to
one, then you may consider taking your complaint to the Consumer Association or some
similar organisation. However, I want to emphasise that things rarely come to this. A
hypnotherapist like anyone else has a reputation to maintain and will usually do what they
can to help you.
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MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR HYPNOTHERAPY
In starting your Hypnotherapy treatment, you have already taken an important step in dealing with your problem. Doctor Brian Roet in his book All In The Mind? lists a number of stages in eradicating a problem - any problem, not necessarily one that is likely to have an individual cause in the mind. These stages are;
- • Accepting that the problem exists.
- • Becoming eager to change the situation.
- • Believing that change is possible.
- • Being prepared to accept the responsibility for change.
- • Adopting an open minded attitude towards alternative methods of change.
- • Developing confidence in yourself to try something new.
- • Committing yourself to take an active part in eliminating your problem.
- • Committing yourself to this (and if necessary any other) course of action, until the problem is
- cured or solved.
Although it may be the case that you are trying hypnotherapy as 'a last resort', you will aid the treatment immensely if you can adopt a positive and optimistic attitude towards seeking a cure for your problem.
Your hypnotherapist will usually need several sessions to resolve the issue(s) you want to change. Even if after only one or two treatments you feel much better, be aware that the hypnotherapy may have eased your symptoms without necessarily ensuring a permanent resolution.
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Steve Bowkett - Hypnotherapist.
The Course Of Treatment.
My approach is to offer a free consultation in the first instance where I can explain more about how the process works, answer questions you might have and so on. If you want to go ahead I recommend a minimum of two x 1-hour sessions. The first session can take place right after the consultation if you prefer (some folks do if they've travelled a fair way). At the end of the first session we book the date of the second. I charge £60 for those two sessions and ask you to pay for them both after the first session.That first session allows you to experience hypnosis and realise that you're awake and aware during that time but in a state of 'relaxed alertness' wherein I can speak with the subconscious part of your mind. Since the root cause of problems is often subconscious we can also use that resource to learn more about the context of the problem.
Sometimes we can get a great deal of work done in that first hour and occasionally the problem is resolved at that point. More usually at least one other session is needed. In the second session you are much more familiar with being in hypnosis and also your subconscious has had time to process our requests and suggestions - so if there is more to learn and if we need to consolidate the work that's been done it happens at this point.
Once we have reached a resolution of the issue change occurs quickly. First of all attitudes towards food and eating shift and weight begins to come off naturally without struggling on a diet. Often there will be a definite subconscious response as to the timeline for achieving your ideal weight in terms of health and appearance.
If you feel there are still aspects of the problem that still need to be worked on you can book up session by session as required. I charge £25 for each of these subsequent sessions. Or you may feel that the hypnotherapy has not been effective for you, in which case you can terminate the treatment and no further obligation exists on either side.
But, in summary, if hypnotherapy is going to work for someone then the resolution is usually reached quickly and only a handful of sessions are normally required.
Giving Up Smoking:
The non-smoking treatment is slightly different. If you have decided to be a non-smoker for reasons you've considered, and if those reasons are more important to you now than any pleasure or benefit you get from smoking, then the chances are that the smoking is an unwanted behaviour both consciously and subconsciously.
The course of treatment, therefore, is...
This regime is usually enough to allow clients to become non-smokers without effort or struggle. If the smoking behaviour continues, which it occasionally does, then it will be for a reason (which may be a subconscious reason that has not been consciously recognised). In this case I offer...
Currently I charge £60 for the smoking treatment as outlined above.
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The complete text of this book can now be accessed through this website. Note that although you may download the Inner Healer files and make one hard copy for your own personal use, the book`s copyright remains with Steve Bowkett and any further reproduction of the work requires his permission.
To access The Inner Healer click here
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Steve`s Hypnotherapy Qualifications...
Contact The Hypnotherapy Association on 01257 262124