To start off the New Year I thought it would be worth clearing the table of a few of the common misunderstandings. It might be worth talking about hypnosis, hypnotherapy and what it can and can't do.

​The part that interests and intrigues my clients the most, often above and beyond the results they can get is how it works. So I'm going to spend a little bit of time talking about what hypnosis is, and what it isn't.

Hypnosis is a mental state of hyper focus, often called a trance where the mind is paying attention to one thing and one thing only. People go into this state all the time whether it's driving home, knitting or watching a movie. This state of mind happens to be the perfect place to take useful and positive suggestions on board. I liken these suggestions to a good targeted advert and that brings us to what hypnosis isn't. The word I hear used again and again is 'control'. "I don't want you to control me." or "I'm too strong willed to be controlled." My response is that that's perfect because hypnosis can't control you anymore than an advert can 'make' you buy something. If you don't want to do something then hypnosis cannot make you do it.

Is it safe? If you think about it, if hypnotists could make people do anything that they weren't already on board with then the world would be full of bank robbers and criminals by proxy. The tricks you may have seen with stage hypnotists or on TV are short term and rely heavily on the subjects willingness to go along with it and confusion caused by being distracted whilst in a trance. "So what's the point, if it's just a trick" you ask? Well, hypnotherapists don't rely on that, we make suggestions to your subconscious mind based on your own requests. Going back to the really good advert analogy, imagine if you made your own adverts for things you wanted and then, the next time at the store you saw those same ads. Wouldn't you be more likely to get those items? That's what we can do with hypnosis. It is very powerful but it is certainly not putting 'control' into the therapists hands.

What can we accomplish through hypnosis? The answer to that is an annoyingly vague 'a lot'. The human brain wonderfully complex organ and capable of amazing things. That said, the usual treatments are for chronic pain, addiction treatment, phobias, anxiety, mild depression, motivation and weight loss.

Is it right for you? Well, hypnosis can have great results for just about anyone with the following exceptions. I can't hypnotise you if you have certain types of mental illness, you have an excessively low IQ, we don't share a language or you don't want to be hypnotised. Beyond or outside those qualifiers? The sky is the limit.

I was recently seeing a client who had just begun to feel as though everything in the world was going wrong for her. She said she was feeling stressed out, overwhelmed, like she was strapped to a deflating balloon, flying all over the place, directionless and a victim of forces outside her control. All that was left for her, she felt, was the inevitable big crash when the balloon ran out of air.
 
"Wow!" I thought to myself, she must have some huge things going on her life right now to make her feel this helpless. Then as we started to talk, each thing in itself seemed small, something that many of us are lucky enough to almost be able to ignore, annoying but no more than a mild irritant. This poor lady had so many of them, they were building up, and up, and all those irritants were starting to rub her raw.
 
The Perceived Stress Scale or PSS as it is known, is a widely used system to measure how people see their own stress. It is used to measure how resilient people are, how able to cope with the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' as Shakespeare might have said. People who score highly might have difficulty letting go of stress, it builds up and makes everything else that much harder. People who have a high PSS also often have associated problems like less resistance to disease, depression, difficulty quitting smoking or controlling blood sugar levels in the case of diabetics. In our modern fast paced, and often high anxiety lifestyle a high PSS score is common and, once it starts to escalate, it can get worse and worse very quickly if we don't have enough time to regain our equilibrium between stressful events, just as a snowball gets bigger and bigger as it rolls downhill.
 
One of the things I love about hypnotism is that it gives people a chance to reset or to ‘reboot’ their computer. Hypnosis is a virus clearer. All the things you have on your plate get reset. For some of the people that I see this is the first time in days, weeks or months that they have been able to relax, unwind and get their breath back again. Hypnosis is a deeply relaxing experience and, even ignoring the therapy itself, can give people a chance to reset their systems and get ready for a new day. When you add the suggestions that we have worked on, it can be a total life changer, giving people the resilience to carry on without letting those small annoyances build up again.
 
