Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy has existed in many formats since the dawn of time. It can be traced back to the Egyptian Sleep temples where people were cured of their illnesses. Much has changed since these ancient ages and Hypnotherapy has withstood the test of time. In more recent years, Physicians and Scientists have studied the benefits of Hypnosis for a range of conditions, giving us ample peer-reviewed papers and creating a wealth of empirical evidence, to support its use within therapy. The mind is a powerful place, Hypnotherapy taps into your internal resources and can help you overcome your issues and find solutions. It has been proven to be efficacious for IBS and Pain management in particular but also yields successful results when used as an adjunct to CBT for conditions such as depression and other mood disorders, actually increasing the probability of a successful outcome instead of CBT alone (Alladin & Alibhai, 2007). Patients using Hypnotherapy in surgery experience less distress and discomfort during the procedure (Lang et al. 2006), less pain after (Lambert, 1996), and a reduction in drug usage (Lang et al. 2006). It has been shown to be an effective alternative to anaesthetic and decreases healing time.
I could talk about the wonders of Hypnosis all day!
Academics are discovering new things all the time, quite recently surgeons in Iran performed a successful c-section, with only Hypnosis!
Sadly, Hypnotherapy is usually sought out as a 'last resort' for people as it is not yet offered by the NHS. This is surprising as evidence shows that, in many cases, it can be more successful than other interventions e.g. Efficacy of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation is only 15%, yet this is funded and promoted.
I tend to favour Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) which combats symptoms and promotes neuroplasticity, helping your brain form new patterns and behaviours, releasing you from unwanted ones. This not only helps clients in the present but also gives them the skills required in the future to prevent relapse (or other problems being created). Hypnotherapy is a true collaboration between therapist and client, allowing issues to be spoken about and processed in a safe environment, followed by insightful exercises that could change your whole mindset with just one session.