Hypnotherapy

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ヒプノセラピー(催眠療法)とは

最新の心理療法の1つで人間の催眠状態を利用したセラピーで、催眠誘導という手段を使い、心と体を深いリラックス状態に導き、普段閉じている潜在意識の扉を開け、潜在意識の中に注意を向けていく心理療法です。つまり通常はアクセスできない潜在意識の中にある膨大な記憶の中から必要な記憶にアクセスし、問題解決や自己成長につなげる心理療法なのです。
セラピストはあなたの潜在意識の中のどのような記憶があり、それがそのように作用しているのかをあなた自身が認識していくためのお手伝いをします。そしてさまざまな心理療法の手段で問題(悩み)の原因となっていることの改善を図り、解消したり軽減させたりしていきます。その結果、潜在意識からのメッセージによって多くの気付きと癒しを得て、新たな視点で現在のあなた自身を振り返り本来の力や自信を取り戻すことが出来ます。
また、本当にやりたいことや、本当に自分が進みたい道が何かを探り、それを顕在意識に納得させることで自分自身の力で問題(悩み)を手放したり、本来の道に足を踏み出したりすることが出来るようになります。

 

催眠状態とは

人間の意識は顕在意識と潜在意識に分かれているといわれています。
顕在意識とは私たちが通常自覚できる意識、目に見えたり現実的に認識でき感じ取ることの出来る意識のことです。潜在意識とは自覚できない意識、目に見えない内側にあるもので無意識でもあります。思わず…….してしまった、気がつくと……..していた、どういうわけか…….と感じたといったことは潜在意識化からくるものといえます。
催眠状態とはこの顕在意識と潜在意識の両方がリンクした状態になります。顕在意識は催眠状態に入ったからといって全く働かなくなるわけではありません。よって、催眠状態でも意識を失ってしまったり、やりたくないことをやらされたり、言いたくないことを言わされるのではないか、といった心配は全くありません。
例えば、トイレに行きたくなれば行くこともできますし、携帯電話が鳴ったときにスイッチを切ることも出来ますし、鼻をかんだり涙を拭いたりすることも出来ます。また、セラピーの中でセラピストの声もはっきり聞こえますし疑問や気になることがあれば質問することも出来ます。
催眠状態のことを心理学ではトランス状態と呼びますが、これは何かに没頭したり集中したりして周囲のことが気にならなくなるような状態のことで、誰でも日常で経験していることです。この状態は心理的にここの野緊張がほぐれ不必要な抵抗がなくなり、普段よりも自分の内面に意識を集中することが出来ます。そして潜在意識の奥底に押し込めていた記憶や感情を思い出しやすくなります。

また、肯定的な暗示を受け入れやすい状態にもなります。ですから、セラピストの適切な催眠誘導により、潜在意識の中から 今現在のあなたに最も必要で有効な記憶が思い出され、浮かび上がってくるのです。また、リラクゼーション効果もありますので交感神経と副交感神経のバランスが整い、自律神経系の調整機能や自己免疫機能を正常化する作用があるといわれています。

 

催眠療法(ヒプノセラピー)の効果

トラウマ解消、ネガティブな思考や習慣の改善、人間関係の悩みの改善、モチベーションの向上、自信回復、ストレスや身体の痛みの軽減、集中力向上、ダイエット、自己探求と自己成長、新しい発想、コミュニケーション能力、イメージトレーニングなど。

 

催眠術(催眠ショウ)と催眠療法(ヒプノセラピー)の違い

テレビやイベントなどのショウとしての催眠術(催眠ショウ)は心理療法の催眠療法(ヒプノセラピー)とは全くの別物ですので、どうぞ混同しないでください。

 

What is Hypnotherapy?

( By General Hypnotherapy Standards Council & General Hypnotherapy Register)

Psychological therapy and counselling (sometimes referred to as the ‘talking cure’) is the treatment of emotional and psychological disorders, unwanted habits and undesirable feelings, using psychological techniques alone. The aim of all such therapy is to assist people (usually referred to as clients) in finding meaningful alternatives to their present unsatisfactory ways of thinking, feeling or behaving. Therapy also tends to help clients become more accepting both of themselves and others and can be most useful in promoting personal development and unlocking inner potential.

