We’ve all seen those TV shows where a hypnotist asks volunteers from the audience to come up on stage, hypnotizes them, and starts crowing like chickens. But Auckland hypnotherapist June Curran says there’s more to it than that.
photograph: Voisin/Fanny
Curran, a registered nurse, was working as a pain clinical nurse specialist when she realized the lack of options for chronic pain patients. She realized that hypnotherapy could be an effective tool not only for pain relief, but also for some mental health conditions. Karan is currently a member of Hypnosis New Zealand and runs her own clinic.
She joined Jesse Mulligan’s Afternoon Show to answer questions about hypnotherapy and explain how it works.
“Hypnotherapy can help with many things, but the most important thing is that clients who come to hypnotherapy want to change,” Curran says.
“So if you really don’t want change, it probably won’t work.”
hypnotherapist June Curran;
photograph: Supplied
How does hypnotherapy work?
“I think it’s accessing your subconscious. I mean, you have a conscious mind, and that’s the chatter that’s talking to you all day long, saying, ‘I have to go here, I have to go there,’ I have to do that…’ and you have it. Your subconscious mind is like a little hard drive site. Often less healthy programs are run. So by really relaxing someone, you can talk to their subconscious and suggest changes, change the way they think about things and the way they frame things. And the subconscious takes it in, and that’s how change happens. ”
Why should I relax?
“That’s because you avoid the busyness of your brain, where there’s a lot of chatter going on. Once you’re in a truly relaxed state, you can let go of some of that, which means you have more access to the changes you want.” It is.”
Relaxed people are more likely to benefit from hypnotherapy.
photograph: AFP/Garo
What does a session involve?
“A typical hypnosis session or hypnotherapy session will probably involve 20 to 30 minutes of chatting, going over different techniques, helping the client use the techniques, practicing, etc., and then ending with a hypnotherapy session. That’s how it goes. Every hypnotherapist does it differently.
“If I’m meeting someone for the first time, I don’t usually hypnotize them on the first visit. It’s just an extensive interview and I’m going over a lot of their history, but I don’t know what makes them feel that way. What do they think about the way they live their lives and how do they want to change it? I talk to them about things that will trigger change.
“I try to understand the client’s feelings and have them tell me what they want and how they want to get there. In fact, much of the therapy is a reflection of what the client has already said, so It comes from within, so it relates to them. I use a lot of their own words and phrases to make it relevant to them. I don’t use the same words for all my clients. It always depends on what the client feels comfortable with.”
How is this different from the hypnotists you see on shows and on TV?
“A lot of people think of hypnosis as mind control. It’s when you watch a hypnosis show and people go up there and do crazy things…like crowing like chickens or doing funny dances. or whatever. But the way it works is that you can actually self-hypnotize yourself. I’ve taught self-hypnosis to some clients and they go along with me. Help you finish the program.
“But with a show, someone will see the promo for that show and say to their buddies, ‘Oh, watch this, this is going to be a laugh, let’s go along.'” So they Already thinking about going to a hypnosis show and already thinking about what will happen. So, in a sense, they are hypnotizing themselves. Then they will buy tickets. They are halfway there because they took another step towards it. By the time they show up at night, three quarters of the hypnosis is already completed before the hypnotist speaks. So the hypnotist is looking for volunteers. When you raise your hand, you’re saying you’re going to get on stage and do something stupid. So you’re giving the hypnotist permission to do all that crap because you wouldn’t volunteer if you didn’t want to, right? So the hypnotist calls some people on stage, does a few things, and sees which people fall the fastest. So people keep getting on stage and before they know it they are hypnotized and performing for the audience, so to speak. ”
According to Curran, hypnotherapy can help clients quit smoking if they are truly willing to change.
photograph: Unsplash / Photography
Can hypnotherapy help you lose weight or quit smoking?
“I’ve had clients come to me and say, for example, ‘My wife wants to quit smoking.’ So I say to them, ‘So, would you like to quit smoking?’ says, “No, that’s not true.” So even for people who don’t really want to change, it’s unlikely that it will be just as effective and more likely to be successful than someone who is fully committed and really wants to get in there and do the work required. sex is much lower. Hypnosis is not a magic wand or words I say to change you. I teach my clients a lot of techniques and ways to change their way of thinking that I want them to try. And the mahi, the ones who put in the hard work, get the best results. ”
Is it effective for addictions such as gambling?
“If the person wants to change, the hypnotist will work with them to find the root cause of their addiction and work to resolve it.
“We need to approach the root causes, not just address them at a superficial level. We don’t just heal superficial wounds, we get to the core and make changes from the ground up, so to speak. It’s creating lasting change.”
Are there any similarities between what’s happening on stage and what’s happening in the clinic?
“It’s the mind working toward a goal…by gradually moving toward that goal or intention, it’s essentially hypnotic. For example, setting a goal to run a marathon It’s like, you’re taking small steps towards that goal, and each time you’re outside training and you’re saying to yourself, “I’m going to run a marathon. I’m going to run a marathon.” is. So people who come to hypnotherapy in search of change think this way. These are the steps you can take to achieve things like “I want to quit smoking,” “I want freedom from chronic pain,” and “I’m tired of my phobia.” The goals and changes that the person wants within themselves.
Are there people who cannot be hypnotized?
“That’s right…especially people who don’t want to be hypnotized. If someone came to me and said, ‘Oh, you can’t hypnotize me,’ I don’t know. Probably not. But if they come to me and say, “I think it’s hard to hypnotize because the mind is so busy.” This will help you in knowing what words to use and what techniques to use to calm them down so that they can be hypnotized. Then take part in hypnosis. ”
People who suffer from chronic pain can find relief with hypnotherapy.
photograph: 123rf
Why is hypnosis used for chronic pain?
“Pain is in the brain. But when people are told that, we ignore it and feel like they’re being told it’s all in your mind.
“It’s one thing to be in your brain and another thing to be in your heart. Pain is initially a warning signal to keep you safe, so your brain wires you for pain. For example, a hot plate. If you put your hand on it, you pull it away. The message disappears quickly, but you still end up getting burned. The message goes to your brain, which turns it into pain and sends it back to your hand, causing you to pull your hand away. But all of this happens in milliseconds.
“When pain becomes chronic, there is some kind of dysfunction in the wiring of neural pathways. But we can rewire our brains…a lot of that is through relaxation, mindfulness, and redirecting the way we think about pain. It’s about finding a way to accept yourself.” Many people who are in pain only think about it because it interferes with their lives. But if you can encourage such people to do things that bring them joy, that’s fair enough. They usually become so obsessed with not thinking about their pain that they train their brains to think about it in a different way, which basically makes it the same as chronic pain. And it takes a little effort. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it takes a lot of effort for clients to retrain their brains, but it’s been very successful in the chronic pain field. ”
