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Clinical Hypnotherapy
FAQ

  • What is Hypnosis, really?

Have you ever been driving and suddenly realized as you reach the destination that you're not exactly sure how you got there?​ Or maybe you're doing the dishes, playing sports, painting, or daydreaming, and you find yourself in a flow state where your body continues to go through the motions and your mind just kind of floats in what we sometimes call 'the zone'?

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Are you familiar with the sensation of those moments right before falling asleep or fully waking up?

​Then you've been in hypnosis!

​It's a deep, natural state of relaxation we all move into and out of several times a day, every day.

 

When we enter it intentionally, it acts as a space where our conscious and subconscious minds can negotiate any conflict between them. This allows us a way to bypass the typical 'filter' system of the conscious mind and go directly to the heart of the emotion or issue residing in the subconscious.

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Most importantly, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. As a hypnotherapist, my job is to provide and hold the space for you to explore whatever needed within you, and help guide you toward ways to address and balance what is discovered if desired. 

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  • What are some of the myths or misunderstandings about Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is not a show nor entertainment. If you've ever had a friend cluck like a chicken under 'stage hypnosis', you can be absolutely sure they wanted to cluck like a chicken. That is not a therapeutic use of the flow state, and no one can be made to do or say anything against their will under any kind of hypnosis.

 

You remain in complete control at all times, able to withhold or divulge information at will or even get up and walk away at any moment.

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Hypnosis is not a medical intervention, nor a substitute for qualified physical or mental health services. There are absolutely things which are outside the scope of my practice, and I will be entirely up front with you about this before accepting a booking.

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Hypnosis is not something that is done to you. It cannot and will not work without the desire and active participation of the client. You will be awake and aware the entire time, and will remember everything that happened in the session.​​

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  • How does hypnotherapy work?

In a deeply relaxed trance state, your conscious mind is able to step to the side and just observe, allowing you to then work directly with your subconscious mind to affect the greatest change in thought patterns or behaviors. This state also allows your conscious and subconscious to work together to help implement the changes in your life moving forward.

 

  • What kind of issues can be addressed through Clinical Hypnotherapy?

Anything from stage fright to fear of heights, from general fear and stress relief to building self-confidence or motivation, and from finding the root of an issue or unhealthy pattern to processing grief. Many have found help by examining their emotional relationship to food, tobacco, or alcohol through this modality, as well. 

 

Hypnotherapy is not a guarantee, however. It is a process that's best entered into with an open mind - the more invested you are in your own participation, the better your results will be.

 

  • What does hypnosis feel like?

At first it feels very much like a guided meditation – just a gentle settling into deep relaxation. As you are exploring the therapeutic work, various emotions may come up as we move through the issues, but because you’re working from the subconscious mind this also takes place in a dreamlike, deeply relaxed state. Should anything become overwhelming for you emotionally, we can help you transition into more of an observer role that allows us to process and release it together from that space. When you emerge from hypnosis, it’s common to feel extremely calm and refreshed.

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Also, each person experiences hypnosis a little differently. Some may see things visually, some hear what's going on around them first, some feel what is happening instead and can then describe it, and some may just know and are able to relate what they know. There is no 'right' way to receive information, and it's extremely helpful to be open to however it may come to you. Even if you are very visual in your waking life, under hypnosis you may feel or know instead, or vice versa.​​

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  • Who can be hypnotized?

As all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, anyone with the desire to be hypnotized can go under. It is not something that is done to you, rather it is something that is done by you with my guidance. However, heavy medication, drugs, and alcohol directly affect this. If you are taking a prescription such as pain medication that affects your ability to focus, hypnosis may not be for you at this time. Sessions are not conducted on those under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Also, it is difficult for very young children to maintain the focus necessary for hypnotherapy to be productive, so I do not work with anyone under the age of 8.

 

  • What if I can’t go under?

