When you come to see me, you will usually have had a pre-chat where you met me, saw where I work and asked any questions you might have had. This may have been in person, on zoom or on the phone. I would then have sent you an email with all the information required to book in for your sessions including booking links, a questionnaire (which saves time at the first session) and payment information. I would also have included links to further information for you to look at to prepare you for our hypnotherapy session.

Here is a general outline of what typically happens during the hypnotherapy session itself.

When you arrive, we will go through your answers to the questionnaire in more detail so that I can gain more insight into what you would like help with. We will discuss your concerns, goals, and any relevant background information. This discussion helps me fully understand your goals and needs, develop an appropriate approach, and decide on a session plan.

The actual hypnosis session consists of:

1. Induction: I will guide you into a state heightened focus and attention called hypnosis. This is usually achieved through relaxation techniques, deep breathing, and visualisation exercises.

2. Deepening: I then use various techniques to deepen/enhance the focused state of attention or hypnotic mindset if you like. This can include verbal suggestions, counting, or imagery to heighten relaxation and focus. When in this focused state of attention, you become more receptive to visual imagery and verbal suggestion, the aim of which is that this will help change the way that you think, feel and behave.

3. Therapeutic work: In this heightened state of attention, I will work with the you to address specific concerns or goals. This may involve using therapeutic techniques such as verbal suggestions, guided imagery, mental rehearsal, and/or cognitive restructuring. The exact approach depends on your goals and needs.

4. Post-hypnotic suggestions: Towards the end of the session, I may include post-hypnotic suggestions to reinforce positive changes and behaviours. These suggestions are intended to continue influencing your thoughts, feelings and actions after the session is over.

5. Re-emergence: I will guide you out of hypnosis and back to a fully alert state of mind.

6. Debriefing: After the session, there is often a discussion to reflect on your experience and address any questions you may have. I may also provide suggestions for self-care or additional techniques that you can practice outside of sessions to further support your goals. I often set homework to reinforce/add to the work we have done in the session and/or provide you with additional hypnosis/relaxation recordings.

It's important to note that the specific details of a hypnotherapy session can vary depending on the particular approach for that session, the client's needs, and the goals of the session.

I hope that this is of some help to you in reducing any pre-session anxiety.

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