What is Hypnotherapy?

Well, Hypnotherapy is a therapy that is undertaken with a subject in hypnosis. The word "hypnosis" itself came from the Greek word, hypnos, that means "sleep".  

Then what happen? When under hypnosis you will feel very relaxed, just like that wonderful feeling when you are tired lying in your bed and you are so overcome with comfort that you wish the moment could last forever. Through simple hypnotic, relaxation techniques you can easily attain this state at which time it becomes easy, with the help of a trained hypnotherapist, to visualize yourself becoming healthier, happier, more confident, a non-smoker. Whatever it is that you want to be!

A person who is hypnotized displays certain unusual characteristics and propensities, compared with a non-hypnotized subject, most notably hyper-suggestibility, which some authorities have considered a sine qua non of hypnosis. 

Hypnotherapy, or self-hypnosis once you've learnt to use the tools for yourself, can be a very effective tool for asking the right kind of 'internal' questions. For instance, have a think about the following:

1. What do you want your life to be like in a year's time? Make your answer as compelling as possible - what do you really want it to be like?

2. What changes will you need to make for this to happen? Don't just think logically. What changes will you have to make in the WAY that you think?

3. Could anything negative happen if you do make these changes? In other words, how much do you really want it?

How about committing to spending the rest of today thinking over these exciting questions but not actually being aware that you are doing so? Does this sound a bit strange? It shouldn't, because that's what people do when they are described by others as 'preoccupied' or 'stressed' or 'anxious'. This deeper level of thinking is the level at which hypnotherapy or self-hypnosis can have proven effects.

Many people claim that they have never been hypnotised, but they do admit to having drifted off whilst thinking about a loved one, forgetting large chunks of a car journey (commonly known as highway hypnosis), or 'going somewhere else' while reading a book. These are all examples of natural trance states. One of the great things about hypnosis is that in the hands of a reputable practitioner it is harmless and produces no damaging side effects, whilst providing positive therapeutic benefits.

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotherapy
          http://www.hypnos.info/pages/whatis.html