Hypnotherapy and Clinical Hypnosis

Every person has their own understanding about themselves and their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. This understanding dictates what they believe is wrong or right, and possible or not possible about their physical, mental, and emotional health.  Many of these beliefs may negative, damaging, limiting, or restrictive.  Clinical Hypnosis is a very powerful tool that allows the person to relax and embrace positive emotional, cognitive and behavioural changes.  These positive changes are real and sustainable and can change your life.

How can Hypnotherapy help with emotional and physical distress?
Hypnosis can help make changes to the way you think and feel, and the way your body physically responds in certain situations

Ego strengthening and positive affirmations during Hypnotherapy is a particularly useful tool when counselling those with depression

Anxiety may also respond well to hypnotherapy, in which the worry and guilt is decreased while a more relaxed state is encouraged.

Phobias, in which a response to an object, person, or situation  may also respond well to hypnotherapy

The perception and emotional response to Pain can be altered by Hypnosis

Can Hypnotherapy be useful for behaviours that need to be extinguished or enhanced?

Hypnotherapy can be useful in helping extinguish or enhance those behaviours that are preventing living life to the fullest potential.

Who can Hypnotherapy help?

• Anyone who can daydream can be hypnotised
• Anyone who is motivated to change can be hypnotised
• Anyone who consents to being hypnotised.  Hypnosis can only occur if full consent and cooperation is given.

Hypnotherapy at the Centre for Human Potential

Dr Stephanie Stephens based in Brisbane CBD is a registered Psychologist with a deep interest in using Hypnosis as a tool for helping people to live their best lives.  She has a Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis from Mind Performance, and has been trained by Dr Alan Fahey, a medical practitioner who practises medical hypnosis in Sydney.

Dr Stephens has found that Hypnotherapy is useful in alleviating the distressing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Hypnosis is particularly valuable in helping extinguish or enhance those behaviours that are preventing a person to live life to their fullest potential, and is usually used when rapid and lasting change is desired.  The number of sessions, however, varies according to the nature of the problem.  Dr Stephens will nearly always take an extensive history to ensure the problem is precisely addressed.  In most cases the number of sessions required is a minimum of 6.

Hypnosis is particularly helpful in addressing problems associated with public speaking, addressing meetings, academic performance, business performance, artistic performance, athletic performance, smoking cessation, weight control, and sleep difficulties.

Hypnosis works very effectively with areas including;

• anxiety reduction
• insomnia treatment
• smoking cessation
• enhancing performance including:
• the workplace
• athletic performance
• artistic
• weight loss
• memory enhancement
• improved concentration
• self-esteem strengthening
• facilitation of decision making
• pain reduction
• pain related depression alleviation
• emotional healing
• empowerment and self efficacy
• appropriate self control
• public speaking
• nervous or unpleasant habits

As Medicare only recognises Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy, those clients who have a Better Access Referral for Focussed Psychological Strategies and who receive a Medicare rebate will receive guided relaxation, controlled breathing, cognitive relaxation, and guided imagery, which are very similar to Clinical Hypnosis.