Christopher Walker

Psychotherapy attempts to bring into conscious awareness those unconscious conflicts which create our neuroses and defence mechanisms. If we can work through them, we stand a chance of developing the ability to effect long-lasting change. This can be a lengthy process, usually taking several months or years to produce results, as the various components comprising an integrated personality are thought to be highly resistant to outside influence. Hypnotherapy represents the mobilisation of unconscious resources. Hypnotic trance promotes a heightening of openness and creativity as life events and problems are reviewed within a familiar, safe environment, with much reduced self-criticism or censure. When used alongside psychotherapy, hypnosis significantly accelerates this process of bringing subconscious material into conscious awareness. However, it's important to stress that bringing subconscious material into waking awareness can only take place if your unconscious is in agreement that you are ready to deal with the material in question. The main advantage of this appeal to the unconscious is that you are much more likely to accept any revelations or solutions as having come from deep within yourself and not having been imposed upon you externally. With the active involvement and agreement of the subconscious, any resolutions or revelations are much more likely to intersect with those deepest innermost drives and needs which can remain elusive with conventional talking therapies.