What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is fast gaining credibility and popularity as a way to overcome the stresses and strains of everyday life. It has been around since the 19th century but over the years has undergone many changes.

Hypnosis can be very effective in dealing with negative thoughts and ideas, distressing feelings, anxiety and stress, (and related conditions such as insomnia, and panic attacks). It is also highly suitable for treating fears, phobias and long-term habits such as smoking and weight problems. Browse the pages of this site to see other treatable conditions. It is equally as effective in enhancing and improving areas such as confidence building, public speaking and sports performance.

The best way to think of hypnosis is as a state of deep relaxation and focus. During Hypnosis the conscious mind becomes detached from every day worries and the subconscious part of the mind is more open to suggestion. In this deeply relaxed state which is known as ‘Trance’, the Hypnotherapist can effect changes in long standing thoughts, feelings and behaviour. 

As a matter of interest, you will almost certainly have been in a hypnotic state at some time before. One of the most common occurrences of hypnosis is in driving. Most drivers at some stage will have experienced the sudden realization that they cannot remember consciously driving the last several miles. This is because they have been concentrating so hard on their driving that a state of hypnosis has been induced. The result is that they have been able to drive for several miles in a trance. While their conscious mind has been thinking of many things, their subconscious mind has successfully taken over the driving of the vehicle and safely negotiated gear changing, braking, etc.

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How does Hypnotherapy work?

To answer that question we first have to think about the human mind. It is generally accepted that the human mind is made up to two sections. For simplicity we can think of it as the conscious mind and subconscious mind.

THE CONSCIOUS MIND
This is the section that helps with our daily decision-making processes. It is proactive, realistic, logical and intelligent. It applies rational thought to enable us to use our experiences to work out how to deal with new situations. However, it is easily overloaded. Essentially, the conscious mind learns how to do things and once learned, then passes it on to the subconscious mind.

THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
This, the biggest section of our mind is hidden from our everyday awareness. The subconscious operates on automatic pilot. It is involved with our emotions, imagination and memories as well as with our autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls all the workings of our body - the beating of our heart, the respiratory system, digestion, the release of our hormones - in fact everything that our bodies do in order to function - none of which is under our conscious control. It is easy to understand therefore, why the mind affects the body and the body affects the mind. In reality, the mind and body are indivisible.

The subconscious mind is powerful and can deal with many complex instructions at any one time but is not ‘intelligent’. Behaviours and body reactions that are outside our conscious control come from the subconscious. The subconscious mind always has a reason for what it does but the reason may not be easily understood by us and may be outdated or no longer useful to us.

Hypnotherapy enables us to talk directly to the subconscious, persuading it and enabling it to change preconditioned ways of reacting.

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What is NLP?

NLP stands for ‘Neuro Linguistic Programming’. This should be self explanatory. ‘Neuro’ refers to the mind and how it works, ‘Linguistic’ refers to the language used the way people express themselves and communicate their experience to others, and ‘Programming’ refers to the effect that language has on the mind and on behaviour. In other words it is what was known in my day as ‘Response to Suggestion.’ 

NLP is based on ‘real life’ behaviour and its main aim is to help people get better at what they do, whether it is in a personal or professional capacity; whether it is to improve personal relationships or be a better salesperson, the list is endless. ‘Excellence in performance’ is one of the goals of NLP and requires the development of skills and the corresponding physical and mental states.

These physical and mental states can be compartmentalised and summarised as follows;
• Motivation
• Learning
• Maintaining good health and fitness
• Communication
• Negotiating
• Public speaking
• Teambuilding
• Change management

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What is HCBT?

Hypno-Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Hypno-CBT is a generic term for cognitive behavioural approaches to Hypnotherapy. HCBT methods are based on the premise that most psychological disturbances results from a destructive type of self-hypnosis that has been termed negative self-hypnosis. Clients are shown how the content of negative self-hypnosis, self defeating thoughts and images can be changed through the corrective process of positive self-hypnosis.

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What happens at a consultation?

At the first consultation, we will discuss the reason you have decided to seek my help, together with a relevant medical history, and you will be given a full explanation of what to expect from the initial hypnotherapy session and any subsequent follow up sessions. Professional Hypnotherapists give a completely confidential service.

During hypnosis you will be aware of everything that is happening and afterwards will usually be able to remember everything that was said except for any painful memories that you do not wish to remember. 

Finally, after the treatment you will be brought back to your normal conscious state at which time you will feel fully refreshed and invigorated.

Some common descriptions of how you feel under hypnosis include: 
• Very relaxed
• Heavy
• Numb
• Floating
• Drifting
• Dreamy

Normally the following physical symptoms are: 
• Slowed breathing
• Lower blood pressure
• Slower heart rate
• Increased / changed circulation
• Less muscular tension

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Quit Smoking Forever

Every cigarette that you smoke will rob you of up to six minutes of life expectancy. Substances such as cyanide, arsenic, carbon monoxide, prussic acid, benzo-pyrene and ammonia are all present in cigarettes, and then the chemical fertilisers and insecticides that were sprayed onto the crop… Cyanide - that grabbed your attention. Well it would, but what about nicotine? Are you aware that nicotine is one of the most poisonous substances known to man? The nicotine extracted from one cigarette, if injected directly into a vein, will kill you in seconds. It is enough to kill a horse. 

