SchoolofCT

The School of Complementary Therapies

April 2011 Hypnotherapy

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Look into my eyes – You are feeling sleepy!
De-bunking the myths and fears of hypnosis

The days of misunderstanding hypnosis is over! Yippee! In this modern day and age when disciplines are merging and recognizing each other we are blessed that understanding has replaced the fear of this highly effective complementary therapy.

Hypnosis is also known as Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy and refers to three states or stages:

  • trance
  • hypnosis
  • hypnotherapy

The first state ‘trance’ relates to the whole experience. The trance-state is aligned to day-dreaming or to focused attention. For example when you are studying and become oblivious to outside noise and even what’s going on in the same room. This state of focused attention or trance is not a sleep state as many people think; it is actually a highly aware state. Trance state is a natural process that occurs around every 90 minutes or so as part of the natural ultradian rhythm.(1) Hypnosis utilizes this natural rhythm.

Hypnosis refers to the process. The process involves relaxing, being guided or guiding oneself into a highly relaxed yet aware state, called induction. Then deepening techniques are used to allow the mind to become focused while relaxed, the trance state. Not so scary now!

The Hypnotherapy state is simply the process of using the trance state to facilitate healing. For example, once you are relaxed and in a focused state of awareness using positive affirmations leads to a sense of well-being. The state of well-being increases endorphins, the feel-good hormones, and you start to heal naturally. When we want to make changes to behavior this state of being makes us open and receptive to positive messages and repetition leads to healthy changes in behavior.

A common misconception of hypnosis is that one session makes you change. The relaxation process of trance, hypnosis and hypnotherapy leads to improved circulation, deeper breathing and overall improvement in health and well-being. By adding a positive and affirming message you increase the potential of making positive changes. Hypnotherapy or hypnosis therefore doesn’t work with just one session, but needs repeated sessions to reinforce the positive changes. As hypnosis works on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels it is therefore a holistic therapy!

Hypnotherapy is often applied in order to modify a behavior, emotional content, and attitudes, as well as a wide range of conditions including dysfunctional habits, anxiety, stress-related illness, pain management, and personal development. It is however used as a preventative holistic tool so can be used by anyone to help improve health and well-being.

There are three distinct ways to use Hypnotherapy into your life:

  • one-on-one sessions with a registered professional hypnotherapist, either in person, by phone or by Skype
  • self-hypnosis is a highly effective way to make changes and use the power of positive affirmations
  • professional CDs and MP3s is a combination of the two above approaches; you are required to discipline yourself to using the CD and have the benefits of being professionally guided

The major benefits of using a professional Hypnotherapist is that sessions can be personalized to your specific needs, whereas mass produced audios are more generic. To self-hypnotize I recommend you taking training with a professional hypnotherapist.

SCT Founder Jacqueline Fairbrass offers one-on-one professional hypnotherapy sessions, a series of CDs and MP3s along with one-on-one training to self-hypnotize. All Instructors have Jacqueline’s CDs for sale and you may purchase from the website. MP3s are available for instant download. CDs are higher quality audio recordings and are not available for instant download. Contact Jacqueline for more information and to make an appointment.

Suggested applications for Hypnotherapy:
Stress, anxiety conditions, headaches, stomach aches, back aches, chronic pain, cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, ciliary spasm, Meniere’s disease, Raynaud’s disease, insomnia, sleep disorders, periodic/restless leg movement syndromes, sleep paralysis, narcolepsy, tinnitus, habit management including smoking, weight management, toricollis, enuresis, paruresis, childbirth and postpartum care, vaginismus, dysmenorrhea, emotional amenorrhea, menstrual cramps, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), dyspareunia, neurodermatitis, phobias including dental, flying, spiders etc., neuroses and some psychoses, some character disorders(2)

Stay Fabulous!
Jacqueline Fairbrass
Health Consultant Registered Hypnotherapist

1 Erickson MH: Mind-body communication in hypnosis: the seminars, workshops, and lectures of Milton H. Erickson, vol. 3, New York, 186, Irvington
2 Saicheck KI: Novey DW: Clinician’s complete reference to complementary and alternative medicine, Mosby Inc, Missouri, p57, 2000
You may reprint this article and include this information:
Reprinted with permission by Health Steps, the School of Complementary Therapies Education division of Feeling Absolutely Fabulous LLC Newsletter. Jacqueline Fairbrass is the founder of the School of Complementary Therapies, a leader in the field of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) education. For more information go to SchoolofCT or Feeling Absolutely Fabulous LLC JacquelineFairbrass, call 206.201.2764 or contact us on-line.

