Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Hypnotherapy in hospitals

"As hospitals increasingly acknowledge the therapeutic value of hypnotherapy, hypnotherapists are now looking toward putting their work under scientific scrutiny.

CLINICAL hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, may still be a new buzzword to many doctors here in Malaysia, but it is no stranger to Harvard Medical School associate professor of psychiatry Dr David C Henderson."  Hypnotherapy in hospitals click here to read the full article

My Comments:  This is another fascinating article on the uses and current development of hypnotherapy.  As the research continues to grow and hypnotherapists expand their services more people with a variety of concerns and issues are benefitting! 

What an exciting time to be a part of this profession!  I'm thrilled to have the privilege to assist people in living better lives every day.  Where would you like to go today?  Begin it now.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Hypnosis Research Finds Hypnosis Really Changes Your Brain

Article from a 2004 issue of New Scientist: "Hypnosis is more than just a party trick, it measurably changes how the brain works, says a UK researcher."

"Hypnosis significantly affects the activity in a part of the brain responsible for detecting and responding to errors, says John Gruzelier, a psychologist at Imperial College in London. Using functional brain imaging, he also found that hypnosis affects an area that controls higher level executive functions." Click here to read the full article.

MY COMMENTS:
I'm always thrilled to come across articles on evidence based information on the effectiveness of hypnosis! There is some fascinating research over the past several years using functional MRI.

The research they are talking about in this article reflects what I've seen with clients in terms of increasing their ability to make positive changes in how they respond to life's stressors and reducing their perception of pain. All of this is helpful for any positive changes you are wanting to make in your life, including pain adn discomfort with medical treatments, managing stress, and much more.

To your best life!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Hypnosis - Think Yourself Thin??

Great article today from ABC Channel 7 in Denver, Colorado: "Can your mind control your health? Researchers at Harvard say 75 percent of all disease could be impacted by a better relationship between the mind and body. So if your mind can make you sick, can it also make you better? From healing faster to controlling pain to losing weight, some believe we can think ourselves healthy." Click here to read the full article.

My Comments: Hypnosis/hypnotherapy is a very powerful tool in creating a better relationship between the mind and body. This article gives some great examples of how hypnosis can assist people in accessing the power of the mind body connection. Scientists in health research are just beginning to discover the impact the mind has on our health and bodies.  Even more importantly, the power the mind has to help heal the body, and/or change habits that are impacting our health.

What I have found in my working with clients, is the how is different for each person. What is causing or pushing the issue(s) they are hoping to change?  Is it general stress? Childhood wounds or traumas? Anger management? Maybe a life challenge that is haunting their thoughts and impacting their body?  Finding that piece, (which is very do-able with hypnosis), and then replacing it with new life skills ease the path to changing behaviors and improving the body's health.  This is true whether you are wanting to lose weight, stop smoking, reduce social anxiety, improve outcomes on surgery, and more.

It can seem like magic, when really it is learning to access the power of the mind to heal and change thoughts, and create the healthier relationship with the body. This is the foundation for positive changes!







Thursday, January 7, 2010

Start the New Year with a Better Thinking Brain

Dr. Daniel Amen, of the Amen Clinic, has written several books and done PBS specials on how changing our brain physically (with nutrition, exercise, and if necessary, drugs) has a direct impact on how we think and feel.  This article is a link to his step 3 of 7 ways to improve your brain function.  Step 3 is about killing the "ANT's" (Automatic Negative Thoughts) that run rampant in our mind.  Click here to read more

My Comments: I truly appreciate Dr. Amen's wholistic approach to brain health and emotional health! It is too easy to think we just need to suck it up or take a pill to feel better, often times ignoring the very real physical components of how our brain and body functions impact our emotions and thinking.

Automatic negative thoughts is something hypnosis works with all the time, in shifting what the automatic thoughts are, and helping people get out of stuck loops of a negative thoughts and responses to life events. In my practice I explain it as our minds get wired like juke boxes.   Remember those? As a result, when something happens in our daily life it is as if someone just pressed B7 or D29 and a whole automatic response is instantly fires off. This response not only includes thoughts, but feelings, and physical responses!

One of the things hypnosis is great at, is helping people to change their responses by changing these buttons. It isn't something I do to a client, but rather in a partnership of uncovering what the negative buttons are that causing issues, and disconnecting them or changing what response comes with them. Once the change is made it needs to be reinforced to become established and permanent. But then how long has the old negative buttons been running? It makes sense it could take a bit of time to cement in the new buttons.

Combining the power of hypnosis with other elements of wholistic health such as; nutrition, lifestyle, support networks, and more, creates a positive and powerful impact on people's life experiences.  This time of year, when resolutions and new choices are in the forefront of many people's minds, it a great time to begin looking at how to improve our brains, so that those new choices and resolutions can become a reality.

What can you do today?  Begin by monitoring your thoughts - keep an eye out for those "ANT's" and consciously choose a better thought = stamping out the ANT.  Spend even 5 minutes a day in a mini meditation, focusing on experiencing your life in a better way.  As you do this bring as many of your senses into play as possible.  See the changes you are desiring, feel it emotionally and physically, hear yourself responding in the new ways you would like.  Make it real!

To your best life,
Nancy
www.BirthYourDreams.com