Regression Therapy
Past Life Regression
Current Life Regression
As a hypnotherapist, I am occasionally asked about past life regression treatments and questioned about the validity of the concept of being able to access past lives using hypnosis.
I have never advertised regression as being part of my professional repertoire though it does occasionally happen that during hypnosis, clients will find themselves experiencing feelings and sensory experiences that do not directly relate to their current life experience.
So, are they uncovering past life experiences? I can’t answer that question and I believe it is irresponsible to state categorically that we are able to regress back in time to a life we have definitely led before. It is a very personal matter. I have met people for whom their regression experience has resonated on a very deep level and they are convinced. Others are simply curious about the hypnotic experience they have had and find it relevant and helpful to their current life situation.
My personal position is that I do not know if we live other lives and if we do, if it is possible to gain access to memories and experiences that precede our birth. My belief is that we are eternal beings, so I am open-minded. I also believe that it doesn’t matter what I believe when working with a client in this way; the client’s belief is more relevant.
So, can regression therapy be helpful or is it just a curiosity? Well, I guess it depends how you measure ‘helpful’? The people who seem to benefit from it the most are those who are working through something in this lifetime. When a person goes into a neutral state, it allows the mind to seek and present a useful experience, whether that is a real event from some time in the past, or a helpful dreamlike experience. The mind has a wonderful way of working with metaphors to reframe current difficulties or to deliver clarity and understanding.
People who are simply curious about it may find it fun or interesting, though are less likely to find it helpful.
As a psychotherapist, it occurs to me that taking a therapeutic journey to another lifetime (whether it is real or not) helps a person to get distance or dissociate from current difficulties. With the right guidance from a professional therapist, regression can help to change old patterns and gain new perspectives, or it can help to put the past to rest.
What does it feel like? Well, contrary to the expectations of some, it is not like being teleported into another sentient existence. It is more like being in a deep daydream.
Is it risky? It’s worth bearing in mind that ‘memory’ is a very slippery thing and can be highly influenced by words, stories and emotions. Do you ever get confused about what is a real memory and what is a childhood story that you’ve heard many times over? When you are feeling low, are you less likely to be drawn to resourceful memories? In my view, this is why regression (‘this life’ or ‘past life’) should only be conducted by a trained psychological therapist. In the hands of a competent therapist who has an understanding of the client and of how the mind works, it is a safe procedure.
It is also important that the therapist has a neutral view in order to avoid unintentionally leading the client. Any therapist who has a vested interest (consciously or unconsciously) in the client having an interesting or profound regression experience may inadvertently lead them in that direction. This is relatively harmless if the memory is benign. However, if the memory is difficult or traumatic, the process is harmful, especially if the therapist is not psychologically trained to handle the fallout.
If you are considering having regression therapy, ask yourself why you want to do it and consider how you will know that it has been helpful or useful to you.
As part of my training, I have had my own experience of regression. I knew that I was in safe hands. What I experienced was helpful. Was it a past life? I have no idea.
I am currently doing some research into the potential benefits of regression (or not, as the case may turn out to be) and will update my website information when I have something further to add.
In the meantime, I am interested in hearing from you if you have a strong opinion on this, or if you would like to share a story of a regression experience.
If you are interested in exploring the therapeutic use of regression, please contact me for a chat.
Fast, Effective Phobia and Trauma Treatment
Since my July post ‘A New Slant on Dental Fears’ a number of people have contacted me to ask about treatment for phobias.
In my practice I treat many highly anxious or traumatised clients using a wonderfully simple and effective treatment, known as The Rewind Technique.
This relatively recent breakthrough in psychotherapy treatment is a fast, safe and painless method of helping people to overcome high anxiety conditions such as Phobias, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The treatment was originally developed by Richard Bandler, a founding father of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and was known as The VK Technique. The Rewind Technique is the version that is recommended by The European Therapy Studies Institute (ETSI) as it has been refined to emphasise the elements that are now known to be essential in making it a highly effective treatment.
So, how does it work? Well, when we encounter an event or stimulus that we perceive as threatening, our attention becomes locked onto the source of the threat to the exclusion of everything else. At this point the survival mechanism of fight and flight is activated, the emotions become highly aroused prompting the body to instantly gear itself for survival action. In the normal course of events this physical and emotional energy will be used up and the body will restore itself to normal. The brain is then able to process what has happened by separating the emotional response from the physical experience, filing both away in separate parts of the brain, enabling the person to make calm, rational sense of the event.
Occasionally, this separation doesn’t happen and the entire event gets trapped in the emotional centres of the brain, resulting in phobia or trauma.
The Rewind Technique works very simply to unhook the emotional experience from the actual event, enabling the brain to recode the information, freeing the sufferer from the debilitation of high anxiety.
For a free consultation to discuss how you will benefit from this treatment, call
01273 500136 or visit my website.
To locate a skilfully trained Rewind Practitioner in your area, see the links below:-
Hypnosis and immunity to Swine Flu
If you are worried about seasonal infections or viruses such as Swine Flu, then now is the time to take action and strengthen your immune system in a natural way.
One of the most influential factors in maintaining a healthy immune system is relaxation, particularly if you are the sort of person that runs on high stress or anxiety.
Being able to manage stress is an important factor in keeping your immune system functioning well.
It is often beyond our control to influence the factors that contribute to stress (work, finances, redundancy etc) but what we can do, is manage ourselves well, to reduce the impact.
It has been known for a long time that stress affects the immune system and our ability to fend off invading infections such as the Swine Flu bug.
Psychological stress such as anxiety has been shown to increase susceptibility to viral infection. Subjects exposed to stress showed increases in infection rates from 74% to 90%, and clinical colds rose from 27% to 47%. (McEwen & Stellar, 1993)
Relaxation techniques are known to be immune-enhancers and one of the most effective of these is a deep hypnotic relaxation, particularly when geared specifically to strengthening the individual’s immune function. The use of hypnosis not only teaches the body to relax and restore, but also contributes to a positive mental attitude and an optimistic outlook. These factors make a big difference in how the body fights disease.
At certain times of year, seasonal changes often bring an increased vulnerability to infections and illness, so as summer draws into autumn, I am making a special offer of a one off session to boost your immunity and increase your ability to regularly relax. This session will be geared to your specific needs. You will come away with a personal CD recording that you can use as often as you want to, at no extra cost. Call me to arrange an appointment to suit you.
Here are some other tips that will help you to stay healthy.
- Make sure that you eat well, by including natural whole-foods in your diet, particularly lots of dark green vegetables and brightly coloured fruits & veg. These will give your body the nutrition and antioxidants needed for optimal health. Also include grains, pulses, seeds, nuts and the essential omega fats that are found in fish oil or flax oil.
- Take pro-biotic supplements and eat foods that encourage good gut flora, such as live yogurt, miso, sauerkraut. Approximately 70% of your immune function relies on having healthy levels of good bacteria in your gut.
- Make sure that you are drinking enough water, particularly in the hotter weather. If you want your body to be fighting fit, it needs to be hydrated. Water is also excellent for helping the body to rid itself of toxins.
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol, caffeine and refined sugars
- Make sure you get enough good quality sleep. If this is a difficult issue for you, hypnotherapy can help you to get restful nights sleep.
- Get regular exercise
- Do something nice for yourself on a regular basis.
Stay healthy this winter – take time to relax.
