Hypnoband is far more than a one-off treatment. It is, in fact, a series of 4 or 5 sessions involving elements of visualisation, cognitive behavioural therapy, suggestion and hypnosis.
If you’re wondering what takes place in each individual seesion, wonder no more!
In Session One the client is taken through a questionnaire which enables the therapist to discover the reasons why the client over eats. From this information the therapist can move on to begin to empower the client to change their eating behaviours. The practitioner takes the client through a “Changing Behaviour” form which highlights erroneous thoughts and behaviours and seeks to correct them. These alternative behaviours are incorporated into the hypnotherapy. Afterwards, the client is provided with a cd or mp3 to reinforce the work already done in session one. This should be used a minimum of four times before session two. The client is also given “homework” tasks which help to highlight the “emotional thoughts” associated with eating behaviours.In Session Two, the client is given reinforcement to build on the previous session. Incorporated into this session are suggestions that the stomach is becoming smaller already and that the client will already begin to eat less and feel full more quickly. (This actually will have happened naturally, due to the addressing of emotional triggers previously.) It is at this point that we introduce the client to the Hypnotic virtual gastric band system. The client is taken through a consultation with the “surgeon” where gastric band surgery is described in detail. The client is asked to respond to the types of questions a surgeon and anaesthetist would ask and is prepared for the next appointment which is the “actual” surgery procedure. At this point the client is advised not to eat for 12 hours prior to the third session.
In Session Three the client is taken through the gastric band surgery, experiencing all aspects of the procedure from pre-med to recovery. The system utilises sound effects to enhance the experience for the client. In one sense this is not “imaginary” at all, because the sub-conscious mind will respond to it as if it was actually happening physically (rather than, for example, the conscious mind play-acting). On completion, the client is advised that they may experience some tightness in the stomach area and that the gastric band will need to be checked and adjusted in the following session. Session three includes advice and information on subsequent behaviour and eating habits, just as would happen after “real” surgery. The client is provided with the second cd or mp3 which reinforces the idea that surgery has taken place and that the stomach is now so much smaller that less food will be required to give the sensation of being full.
Session four is a further reinforcement session combined with the procedure to adjust the Hypno-Band. This session should take place 4 to 6 weeks after session 3, but this is flexible. The adjustment is carried out and the band is either loosened or tightened depending on the client’s progress so far. The session is brought to a close with further reinforcement and suggestion for healthy eating and lifestyle. This is combined with further visualisation to allow the client to see themselves as they wish to be. The client is advised that no further sessions should be needed and that they should continue to use the reinforcement cd or mp3 previously provided. The client is given the HB Booster CD to use frequently over the next few months…