There are many forms of psychological therapy but Hypnotherapy is distinctive in that it attempts to address the client’s subconscious mind. In practice, the Hypnotherapist often (but not exclusively) requires the client to be in a relaxed state, frequently enlists the power of the client’s own imagination and may utilise a wide range of techniques from story telling, metaphor or symbolism (judged to be meaningful to the individual client) to the use of direct suggestions for beneficial change. Analytical techniques may also be employed in an attempt to uncover problems deemed to lie in a client’s past (referred to as the ‘there and then’) or therapy may concentrate more on a client’s current life and presenting problems (referred to as the ‘here and now’). It is generally considered helpful if the client is personally motivated to change (rather than relying solely on the therapist’s efforts) although a belief in the possibility of beneficial change may be a sufficient starting point.

Regardless of the techniques employed, perhaps the most important thing is that a client should expect to feel comfortable and at ease with their therapist. This is of particular importance in Hypnotherapy, in which the value of the treatment is greatly enhanced when there is confidence in the practitioner. For this reason it is recommended that a single session only is initially booked, leaving the client subsequently free to decide if they wish to proceed with more.

Unlike many other psychological therapies, Hypnotherapy is generally considered to be a fairly short-term approach in which beneficial change, if it is to occur, should become apparent within a relatively few sessions.

(N.B. In actual practice, most Hypnotherapists will combine hypnotic procedures with other appropriate counselling and therapeutic techniques. Should there be any doubt about the combination of skills utilised in individual cases, the therapist should be asked directly for a further explanation of their preferred methodology.)

 

Who can be hypnotised?

The answer to this question is undoubtedly ‘virtually everyone’. This claim must, however, be qualified by the observation that some are more readily hypnotisable than others and that it will also depend upon one’s willingness to be hypnotised at the time. This willingness will itself depend upon a number of factors, not least of which will be the strength of the person’s particular need and their trust and confidence in the therapist concerned. A corollary to this question is ‘What level of trance is required in order to achieve a beneficial outcome?’ Although there remains some disagreement over the answer, most researchers concur that the actual level (or depth) of trance experienced does not relate to the beneficial results that might be obtained. In practice, this means that even where a person feels that they have not been hypnotised, given time (and this is a very important factor), the desired outcome of therapy might yet materialise. This matter of time is especially important in our current society, which has, in many respects, been coerced into believing that gratification of every desire should be instantaneous. Hypnotherapy can be extraordinarily effective but it is not magic. However, if the right ingredients are present, if the time is right and if a suitable practitioner can be found with whom the client is willing to work, then all their (realistic) goals are achievable.

Who may benefit from Hypnotherapy?

Again, the answer to this question is ‘virtually everyone’. Given that hypnotherapy can be utilised to access a person’s inner potential and that probably no one is performing to their actual potential, then this answer is literally true. However, it is not just potential which Hypnotherapy is well placed to address but also one’s inner resources to effect beneficial change. In this regard, it is the innate healing capacity of our own body that may be stimulated by Hypnotherapy. Consequently, the list of problems which may be amenable to Hypnotherapy is far too long and varied to catalogue but certainly includes: stress, anxiety, panic, phobias, unwanted habits and addictions (e.g. smoking, overeating, alcoholism), disrupted sleep patterns, lack of confidence and low self-esteem, fear of examinations and public speaking, allergies and skin disorders, migraine and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Additionally, it has proved of value within surgery, where normal anaesthetics have not been practical, in the wider sphere of pain management and in the areas of both sporting and artistic performance enhancement. As an adjunct to other counselling techniques, it can also assist in helping to resolve relationship difficulties and be useful within anger management strategies.

Although there remain many other areas of human suffering in which Hypnotherapy may bring relief, there are instances in which it may be contra-indicated. These could include some manifestations of depressive illness, epilepsy, psychosis (e.g. schizophrenia) and some breathing problems.

 

Some Common Concerns

People are sometimes concerned that they will ‘lose control’ in hypnosis. However, general consensus indicates that regardless of how deeply people may go in hypnosis and however passive they may appear to be, they actually remain in full control of the situation. They are fully able to talk if they wish to (or not, as the case may be) and can stand up and leave the room at any time. Neither can a hypnotised person be made to do anything against their usual ethical or moral judgement or religious belief. It is likely that the notion of a loss of control stems from most people’s misconception of stage hypnosis, wherein participants are apparently made to perform all manner of (usually foolish) acts. However, the reader should be aware that participation in a stage act is an entirely voluntary process (thus ‘permission’ is already given to the hypnotist) and that there can be no such volunteer who is unaware of exactly what they are letting themselves in for!