Clinical Hypnotherapy - Catherine Mahoney

Clinical Hypnosis

Forest with sunlight streaming through trees

Sometimes Catherine incorporates hypnosis into her therapy, with the client's willingness, understanding and consent. Clinical Hypnosis is not a therapy but a tool used to focus and absorb people in new possibilities. It can safely enhance the efficacy of therapy, amplifying your strengths and resources to overcome such things as anxiety, stress, trauma, grief, insomnia; to enhance self-esteem or performance; to manage pain; to help overcome unhelpful habits, and for sexual and relationship enhancement.

In Hypnosis you are encouraged to follow instructions of going into a deeply focused state. During this time the unconscious mind is more open to following positive and helpful suggestions. This focused and altered state occurs naturally in everyday life e.g. when one is lost in a daydream or absorbed in reading a novel.

Hypnosis is different to sleep. You will be totally conscious and will hear what is being said and choose when and what you are willing to consider. Someone can only be hypnotised when they want this for themselves: one cannot be hypnotised against one's will.

It cannot be used to uncover the truth of what actually happened in someone's past as memory, under any condition, is unreliable. There are also contraindications for the use of hypnosis e.g. legal action/court cases, severe mental illness, and low client motivation.

Unhelpful Habits

The ultimate aim of hypnosis for unhelpful habits (e.g. with smoking, diet, exercise, the internet) is to empower the person to take control of their habit, to promote new patterns of thinking, healthier behaviours and develop other ways of coping with stress.

It can enhance the efficacy of a person's efforts to change, particularly when they have already taken some steps to actively modify their behaviour and are committed to achieving their desired outcome.

Before the initial session please get rid of all your cigarettes, unhealthy foods and whatever pertains to your unhelpful habit. Wherever possible, make this a significant ritual for you.
Focus on coming into your first appointment smoke free, sugar free, chocolate free etc. Let your mind frequently drift to how good you will feel without this habit. If you can do that, you will have an excellent chance of overcoming your unhelpful habit.
Therapy may also be required to treat underlying issues first e.g. if one smokes to deal with anger due to relationship problems or past abuse.

Sexuality and Hypnosis

Catherine has presented in The South Australian Society of Hypnosis Diploma Course on Sexuality and Hypnosis. Catherine has also been an invited guest speaker at the South Australian Society of Hypnosis Annual General Meeting and Dinner. She was invited to speak on her successful case studies, which were published in The Australian Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.