It’s good for me to remember, every so often, that lots of people coming to my website don’t have any prior knowledge of hypnotherapy, so if you’ve never experienced hypnotherapy before, you might be wondering what it actually involves. And what is all the ‘Solution-focused’ stuff?
In this blog, I hope to give you a better understanding of what I do and how it works…
Perhaps you’ve seen hypnosis on television, watched someone apparently fall asleep on stage, or have an image of a therapist swinging a pocket watch and saying, “You are getting very sleepy…”, or “Look into my eyes, not around my eyes, into my eyes”, as the character in Little Britain used to say!
Thankfully, Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy is rather different!
It is a gentle, collaborative approach that combines positive psychotherapy with hypnosis and an understanding of how the brain works. Rather than spending lots of time analysing everything that has gone wrong in the past, it focuses on where you are now, where you’d like to be and how you can start moving towards that preferred future.
But let’s start at the beginning.
So, what exactly is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy uses a relaxed state of focused attention – known as trance – alongside therapeutic techniques to help you make positive changes. In fact, you experience natural trance-like states every day.
Have you ever driven somewhere familiar and suddenly realised you’ve arrived without remembering every detail of the journey? Or become completely absorbed in a good book and lost track of time? Or been walking the dog while your mind wandered somewhere else?
These are everyday examples of your attention becoming focused while the rest of the world fades into the background. Hypnosis uses this natural ability in a purposeful way. During a hypnotherapy session, you’ll usually remain aware of what’s happening. You don’t lose control, and you can’t be made to do anything against your will.
What makes it Solution-Focused?
This is the really important part. Traditional approaches to therapy can sometimes involve spending considerable time exploring problems, analysing where they came from and examining difficult experiences.
Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy takes a different approach. That doesn’t mean ignoring difficulties or pretending they don’t exist. Instead, we acknowledge what’s happening and then focus on what you want to be different. For example, rather than continually asking: “Why am I so anxious?” we might explore: “What would life look like if anxiety wasn’t getting in the way so much?”
Or instead of: “Why can’t I cope with this?” we might ask: “How would you know you were coping better?”
These questions help shift your attention towards possibilities and solutions.
Why does the brain matter?
Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy is informed by neuroscience – in other words, our understanding of how the brain works. When we’re stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, our brains can become very good at looking for problems and potential threats. This is useful when we genuinely need to protect ourselves. But sometimes the brain’s alarm system can become a little overenthusiastic. You might find yourself overthinking, worrying about things that haven’t happened, expecting the worst or struggling to switch off.
The more we focus on a particular thought or pattern, the more familiar that pathway can become. The good news is that the brain is capable of learning and changing. By understanding what’s happening in the brain and repeatedly practising different ways of thinking and responding, we can begin to develop new patterns.
What happens during a session?
One question I hear most often is: “What actually happens when I come for hypnotherapy?” The answer is: we
talk, we work your brain in a new way, we learn, and you get to relax too!
Your first session, the initial consultation, is a little different from subsequent sessions. We’ll discuss what’s brought you along and what you’d like to change. And you will get a thorough understanding of your brain before you leave.
In subsequent sessions. We’ll start looking toward your preferred future, what you’d like life to be like when things are better.
We definitely won’t be spending your whole appointment talking about everything that has gone wrong during the week; we’ll usually begin by looking for what has gone well.
That might sound surprisingly simple. But noticing positive changes, however small, helps train your attention towards what’s working.
We will be focusing on what has been good.
- What has been better this week?
- When did you feel calmer?
- What have you managed that you found difficult before?
- What strengths have you used?
- What are you proud of?
- What would you like more of?
We’ll then use this information to help you build towards the changes you want.
The final part of the session usually involves hypnosis – a period of calm, focused relaxation where you can listen to positive suggestions designed around your goals.
Will I be asleep?
No. Despite what the name might suggest, hypnosis isn’t sleep. You are generally awake and aware throughout the process. You don’t hand over control to the therapist. You don’t have to reveal secrets, and you won’t suddenly wake up to discover you’ve been clucking like a chicken!
Instead, you’ll usually be comfortably, relaxing your body in a chair or on a couch (as I have in my therapy room) and allowing your attention to become more focused. Some people describe it as feeling deeply relaxed. Others say their mind wanders a little. There isn’t one “correct” experience of hypnosis.
Can I be hypnotised if I’m very analytical?
Absolutely. In fact, you don’t have to be particularly suggestible, imaginative or “good at relaxing”. You also don’t have to believe in hypnosis for it to be useful. Hypnosis isn’t about giving your mind over to somebody else. It’s about learning how to use your own attention in a different way. And don’t forget, you remain in control throughout.
What can Solution-focused Hypnotherapy help with?
People come to Solution-focused Hypnotherapy for many different reasons.
This can include things such as:
- Anxiety and worry
- Stress and overwhelm
- Low confidence
- Sleep difficulties
- Phobias and fears
- Grief
- Exam nerves
- Irritability and anger
- Overthinking
- Feeling stuck
- Confidence around particular situations
- Managing change and uncertainty
- Performance issues
The focus isn’t simply on getting rid of a problem. It’s about helping you develop the skills and resources to respond differently and move towards the life you want.
Is it about “thinking positively”?
Not quite. Solution-focused doesn’t mean putting on rose-coloured glasses and telling yourself everything is
wonderful when it isn’t…
Life can be difficult; we all know that. Things go wrong. People disappoint us. We experience loss, uncertainty and stress.
The aim isn’t to pretend those things don’t happen. It’s about developing a more balanced way of responding to them.
Instead of your brain automatically getting stuck in the problem, you can start noticing your choices, strengths, resources and possibilities. Sometimes the goal isn’t to eliminate every difficult thought. It’s to become better at not getting caught up in every thought that appears.
What if I don’t know what I want?
That’s completely okay. You don’t need to arrive at your first session with a five-year plan! Sometimes people simply know that they don’t feel like themselves, that they’re exhausted from worrying, or that they want things to feel different.
Part of the process is helping you work out what “better” would actually look like for you. Even small changes can be meaningful. Perhaps you want to wake up without immediately worrying about the day ahead. Perhaps you’d like to feel more confident speaking up. Perhaps you’d like to stop replaying conversations in your head. Perhaps you’d simply like to enjoy your life a little more. Those small details can give us something to work towards.
So, is Solution-focused Hypnotherapy right for you?
There’s no single therapy that is right for everyone. But if you’re looking for an approach that is positive, practical and focused on moving forward, Solution-focused Hypnotherapy may be worth exploring.
You don’t need to have everything figured out. You don’t need to be able to explain exactly why you feel the way you do. And you certainly don’t need to lie back and wait for someone to wave a pocket watch at you! You simply need to be open to the possibility that things could be different.
A final thought
Your brain has spent years learning patterns of thinking and behaving. Some of those patterns are incredibly useful. Others may no longer serve you quite so well.
Solution-focused Hypnotherapy is about helping you understand your brain, build on your strengths and practise new ways of responding – so that, over time, those new pathways can become more familiar too.
You can’t always change what has happened. But you can begin to influence what happens next.
If you’re curious about whether Solution-focused Hypnotherapy could be helpful for you, I’d be happy to have a chat and answer any questions you may have – without any obligation to book a session. Just give me a call!
Kind regards
Viv