Mindfulness and hypnotherapy are perfect partners
Ah, perfect partners. You know: those perfectly attuned couples who finish each other’s sentences, know what the other person needs, wants, thinks and feels. They appear to be two pieces of a puzzle which fit so perfectly together that sometimes it’s hard to see the join. We’ve all known a couple like that. Perhaps we’ve had it ourselves. Perhaps you have it now?!
Well, hypnosis and mindfulness are perfect partners too.
Years ago I read a book on the topic of ‘Mindfulness and Hypnosis.’ Michael Yapko, in this book, did a great job of investigating the two states of mind and came to the conclusion that they’re both precisely the same!
Hypnotherapy takes this wonderfully mindful state of being and uses it for therapeutic ends beyond that which mindful awareness alone can realistically expect to achieve. My clients who come to see me for hypnotherapy in Reading, in Thame, Oxford, London and Wallingford have benefited enormously from my incorporation of mindful approaches into my practice. You could too!
What is mindfulness anyway?
Mindfulness is a state of being in which you are present in the here and now. You’re not fretting about the future. You’re not ruminating over the past. You’re here, right now, with every single sense: seeing, hearing, experiencing everything. No longer are you blocking feelings. No longer are you traumatised by their presence. It’s all OK.
It’s an experiencing of feelings without judging either them or yourself. You step back from thoughts and feelings and merely observe, accept and dilute. That way they don’t take control and drive you, unconsciously, to harmful decisions. Everything is clear. Everything is open to you and you simply experience the whole of you with acceptance.
The best thing about this practice is that you can learn to do it whilst doing anything else. Typing that last sentence provoked me into becoming mindful of everything whilst typing this one. It doesn’t get in the way. It doesn’t take time. You don’t have to be some kind of hippy, sitting in a lotus position, in order to develop the approach or to feel its benefits.
I promise you, there’s no need to believe in the power of crystals, angels or herbs either. It has been extensively and scientifically researched and is found to be helpful for people suffering anxiety and other problems.
So, how do I use it in my work with clients?
Encouraging clients to become mindful has become an increasingly important part of my practice. As a result of my reading and practice I began experimenting with my inductions.
“Inductions” are the route by which therapists guide clients into the hypnotic state. It’s the part where the stereotypical hypnotist of black and white B movies commands you to follow the swinging of his pocket watch… (We really don’t do that any more).
I have found that I can quickly achieve a nicely gentle hypnotic state simply by guiding the client through a mindfulness routine. It is quick, easy, “gimmick” free and is extremely easily learned for independent use. It’s hypnosis by another name.
I love aubergines. I love eggplants too. I adore courgettes and zucchini is just as nice. You see my point. My clients see the point too. I used to teach them “self-hypnosis.” I now teach them mindfulness for everyday use. My teaching experience is put to good use here and my clients have used the techniques in some very inventive ways.
If you have learned to block feelings. If you have learned to be strong. If you have learned to divorce yourself from your body, feelings or thoughts in order to escape from anxiety, depression or trauma then a mindful approach to those feelings can be helpful in your recovery. I would teach you to utilise the approaches and to build them into your every day life so that they become habitual.
Combine with hypnotherapy and psychotherapy I have found this to be an incredibly effective tool.
Mindful approaches to anxiety, depression and suchlike are increasingly well respected
The NHS loves mindfulness and the NHS is also increasingly impressed by the potential of hypnotherapy. It doesn’t seem to realise, however, how these two things are so mutually complementary.
Hypnotherapy still, at times, seems to attract the suspicion of certain medical practitioners at the same time as mindfulness is accorded increased respect. This will change, over time, but it can be frustrating to see how ignorance still colours perception among some of those who could be standard bearers for therapies which offer such benefits to their patients and clients.
Self-awareness, a key outcome for practitioners of mindfulness, is a slow-boat to enlightenment and resolution. Hypnotherapists can help guide the client towards a swifter solution.
However, the client will still only see me once per week. Teaching mindful techniques helps my clients to be more self-aware, self-accepting and self-regulating between those times. My clients find that it helps them to process emotions in the ‘here and now’ so that they don’t build up and explode in anger or panic. Other techniques can be used, of course, but this is one more method by which clients can begin to establish control and self-awareness whilst longer term issues are worked through.
This level of self-awareness means that clients can see themselves more clearly. When triggers arrive they are aware of any feelings which arise and can use that awareness in order to choose a different response. It can make a dramatic change to people’s lives really very quickly.
What’s not to like? Mindful Hypnotherapy is awesome!
If you live in or around Reading, Wallingford, Oxford or Thame and would like to learn more of how hypnotherapy could help you to overcome your problems then please do consider calling me on 07786 123736 / 01865 600970 / 01183 280284. You could, alternatively, email me at paul@resolvedhypnotherapy.co.uk or use the contact form below.