Spirit guides are any presence people may have around them to help guide them in their lives.
The most commonly known kind of spirit guide would be the Angels.  Angels have been depicted in history for centuries and many people have had personal experiences with these high vibrational beings. Angels are here to help us whenever we ask they are limited in how they can help because we have our own unique path, free will and we are have our own soul lessons to learn. The purpose of their presence is to protect, guide, and give us unconditional love.

What is "Alchemical Hypnotherapy" and how is it different from traditional hypnotherapy?

The word "Alchemical" simply refers to the word "Alchemy". Many people have heard the word alchemy and know it to mean a process where early philosophers aimed to transmute a "lead" like substance into "gold". This is true, but there is more to the history of Alchemy. Carl Jung was fascinated with the subconscious mind and has several books about the psychology of alchemy. He explains that the metaphor of turning lead into gold can be applied to human transformation. Therefore alchemy can be the transformation of man to his most awakened consciousness. The subconscious is accessed through meditation and hypnosis. It is through alchemical hypnosis that real discovery and change can occur at the deepest levels in our subconscious mind.