Written by Carla Marcos López, Clinical Hypnotherapist
Carla Marcos is a Clinical Hypnotherapist who practises Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. Carla helps her clients use their mind to their advantage so that they can find their unique balance, and bring more of what they want into their lives. Alongside her passion for hypnotherapy, Carla is also a lawyer and a qualified nurse.
Clients often ask me: “Can you hypnotise me so I can do this? Or so I can stop doing or thinking that?” To which I sometimes jokingly answer: “I can de-hypnotise you or re-hypnotise you… but more likely you will be hypnotising yourself, since most hypnosis is self-hypnosis”
1. Because we are all already hypnotised in one way or another
We can have been hypnotised to like or not like a certain brand or product; a sports team; a political party or a certain faith more than another; some music or food; to believe that our way of doing things is the best or the only way there is; that our beliefs are the truth rather than mere thoughts that we believe to be true; that we have a certain personality, and all sorts of other things. This happens from exposure to certain environments or people, as every single mentally sound human can be influenced.
We can also hypnotise ourselves with constant inner chatter, by telling ourselves we cannot do this or that, or that we are this, or that, or the other!
Owing to the nature of the mind, all of this tends to happen outside of our conscious awareness.
To me, the main question is not whether my client’s mind is running automatic patterns of thought they have been hypnotised by, but whether these patterns in which they have been programmed with are helpful or unhelpful for what they are trying to achieve. By unhelpful I mean if this programming is doing more harm than good, or if it is getting in the way of their happiness or the achievement of their goals.
Many of our thinking and behavioural patterns will have been acquired in early childhood when our little brains were in a highly suggestible brain-wave state at a time when we couldn’t think fully for ourselves. At this point, we will have absorbed a lot of information from our environment and formed structural beliefs about ourselves, other people, and the world around us. Like a big information download.
All of this could stay with us forever if it wasn’t for events such as impactful experiences in our lives or therapeutic interventions, both of which have the power to change these programs.
2. But let’s dive a little bit deeper into what hypnosis really is
Hypnosis or trance state is a natural state of mind. It is a relaxation response. We all naturally go in and out of trance many times during the day – when we are watching television, reading a book, or out for runs – in this relaxed state, we experience changes in our conscious awareness, almost like being in a daydream.
This state of mind is characterized by extreme suggestibility. Whilst in trance state, our unconscious mind is more aware and able to focus on helpful suggestions and thoughts. This can be very beneficial for us when we are looking to improve our emotional state and make positive changes in our lives.
Trance is a safe state. Contrary to what we sometimes see on films or television, trance cannot control your mind. The production of hypnosis is a dynamic situation between the hypnotherapist and the client, aimed at achieving a trance state of mind in a context of cooperation and trust.
During hypnosis in the consulting room we are still in control, and can decide whether the information we are hearing is useful to us or not. We do not accept suggestions or do anything against our will.
3. Hypnosis is a powerful tool for updating our thinking and behavior patterns
Because the hypnotic state provides us with the perfect context in which we can rethink some of the unhelpful patterns of thought and behaviour from our past, and align this with what we want to do for our best interests in the future.
This natural state of mind is something that can be artificially induced in the consulting room. So hypnosis is no more than an excellent and very effective psychological tool to help those who choose to use it to achieve excellence in the attainment of their goals and a better living.
Just make sure that your mind is in the right and capable hands, and it should be a walk in the park…though, through new neural pathways this time!
Read more from Carla Marcos López
Carla Marcos López, Clinical Hypnotherapist
Carla is also a lawyer and a qualified nurse. Being a qualified nurse, her delivery as a hypnotherapist combines her knowledge of how the mind works, together with a caring and holistic approach that takes into account the interconnection of body and mind. This, taken together with her lawyer’s solution-focused approach, drives Carla’s enthusiasm to work with her clients and help them achieve their goals in the shortest possible time.
