Here are some explanations of some words used in hypnotherapy. I have put them in order of relevance rather than alphabetically.

Hypnosis

The definition of hypnosis is the bypass of the critical faculty of the mind establishing a state where suggestion is accepted without question.
Everyone is born with the ability to be hypnotised. The Hypnotist merely guides the subject into a natural trance. A popular myth is that a person can be hypnotised without consent. This is simply not true because ‘all hypnosis is self hypnosis’ so there has to be concent to be hypnotised. People also worry about being controlled by the Hypnotist. During hypnosis the subject’s mind is so focused the senses of sight, sound, feelings, taste and smell become greatly enhanced. Therefore subjects actually have greater control of their senses.
Hypnosis is ‘not sleep‘ or relaxation though the words are used during hypnosis as it is what people expect. A hypnotised subject is aware of their surroundings but is so focused on the Hypnotist that they are not bothered by outside interference.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is when hypnosis is used for the purpose of creating therapeutic change. Because the critical faculty of the mind is not interfering changes can more easily be made in the subconscious mind.

Stage Hypnosis

The hypnosis used in stage hypnosis is the same in hypnotherapy but for the purpose of entertainment. All the volunteers on stage are up for fun and relish the idea of acting like a child for the evening. Most people’s idea of hypnosis comes from watching hypnotists on TV or on stage which is a shame because it often gives the wrong impression. Hypnosis is not a state of sleep or a state where you can be made to do things against your deepest moral beliefs. What stage hypnosis does do, is highlight the power if suggestibility.

Direct Suggestion

In a hypnotic state people are very suggestible. Hypnotherapists use a direct suggestion to program in helpful information and to compound the therapeutic work that they have just done. Some hypnotherapist’s read scripts which is a type of direct suggestion.

Hypnotic Age Regression

Hypnotic Regression therapy allows the hypnotherapist to guide you back in time to locate a memory that is generating an unproductive belief. When the memory that is causing the issue is found it can be reviewed, understood and be re-processed. Once this is done you can carry on life without the unproductive belief that was being maintained by the memory of that incident.
Through out your life your subconscious mind will store away new events, learning’s, and anything that you find fascinating. The memories it keeps could be called momentous moments and these moments go towards forming your belief system. If something of interest occurs the brain will retain that memory as a reference to compare with any similar future events.
Hypnotic regression usually takes the person back to childhood where most of our beliefs about our selves are formed. For example if an important event happened when you were six years old you would have evaluated that event using your six years worth of experience. By re-visiting that event and looking at it with an adult perspective that memory can be re-processed, re-evaluated with adult knowledge.
It is very important to remember that memories are not always the absolute truth, just that individual’s perception of that experience. Your brain likes things to be completed so it can add additional pieces of information if it feels that something is missing. Memories can change over time, especially if frequently revisited and that is why they are only as accurate as the last time you visited them.
Hypnotic Age Regression Therapy can be used to find and reprocess most past events from childhood including Trauma, Abuse, Bullying, Anxiety and Phobia’s.

Hypnotic Parts Therapy

Hypnotic Parts Therapy can be used when a persons issues make them feel torn and uncomfortable inside. Parts therapy is also known as Ego State Therapy or Resource State Therapy. The concept is widely used by Psychiatrists but is more focused when used in conjunction with hypnosis.
If you have ever had difficulty making a decision then you will have had experience with internally conflicting Parts. We have different parts that take responsibility for different jobs. For example when we see a baby a loving, nurturing part may come forward. When we are in danger a protecting part may come forward or when we are in a playful mood a child like part will come forward. Parts therapy is not to be confused with multiple personalities (schizophrenia); these different parts ‘are not separate personalities’ but parts that make up a whole person. When all our parts are working harmoniously together there is no inner conflict and we feel settled.
Sometimes inappropriate parts come forward at the wrong time or just have the wrong job. An example of this would be a person who frequently suffers from road rage. In such incidents it would be far better for a calm part to deal with the situation rather than an angry, out of control part. Another example could be someone suffering from lack of confidence when putting their point across. This job would be far better undertaken by a confident assertive part than a quiet, nervous part.
Under hypnosis the hypnotherapist identifies the conflicting parts or the parts with the wrong jobs. They then swap their rolls or are allocated help from other appropriate internal parts.
When all of your internal parts are working harmoniously together you can accomplish inner peace.
Hypnotic Parts Therapy is commonly used for smoking cessation, weight control, road rage, anger, confidence, procrastination and motivation.

Metaphor

For many centuries stories with meanings have been used to prepare children for adulthood and to keep them safe in childhood. Even as adults we still love hearing and reading stories from books and watching films at the cinema. When we are being told stories our conscious, logical mind takes a break and our subconscious, imaginative mind takes over.
There is a noticeable emotional shift when we are reading a captivating book or watching a film and the more we get engrossed in it the bigger the shift. We feel excitement when there is a chase and sadness or anger when the hero is hurt. If there are lessons to be learned we are more likely to take note of them in this subconscious state where the boundaries between what is real and what is not merge.
During hypnotherapy we tell stories that are similar to our clients situation, but with positive outcomes that encourage their subconscious to change. Even if the stories are far-fetched their subconscious can relate them to their current situation but will prefer the more positive outcome of the story.

Hypnotic Symbolism

The subconscious mind uses five senses sight, hearing, feeling, taste and smell to build up a representation of an experience. When this experience is called to mind it comes back as a symbol. We could call this representation a metaphoric symbol of the event and it is unique to the individual.
For example if I said to 20 people “what is the first thing that comes to mind when I say Norwich?” I could get 20 different answers like Norfolk, canary, cathedral, castle etc depending on each person’s internal symbol of Norwich.
Using the process of hypnotic symbolism negative symbols can be changed for positive symbols altering the internal representation of that experience.
By using people’s exact representation of an experience with their symbols long-lasting, permanent changes can be made using hypnotic symbolism.
You cannot change what has happened to you in the past but you can change the way you feel about it when you recall the events.
Hypnotic Symbolism can be used for many issues including anxiety, trauma, depression, heartache and negativity.

NLP

NLP is the study and replication of the processes that successful people use to gain success. Neuro Linguistic Programming was the brainchild of Dr Richard Bandler and John Grinder back in the 1970s They were studying something called the meta-model which involves breaking down the language people used to describe experiences and how they were feeling.
Bandler and Grinder devised that all of us use Generalizations, Deletions and Distortions in our thinking to navigate through life as efficiently and as smoothly as possible. Mostly these processes work to our advantage allowing us to navigate through life but sometimes they don’t which causes restricted thinking.
NLP techniques can break down (or chunk down) the language patterns that people use to get to the cause of their restricted thinking. Once they themselves are made aware of their restricted thinking they have the choice to change through conscious re-learning.
They studied a famous hypnotherapist called Milton Erickson widely known as the Grandfather of Modern Hypnosis and learned how to apply hypnosis to NLP and increased its effectiveness.
Bandler and Grinder also worked with many other greats of the time including anthropologist, linguist and social scientist Gregory Bateson and social worker Virginia Satir to develop the foundations of NLP. Fritz Pearls, creator of Gestalt therapy also heavily influence Richard Bandler.
As well as studying famous people they studied ordinary people who had gotten over their fears, phobia’s and trauma’s so that they could teach others to do the same
Bandler and Grinder wrote their first book together called The Structure of Magic in 1975 but parted company in 1980 to develop their own ideas on how NLP should go forward.
Phobias, bad habits and confidence issues for example can be dealt with sometimes in a matter of minutes with NLP techniques.

If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message in the box below or call me on 07899886882.