Sally Schofield chats with Chez and Lucas Olmos about hypnotherapy – and is now feeling very sleepy.
What is clinical hypnosis really like?
Chez: Some people say it feels like an internal massage. It’s being very relaxed and deeply focused at the same time. Others describe it as that in-between place of being awake and asleep – the way you feel just before you drift off, or just as you’re waking up.
Lucas: It’s a unique experience for everyone, but there are some commonalities: deep relaxation, your conscious mind going quiet while you stay aware, becoming absorbed in imagination, losing track of time.
What surprises most people is how ordinary it feels. Nearly everyone has a moment afterwards of saying, “Was I actually hypnotised? I could hear everything you said.” Yes – that’s exactly what it’s like. It’s related to what’s called the ‘everyday trance’, a natural mental gear your brain drops into all the time.
You mention ‘everyday trance’ – what does that mean?
Lucas: Have you ever been driving home and all of a sudden you’re there, but you can’t remember the last part of the trip? People say “I was spacing out” or “I was daydreaming” – that’s the ‘everyday trance’. It’s the same with getting lost in a book or a film, or being so absorbed in a hobby that two hours disappear.
Chez: Your brain goes there naturally, because that’s where it does a lot of its processing, repairing and consolidating. It’s why children are in that state so often – everything is new and vivid for them, and there’s so much to process.
It’s also why people who’ve been through trauma often find themselves spacing out. Their brain is trying to do its job.
Lucas: In hypnotherapy we’re simply inviting someone into that same state, on purpose, for a therapeutic reason.
Can a hypnotist really make someone do something they don’t want to do?
Lucas: Unfortunately, most of what people think about hypnosis comes from stage shows and TV. You see someone clucking like a chicken, so it’s natural to assume it’s mind control.
What’s actually happening is a lot closer to an improvised play. The stage hypnotist often does a great deal of hidden filtering of the audience first, testing subconscious willingness to play along. They might take someone by the shoulders and move them slightly, feeling for resistance, or run a few small suggestions to see who responds readily. The people on stage are the ones who are responsive and willing, and hypnosis helps them get thoroughly absorbed in what’s happening. It’s like an actor getting so far into a role that for one scene they are Macbeth – or a chicken in this case.
Stage hypnotists benefit from it looking mysterious. Clinically, we know this state is powerful for healing.
Can you give us an example of how hypnosis could help someone like me?
Lucas: A fear of public speaking is an easy example.
Before hypnotherapy a client will see themselves failing. For weeks before a meeting or speech, they’ll rehearse and they’ll see their failure and tell themselves, “I’ll freeze and everyone will see”. Their filter would scan the room for the one bored face in the room.
But what we do is to help them to experience success in a hypnotic state. Their body gets used to being in front of others. The program that signalled danger before, is now signalling safety.
Chez: I have a big heart for clients with anxiety. They come in hyper aware of what’s wrong in their lives, how they have failed or might fail. They’re seeing so many things wrong it’s hard to know where to even start. To see them confident and strengthened after working together is so rewarding.
Are there people or circumstances where you wouldn’t recommend hypnosis?
Chez: It’s definitely not for people who want a quick fix. That idea that we can swing a watch in front of you and all of a sudden you don’t have problems comes from the stage show idea of hypnosis as mind control. It can definitely be a lot faster and smoother than other therapies in many instances, but it’s not a miracle pill.
Lucas: It’s also not suitable for people who’ve had issues with psychosis or are on certain drugs like anti-psychotics.
What qualifications, professional memberships or clinical experience should someone check before making an appointment?
Lucas: Look for substantial training rather than a weekend or online certificate. Ask whether they’re a member of a recognised professional association – the Australian Hypnotherapists Association, the Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists and the Hypnotherapy Council of Australia are the main bodies, and membership usually means a minimum training standard, a code of ethics, ongoing professional development and requirements for clinical supervision.
Be wary of anyone promising a guaranteed cure, or if they’re claiming one session fixes everything.
Chez: Finally, trust your gut on the person. This work depends on feeling safe enough to relax with someone. Most clinical hypnotherapists will be happy to have an initial conversation before you book where you can ask questions and get a sense of the person. That call will tell you a lot.
You’ve been practising for around 20 years. What originally drew you to hypnotherapy and psychotherapy, and what brought your practice to Bangalow?
Lucas: We’ve both had a passion for people all our lives. Before we got married Chez had done a lot of counselling and helping people in crisis. I studied psychology at university in the late 90s and learned hypnosis back then. I also did crisis counselling. When Chez and I got married we wanted to work together and so we created a business that was focussed on people at work. Chez did a lot of executive coaching and added hypnotherapy to her toolkit, and eventually we transitioned to a private practice.
Chez: For me, coming to Bangalow was like coming back home. I lived in the area during the 80s when I was on the hippy trail. For over 20 years I had been telling Lucas about this region, and we finally came up on a holiday. Within three weeks we had moved here and have not looked back.