It is extremely rare for a willing client to not reach a state of hypnosis. Some do require a little more time to find their flow state, but eventually reach it with guidance. In the event it does not happen for you, we will work together to discover the origin of the block, and move forward from there.

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  • How do we address issues that might be triggering for me?

I never regress anyone into a traumatic event or period in their lives without permission and deep preparation. This is one of the benefits of having the Discovery Call - these are the things we can discuss ahead of time. Should there be an issue you wish to work on but are uncomfortable revisiting through regression, we switch techniques into Parts Therapy instead, examining and communicating with various Parts of yourself.

 

This could be anything from your Inner Child conversing with your Adult Self, to perhaps (for example) calling forward The One Who Is Afraid In Public from your subconscious so we can find out what that Part of you needs to feel safe again. Parts Therapy allows us the ability to communicate directly with the subconscious without having to relive the trauma itself, and is often wildly successful.

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  • What if my conscious mind won't be quiet?

It's virtually impossible to completely quiet the conscious mind. Instead, during hypnosis, we ask the conscious mind to take a seat in the 'observation box' and just watch as we work directly with the subconscious. You may still hear mind chatter, such as "what am I going to think?", "what if nothing comes to me?", "is this really going to work?", "is that memory actually real?" or even more mundane things like what you're having for dinner or an email you need to send.

 

When this happens, simply take a deep breath and relax into the process, trusting that your mind is going to show you exactly what you need to know for this session. In allowing the conscious mind to chatter as it will and not giving it energy by fighting it, you make space for what really needs to rise to the surface through the subconscious mind. The less you try, the easier the information comes.​

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  • What happens if I have to go to the restroom during my hypnotherapy session or need to move my body?

It's a good idea to manage your liquid intake before you arrive, as sessions run 1 to 1 1/2 hours. However, if this need does arise, simply let me know and we'll bring you up to a level of consciousness where you can safely go to the restroom and return. Then we will re-deepen you to the previous level and continue with the session.

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You will be free and able to move, shift, scratch your nose, or make any other physical adjustment needed while under hypnosis. It is not a fragile state, and you will not suddenly 'come out' of hypnosis just because your body moved.

 

  • How much will I remember from my hypnotherapy session?

Everything! While your conscious mind is sitting off to the side, it’s still observing. You will be present and aware of your entire session, and will remember all the emotion, conversations, and answers that took place. 

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  • What will I feel after my hypnotherapy session?

This obviously varies based on the individual and the type of session. In general after hypnotherapy, clients feel relief, relaxation, a sense of calmness and being centered, or even energized. If there was deep emotional work done during the session, there may be a period of energetic readjustment in the days following, which may look like general tiredness, body aches, or headache.

 

This clears up quickly however, and is swiftly replaced with feelings of empowerment and balance. Think of having a massage or energy work done and the way you feel post-session - hypnotherapy is very similar in that way. I suggest my clients avoid scheduling a session when they have an important event or something physically demanding scheduled the same day or even the next day.

 

  • What’s really happening in my brain during hypnosis?

Our beautiful brains move through a spectrum of wave patterns all day, every day. Think of these as going from fastest to slowest, though we move in and out of each brainwave pattern many times a day, back and forth.

 

 When we are awake, highly aware, and hyper-focused, our brains are producing Gamma waves.

 Just going about our everyday tasks, conscious and alert, we are in the Beta state producing Beta waves.

When we are awake but relaxed and not necessarily focusing on anything in particular, this is the Alpha state.

When we are meditating, beginning to fall asleep, or in the first stages of sleep, our brainwaves are in the Theta state.

In deep, restorative sleep, our brains produce Delta waves.

 

In hypnosis, the brain moves into Theta state, the realm of deep meditation, trance, and the subconscious. This is where we can explore things on a deeper level with more lasting results.

LOCATION

20 Grove St., Ste. 310

Peterborough, NH 03458

(888) 495-7450

APPOINTMENT ONLY

CONTACT

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