Hypnotherapy In CheltenhamCheltenham Hypnotherapy with Collette Tupling

with Collette Tupling | 07739 085 686




Main menu: Home | Hypnotherapy | Meet Collette | Issues Treated | Appointments | Fees | Contact

Hypnotherapy in Cheltenham with Collette Tupling

About Hypnotherapy

On this page you can find out more information on what hypnotherapy is. Click on the links below to jump to the relevant sections.

What is Hypnotherapy?
What is Hypnosis?
What is Solution Focused Hypnotherapy?
How does Hypnotherapy work?
What the medical professions say
Hypnosis - Myths and Misconceptions

What is Hypnotherapy?

How Hypnotherapy WorksThe aim of Hypnotherapy is to bring about beneficial changes to certain problems that have their origins in the mind.

Hypnotherapy is a safe, natural and reliable method of treatment for many problems. It is suitable for just about everyone and has NO harmful side effects.

Hypnotherapy is a process of applying, while in Hypnosis, therapeutic suggestion/ intervention to release the negative elements that are driving the particular unwanted behaviour or problem. While in a hypnotic state your subconscious is more open to suggestion, thus allowing the therapist to align your conscious and subconscious goals through hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy is a combination of psychotherapy and hypnosis. It draws on areas of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and modern, neurological research. Hypnosis itself is unlikely to provide a relief of symptoms, whatever those symptoms may be. It is the psychotherapy interventions carried out within the hypnotized state, which enables the subconscious mind to make beneficial changes.

One of the many benefits of hypnotherapy is that it is drug free, and there is no physical manipulation as it works with the conscious mind, allowing us to bypass our anxious/ analytical thoughts.

It is a natural and effective way of changing unwanted patterns of behaviour at a subconscious level so that we can regain control of our thoughts and actions - in effect you are given the opportunity to reassess any faulty or outdated programming that you may have received in the past.

In this deeply relaxed state the analytical, critical part of your conscious mind goes quiet for a while, allowing your subsconsious mind to be accessible and receptive to beneficial suggestions, so that you create new ways of thinking. These in turn lead to the changes in your emotions and behaviour that you want.

With Solution Focused Hypnotherapy beneficial results are often achieved faster than with other talking therapies.

What is Hypnosis?

“Hypnosis…. Is not magical or mystical; it does not make anybody superhuman, nor does it imbue an individual with mystical powers. Nor does it allow anybody to ‘burn up resources ‘ for which there is an eventual price to be paid. It is nothing more then a psychological tool – and an amazingly effective one, too – which can help to achieve total excellence for anybody who chooses to use it “ – misc quote.

Hypnosis (derived from the Greek word Hypnos - meaning to sleep) is a naturally occurring state of mind or state of deep concentration. Often referred to as the daydreaming state.

Hypnosis is wonderfully relaxing and helps to reduce stress and anxiety regardless of what you are consulting for.

Actually, we all experience the Hypnotic state in our everyday lives. Have you ever been driving along the motorway and not remembered anything about the journey, or been engrossed in a book or a film and not been conscious of time passing? If so, you’ve been in a state of focused attention, not unlike the feeling of being hypnotised.

Hypnosis is simply a state of focused attention. In this relaxed state, your mind is more responsive to suggestion. During Hypnosis you will be guided into a similar state so that beneficial suggestion can be directed towards your subconscious mind.

In a therapeutic setting, the suggestions are designed to be beneficial to help you change unhelpful thought patterns.

Clients often comment about how “ordinary” Hypnosis feels - it’s not unlike daydreaming – you can often hear everything that is being said whilst in a deeply relaxed state. In fact, you could think of it as guided daydreaming.

Hypnosis is very safe and wonderfully relaxing. Contrary to the image portrayed in films, books and the media, Hypnosis does not involve the therapist taking control of your mind - no one can Hypnotise you against your will, your subconscious mind will simply reject any suggestion that is inappropriate for you.

In fact people visit hypnotherapists or use self-hypnosis because they want to gain more control over their lives, not less.

Sensations during Hypnosis

Here are some of the sensations that a person may experience, though few notice all of these:

  • Extremely relaxed
  • Either heavy or light, maybe "floaty"
  • Extremely aware, with heightened senses
  • There is sometimes a tingling sensation in the hands/features
  • Totally free from stress
  • Other physical sensations - hands feeling large is very common

There is every probability that you have experienced all of those sensations at different times in your life, often when between sleep and wakefulness. At those times we pass through a state that is very similar to hypnosis.

