What does hypnotherapy actually feel like?!

This is by far the most common question that I am asked by clients and friends who have never had hypnotherapy before.  Hypnotherapy seems to be surrounded by mystery still and so many people have the idea that they wont have a clue what happens during the session and that it will be similar to stage hypnotism.  This is so far from the reality so there really is no need to worry!

Below is a testimonial from a client I worked with last year which shows how the experience of hypnotherapy was from her point of view - hopefully by reading this you will get to understand what hypnotherapy feels like from a clients perspective and that it is actually a very relaxing and stress free way of working through an issue in your life: 

“I didn’t really know what to expect when it came to hypnotherapy but it was always something I had wanted to try to see if I could change my thinking around eating.

When it came to weight loss I had tried everything but even though things worked in the short term the weight never stayed off and I always got back into my old eating habits.

I suppose I was a bit sceptical to start with. I had tried every other diet and managed to lose weight only to put it all back on again when I got back into my old eating habits.

After my first weight loss hypno I was surprised by some of my behaviour. I wouldn’t force myself to finish all the food on the plate, I wouldn’t pick up food just because it was offered to me but never felt I was depriving myself of anything. I was conscious I was picking up the healthy food in the supermarket and even walked past the confectionary aisle thinking ‘I don’t need anything from down there’. I got quite emotional about the idea that I could actually think differently about food. That I didn’t have to be an emotional eater but I didn’t have to deprive myself of the food I liked either.

By the end of the first week I had lost five pounds but felt like I hadn’t even been on a diet. I was just eating what I needed and I worried that maybe it was too easy.  

However, I continued into session two and three and my changed emotion and behaviour became more natural. I would no longer pick up a chocolate bar when I went to get petrol. I would use a smaller plate when making my dinner. None of these things felt like conscious decisions, just the right thing to do. I felt that hypno had set me free of all my crooked thinking about eating. That if I ate a desert on a meal out it didn’t mean I was a bad person and would put on a stone. I could eat sensibly and enjoy the odd treat without feeling guilty about it.

After the fourth session I had lost a stone and couldn’t quite believe I was doing it all by myself. This wasn’t some revolutionary diet. This was just me eating what my body needed. I had more energy and slept better and was already able to fit into the pair of trousers that had been hanging unworn in my wardrobe for six months.

I remained a little cynical that it couldn’t possibly be this easy but once I had stopped my sessions with Cheryl, my changed eating habits continued and my weight continued to drop. I can visualise myself not long into the future being the size I want and being happy about it. Although saying that, I’m actually happy now. I never feel guilty anymore about what I eat and have a much better attitude towards most things related to my health and wellbeing. I feel well and smile a lot more because of it.

It sounds dramatic but I feel hyponotherapy has been my saviour. After thirty years of emotional eating and yo-yo dieting I am finally doing the right thing and my body is adjusting to my healthier attitude towards food. I never feel like I’m on a diet but feel confident about making the right choices and looking after myself.