Does Hypnosis Work?

Adele has reportedly give up smoking with the help of a celebrity hypnotherapist, which got us thinking about hypnosis in general. Does it really work as a way to overcome pickles we’ve previously struggled with. We spoke to Jason O’Callaghan from The D4 Clinic about what how he helps clients overcome an array of phobias, including those who have struggled to give up smoking and lose weight. So we sent along an unlikely guinea pig to see what exactly happens and if it works. Here’s her report from Week One

I’m much like everyone else at the start of the year, I decide in my head that I’m going to be healthier, lose some weight and get a bit fitter – though I’ve learned not to verbalise these things anymore because I’m sick of being reminded of my failures.  I was vaguely aware of hypnosis for weight loss and I’d read a couple success stories on line so when the opportunity to try it out came up I grabbed it with both hands.  I went to meet Jason with a healthy level of scepticism and with a full belly in case I was hypnotised into never eating again. The clinic is lovely, very warm and inviting and Jason was really welcoming.  The session began with a chat about why I was there, my weight loss history and what I wanted to achieve.  I have struggled with my weight for pretty much my whole life so I told Jason how I have had cycles of losing and putting on weight for years and what I really liked was that he didn’t tell me I was right, wrong or indifferent, he just spoke about what I was going to do from here on.  Jason was really knowledgeable and spoke a lot of sense about basic nutrition and the common mistakes that people make around their eating habits.  He went on then to explain the process of the hypnosis and how the hypnosis he does differs from that of Keith Barry and the likes and we spoke about how different people have different levels of susceptibility.  The actual hypnosis took about 25 minutes and I lay on the couch and followed Jason’s directions.  The only way I could describe being hypnotised is that I was in a deep state of relaxation but at the same time I was fully aware of what was going on around me.  The session was recorded on my phone and I was given my instructions – listen to the recording twice a day, start with short walks and record what I ate – it seemed pretty straightforward and with Jason claiming that I could be stone down by the time I next saw him. I was pretty motivated leaving, if not still a little sceptical. We’ll see what happens.