What, Where, Why, How-Reiki Hands-on Healing?

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Reiki for Pain Management, Stress Reduction and Alleviation of Anxiety

Over the years I have been practicing Reiki the most common question I’ve been asked about it is ‘What is it?’ The quickest answer to this question is ‘The simplest of therapies bringing the most profound results: Reiki is Hands-on Healing.’ But that isn’t enough, so let’s read on to learn a little about Reiki, how it has been tested and is used:

What? Reiki is an ancient natural healing art and a touch healing system using ‘laying-on of hands’. Truly holistic in nature, Reiki healing sessions promote healing on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Where? The Reiki system of ‘laying-on of hands’ is documented as being discovered and practiced in Japan in the mid-1800s, although it is commonly believed to be traced back to early Tibetan teachings from around 3000BCE. In addition, it is considered by many to be the healing method employed by Buddha and Jesus Christ.

Why? Reiki does not conflict with other health care but enhances its results. It does not interfere with traditional medical treatment but facilitates the benefits and speeds the recover from any toxic side effects. It also may be used in conjunction with other complementary healing modalities and for maintenance of health and well-being.

How? For some time, scientific studies have been conducted in the area of laying-on of hands; however, proven clinically validated studies are limited. The most well known Reiki study was conducted in 1997 by Karin Olson, RN, PhD, from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The purpose of the study was to explore the usefulness of Reiki as an adjuvant to opioid therapy in the management of pain. A pilot study was conducted involving 20 volunteers experiencing pain at 55 sites for a variety of reasons, including cancer. A highly significant reduction in pain was indicated following the Reiki treatment. (1)

Little traditional scientific evidence exists. However, Dr. John Zimmerman of the University of Colorado has established that magnetic fields around the hands of healers are up to several hundred times stronger than those fields around non-healers, using a superconducting quantum interference device. (2)

Reiki is completely safe. There is no danger involved in using or receiving Reiki treatments. Reiki has no contraindications, and it has been shown to be effective in cases when there is no belief in it. The recipient does not have to believe in Reiki for it to work; the recipient only has to be open to receive a treatment. That said the only guarantee that can be made for a Reiki session is that stress and anxiety will be lessened. Testimonials are personal, varying with people from slight improvement in disease symptoms to complete wellness. Using Reiki is a highly personal experience.

Reiki is often used for self-help. The first degree or first level of training is primarily for personal use, and individuals often learn Reiki for this purpose. When going to see a professional therapist you can expect to lie on a massage-type table for anything from around 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Reiki therapists have learned a series of hand positions which cover the entire body, both front and back. However a skilled therapist may use their own stylized set of hand placements and make intuitive adjustments to personalize your treatment. You will not be required to remove clothing and you will not be touched inappropriately or at any time be made to feel uncomfortable by a reputable therapist.

You will enter a state of deep relaxation comparable to a meditative or day-dreaming state. You may have sensations of tingling and pleasant dream-like impressions and many see floating balls of color in their imaginations!

Reiki is not regulated anywhere in the world, however there have been attempts to regulate. These are voluntary and there is a general consensus in freedom in the training and practicing process. Therefore the most effective way of finding a Reiki practitioner or therapist is often through referral. All too often, those who call themselves Reiki Masters and teach others have taken ‘quickie’ courses and are not particularly experienced or well-versed in the therapy. Accordingly, it is customary to ask therapists how long they have practiced and what other qualifications they bring to their practice. Because Reiki is used in conjunction with numerous healing modalities, Reiki Therapists often are versed in other therapies, which can be very useful is assisting patients through the healing process.

At SCT both Founder Jacqueline Fairbrass and Reiki Master/Instructor Adrian McKeague teach Reiki in the classroom and are practising therapists. Contact Jacqueline and/or Adrian for class times and availability.
If you would like to learn more you may purchase the First Degree Reiki Training Manual from us or contact Adrian by phone (613) 203-7343 for a free 15 minute consultation.

1 Olson K, Hanson J: Using Reiki to manage pain: a preliminary report, Cancer Prevent Control 1(2):108-113, 1997
2 Rand WL: Reiki research, Reiki News (summer):1-9, 1995
You may reprint this article and include this information:
Reprinted with permission by Health Steps, the School of Complementary Therapies Education division of Feeling Absolutely Fabulous LLC Newsletter. Jacqueline Fairbrass is the founder of the School of Complementary Therapies, a leader in the field of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) education. For more information go to SchoolofCT or Feeling Absolutely Fabulous LLC JacquelineFairbrass, call 206.201.2764 or contact us on-line.

