Tim Maude Hypnotherapy

Category: Hypnotherapy

  • Busting the Hollywood Hype: Unveiling the Truth About Hypnosis

    Busting the Hollywood Hype: Unveiling the Truth About Hypnosis

    Hypnosis has been portrayed in countless movies, TV programmes and stage shows as a mysterious and almost magical process, where people are clucking like chickens or revealing their deepest secrets under the power of a swinging pocket watch. Derren Brown appears to make people do extraordinary things just by talking to them.

    But how much of this is really true? Can a hypnotherapist simply snap their fingers and all your problems are gone? Can a hypnotherapist make you cluck like a chicken? (Spoiler alert … the answer to these questions is an emphatic “NO”.)

    Myth #1: Hypnosis is mind control

    Hollywood loves the idea of hypnotists controlling people’s minds and making them do whatever they want. However, in reality, hypnosis is not about control. It is a state of deep relaxation and focused attention that allows people to become more suggestible to positive suggestions. People under hypnosis are still in control of their own actions and cannot be forced to do anything they don’t want to do.

    Myth #2: Some people cannot by hypnotised

    In reality, everyone is susceptible to hypnosis to some degree. Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and deep relaxation that we all experience from time to time, such as when we get lost in a book or daydream. While some people may be more easily hypnotised than others, susceptibility is not a fixed trait. With the right approach and an open mind, anyone can experience the benefits of hypnosis.

    Myth #3: Hypnosis can change you instantly

    The myth of the instantaneous cure is a persistent one, often perpetuated by media portrayals of hypnosis as a magic trick that can solve any problem in a single session. While hypnosis can be a powerful tool for positive change, it’s important to remember that it’s not a magic bullet. Lasting change often requires multiple sessions, commitment, and effort from both the client and the hypnotherapist.

    Think of it like building a new habit. Just as it takes time and practice to solidify a new behaviour, so too does it take time and repeated exposure to positive suggestions to rewire your subconscious mind and create lasting change. The good news is that hypnosis can help you make those changes more effectively by increasing your motivation, focus, and receptivity to positive suggestions.

    So, what is hypnosis really?

    Hypnosis is a natural state of mind that we all experience from time to time. When you’re daydreaming, watching a movie that completely absorbs you, or even getting lost in a good book, you’re in a hypnotic state. Hypnotherapists use techniques to help people enter this state more deeply and focus their attention on positive suggestions.

    What’s the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy?

    Hypnosis and hypnotherapy, while often mentioned in the same breath, are distinct concepts. Imagine hypnosis as a relaxed state of mind. In this state, your focus narrows, and you become more receptive to suggestion. Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, is the therapeutic application of hypnosis to address specific issues. It’s like using the state of focused attention created by hypnosis as a tool to help you get back in control of yourself.

    What problems is hypnotherapy good for?

    Hypnotherapy can help in any situation where you appear not to be in full control of your thoughts, feelings or actions. This includes:

    • Anxiety and stress
    • Sleep problems
    • Depression
    • Lack of confidence
    • Addictions (smoking, vaping, chocolate etc etc)
    • Unwanted “bad” habits
    • Phobias

    How do I find out more?

    Check out the rest of my website and contact me. I run my hypnotherapy clinic in Fleet, Hampshire as well as online. I will be happy to have a short chat on the phone and answer any questions you might have.

    Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay

  • Goodbye Anxiety: Focusing on the Good Can Supercharge Hypnotherapy

    Goodbye Anxiety: Focusing on the Good Can Supercharge Hypnotherapy

    I often start my hypnotherapy session with a simple question: “What’s been good?” It seems a strange question to ask of a client who has come to me with a life full of anxiety.

    My clients think they have come to talk about their problems, and they find me asking, “What’s good in your life?” Strange though it may seem, talking about the positive really boosts the power of hypnotherapy in sorting out the problems they have with anxiety.

    Breaking the Downward Spiral

    Anxiety can get into a downward spiral. The purpose of anxiety is to get you to focus on the problem in order to sort it out. But thinking about the problem often only makes the matter worse. Anxiety is a bit of a hangover from the time when our ancestors lived in a dangerous world.

    Focusing on problems and the bad things that happen to us all simple adds to the anxiety. The increased anxiety makes us focus on all the bad stuff all over again … and so on into a downward spiral.

    Why Appreciation Matters

    Appreciation isn’t about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about acknowledging the good, the positive aspects of life, even in the midst of difficulty. It’s like shining a spotlight on the tiny green shoots pushing through the bare soil, celebrating the small victories and pockets of joy that exist alongside the challenges.

    Appreciation does more than just make you feel good. It has a profound impact on our minds and bodies. Studies have shown that practicing gratitude can:

    • Reduce stress and anxiety
    • Boost the immune system
    • Improve sleep quality
    • Increase feelings of happiness and well-being
    • Enhance self-esteem and confidence

    Appreciation in Hypnotherapy

    Having a few moments of being positive provides a real boost to hypnotherapy. When you learn to appreciate the good things in life – no matter how small – your subconscious mind relaxes, just a little bit, and allows change to take place. So that when you go into a light hypnotic trance the subconscious is far better able to deal with the backlog of stress and anxiety that has built up.

    Appreciation does not only help boost the power of hypnotherapy. It can be used to decrease the impact of anxiety in your life, even if you don’t have any type of therapy.

