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All Hypnosis Is Self-Hypnosis

At the NLP Center of New York we, Rachel Hott, Ph.D. and Steven Leeds, L.M.H.C. teach Ericksonian hypnosis as well as provide hypnotherapy with our clients. With students and clients we demystify their hypnosis expectations. “No you will not lose control; no you will not be clucking like a chicken, no you will not do something embarrassing. Yes, you will feel more relaxed; yes you will discover inner resources and gain insights and yes, you will actually have even greater control. And you will lear to become comfortable with not knowing.”

We do hypnosis with both the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. Our conscious mind, the executive center, the intellect is responsible for wanting to know, understand and rationalize everything. When we begin to make a connection with our unconscious, we let go of the spoken word and discover the symbolic world of the aesthetic, and the rhythmic flow of an expansive awareness. It is actually our goal as hypnotherapists to find the balance between the two, the conscious and the unconscious.

Perhaps the biggest concern from students and clients is that we will do something to them. We do not do hypnosis to people; we do it with them. It is important to understand that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis and any suggestions we give to our students and clients are designed to activate an inner connection to their own unconscious mind.

The form of hypnosis we practice is Ericksonian Hypnosis. This is based on Dr. Milton Erickson’s work. This style of hypnosis is considered cooperative, not authoritative. Therefore, whatever we offer during the session becomes an interactive participatory process. Sometimes this means having a conversation during the formal trance. We hope that you will attend one of our Introduction classes to Hypnosis or come in for a session to experience it for yourself.

In the meantime several students and clients have asked about practicing self-hypnosis, when they are not in session. Here is an example of one way to do self-hypnosis. Please let us know if you have any questions.

SELF-HYPNOSIS Practice daily It is best to be sitting upright. You may use a chair or couch that supports your back. 1. Sit with your feet on the floor, hands on your thighs. Relax your eyes; keep a soft gaze. You may even close them if you wish. 2. Locate your breathing. Widen your breath into your diaphragm, ribs, back etc. Remind yourself that you have always been breathing and that you are now both conscious of things and unconscious of other things at the same time. 3. Feel your body connected, your feet on the floor, hands on your lap, your body supported by the furniture. Take a moment to let go. 4. Use an image of a light or color traveling from the top of your head down to your feet. Sense any areas of your body that needs attention, and if you locate a place, breathe into that area. 5. When you are finished with the body scanning all the way to your feet, once again feel your connection to the floor (the earth). 6. Pick a number between 10 and 20 and count down from that number, slowly or quickly. 7. When you get to one, go below one, and discover a safe peaceful environment. It may be an place you know or one with which you are not yet familiar. 8. Let yourself rest in this environment. 9. Your self-hypnosis can end at this point, and then count up. Feeling refreshed and ready for the day or end of the day. 10. If you want to work on an issue you may stay in this peaceful environment and ask the unconscious or any part of you if there is something that needs attention or that you want to heal. It is at this point that you stay supportive and caring to whatever issues you are working on. When you feel complete, you count up, back to an alert and relaxed state.

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