Hypnosis is something we experience on a daily basis. It is a way in which we learn without effort. Hypnotherapy takes this learning process and uses it for change. We simulate this by focusing the mind and allowing it to take in suggestions just like it does in nature. This is why adverts work so well, we’re focused on the TV and being told to spend our money on something, and it works.

Suggestions are ideas being given to you either in or out of hypnosis that can be absorbed by your subconscious. We consciously distinguish between reality and imagination, but our subconscious doesn’t, meaning we’re open to believing a mass of untruths. Perhaps you’ve woken from an unpleasant dream before and been pleased to realise that it was in fact just a dream. But the stress emotion lingers, leaving you struggling to go back to sleep or even being cross with a person who was in the dream, such as your partner laying next to you.

Our minds are still very primitive, existing for our survival, protection, pleasure and safety. In a world with its many daily stressors and worse, its micro stressors, it’s no surprise that humans are facing an entourage of mental health issues.

I don't believe a few hypnotherapy sessions alone can reliably make the changes we desire to last long term. I believe we also need understanding so that we can continue to strive for, and maintain those changes. A session of hypnotherapy can quickly stop you from habitually eating chocolate. However, over the following weeks you’ll be exposed to chocolate advertisements leaving you once again craving for that smooth sweet treat. Understanding why this is and having conscious techniques to counteract this can result in lifelong positive results.

There’s no set rule to the number of sessions you require to achieve the changes you want. Everyone is different, your personality, reason for change, your goals, your purpose and the extent in which you want the changes to exist. For some idea though, I believe we need at least 3 sessions for long lasting, effective results. The time between sessions is also very important, roughly 5-8 days seems to be ideal, giving our mind time to develop the changes but short enough to build on the foundations.

After your session, you needn’t think about the session, nor try to recall what was said. Our subconscious mind is very good at processing information 

without the interference of our conscious mind. Hypnotherapy works even if you recall nothing of your session at all. I’ve had many clients who thought they were sleeping but came back the next week having had great results.

If you want to give yourself the best chance of success, then regular self hypnosis or meditation will help to maintain the changes and cement them in place. It will also improve your mental health on all levels resulting in better physical health too. However, I do understand the pressures and realities of life, and consider this within the structure of the hypnosis.