What is Clinical Hypnotherapy?

Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is not a state of deep sleep. It does involve the induction of a deeply relaxed but highly focused state, therefore, when in it, the client is actually in an enhanced state of awareness, concentrating entirely on my voice. As the therapist, I am able to suggest ideas, concepts and lifestyle adaptations to my clients, the seeds of which become firmly planted.

The practice of promoting healing or positive development in any way is known as Clinical Hypnotherapy. As such, Clinical Hypnotherapy is a form of psychotherapy. Within your Clinical Hypnotherapy sessions with myself we will re-programme patterns of behaviour within the mind, enabling issues such as anxiety, irrational fears, phobias, negative thoughts, unwanted habits and suppressed emotions to be overcome. I will also teach you, fully appropriate to your needs and desired outcomes, key techniques and provide resources to ensure that all positive change is maintained.

My Clinical Hypnotherapy skills, knowledge and techniques are also highly affective for key lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation and weight loss. Our ability to rationalise our actions is what keeps us convinced to continue with those actions. For example, a smoker will rationalise his or her actions by thinking and saying “smoking helps me relax and focus.” The truth is that cigarettes raise the heart rate and hand tremors by a large percent. So much for relaxing! So, our rational mind is not always correct, but, as long as our rational mind can come up with some reasoning for our actions, we will be led by it. Clinical Hypnotherapy will directly address the rational mind to change the reasoning and, subsequently, begin to make positive progress in achieving the desired outcome that the client is seeking.

Also, Will Power. How many times have you tried changing an old habit by using will power alone? Will power is only temporary. It certainly can give us short bursts of energy to help us get through a mental situation, but then it fades away. Will power cannot affect internal change. It’s like going on a diet, all could be fine whilst you are on the diet only when it ends your thought process and association with food and exercise probably hasn’t changed and your back on another diet in few months’ time. As long as you are 100% committed to make the change that you are seeking, have a positive mindset towards clinical hypnotherapy, hold a collaborative therapeutic working alliance with myself and complete any agreed practical homework tasks set, clinical hypnotherapy will deliver powerful outcomes and lifetime effects. Through this approach you will see positive changes take place right from the first hypnotherapy session.

I offer Clinical Hypnotherapy Sessions for the following:

• Addictions
• Anxiety Management
• Body image
• Depression
• Fears and Phobias
• Habit Control and Habit Reversal
• Memory and Learning
• Pain
• Personal Development
• Relationships
• Relaxation
• Self Confidence / Low Esteem
• Sleep Disorders
• Smoke cessation
• Sports improvement
• Stress reduction
• Weight Loss
• Worry & Procrastination

Clinical Hypnotherapy, for any of the above, will normally take between 2 to 6 sessions to reach desired outcomes. There is no such thing as a “magic wand’ in Clinical Hypnotherapy. Comedy stage hypnosis has very little to do with Clinical Hypnotherapy and has been shown to foster misconceptions which can prevent people from benefitting from treatment. Please take what you see on television and social media with a generous pinch of salt. Clinical Hypnotherapy does not deliver immediate / instant solutions but with the right positive mind-set, commitment and expectancy towards Clinical Hypnotherapy it will bring highly positive results right from the first session.

Hypnosis Facts:

• Hypnosis was accepted by the American Medical Association in 1958
• Hypnosis is a very natural state of mind and is safe
• No-one has ever been hurt by Hypnosis
• Hypnosis is not mind control, you remain in full control whilst in Hypnosis and will never be made to do or say something that you do not approve of
• You cannot get stuck in Hypnosis – this has never happened to anyone
• The worst-case scenario is that you fall asleep
• Hypnosis is focused consciousness whereas sleep is a state of unconsciousness
• The wording of “Sleep” in Hypnosis means close your eyes and go deeply relaxed as if you are asleep. Hypnosis is simply a series of positive instructions and suggestions. All you have to do is focus on what the clinical hypnotherapist is saying and follow his or her guidance and instructions with 100% commitment and focus.

A question often asked is….. “What if I can’t be hypnotised?”

Many people think that. Lots of clients who attend a clinical hypnotherapy session leave feeling relieved and elated at how they ever thought that in the first place. The only people who cannot be hypnotised are those who don’t want to be hypnotised. Everyone else can be hypnotised, but the depths and response levels do differ from person to person. However, evidence shows that you can advance your responsiveness with the practice of certain hypnotic skills training which you will receive from myself within our hypnotherapy sessions. This ensures that you are making changes at a deep behavioural level and those changes are embedded in your neurology. You want long-lasting, progressive change, don’t you? Not just a flash in the pan.

• Hypnotic suggestion is a means of experiencing certain helpful ideas at a level profound enough to directly influence our emotions and behaviour.
• Psychological and emotional problems can be seen as the result of negative thinking, whereas Clinical Hypnotherapy aims to encourage ("suggest") positive ideas which lead to rapid improvement.
• Hypnosis is essentially a simple, down-to-earth, and common sense therapy. For example, by relaxing, thinking positively, and picturing your goals, hypnosis can help you to progressively improve your habitual feelings and behaviour.

I am trained and fully qualified in Clinical Hypnotherapy using the most evidence-based Cognitive Behavioural Clinical Hypnotherapy, Clinical Hypnosis and Problem Solving Therapy approaches. I hold the gold standard for hypnotherapy qualifications, having trained with the renowned Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis and achieving the Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma which is accredited by the NCH and the NFCE. In addition to this I have achieved the Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy (Dip. Hyp.), a Diploma in Psychology, NLP Practitioner Diploma and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Diploma.

Here below are some of the key presenting issues that I help clients overcome as a Clinical Hypnotherapist;

Confidence and Self Esteem - A lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem can hold people back and prevent them from enjoying life to the full and being able to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Hypnotherapy can help restore confidence, even when self-esteem seems to be at its lowest, and enable the client to move on in a positive way.

Anxiety - This covers a range of conditions from short term anxiety that may be attributed to specific issues, to generalised chronic anxiety lasting many months. Hypnotherapy can successfully identify the problem and provide a course of treatment alleviating physical symptoms, enhancing energy levels, and giving peace of mind.

Stress - Regardless of what area of life causes stress, if it is not addressed and dealt with, it literally builds up within oneself leading potentially to health problems, both physical and emotional. Hypnotherapy can help identify and relieve the causes of stress leading to a healthier future.

Fear & Phobias - A specific treatment aimed at people who can function normally in most areas of their life, but have an acute fear of something, or certain situations. When this fear impacts on quality of life, Hypnotherapy can be used to address it. Common phobias include spiders, flying, enclosed spaces, dogs, thunderstorms and many more.

Weight Loss - If a history of dieting and exercise programmes do not seem to be providing results, hypnotherapy can offer a way to re-programme your thinking. Your attitude and relationship with food will change, allowing your desired weight loss to be achievable. Through my Clinical Hypnotherapy ‘Weight Loss’ programme I have helped many clients in achieving their weight loss goals and desired exercise activities.

Smoking Cessation - Most people are aware that smoking is very unhealthy and also costly, but it is not always easy to stop. If traditional methods have failed to work, then Clinical Hypnotherapy can access your subconscious in order to change the way you view your smoking habits, leading to a much greater chance of success. My Clinical Hypnotherapy ‘Stop Smoking’ programme will help you stop the habit for good.

Hypnosis is not only a tool to make wonderful changes in your life, it’s a way to de-stress, relax and focus totally on you. Your pulse slows, your blood pressure comes down. When that happens, you see things more clearly. You're primed for making the positive changes that you desire.