For centuries, hypnosis has gone in and out of vogue, but now there is finally sufficient scientific evidence that proves its effectiveness.

Having trained in Therapeutic Hypnotist myself I felt I’d write a little blog to lift the veil on what this age old therapy is all about.

Forget what you know about hypnosis from movies or television programs.

If you go to a stage hypnotist, sure, he’ll have you hopping around like a rabbit; it’s his job to give the audience a good time.

A health professional on the other hand, is there to help change a behaviour, leaving no room for embarrassment.

Many people question if they can actually be hypnotised.

Well, if you’ve driven to work on auto-pilot, reaching your destination without any recollection of the drive there, or been completely enthralled in a romantic comedy or footy game on TV, then you’ve been in trance.

We are being hypnotised everyday by the news we hear on the radio, the advertisements we see on billboards, even playing a musical instrument can be a hypnotic experience.

Deep absorption in the task at hand and losing track of the time are both indications of hypnosis.

Hypnosis is often defined as an altered state of consciousness where people become more suggestible.

According to Dr. Gerard Sunnen of the New York University School of Medicine: “Hypnosis is the most potent non pharmacological relaxing agent known to science.”

He will prescribe hypnosis before prescribing a tranquilliser.

There are many ways people can use hypnosis to enhance their lives, from conquering stage fright and losing weight, to quitting smoking or getting rid of annoying habits and phobias.

Hypnosis can go with you to school, to work, to the playing field, even to the bedroom.

Yes, hypnotic suggestions can even improve your sex life!

You can erase ugly habits with hypnosis or use it to stay calm during stressful situations at work.

Even when it comes to study, hypnosis can help you learn, retain and recall new information.

Hypnosis makes it easy to change your behaviours so you are able to achieve your goals.

A scientific study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that the addition of hypnosis had a significant and substantial effect on the outcome for weight reduction, and increased over time.

Therefore it was especially useful for long-term maintenance of weight loss.