How Can Hypnosis Enhance Your Wellbeing?

There is nothing more delightful than planting flower seeds and not knowing what kind of flowers are going to come up. – Milton H. Erickson

For most people, the only exposure they may have had to hypnosis is seeing stage shows of people doing silly things with a perception of having had their “control” taken over by the hypnotist. Clinical hypnosis  is a very different experience and managed skillfully, can provide a wonderful and deeply empowering complement to therapy.

In a person who is relaxed, focused and attentive, dramatic responses can be stimulated on multiple levels. Hypnosis can feel a little like a deep meditation to some people – you are still fully in control but also usually deeply relaxed and focused. It is common to experience a feeling of stillness and heaviness.  Some people absorb deeply while others quite lightly. People absorbed in the experience of hypnosis are able to organise and utilize their mental processes differently. Hypnosis encourages neurogenesis (new brain cells) and neuroplasticity (wiring of new brain pathways).

You can appreciate how your quality of life is largely dictated by what you tell yourself about yourself and the world around you. How does it affect your mood, behaviour and physiology when you tell yourself “I have no control”?  Likewise how does it affect you when you tell yourself “There are elements I can control and elements I can’t. I’m going to put my energy in to the ones I can”. Each person has countless thoughts each day, ranging from profound to (mostly) mundane. Which ones you focus on can generate symptoms or conversely can generate healthy choices. We can intellectually talk about making changes but in some cases, particularly where the issues have been present for the longer term, it can be beneficial to use hypnosis to help to absorb new ideas in a different way.

Hypnosis can assist with depression, anxiety, stress, reactivity and irritability, lifestyle issues such as weight management, smoking cessation, and also pain management.

Clinical Psychologist Shannon Yeardley offers clinical hypnosis as part of her therapeutic approach at Brisbane Wellbeing. Sessions are carefully tailored for each client and whether hypnosis could be helpful for you can be discussed at your initial session.