That is the emotional resilience that can be helped through hypnosis, and a large part of why I do what I do,  something I have seen happen again and again with clients in my practice. People arriving anxious and jittery and leaving, ready to take on the world, as if they have just seen sunshine and tasted fresh air for the first time in years.

I thought I would share this story about one family’s journey thanks to a mother’s virtual gastric banding, weight-loss programme.

Sally, a very attractive mother of two teenage boys, was worried about her appearance, feeling (probably wrongly) that her boys were ashamed of her weight. The family were about to go on holiday, where walking on the beach and swimming were the main attraction. And that meant, wearing togs.

As always, during the first session of four, I spend some time finding out more about Sally, and her goals, what she wanted to achieve (not only weight-wise, but how she really wanted to feel.)

Clearly concerned about body image, she admitted that she often felt tired, frumpy, didn’t sleep well, and often felt ‘down’. When we talked about her eating habits, and I asked her where she normally ate, in common with, astoundingly, 98% of my clients, she said the whole family sat in arm chairs, watching TV, or playing with electronic gadgets while they ate.

So picture the scene: everyone mindlessly shovelling food into their mouth, quite literally hypnotised by the telly. So, do you talk about your day with your family? No. Do you find out what’s going on at school, or with friends? No. Do you notice what you’re eating? (be honest here!) No. Do you know when you’ve had enough to eat? No. I could go on in this vein, but I’m sure you get the idea. Sally certainly did. I asked her to start eating at table, with no electronic distractions.

By the fourth hypnotherapy session, Sally greeted me with a huge smile. “Daniel,” she beamed, “You have changed our family life. Though very reluctant at first, my husband and boys joined me at table. No telly, no phone, just us. But a strange thing happened. After four days, the boys were setting the table without even being asked. The next day, a friend of theirs was invited and, surprised, was shown his seat at table. Mindlessly, he took out his phone, upon which the boys gently frowned at him, and asked him to put it away.”
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Sally continued “We now TALK as a family. We’re finding out so much more about each other, and what goes on in our lives. We eat slowly, we savour our food and I’m now aware of how much I eat and when I feel satisfied. The family now even join me on my evening walks. I have lost four kilos, but, more important, I feel so much better. I have more energy, no more indigestion, and I can’t wait to stroll down that beach in togs, feeling incredible!

​Can I ask you some hard questions?


Do you struggle with cravings for sugar? Do you find it hard to resist the temptation of sweet treats? Do you feel guilty or ashamed after indulging in sugary foods?


If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are certainly not alone. Sugar addiction is a real and serious problem that affects many people here in New Zealand.


Sugar consumption has been linked to a host of health problems, such as diabetes, tooth decay, mood swings, and most frustratingly unwanted weight gain.


I’m going to call her Paula. Paula was fed up with sugar, and was finally ready to do something about it.


Paula, a 35-year-old mother of two wonderful children. She described herself to me as addicted to sugar since she was a child. She used to eat chocolate, biscuits, cakes, and ice cream every day, sometimes even for breakfast.


She felt powerless to control her cravings and often binged on sugar when she was stressed, bored, or lonely. She gained a lot of weight, had recently developed type 2 diabetes, and suffered from low self-esteem and depression.


She kept trying diets and programs to quit sugar, but nothing worked, despite all their lofty promises. She always ended up relapsing and feeling worse than before. She felt hopeless and helpless.


Then a friend told her about hypnotherapy and we talked about her options during the free consultation that I offer.


In the end she decided to give it a try, she felt that she had had nothing left to lose.


We had three sessions of hypnotherapy over three weeks. During each session, I guided her into a relaxed and focused state of mind and gave her suggestions to reduce her sugar intake, increase her motivation, boost her confidence, and cope with stress and emotions in healthy ways.


She also received a personalised hypnosis recording that she listened to every day at home. The recording reinforced the suggestions and helped her stay on track.


The results were startling.


Paula told me that she had noticed a dramatic decrease in her sugar cravings and consumption. She no longer felt the urge to eat sugar all the time. She started to enjoy healthier foods and drinks. She lost weight, improved her blood sugar levels, and felt happier and more energetic.


