Analytical Hypnotherapy A practitioner’s main use for analytical hypnotherapy is to treat clients who have suffered trauma as it deals primarily with the clients past, including their childhood. A regression technique can be used to guide the client through past trauma safely, encouraging the client to view such events from a less emotional or unemotional viewpoint; thus obtaining relief from neurotic behaviour. At times clients are reluctant to examine past events because they feel fearful about re-experiencing unpleasant emotions like shame, guilt, anger, etc relating to those events. A part of the therapists skill is to only guide clients through what they can handle. Some clients feel embarrassed about expressing upsetting incidents from the past. However, a skilful therapist can construct sessions that allow the clients subconscious to deal with such events without the client having to express any information about such events. Catharsis (purification of the emotions) is absolutely achievable without the need for the therapist to know anything more than the client wishes them to know. The reason for bringing to the surface of consciousness, repressed thought and pent-up emotion, is to return the client to effective functioning, which may have diminished due to placing excessive credence upon past events. This method is used for more deep-seated issues and done intelligently and sympathetically, the client retains their dignity throughout. Suggestion Hypnotherapy This frequently used treatment method consists of delivering direct and indirect suggestions that have been previously agreed with the client. This client centred approach is the field that I am involved with most frequently. Therapists use this method in the treatment of trauma, phobia and neurosis in order to improve effective functioning and reduce or eliminate specific behaviour problems. In The Art of Hypnosis by C Roy Hunter, the author explains that belief + imagination + conviction + expectation add up to successful hypnosis. Therefore, providing these qualities are present in the client and the therapist delivers the treatment in a competent manner, a high degree of success will be the likely outcome. This approach is most appropriate if underlying issues are not overwhelming so that suggestion alone can create the desired change. Direct and indirect suggestion hypnotherapy is used as a stand alone treatment or alongside NLP and TFT and either way can produce significant results with a minimum number of sessions. NLP Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) uses thought distraction techniques and the visualisation of sensory perceptions (sight, sound and smell etc) linked with problem emotions. When clients visualise opposing sensory perceptions, negative emotions frequently vanish. This helps to create an un-emotional response to what otherwise would cause emotional and/or behavioural problems. NLP is useful in cases where any underlying problems are less significant. NLP is often used alongside direct and indirect suggestion hypnotherapy. TFT Thought Field Therapy (TFT) deals with tapping on the bodies energy meridians (acupuncture points) affecting the thinking process and not touching upon any root cause. TFT is a useful therapy in some cases, as any underlying neurosis may be insignificant and not warrant deeper investigation. This method is commonly used alongside direct and indirect suggestion hypnotherapy. CBT Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a ‘de-sensitisation programme’ where the therapist encourages clients to face up to their fears. The new courageous thoughts create new behaviour patterns and vice versa, leading to an upward spiral of recovery. CBT features heavily in the self-help programme I advise clients to practice. Bio-Feedback A bio-feedback device, is a machine that measures psychological stress. The machines work by measuring the rate at which a small electric current passes through the skin. This works because slightly excess sweating (in normal temperatures) indicate stress. Some machines use heart rate and other factors to measure stress. When these machines are used, heart rate and stress can be reduced simply by allowing thoughts and emotions to relax in line with what the biofeedback machine indicates. These machines can be a hand held unit or more commonly a computer software plug in. Age Regression I use age regression for clients who wish to throw light upon past events that may now be causing internal conflict. Often, simply viewing past events from a more mature adult perspective is enough for clients to ‘put the past to rest’. Past Life Regression Past life regression that leads to the speedy return to optimum functioning of a client is available upon request. Some clients benefit from this process by viewing events that they perceive as past life situations, as guidance to present life difficulties. This technique can help clients recover their ability to confront unpleasant actual situations quickly. Psycho-Analysis Psycho-analysis can get to the cause of a problem and explain it, but it usually takes many sessions to create change. Hypnotherapy on the other hand deals with changing how an individual feels about an issue and the main thrust of the endeavour is to change behaviour in a more direct manner. The aim in hypnotherapy is to create change without spending many hours focusing upon the problem issue. Results Clients are asked to rate on a scale of 1 to10 how distressed they are about the presenting issue before and after treatment. This is a subjective measurement and commonly shows a significant improvement in how clients experience life. Medical intervention can be seen to improve the structure of an organism but not necessarily its emotional well-being. Fortunately many forward thinking individuals in the medical profession are beginning to value the positive emotional changes clients frequently experience with hypnotherapy. Indeed many would argue that there is a direct correlation between emotional well-being and health / longevity.

Definitions Therapists commonly use hypnosis to help clients suffering from trauma, neurosis, compulsions and phobias. It is important to recognise each condition individually as treatment is selected in relation to the condition. Trauma for our purpose is defined as a wound, injury or emotional shock that may be the origin of neurosis. The state or condition caused by a physical or emotional shock that creates unwanted emotions and/or behaviour. Neurosis is nervous activity or functional derangement caused by a disordered nervous system. Also it can be described as mental disturbance characterised by a state of unconscious conflict, usually accompanied by anxiety and obsessive fears. Compulsions are an irresistible impulse to act, regardless of the rationality of the motivation. Phobias are irrational or morbid fears. Addiction is self imposed slavery to habit. Healing whether applied by a healer or self-applied, is a focusing of the intellect which leads an organism into pro-survival thought, inspirational activity and frequently good health. An Aberration is a wandering of the intellect which leads an organism into contra-survival thought and consequently retrograde activity. Psychosomatic Illness is a physical illness having an emotional origin. Aberrational thought processes caused initially from a trauma or slight neurosis can lead to problem behaviour, psychological disturbance and physical illness if left unresolved. Happiness is a state of mind characterised by habitual positive thinking and constructive activity. When persisted, this leads to pro-survival activity in all areas of life without conscious effort. Emotion is the physical reaction that occurs within the body in conjunction to significant change. Feeling is the left over experience after the physical reaction to change has gone. Failure is delaying pro-survival changes until the organism is in terminal physical decline.