Hypnosis is an altered state of awareness with deep relaxing qualities where the unconscious mind becomes accessible to us. We can get in touch with our conditionings, fixed mind patterns of holding on to ourselves, fears and deeper instinctive urges. The exciting thing about having access to the unconscious mind is that we can have an impact on the contents of it. Yes, we can change things, we can erase deep negative impressions on the mind and replace them with positive suggestions.

All this takes work. First of all awareness, then concentration, reflection and insight. Elvira will teach you how to reach that state of deep relaxation where the unconscious becomes accessible to you. As we might discover aspects we don't like in ourselves, it is important to learn to be open to what we find there, without escaping into addictions or states of high anxiety.

Hypnosis does not take away your will power, nor does it take away your freedom to think or make decisions. You decide what you will or will not do and since hypnosis only works when you agree with what is suggested to you, these suggestions will be discussed with you in detail before and during the course of sessions. Contrary to some hypnotherapists Elvira focuses on teaching you how to help yourself so that any changes happening to you are not superficial ones. They come from yourself not from her. She sees herself merely as a catalyst, who loves to bring out the beauty, power and creativity in people and she is often amazed at people's ignorance of their own capacities, their own potential. Her sessions are filled with joyousness, a sense of humour, and a loving but firm concentration.

In hypnotherapy, the release of powerful emotions results in an experience of sensing a new, empty, space in the mind; this empty quiet space is an ideal place where new positive suggestions can be received, to create deeper changes in ourselves, our attitudes, our motivations. When these changes are happening we begin to attract more favourable conditions and circumstances, meeting like minded people and we develop a new sense of vigorous creativity.

Elvira is greatly interested in the use of creative imagination, visualisation and meditation. Through meditation we can come in subtle contact with energies in ourselves that still have to become manifest. We must access this potent yet-to-take-form level of our being if we wish to relate to ourselves and to others in a radically new way. We will then become aware of the power of our thoughts and feelings and discover that we are able to transform our mode of existence. We discover that we can refuse certain thoughts and simply stop negative auto-suggestions, replacing them with positive images that become alive when we give them our full, undivided and sustained attention.

We acquire the inner firmness to refuse certain self-destructive tendencies and we learn to see things as they are, discarding illusions and false assumptions. Our thoughts become crisp and clear without ambiguity. We become true to ourselves and to others. In a new-found inner strength we can afford at times to become gentle, tender. Suspicion and tensions fall away. We remain relaxed but at the same time we are very aware.

Finding Inspiration in the Unconscious                  Dreamwork                  Hypnopictography                 Automatic Writing In the state of deep relaxation you can safely explore, guided by the hypnotherapist, the unconscious origin of products of your own creativity and imagination. For example, you may have come to a session with a dream you had in the days before. A session may also have been planned where in the hypnotic state you are given pencil and paper with the suggestion to make a drawing (a hypnopictograph) or to produce a short piece of writing (automatic writing), which should be an expression of what is currently happening in the unconscious mind. In the relaxed state your dream will be told back to you in your own words, or the drawing or writing you just made will be handed back to you. In a dialogue with the hypnotherapist you will then be invited, still deeply relaxed, to explain what the drawing, writing, or dream means to you. Since you are in this state much closer to your unconscious than in your normal alert state, you may discover deep sources of creativity which can lead to new inspiration in your daily life and work. (back)

Elvira also practices Body Psychotherapy and Holistic Massage (please click here for information).