This Time Next Year

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“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Does this sound familiar? We tend to start the New Year setting Resolutions for the year to come, i.e. I will lose 20 lbs, I will go to the gym, I will give up smoking, I will start a new career path, etc. And by the end of January, or sometimes by the end of January 1, we have given them up and life goes back to normal. At some points during the year, we’ll re-hash our dreams and wishes for the year to come, but for most of us at the end of the year we are exactly the same as we were a year ago! How would you like to change this? If you are interested in some simple steps to help you make some permanent changes in your happiness, health and well-being for the year to come, then read on.

Start here: If this year, you are still challenged by the same issues you were dealing with last year, what are you going to do differently in the year to come to move beyond them? Take a moment to imagine where you could be NOW if only you had overcome these problems last year!

1)         The first step is to accept. The way things are is the way things are. Do you look in the mirror and hold in your tummy? Do you not look in the mirror at all? (And that can be a metaphorical mirror!) Are you being honest with yourself? Pick something that you have been ‘sweeping under the rug’ and get honest. Choose one thing about you that you would like to change and begin by accepting that is who you are right now.
“The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it’s the same problem you had last year.” – John Foster Dulles
(My CD Acceptance is designed to help you with this step: All improvements in life begin with accepting that things aren’t working the way we would like them to. By accepting that life is one way we are not locking ourselves into that way for ever, we are taking the first step to change. The Acceptance CD takes you on a guided journey to allow yourself to “let go” of the way things are and create an opening in your life to let in the new.)

2)         Decide what change you would like to make. Where would you like to be this time next year? Really, take a moment and think about this. If we go back to the ‘losing weight’ analogy—what would you realistically like to see changed by this time next year: January 2011. Instead of looking at numbers, go with ‘how would you like to feel’. For example, how would you feel if you were wearing something that was well-fitted and you were feeling healthy and attractive?
If you have been thinking about taking some courses to add to your profession or to start changing your career path, what is holding you back? Imagine how it feels to be doing something you love for a living.

3)         It’s time to take action. Make the commitment to you that ‘it’s time to take control of life and start making some serious decisions about what kind of life you want to live’. This is the easy part; decide to change one thing and then start to make the change! This can be joyful, exciting and easy.

The most important thing to remember is: You have to choose to make a conscious decision to make something different happen. That’s all you have to do is make the decision. In your mind, once you have made a decision that’s it. There is no back door escape hatch. You simply cut yourself off from any other possible option.
If you are not sure what that feels like, think back to a time you were certain about something. Perhaps the day you decided to marry your partner, the day you decided to train in a particular job path, the day you decided ‘yes, this is where I want to live’. Now think about what you want to change in your life—does it feel like ‘yes’?

4)         Follow through! When you have found something you are prepared to change and made the conscious decision to make the change, it gets easier and easier to follow through. People, circumstances, thoughts, ideas and solutions will suddenly begin to show up as the Universe aligns and makes the path for you. All you have to do is pay attention.
So, I ask you again, ’where do you want to be this time next year?’
Here are some affirmations to help you along the way:

  • This year I agree to do only the things I intend to follow through with
  • This year I am making ME a priority

If these affirmations don’t feel right for you, create the ones that do. The important thing to remember is that ‘you have to mean it’! Believe and know!

If you feel the time is right to start making changes and you would like some help you can either contact me for personal one-on-one coaching and facilitating to help you make these changes, or you can purchase my CDs and start working with me by listening daily and allowing your subconscious mind to start the process.
I sincerely wish you the best year ever! May your wishes and dreams come true! Start, by believing you can change. Gentle change leads to permanent results.

What does January 2011 look like?

You may reprint this article and include this information:
Reprinted with permission by Health Steps, the School of Complementary Therapies Education division of Feeling Absolutely Fabulous LLC Newsletter. Jacqueline Fairbrass is the founder of the School of Complementary Therapies, a leader in the field of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) education. For more information go to SchoolofCT or Feeling Absolutely Fabulous LLC JacquelineFairbrass, call 206.201.2764 or contact us on-line.

Welcome To The School Of Complementary Therapies

jacqui

Hi, I’m Jacqueline Fairbrass—licensed Hypnotherapist, holistic wellness therapist, vivacious health coach, and founder of the School of Complementary Therapies.