Stress Hypnotherapy

Stress, in the form of pressure, can be useful. It canChristine Woolfenden DCH DHP reg. GHR, clinical
focus the mind, improve motivation and, ultimately, leadhypnotherapist of Echelon Associates Hypnotherapy
to goal attainment. In this positive light it tends to bePractice (Charlbury, Oxfordshire) offers a holistic
referred to as ‘ustress’. But, excessiveapproach to helping individuals manage stress more
pressure over prolonged periods of time can lead toeffectively; the Stress Hypnotherapy Treatment
feelings of distress.Programme.
Stress can be result from any number andAt the outset, the individual’s unique situation is
combination of sources such as work demands,assessed to identify and explore the causes,
insecurities, change and uncertainties, long-term pain orsymptoms and triggers of stress as they are
ill-health, family expectations and financial concerns.experienced. The physical, emotional, cognitive and
No one person’s cause is quite the same as thebehavioural ramifications of that stress are
next. People interpret and react to things differently;investigated in depth.
what one person might consider an exciting challenge,The Stress Hypnotherapy Treatment Programme
another might find altogether overwhelming. Whether aemploys deep relaxation hypnosis to lower the
person will react negatively or not to specific situations,physical stress response and counteract the damaging
people or events, depends largely upon their lifeside effects of stress, easing away tension to allow
experiences; what has happened to them in the past,the body the opportunity to rest and repair and so
how they have interpreted those events, and, mostoperate optimally. By anchoring the physical and
importantly of all, the nature of the emotions aroundpsychological sensations of deep relaxation, people are
the stored memories of those events.taught how to re-create those feelings whenever
Too much stress experienced over prolonged periodsdesirable or necessary. Direct positive suggestion and
of time can be damaging both physiologically andpost hypnotic suggestion are used to re-educate the
psychologically. Individual’s body responses tocognitive response to stress, and to instil alternative,
stress (the fight and flight response) tend to vary, butmore effective ways of dealing with specific stressors
typically people are left feeling physically tense, unableas they arise, so extending the ustress comfort zone.
to sleep, out of control, feeling helpless, unable to copeMemories from the past that are interfering with the
and vulnerable to ill-health. Often emotions, perceptionspresent are re-visited and re-framed so that the
of self-confidence and feelings of self-worth are alsoemotional and cognitive influence on the present and
negatively affected, ultimately influencing choices andfuture are de-sensitised.
behaviour.