Meet The Member - Harpenden Hypno Help Clinic
Charlotte Phipps | Hypno Health Clinic, Harpenden
The history of hypnosis
Let’s go back in time. It is suggested that the earliest references to hypnosis date all the way back to ancient Egypt and Greece. ‘Hypnos’ was the ‘God of Sleep’ - his name being the origin of the word hypnosis, although the actual state of Hypnosis is very different from that of being asleep.
In Egypt and Greece, they had religious centres where people came to visit for help with their problems. The act of hypnosis was used to induce dreams which were then analysed in order to get to the root of the trouble. There are many references to trance and hypnosis in early writings. In 2600 BC Wong Tai - the father of Chinese medicine - wrote about techniques that involved incantations and passes of the hands and the Hindu Vedas written around 1500 BC also mention hypnotic procedures and practices.
What is it, today?
Hypnosis is generally a state of relaxed awareness where you will be physically relaxed but mentally alert. In this state, your subconscious mind is most receptive to hypnotic suggestion and you are in full control throughout. It has been demonstrated in numerous studies and world-wide scientific studies for decades and is a very effective treatment for a whole range of issues.
We had the pleasure of talking to our member and Harpenden based Hypnotherapist Charlotte Phipps from Hypno Help Clinic to ask her a few questions about Hypnotherapy and what a session with her would look like.
Hi Charlotte! In a nutshell, can you please explain what Hypnotherapy is?
Hello Katie and Sabine. Hypnotherapy is Hypnosis used within a therapy setting. It’s a trance like state in which people experience increased attention, concentration and suggestibility. People in hypnosis may appear zoned out but they are in reality hyper aware.
Tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to become a Hypnotherapist?
My background is in corporate sales. I worked in the healthcare and also software markets. I then decided to use my psychology qualifications to return to a therapy environment and took a ‘solution focused hypnotherapy ‘ qualification as I felt connected with this approach.
Could you explain the solution focused element to your Hypnotherapy?
It’s actually pretty much as it sounds. Finding and identifying solutions to our problems. Identifying practical steps that can be taken to overcome our suffering rather than focusing on the problem itself. It’s a brief form of therapy and clients can expect rapid results.
What would sessions with you entail?
First session would be identifying what they want to resolve. Then a detailed brain explanation so that they understand why they are suffering and what we are going to do about it.
Then subsequent sessions are question based and lead by me, to discover hidden talents and resources to formulate a practical plan to resolve the ‘problem’.
What is the best thing about being a Hypnotherapist?
Watching people arrive feeling low or unconfident, and watching their immediate relief and then transformation. It never gets old or boring.
What sort of issues can you help our community with?
Hypnotherapy can help with a whole range of issues including: anxiety, addiction, depression, stress, performance, sleep issues. IBS, chronic pain. General apathy or low mood. To be honest, there’s not really much that cannot be eased or corrected by it. The only thing needed by the client is the desire for life to be different.