    How to Cultivate Appreciation

    Appreciation is a skill that needs practice. You may like to try some of these:

    • Keep a gratitude journal: Take a few minutes each day to write down things you’re grateful for, big or small.
    • Practice mindfulness: Pay attention to the present moment and notice the good things that happen around you, even if they seem insignificant.
    • Express gratitude to others: Let the people in your life know how much you appreciate them.
    • Celebrate your successes: Take time to acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small.
    • Focus on the positive: When you find yourself dwelling on negative thoughts, make a conscious effort to shift your focus to the good things in your life.

    By incorporating these practices into your daily life, you’ll cultivate a more positive mindset and create a foundation for lasting change. Remember, it’s not about ignoring the challenges you face, but rather about acknowledging them while also shining a light on the strengths, resources, and positive aspects that already exist within you.

    Appreciation is a powerful tool, and when used in conjunction with hypnotherapy, it can help you unlock your full potential.

    And Finally

    Not everyone can manage their own anxiety without help. If feel you need some assistance, I help people overcome their anxieties using hypnotherapy. I work from my clinic in Fleet, Hampshire as well as online. Give me a call or drop me a message.

    Yours appreciatively
    Tim

    Photo courtesy of JoEllen Moths on Pexels

  • What is Trance and is it safe in Hypnotherapy?

    What is Trance and is it safe in Hypnotherapy?

    Trance is a normal state that your mind can go into. Indeed, our minds drift in and out of trance everyday. Imagine yourself sitting down reading a good book, or watching a film perhaps – something that totally absorbs you.

    In trance you are totally absorbed about something, not consciously making an effort to do anything, just allowing your subconscious to get on with doing whatever it is you are doing. Do you recognise any of these experiences?:

    • Most drivers will have experienced a time when they drive a familiar route – to work perhaps – and when they arrive, they cannot remember anything that happened on the way. This is because they allowed their subconscious to get on with the driving while their mind was dreaming about something else.
    • Football fans will experience watching their favourite team play an important game, and be so absorbed with every pass of the ball that they are unaware of anything else going on around them.
    • When going to a dance, people can find themselves so absorbed in the music and the movement of their bodies that everything else disappears from their mind.
    • Throughout the day, we all experience moments when our minds start daydreaming about something.

    There are many other examples of trance that I’m sure you can think of – times when you are so absorbed in something or times when you are doing something so familiar to you that you do it without thinking and you can go into a day-dream. It is at these times of everyday trance when our minds become creative as they are free to do whatever they want to do.

    During these times our subconscious minds can get on with processing unwanted emotions or working on a solution to a problem without us being consciously aware of it.

    And this is why trance is so useful in hypnotherapy. After discussing a problem and what could be done to alleviate it, the hypnotherapist puts the client into trance. The subconscious mind can then start to work on a solution to the problem without the client being aware of what is going on. The brain will continue to work on find a solution beyond the session and so it may be a while later that changes start to happen.

    Trance is a natural state that everyone goes into – every single day – even if it is just for a few moments. Through skilled use of questioning and inducing a trance, the hypnotherapist can use the healing power of trance to help the client discover their own solutions to their own particular problems.

    If you would like help with a problem, such as anxiety or high stress, I can help. I provide hypnotherapy services from my clinic in Fleet, Hampshire as well as online. Just contact me for a confidential chat to start with.

    Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

  • A Day (or two) in the Life of a Hypnotherapist

    A Day (or two) in the Life of a Hypnotherapist

    Sunday Afternoon

    I notice an email has just arrived from the contact form on my website. It is from … let’s call her Jenny … who says she wants to know if I can help her. She says she has a panic attack if she travels to anywhere new. I am not busy, so I go to the across the garden to my clinic and call her back. She tells me her story of how stressful it is for her to travel anywhere.

    I tell her that I can help and ask if she has any questions. She asks what will happen in the clinic and how long it will take, and after I have answered she asks to book in for a session – just to see how it is.

    Thursday Afternoon

    I am reading through the notes I took during the phone call on Sunday, while waiting in my clinic for Jenny to arrive. She arrives on time at three, and I invite her to sit in the comfortable chair.

    Over the next twenty minutes, I ask her questions to understand what her life is like, but more importantly, I ask her what her best hopes are from working with me. This is important because it is far more useful for me to understand what she wants to achieve, rather than to understand what her problems are or where they came from. She tells me that she would like to be able to go on holiday to the Lake District with her husband – and to remain calm so that she can actually enjoy it.

    And then it’s my turn to talk. I explain to her what is actually going on in her brain that causes her to panic when she goes somewhere new. It is important for her to understand that it is simply a matter of a primitive part of the brain that has got things wrong.

    I then invite her to lie back (the chair is a recliner) and experience a short hypnotic experience – just a short process for relaxation. Fifteen minutes later, she opens her eyes and blinks a few times before sitting up. She is quite amazed at how she feels after a simple hypnotic relaxation.

    I explain that I cannot tell her how many sessions she will need, but I am sure that I can help. I usually see clients between five and ten weekly sessions. Jenny books in for the following week.

    Eight Weeks On

    For me, this is most satisfying thing about my job, when, at the end of a session, Jenny and I have a conversation. I have had this same conversation many times before … Has she achieved what she wants to achieve? Does she feel able now to go on that holiday to the Lake District, with that calm and relaxed state of mind? Jenny says that she thinks it will be fine, as she is so much more at ease with travelling now.

    Jenny asks if it would be all right if she could come back for a few sessions before the holiday if she thinks she needs it. Smiling, I agree, knowing that she will never call me – because she won’t need to.

    And finally …

    If you need help getting over a problem like Jenny’s or anything similar, do contact me. I will call you as soon as I can for a chat, and I can tell you if I am able to help. My clinic is in Fleet in Hampshire, and I also work online.