What is Solution Focused Hypnotherapy?

The type of Psychotherapy I practise is ‘Solution Focused Therapy techniques’ and as the name suggests it focuses on solutions for the future, rather than analysing problems of the past. Its key premise is to work with reducing overall anxiety and calming the mind.

It uses practical, modern and well researched strategies to help people make significant, positive changes in their lives in a relatively short period of time.

Provided you are willing to make changes to the way you think, the therapy can be highly effective in relieving the symptoms of anxiety and stress. Focusing on solutions means we do not dwell on problems. Instead we:

  • acknowledge where you are currently
  • identify where you want to be
  • help you to make the necessary changes

How does Hypnotherapy work?

Hypnotherapy is about making use of the different trances or states of consciousness that we go in and out of all the time. Our brain waves change during this process and we become more relaxed and more focused and more able to make decisions easier. Hypnotherapy utilizes how the brain switches modes by using this relaxed state to change the way you see yourself, or a situation or a problem and thus reframe it in a more positive and beneficial way.

On my home page I explain about the Conscious Critical Faculty (CCF) which acts like a virus protector filtering any uncomfortable or perceived dangerous thoughts from reaching our subconscious. However, our Conscious Critical Faculty may be acting on false or outdated beliefs that no longer are relevant to our life and hypnosis allows us to bypass this.

It has been found through MRI scans that the brain can also artificially perceive reality as if it's really happening in this state. The same parts of the brain will fire when asked to visualise as if the person was really there and experiencing reality. Further research into mentally rehearsing such things as playing the piano or scoring a goal has found that visualisation can improve one's performance as much as actually physically practising. This is why hypnotherapy can be excellent for sports as much as anxiety disorders.

The other benefit of hypnosis is promoting REM (Rapid Eye Movement). Sleep is essential to help deal with memory, emotion and repairing our cells. When we go into a hypnotic trance we quite often find we go into REM - We can often detect our eyes flickering. Listening to a relaxation CD whilst going to sleep can help regulate sleep patterns and allow us to get the sleep we need to sort out our emotional problem.

What the medical professions say

In 2007, the Royal Society of Medicine re-designated Hypnotherapy as a supplementary therapy, rather than complementary or alternative. This puts Hypnotherapy in the same category as Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy.

The Health Education Authority has said, "research shows that there is more scientific evidence for hypnotherapy than any other complementary therapy ... by using hypnosis people can perform prodigious feats of will-power and self healing."

Hypnosis - Myths and Misconceptions

As a hypnotherapist I often find it is important to separate FACT from fiction. It is unfortunate that most people's first encounter of hypnosis is through watching television and stage hypnotism. This can lead people to believe that hypnosis is some kind of mind control and that they may be controlled or manipulated or made to do something 'silly'....

Nothing could be further from the truth!

During hypnosis your senses, creativity, concentration and awareness are actually heightened - you will not fall asleep and indeed you can even talk quite easily whilst relaxed

It is also a commonly held belief that there are some people that 'cannot be hypnotised' but this is again inaccurate. EVERYBODY, both children and adults, can easily achieve the state of hypnosis and enjoy its benefits such as relaxation.

Some facts about REAL therapeutic hypnosis

  • In hypnosis you are always fully AWAKE
  • Therapeutic Hypnosis is safe and wonderfully RELAXING
  • You will always feel IN CONTROL
  • You are totally aware of yourself and your surroundings at all times
  • You cannot get ‘stuck’ in hypnosis – this is quite impossible
  • You can voluntarily leave the hypnotic state whenever you want to
  • EVERYBODY can be hypnotised into a light relaxing state
  • You will be able to REMEMBER everything about the session
  • You can TALK easily in hypnosis
  • It doesn't matter how much you relax as long as you feel COMFORTABLE
  • In hypnotherapy you can relax gently at your OWN PACE
  • You WON'T fall asleep!
  • You cannot lose your mind!
  • You cannot be 'possessed' in some way
  • You are not in anyone’s power and nobody can take control of you
  • It is very similar to meditation or relaxation techniques
  • Hypnosis is a truly natural state of body and mind
  • There is no such thing as a ‘hypnotised' feeling
  • IT IS COMPLETELY SAFE

Return to Top of Page >>>