Hypnotherapy is therapy that takes place in a hypnotic state. Hypnotherapy utilises the mind's natural ability to enter a state of relaxed focused attention and subsequent dissociation from the conscious rational mind In this state you can put things outside your awareness that would normally fight for attention. This cognitive flexibility enables you to restructure experience and try out different ways of being without judgement or limitation.

Hypnosis is best understood as a state of relaxed yet concentrated attention, where the mind becomes more receptive to changes it might usually resist. This is a state we naturally enter throughout the day—whether absorbed in a daydream, immersed in a book, meditating, or in "flow" while exercising or working 

“Hypnosis is roused attentive focal concentration with a relative restriction of conscious awareness. So Hypnosis is to consciousness what looking through a tele-photo lens is to a camera. You see what you see in great detail but you are less aware of the context of the surroundings”

Dr. David Spiegel MD, Stanford Associate Chair of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, 

Hypnotherapy can be used to address a wide range of issues

Common cases in my Practice include, but are not limited to: 

Addiction, abuse, anger, anxiety, burn out, creative blocks, lack of confidence, depression, fear, grief, heart break, insomnia, low self-esteem OCD, pain, performance enhancement, phobias, PTSD, self -sabotage, self-doubt, shame, stress, trauma.

Trauma can make us feel as though we are stuck and trapped in that moment in time Hyper vigilance, sensitivity, anxiety, anger, fear, insomnia and depression are common symptoms. We know that our responses don’t make sense and feel ‘out of proportion’ but they happen anyway which can make us feel hopeless, helpless and ashamed, While talking about the trauma can be helpful, it is often insufficient and can risk exacerbating PTSD symptoms.

Hypnotherapy offers a different approach by bypassing the overactive left brain to access the unconscious emotional and sensory memories stored in the right brain. This method allows individuals to process and reframe their traumatic experiences without becoming overwhelmed. Through hypnotherapy, one can come to recognise that the danger has passed and reconnect with the present reality.

“Hypnosis can induce a state of relative calm from which patients can observe their traumatic experiences without being overwhelmed by them. Since that capacity to quietly observe oneself is a critical factor in the integration of traumatic memories, it is likely that hypnosis, in some form, will make a comeback.”

Bessel Van Der Kolk MD ‘The Body Keeps The Score’

Some clients as if they’ve "drifted off" or even fallen asleep, while others experience emotional release or sudden insights Any initial concerns about "not going deep enough" or "not being able to let go" are alleviated as  clients understand that they are in complete control. 

“While most people fear losing control in hypnosis, it is in fact a means of enhancing mind-body control,” Spiegel says. Instead of allowing pain, anxiety or other unhelpful states to run the show, hypnosis helps people to exert more control over their thoughts and perception”  D. David Speigel, Time Magazine. 

During hypnosis the brain waves shift from Beta frequency (full waking consciousness) to alpha or theta frequency (resembling light daydream or deep relaxation) where heightened focus and receptivity occurs.

Diagram - 3 circles 

3 key changes occur to the brain during hypnosis: 

1. Salience Network activity decreases and changes the management of incoming information to reduce distraction and intensify focus.

2. Connectivity increases between the Executive Control Network and Salience network which enhances attention and mind-body control. 

3. Connectivity to the Default Mode Network increases allowing the freedom to experience a new perspective or version of oneself unhindered by current self-perception.

Hypnotherapy is not only about solving problems. Athletes and business leaders use it to hone mental focus and improve performance; athletes report using it to get 'into the zone,' while artists, writers and poets often attribute idea and inspiration emerging from subconscious trance states - akin to hypnosis.

Is online hypnotherapy effective? 

Equal results

Contrary to popular myth, hypnosis does not require deep-trance or in-person contact to be effective, it can be induced through conversation alone and therefore well suited to the online environment. Once connected to the unconscious, our environment is peripheral, therefore whether online or in person, results are the equal.

With a trained, certified and insured professional it is a safe and natural process in which you retain complete control and one cannot get stuck in hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy traces its roots to ancient practices but has evolved alongside modern understandings of altered states of consciousness. Contemporary scientific research supports its efficacy, with brain imaging studies revealing notable changes in neural connectivity, and clinical trials underscoring its benefits for pain management and behavioral health issues.

Advances in neuroplasticity further validate hypnotherapy by showing how it supports the formation of new neural pathways through cognitive restructuring. While psychedelics and plant medicines are gaining attention for their ability to induce altered states of consciousness, particularly in trauma treatment, hypnotherapy presents a compelling, drug-free, and cost-effective alternative for achieving similar transformative mind states.

“Hypnosis is a psychological technique used in medicine and psychology as a tool to help bring about positive changes to both the mind and the body”

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Freud’s iceberg analogy compares the conscious mind to the small tip above the water, representing current awareness within our control. This part is analytical and rational.

The larger submerged portion of the iceberg represents the unconscious mind, which includes memories, experiences, dreams, and belief systems, influencing approximately  95% of our mental processes without our direct awareness. It communicates through metaphor, symbolism, imagination and feeling.

Hypnotherapy works beneath the surface to address deeper unconscious aspects for lasting automatic change.