Everyone has a different idea of what hypnosis is.  Some of my clients think they will be in a very relaxed state, some think they will be asleep, and others have absolutely no idea what to expect.  Hypnosis is NOT a state of eyes close and therefore often I will work with clients whilst their eyes are wide open and they are perfectly able to talk to me. Each individual will have a different experience of hypnosis, and each time you go into hypnosis that experience can differ.

You can think of your mind as having two parts, the ‘subconscious’ part and the ‘conscious’ part. The subconscious part of your mind can be likened to a 9-year old child: imaginative; emotional; and illogical. It chooses to do something, or not to do something, either to make you happy or to protect you in some way (although to your logical conscious mind this might not be clear to you). The conscious mind on the other hand, is critical and logical, and weighs everything up. I am sure that from time to time you do something that later you regret and then ask yourself “Why did I do that?” The answer is simple, your subconscious, emotional mind had taken over. Unwanted habits and behaviours are choices made by that child-like subconscious mind,  It does not stop to weigh up the consequences, it just acts – just like a child would. When you later ask yourself “Why did I do that?” your conscious mind has kicked back in and is searching desperately for an explanation. Hypnosis allows us to bypass the logical conscious mind and communicate directly with that child-like subconscious mind, so that we can ask it to behave in a different way that is more beneficial to you.

A form of eye movement therapy, and a highly effective and speedy way of resolving traumas.  Originally developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987 for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it has since been used to effectively treat many other disorders. I will ask you to follow my fingers, as I guide you through a series of eye movements.  During the session you might experience: physical sensations; changes in thoughts and internal dialogue; and/or fluctuating feelings as we process your trauma, or conflict.  This ‘processing’ allows the brain to let go of the negative emotions associated with the event and retain any positive learning, leading to dramatic changes in the way you think and feel.

Dr Ronald Ruden developed this incredibly simple yet effective psychosensory technique called Havening.  In Havening, the upper arms, face and hands are stroked gently whilst at the same time undertaking simple tasks such as counting, visualising and humming.  The stroking can be done by the therapist or self-administered.  Havening is a simple process which can be easily learned and it’s one of my favourite tools for dissolving anxious feelings, cravings and traumatic memories.

NLP was developed in the 1970’s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder.  It’s the science of understanding how people organise their thinking, feeling, language and behaviour to produce the results they do.  You might think of NLP as a user manual for the brain, it can help you communicate with your own brain more effectively so that you can produce the results you want.  There are many facets to NLP but an example of one of those facets is the way we represent things internally.  For example, you may not have paid too much attention to how you internally represent things, however we all tend to make pictures in our mind, talk to ourselves, and experience physical feelings.   Using NLP we can change these internal representations by manipulating the pictures we see, the voices we hear, and the sensations we feel.  By gaining insights into how we do the things we do well, we can apply these methodologies to the things that we don’t do well to get better results.

Dr Roger Callahan developed a technique called Thought Field Therapy (TFT) which involves tapping on meridian points in a prescribed order whilst focusing on an unwanted feeling, thought or sensation.  It is believed that this facilitates the healing process that allows the issue to dissipate.  Gary Craig later developed this energy therapy further with his Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) which involves tapping on the same sequence of meridian points regardless of the problem.  I often introduce clients to these psychosensory techniques as they are both easy to learn, and self-administer.  They can be very effective in dissolving cravings, and feelings of anger, fear, panic, and anxiety.

You can be assured of my competence as I’m a General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC) validated Senior Practitioner, a member of the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), and a member of the Complimentary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).  These professional bodies ensure that: I hold the relevant qualifications; my training was given by an approved training provider; my skills and knowledge are kept up to date with Continuing Professional Development; and I have Public Liability Insurance.  Furthermore I’m registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) under the Data Protection Act, so you can be safe in the knowledge that both you, and any information you provide me with, is confidential and secure.  I’m also a mental health first aider, I’ve trained to work with people who are having suicidal thoughts or feelings, and I take a client centred approach.

Should you still be unsure as to whether or not I am the right therapist for you, I am happy to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation.