Positive thinking hypnotherapy—sounds like a term straight out of a science fiction novel. There is nothing remotely fictional about it, actually, and if you practice positive affirmations, or saying positive things out loud to affirm yourself, then you might have an idea what positive thinking hypnotherapy is all about. But what is it, really? And is it for everyone?

Hard as it is to believe, positive thinking does have its share of critics who claim that it is nothing more than foolish and time-wasting idealism. Worse, they even justify negativity as being realistic. But Sir Winston Churchill said it best: “The optimist sees opportunity in every danger; the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity."

Even more vilified than positive thinking is hypnosis. People tend to think of hypnosis as some eerie form of mind control, the person being hypnotized completely at the mercy of the hypnotist doing his/her every bidding. And, heaven forbid, it should be used as actual therapy!

There is some truth to this, however. Mind control does, in fact, take place; but it is the person undergoing hypnosis who takes full control of his/her own mind; the hypnotherapist is merely a guide.

Our minds have a mysterious component known as the subconscious. It is here that all of our beliefs, memories, and experiences lay. What hypnotherapy does is reach into the subconscious and try to influence it, change it somehow, so that we may alter what it is we find undesirable about ourselves.

This method can be quite effective at helping us overcome fears or phobias, resolve self-esteem issues, or give up destructive habits and addictions like substance abuse and smoking, respectively.

So neither positive thinking nor hypnotherapy is deserving of the bad rep, really.

Positive thinking hypnotherapy is more specific, utilizing the power of positive thinking to instill in you an optimistic attitude. The idea is to reprogram your thoughts, actions, and reactions so that you are able to see the positive side to every situation more clearly and act or react accordingly, even when your mind is on autopilot mode.

This means that you automatically gravitate towards the positive, even when you are unaware of it. This will help you to become calmer and more focused when faced with a potential problem, and therefore, more attuned to the possibility—nay, inevitability—of a solution.

When you think positive, everything else just seems to fall into place. Or if they don’t, you are able to find other ways to make them fall into place (or come very close to it) because your positive approach will simply not allow you to wallow in defeat and surrender.

So if you find yourself saying ‘nay’ more than ‘yay,’ perhaps a bit more optimism in your life is what you need. Have a go at positive thinking hypnotherapy and give your subconscious a right good shake and a positive spin.