Hypno-ACT

Be Present
Open Up
Do What Matters

What is Hypno-ACT (®)

At Wigan Anxiety Centre we offer Hypno-ACT to help clients to overcome their stress, anxiety and fears and start to live the life they want.

Hypno-ACT combines ideas and techniques from hypnosis, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It is a new and exciting form of helping that aims to give clients a range of skills that they can use in their daily life.

Hypno-ACT is mainly focused on the here and now, rather than rehashing the past. It is an evidence-based approach to helping that is based on the current research and thinking into stress and anxiety disorders.

Our aim is to help you to live recover from your stress and anxiety and to live a better life.

A young black woman is sat down laughing loudly. She is enjoying life and looks appears stress free.

A woman has her eyes closed and is experiencing hypnosis. She looks relaxed, calm and comfortable. She is enjoying the hypnosis for anxiety.

WHAT IS HYPNOSIS?

If you are new to hypnosis, it is understandable if you are a bit uncertain about what to expect. If your only experience of hypnosis is what you have seen on television, or stage hypnotists you might even have the wrong impression of what will happen during a hypnotherapy session.

It is best to think of hypnosis as a state of focused attention. You (usually) close your eyes, to reduce distractions, and then you simply follow the instructions that the hypnotherapist gives. The research shows that when we focus our attention in this way, we are more receptive to the suggestions that are made.

So, in hypnosis, if I suggest that you take a deep breath and relax, and you follow that instruction, you are more likely to feel relaxed.

If I suggest that you imagine yourself in the future feeling calmer and dealing with your anxiety, and to focus on how great it feels, you are more likely to feel confident about yourself and your abilities.

So, in hypnosis, you can use that state of focused attention to create positive and meaningful thoughts, feelings and sensations.

In hypnosis:

You are always awake
You are aware of everything that is going on
You feel the same, unless I give you suggestions to feel different (such as more relaxed)
You can open your eyes at any time
You can choose to ignore any suggestions

WHAT IS ACT?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based therapy that has a simple core message: accept what is out of your personal control, and commit to action that improves your life. 100’s of research papers have shown that it is effective for a range of issues, including stress, anxiety, panic attacks and phobias.

The goal of ACT is to create a rich and meaningful life. It does this through focusing on developing a range of skills that help you to build a new relationship with your thoughts and emotions.

The 3 main goals of ACT are:

Learning to be present - using the skills of mindfulness to focus your attention on what is going on around you, in the real world, rather than what your mind is telling you
Opening up - accept that sometimes we experience difficult thought and feelings
Doing what matters - be clear about what your personal values are and use them to achieve your goals

A black man and woman are smiling and laughing. The woman is embracing the man. They look happy with life.

A young black man standing on a train wearing headphones, smiling and looking happy

WHAT IS CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that focuses on how your thoughts and behaviours can affect that the way that you feel. CBT covers a wide range of different techniques and ideas that can be effective at helping with anxiety disorders.

3 of the most useful techniques from CBT that we incorporate into treatment are:

Recognising and understanding automatic thoughts
Developing effective problem solving skills to deal with life’s challenges
Exposure to thoughts and feelings

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Combining hypnosis with ACT and CBT gives us a flexible, evidence-based treatment. During our sessions together we might look at a number of different techniques including:

Learning self-hypnosis
Learning mindfulness
Learning to relax
Learning to unhook from difficult thoughts
Clarifying your values
Setting personal goals
Rehearsing different skills in hypnosis
Changing attitudes to gain a better perspective on your problems
Learning more about the true cause of your feelings
Developing a greater sense of acceptance
Developing problem solving skills

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