She said: "Hypnotherapy changed my life. I never thought I could beat my sugar addiction, but I did. I feel like a new person. I have more control over my eating habits and my emotions. I have more self-respect and self-love. I am proud of myself and grateful I took the chance to try hypnotherapy."


If you want to follow Paula's example and overcome a sugar addiction with hypnotherapy, book a free consultation today at the link below.


Don't let sugar ruin your health and happiness. Take action now, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.


To your success,

​Jack had a stressful job that required him to travel frequently, causing him to miss precious time with his family, and deal with demanding clients.


He started drinking wine every night to unwind and relax.


Just a glass…to start.


He thought it was harmless, but soon he realized he was drinking more than he intended.


He would finish a bottle of wine by himself, and sometimes even open another one.


He felt guilty and ashamed, but he couldn’t stop. The pressure from work, just wouldn’t let go. He got embarrassed when people noticed or commented on the few extra kilos he was starting to pick up and he had difficulty motivating himself to get to the gym in the morning, feeling sluggish as he started each day.


He tried to quit on his own, but he always ended up drinking again. He felt weak and hopeless. He was afraid of losing his health, his family, and his career.


He knew he needed help, but he didn’t want to go to rehab or attend AA meetings. He felt embarrassed and isolated.


So he decided to try hypnotherapy after a close friend who cared deeply for him recommended it.


He was nervous at first, but he was willing to give it a try.


During the session, Jack entered a state of deep relaxation and focused attention. Jack was able to identify and change the personal demons that were driving his wine addiction.


Jack also learned the skills he could use to cope with stress and cravings. Jack started to feel his self-esteem and belief in himself rising.


After a few sessions, Jack noticed a remarkable reduction in his alcohol consumption and his overall well-being.


He felt more in control of his drinking and his life. He was able to reduce his wine intake gradually and eventually made the decision to stop completely.


He began to feel more calm, happy, and fulfilled. He enjoyed his work more and spent more quality time with his family and friends.


Jack is one of the many people who have successfully overcome alcohol addiction with hypnotherapy.


Hypnotherapy can help you address the root cause of your addiction and empower you to make positive changes.


If you want to learn more about how hypnotherapy can help you (or a loved one) overcome alcohol addiction, book your free consultation below. You’ll be glad you did. 😊

​Claire (name changed for privacy) was a smoker for 15 years before she switched to vaping, thinking it was a safer alternative.


However, she soon realized that vaping was just as addictive and harmful as smoking, and decided she wanted to quit for good.


She tried all the usual methods, like nicotine patches, gum, and medication, but none of them worked for her. She felt frustrated and hopeless, and wondered if she would ever be free from nicotine.


That’s when she heard about hypnotherapy and how it helps people quit smoking and vaping without medication and terrible side-effects.


She decided to give it a try, and booked a free consultation.


When we spoke we talked about how hypnotherapy is a natural and effective way to change the subconscious beliefs and habits that keep people hooked on nicotine.


She also learned that hypnotherapy is not mind control or magic, but a collaborative process that empowers the client to take charge of their own health and well-being.


Claire signed up for a customized quit vaping program that consisted of two sessions over two weeks.


In each session, she was guided into a relaxed state of mind, where she received positive suggestions and affirmations that reinforced her desire to quit vaping.


She also learned some self-hypnosis techniques that she could use at home to cope with any cravings or triggers. She felt more confident and motivated after each session, and noticed that her urge to vape was gradually decreasing.


By the end of the 2-week program, Claire was completely vape-free.


She felt proud of herself and happy with her achievement.


She noticed that she had more energy, better breathing, and improved sense of taste and smell.


She also saved a lot of money that she used to spend on vaping products.


She said that quitting vaping was the best decision she ever made, and that hypnotherapy was the best tool she ever used.


If you want to follow Claire’s example and quit vaping for good, book your free consultation today. You have nothing to lose but your addiction. You can do it!