An interview with Clinical Hypnotist: Frankie Stacey-Bateman.
Frankie is a Registered Nurse who has a post-graduate qualification in Hypnosis. She kindly shared her time with me to discuss and explain hypnosis, and hopefully remove some common misconceptions.
Can you describe hypnosis in a nutshell?
‘Hypnosis is all about language and focus, using positive words and images to replace unwanted behaviours and thoughts. It is used as a portal into the sub-conscious mind. I like hypnosis because it is gentle, it puts the client in charge rather than the health professional so it gives the client back control. It is natural with minimal side-effects; in fact one of the side effects which I personally like is the general feeling of well-being which is gained.’
‘It is using your subconscious mind to create pathways and behaviours that you want to replace the ones that you don’t want. It is all about suggestion.’
Do you have control when you are being hypnotised?
‘You have complete control. People that you see on stage being hypnotised and doing strange things, they don’t mind doing those things….but they do know they are doing them. Even deeply in trance a person can say no, they will not do something if it is against their wishes.’
How can it help with pain?
‘You can change the sensation of pain, how you look at it. So for example the pain becomes a tingle rather than a pain, or an itch rather than a more unpleasant sensation. You learn to dial down the pain, especially with chronic pain.’
‘A suggestion is made to find a different pathway for the pain. An analogy for the experience of pain, is to think of skiing down a hill, and this creates a rut, and what hypnosis does is to get you out of that rut, to create a new path, different tracks. This could be experiencing the pain as a completely different sensation, one which is more bearable.’
How often do you need hypnosis to make a difference?
‘Some people find that one session is enough to make a real difference, but more often, two or three sessions are required.’
Does it last?
‘In relation to pain, you can always use the same suggestions you’ve been given as a self-hypnosis tool to reinforce what you’ve been given during a formal hypnosis session. Because you evolve in life, you may need further tools or suggestions made to your subconscious which are in keeping with your goals and where you want to be, so in that case it is worth returning.’
Who can be hypnotised?
‘Anyone who can focus can be hypnotised, so a child from about the age of 6 years, can do well with this treatment as long as they can focus. Personally I have had excellent results with using hypnosis on children, as much as with adults. People with mental health disorders who have difficulty concentrating may find it a challenge, but apart from this a large proportion of the population can be effectively treated with hypnosis.’
What else is hypnosis good for?
‘Hypnosis is very effective in finding tools to cope with and change the nature of anxiety; it can help boost your immune system, and people have success with overcoming nausea and vertigo. In children it can be helpful with incontinence or bedwetting problems. Nervous habits like nail biting are addressed by looking at the need which the habit satisfies and finding a more acceptable replacement. Each person’s issue is assessed individually to find what is most appropriate for them.
Sleep disorders are also a common complaint which hypnosis plays a very helpful role in turning around.’
How can hypnosis help with depression?
‘Michael Yapko (Clinical Psychologist and Author) has written extensively about this very topic, and how hypnosis can be used with good effect in clinical depression. One of his theories is that we adopt similar strategies as our parents for how to deal with life issues, and if the parents have depression symptoms, we learn how to deal with our own stressors using the same abnormal behaviours. He suggests it is this rather than a hereditary component that is seen in families with incidents of depression.
Hypnosis can successfully be used concurrently within a medical/psychology based framework to treat specific symptoms of the disease. One example is that it can help with the insomnia aspect of depression.’
What would you say to people who are nervous about hypnosis?
‘You are always in control, it can take a little while to develop a sense of trust and letting go in order to be open to accepting the suggestions which are made. TIme is always spent talking together and getting comfortable, addressing concerns and answering questions before a session commences.’
How much does it cost and can it be claimed from your health fund?
‘It can’t be claimed on your health fund. If you have hypnosis from a Psychologist, it can be claimed if your fund covers it. It isn’t recognised by health funds as yet unfortunately. However, since relatively few sessions are required to make a significant difference, it doesn’t need to be too much of a drain on the purse.’
Is one Clinical Hypnotist the same as another?
‘It is best to look for one who works under the auspices of SASH (South Australian Society of Hypnosis). Qualified hypnotists are already medical or health professionals who do a 12 month post graduate qualification in Hypnosis.
It costs $120 for a one off session lasting an hour; or if you have a group of two or more sessions, it is $100 per session, each lasting 45-60 minutes.’
So concludes our interview with Frankie Stacey-Bateman.
If you are interested in having a hypnosis session with Frankie, you can contact her at:
‘Healing in Focus’
Mobile: 0432 882 161
She is willing to visit people as needed in their own homes if they find travelling difficult. There is a $10 surcharge for home visits. Frankie is also happy to answer further queries if your issue has not been discussed here and you’re not sure if hypnosis is the way to go.
Other Clinical Hypnotists can be found under the SASH directory listed as Practitioners on their website:
