Why Clinical Hypnotherapy?
Hi! I’m Nadia, Dietitian and Clinical Hypnotherapist. Although I truly believe in the power of nutrition for improving health, I always felt there was something missing from my studies.
For years, I struggled with my own health - gut issues, acne, missing periods, heavy periods, recurrent iron deficiency, and anxiety. Like many of my clients, my symptoms were normalised, and in turn, I ignored them for years.
When I started my master's studies and my gut symptoms were at their peak, I decided to try the low FODMAP diet, which is an evidence-based, restrictive elimination diet designed to improve IBS symptoms. Did it help my symptoms? Yes. But was it good for my relationship with food, stress, and social life? Absolutely not.
Years later, as I began learning about the mind-body connection and its role in chronic symptoms, I came across research on gut-directed hypnotherapy.
I discovered a study showing that gut-directed hypnotherapy is just as effective as a low FODMAP diet for IBS. This blew me away.
It was a lightbulb moment when I realised that hypnotherapy actually targets one of the root causes of symptoms, specifically something called visceral hypersensitivity.
This led me to study hypnotherapy and incorporate it into my practice. I’m constantly amazed at how effective it can be, not just for gut symptoms, but also for pain, chronic illness, sleep challenges, anxiety and our relationship with food and body.
I continue to promote holistic care and support symptoms from multiple angles, including medical and mental health, pelvic health, movement, and dietary support. But often, self-hypnosis is the missing piece of the puzzle that people didn’t even know they were missing.
Freedom From IBS and Freedom From Endometriosis,’my 6-week hypnosis programs, were born from my own experiences, the experiences of my clients, and my passion for holistic health, offering a sustainable approach to lasting well-being.
How Hypnosis Works
Hypnosis is like a guided meditation. The difference with hypnosis is that we’re choosing to go into a hypnotic state. It sounds a bit woo woo but we actually go into a hypnotic state all the time. And it’s a beautiful state to be in. If you’ve ever been absorbed in a good book or movie, you’re most likely in a hypnotic state.
The difference with clinical hypnotherapy is that we’re choosing to go into it to help solve a problem rather than to escape into a book or movie.
To understand how hypnosis works, we have to understand neuroplasticity. That is, the ability to change our brain and rewire neural pathways.
Many problems seem to happen automatically, like anxiety or overthinking – we don’t choose to be anxious, it just happens!
With neuroplasticity, if it’s something we’re not stoked with we can change our automatic response by changing neural pathways.
To change neural pathways, we need two things
To learn something new or get a new perspective on our problem
To have a period of rest, relaxation or sleep to help solidify those changes.
With hypnosis, we can do both at the same time. We’re accessing our subconscious, getting a new point of view, AND we are super relaxed while doing it – accelerating that neuroplasticity.
If you’ve ever had a eureka moment in the shower or bath – that’s pretty much what’s happening.
You’re In The Driver’s Seat
One of the key fears that comes up for people is that they’re worried that hypnosis means someone is taking over their mind and can make them do things they don’t want to do. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. That’s why it works so much better on people that expect it to work. People are actually SELF-guiding hypnosis.
That speaks to one of my favourite things about hypnosis. Hypnosis rests on a foundational belief that each and every one of us has the inner resources to heal. We all have a wise or higher self that knows exactly what we need.
Yes, there may be knowledge I can impart or skills I can teach. But it’s only when you can connect with your own intuition, needs, desires and knowing that the true healing takes place.
I believe that you have all the internal resources you need to heal and, if you’re open to it, hypnosis might be an exciting avenue to explore just that.
Who is it not suitable for?
Just like different medications work better for some people than others, hypnotherapy can be more effective for some than others. For certain individuals, hypnotherapy is NOT recommended. I am unable to do hypnotherapy with you if you experience any of the following:
Severe mental health condition(s) (especially involving suicidality or psychosis such as schizophrenia), borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, dissociative identity disorder, are on anti-psychotics, taking illicit drugs or experience uncontrolled epilepsy or seizures.
Please let me know if you are undergoing any legal proceedings or your home environment is unsafe.
I am not a Psychologist, mental health practitioner or medical doctor and thus recommend that you consult with your medical and mental health professionals.