How to Prepare for Your First Hypnotherapy Session
If ever you’ve undergone a surgical operation, chances are you’ve been instructed by a medical professional to abstain from drinking or eating a certain number of hours (or even a full day) before the operation. You’ve also perhaps had to prepare mentally, arrange for a friend or family member to accompany you to/from the hospital, amongst other things.
What about your first hypnotherapy session: what can you expect? Well, for starters, there is certainly no need to prepare to the extent that you might have to for surgery, but you may have doubts (or have preconceived notions regarding hypnotherapy) about how the session will go. Rest assured with these tips:
What Hypnotherapy IS (and ISN’T)
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique whereby the client is guided by a hypnotherapist into a state of relaxation, through which the client is more open to suggestions yet still in control. The idea is to implant positive suggestions, addressing certain underlying triggers that may be affecting your lifestyle such as stress from work, addiction to cigarettes or gambling, or a feeling of low self-esteem, for example.
Hypnotherapy is not mind control or manipulation as seen in older films or television series. A state of hypnosis that fully raptures the will of the individual (often faked with plants in the audience) is not the goal of hypnotherapy and these parlour tricks should only be seen for entertainment purposes.
Meeting Your Hypnotherapist
During your first consultation, the hypnotherapist will need to understand your specific circumstances and what your intended goal may be. This could be seeking treatment for low confidence, stress, anxiety, addictions, or a wide range of other issues. It is important that you remain honest and sincere with the hypnotherapist as this will better enable them to determine the correct method of treating the ailment.
If you like, prepare a list of questions you may have on a piece of paper or your phone and bring them to your consultation. Experienced hypnotherapists will have no problem putting your mind at ease and responding to your enquiries and/or doubts in a sincere way.
How to Physically and Mentally Prepare for Your First Hypnotherapy Session
For your first hypnotherapy session, it is important to arrive on-time and in a reasonably good state of mind and physical state. Even though hypnotherapy is a non-intrusive and non-surgical treatment, your physical and mental state could drastically alter the efficacy of hypnotherapy.
Try to refrain from eating too big a meal prior to attending (or too light). You don’t want to arrive hungry or bloated either. Try to get a good night’s sleep before so that you aren’t constantly thinking about sleep during the session. Wear a comfortable outfit that you don’t mind reclining in.
Mentally, you may wish to perform some relaxation exercises before attending. This could be some meditation at home or, heck, you could simply benefit from clearing out your head whilst sitting in the car park for a few minutes before arriving. The point is, you should be in a tranquil and relaxed state of mind since this will best be conducive to the hypnotherapist’s ability to introduce suggestive thoughts.
Melbourne Hypnotherapy Clinic
Find out how hypnotherapy can benefit you by contacting the professional team at Melbourne Hypnotherapy Clinic.
