Look into my eyes…hypnotherapy and our health

There are many holistic and alternative therapies available in the modern world. There are some that are fantastically effective, and some that we're pretty sure don't work at all.

Here at The Good Spa Guide, we believe in natural, but we don't believe in miracles. There are no quick fixes. If you want to make positive, long-lasting lifestyle changes, you are going to have to put in the work.

For this post, we thought we'd examine hypnotherapy. So, look into our eyes and let us take you, trance-like, into the strange and mysterious world of hypnotherapy...

People use hypnotherapy for a whole host of emotional and physical problems, often alongside Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to deal with issues such as: smoking; overeating; low self-esteem; depression; low confidence; motivational problems; fertility; anxiety and physical ailments including skin conditions, high blood pressure and the effects of chemotherapy.

Hypnodieting and Hypno Gastric Band

Hypnodieting has become popular over recent years, as many believe that it's the emotional relationship with food that has to be fully understood before a long-lasting change in behaviour, and therefore weight, can be achieved. Hypnodieting expert Paul Levrant believes that understanding why you eat what you eat, and coming to terms with emotional issues surrounding food, is the only way to reach a place where your weight loss can be successful long-term.

Combined with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which aims to make subtle changes to your behaviour through redefining your thought processes, hypnotherapy can be used to help you to open your mind and work through underlying issues that are hindering your progress.

We haven't experienced hypnodieting ourselves, but working towards a happier, healthier you by starting with your emotional well-being and thought processes certainly sounds like a sensible basis for healthy weight-loss.

The Hypno Gastric Band is a newer technique on the hypnotherapy scene, and it does exactly what you'd think it does. The idea is to guide you through a series of hypnotherapy sessions, culminating in a gastric band "operation". However, unlike traditional gastric band surgery, a knife doesn't come into the equation. You prepare yourself for an operation, but the operation only happens in your mind.

Using hypnotherapy, you become convinced that you have, in fact, undergone a gastric-band operation. The idea is that your capacity for food will reduce, just as it would if you'd had the operation for real. Sounds strange? We thought so too, but it appears many people are finding success from this therapy.    

Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation

Deciding to quit smoking is a fantastic step towards a healthier you, a longer life and better skin. The process, however, isn't easy, and for many years people have turned to hypnotherapy for a "magic" cure. However, you have to want to make the change in order for hypnotherapy to be effective, and your willpower is your own; your therapist won't be able to provide that for you.

Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation is, like weight loss, often combined with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, as it's important to understand why you behave the way you do, before you can make a long-standing change.

Hypnotherapy for depression and low self-esteem

Treating depression with medication may alleviate some of the symptoms, but we can't imagine that it deals with the crux of the problem. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a commonly used treatment for depression and other mental health issues, with fantastic results in many cases.

Hypnotherapy can be used alongside CBT, with the focus on relaxation, reducing anxiety and dealing with issues of which you may not even be aware. By truly understanding how you think, and why you behave in certain ways, you can begin to make positive changes.

* Don't embark on hypnotherapy without first consulting your GP for advice or a referral. Always check the credentials of your therapist and ask for testimonials from other clients.