A couple of years ago I discovered a way to get people talking to me at parties rather than smiling politely and walking away – I would tell them I’m a hypnotherapist. I’m assuming that the previous lack of interest was related to the fact that I used to be an accountant (which I would staunchly defend as not being a boring job at all, honest, but most people believe that it is). Or maybe I’ve just improved my small talk over the years!
Anyway, what I found was that most people have an idea of what hypnotherapy is either from seeing a stage hypnotist or from knowing someone who has used it to help them stop smoking or to lose weight. But not so many people are aware of what hypnotherapy actually is or the wide range of issues it can help with.
So, what is hypnotherapy then?
The technical definition is that it’s a therapy taken with the subject in hypnosis.
Uh? So what’s hypnosis then?
Ah, well, hypnosis is a naturally induced state of mind in which the mind is distracted or preoccupied, thus allowing statements or suggestions to bypass the critical factor and enter the subconscious mind. To put it simply, it’s like a day dream, or when you drift off during a boring meeting (I’m sure you’ve all experienced one of those in the past!).
The subconscious mind is the part of our mind that influences the way we think, feel, react and the choices we make. But it can also affect the physiological processes, such as our hormone balance or our perception of pain.
So, going back to what hypnotherapy is. Hypnotherapy uses this state of hypnosis, together with imagery, suggestion and other therapeutic techniques to help you achieve positive change.
I don’t have a magic wand, and I don’t know of any hypnotherapists that do, so we can’t cure you or make you change, or even make you want to change. You have to do this yourself and you have to want to do this yourself. We can, however, help you to find your way and help you to stay on track with a little gentle challenging along the way.
So, what’s it good for then?
I specialise in providing hypnotherapy for fertility, birthing and post natal issues, but see clients for a wide range of other issues as well, including anxiety, phobias, smoking cessation, weight loss, self-esteem and even tinnitus and IBS.
My decision to specialise in hypnotherapy for fertility and birthing was sparked by my own journey through fertility treatments. Courtesy of IVF and the power of positive thinking I have two beautiful children that keep me on my toes.
I love my job (and that’s something I couldn’t say hand on heart as an accountant – although, it really wasn’t boring, honest!) and I love helping people to make positive changes in their life.
If you want to know more about how hypnotherapy could help you then you could take a look at my website www.cariadhypnotherapy.co.uk – and, if you see me at a party, remember, I’m always happy to have a chat with anyone interested in talking to me!
Thanks to Tracy Jones from Cariad Hypnotherapy for this week’s guest post. If you’d like more information about specific topics, Tracy is happy to do follow up posts. Please feel free to share your experiences.





