Hypnotherapy in Port Alfred
The mind is like an iceberg – Only a small part of an iceberg is visible above the surface of the water and this can be thought of as similar to the conscious mind; the part of the mind which is responsible for everyday thoughts, analysing information, using logic and making decisions.
Below the surface is the subconscious mind; the much larger part of the mind which is responsible for memories, emotions and the central nervous system. It is this part of the mind that stores all our individual behaviours and responses. During hypnosis, the subconscious mind becomes more alert and receptive to suggestions and hypnotherapy uses this process to suggest new ways of thinking and responding to situations. These new thought processes can then enable new and positive changes to take place.
Be the person you want to be
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, life doesn’t always run as smoothly as we would like. Different situations and experiences can leave us feeling tense, stressed out, worried or even fearful. Each of us has the inner resources that we need to live our lives in the way that we want. Life is a continuous journey and as we travel, we build upon and strengthen these resources. Hypnotherapy can help you to access your own inner potential and make positive life changes. Perhaps you’d like to feel more confident and relaxed with life? Would you like to lose weight or stop smoking? Or maybe you want to be free from fear and anxiety? Hypnotherapy may be the help that you’ve been seeking.
Effective help for a variety of problems
Most people find hypnosis a very pleasant and calming experience and many of us know someone who has been to see a hypnotherapist, whether for weight loss, stopping smoking, or maybe to overcome a fear or phobia. Hypnotherapy can be used in a wide variety of situations including the following:
- Boosting confidence
- Dealing with panic attacks
- Beating fears and phobias
- Managing stress
- Reducing stuttering
- Becoming more assertive
- Managing pain
- Beating exam nerves
- Insomnia
- Achieving goals
- Eliminating habits
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Stopping smoking
- Reducing weight
- Depression
- Anxiety
- And many more…
Stopping smoking
Most people who smoke already know they want to stop. Knowing it is not the difficulty. The habit does not live in the part of the mind that reasons; it lives underneath, bound up with routine, with stress, with the cigarette that goes with the coffee or the drive home.
Hypnotherapy works at that level rather than arguing with it. Instead of relying on willpower to override the pattern, we work with the subconscious to loosen the association itself, so the craving has less to hold on to. Many people come to me having already tried to stop several times. That history is useful rather than embarrassing, because it tells us what has been fighting you.
Weight and eating habits
Weight is rarely only about food. Eating is tied to comfort, to reward, to habit, and often to something older than any of those. An approach that addresses only what goes on the plate leaves the reason for it untouched.
In practice I look at this alongside the rest of what I do: what your body is actually dealing with, what it is short of, and what patterns are driving the behaviour. Hypnotherapy addresses the pattern, while the nutritional and physical side is assessed separately, so we work on both at once rather than one in isolation.
Emotional and behavioural change
Anxiety, confidence, fears, sleep, unwanted habits, and reactions that no longer serve you are the ordinary business of hypnotherapy. Where something deeper is at work I may also draw on PSYCH-K or EFT, depending on what the person in front of me needs.
What a session involves
You remain aware and in control throughout. Hypnosis is not sleep and it is not something done to you. It is a focused, relaxed state that you enter with my guidance and can come out of at any point. You cannot be made to do anything you would not ordinarily do.
The first appointment includes time to understand what has brought you and what you want to change. Most people need more than one session, and how many depends entirely on the person and what we are working with. I will give you an honest view of that after the first consultation rather than before it.
Qualifications
I am a certified hypnotherapist and a member of the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association, alongside my wider training in ethnomedicine and holistic practice.
Request an appointment
Tell me what you would like help with and I will be in touch. You are also welcome to call or WhatsApp +27 82 689 1649.