A fifty year old smoker is as old physically as a seventy year old non-smoker. Such are the effects of poisoning your body day in, day out.

When you stop smoking you soon begin to experience the things that you have missed as a smoker. Your clothes and your hair smell fresh. You taste the food that you eat so much more, and the intense perfume of the summer flowers will amaze you.

Your energy levels will rise, and you will become and feel so much more in control of your life and so much more attractive as a person. You will notice that the condition of your skin and your hair improves. Your eyesight becomes clearer as the oxygen levels within your blood become normal and then, as your brain receives its full quota of oxygen, you will think so much more clearly. A smoker on twenty cigarettes a day loses up to twenty three per cent of clear thinking ability simply because the brain has been deprived of oxygen. 

When you are thinking so clearly, you will think with the utmost clarity, 'Why on earth did I start in the first place?' Did I mention all the money that has gone up in smoke?

So what happens when you stop smoking?

Within twenty minutes: Your blood pressure and pulse rate drop to normal, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.
Within eight hours: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal. 
Within twenty four hours: Your chance of having a heart attack already decreases.
Within forty eight hours: Your nerve endings start to grow and your sense of smell and taste improve.
Within seventy two hours: Your bronchial tubes begin to relax and you can breathe more easily. Your lung capacity also increases which means that you can do physical activities more easily. 
Within two weeks to three months: Your circulation improves, walking becomes easier and your lung function increases by up to thirty per cent.
Within one month to nine months: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath continue to decrease and your overall level of energy increases. The cilia re-grow in your lungs thus increasing your ability to handle mucus and to clean out your lungs and to reduce infection.
At five years: The lung cancer death rate drops.
At ten years: The lung cancer death rate for the average smoker drops to twelve deaths per 10,0000 - almost the rate of non-smokers. Other cancers, such as those of the mouth, larynx, oesophagus, bladder, kidneys and pancreas also decrease. (There are thirty chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause cancer.) Pre-cancerous cells are replaced.

It has been statistically proved that Hypnotherapy is the best way for permanent smoking cessation! 

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Weight Management

OK so you want to lose weight. You know all the reasons you should lose weight. You really want to get in better shape. You want to take better care of yourself. You are fed up of looking in the mirror and seeing yourself fat and out of shape. You are tired of huffing and puffing when you walk. You are tired of not fitting into your clothes. You are tired of being tired all the time and you no longer feel attractive.

You’ve probably tried every imaginable diet pill, crazy diet, starvation method and exercise gadgets to help you lose weight...and failed. Or you lost the weight only to gain it back again. You’ve become discouraged, disheartened and depressed. You feel like a hopeless case.
The real key to success with weight loss is to stop “trying to lose weight”. Instead focus on a goal that is positive rather than negative.

Hypnotherapy is a very effective weight loss tool and can transform your approach to food, exercise and health. It will allow you to stop dieting and encourage you to begin to take care of yourself in a more positive way by eating healthily and enjoying exercise. It will help you to stop being obsessed about food and enable you to let go of those feelings of failure and guilt. It will enable you to combat food cravings and will teach you to understand your relationship with food and find the triggers that make you overeat.

Online weight loss programme

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Fears and Phobias

Phobias and fears are common - over 10% of people experience a simple phobia at some time. From lifts, spiders and birds, to heights, dentists and open spaces, there is nothing we can't develop anxiety or phobias about. 

A phobia is, by definition, an irrational fear, which means it will not be treated with a logical approach. Hypnosis can actually help you to feel safer and more secure about the thing that used to cause fear. During Hynotherapy you'll begin to feel relaxed and safe and soon you can look forward to experiencing the same sense of relaxation in any situation. You won't believe just how effective Hypnosis can be until you try it and see the fast results it offers.

Happily, hypnosis provides an extremely effective cure for these problems as it provides the opposite of anxiety - deep relaxation - while teaching the mind a different way of responding to the feared object or situation.

If you suffer from a phobia, whether it's common, for example being scared of flying, scared of open spaces, scared of spiders or insects or wasps, or if your phobia is something less common e.g. fear of books, you know that the fear is real and can have a terrible effect on your life.

Hypnotherapy can help with phobias quickly and efficiently, most can be treated in just a few sessions.

Hypnosis helps by;
• Desensitising the client to the stimulus i.e. spiders, the flying experience, lifts etc..
• Learning a new, more relaxed response helps you to become much more calm in situations where you are likely to encounter the stimulus.
• Uncovering the source of the phobia although this is not generally necessary.
NLP and EFT techniques are also particularly useful with phobias and fears.

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Panic Attacks

We all feel anxious from time to time and this is perfectly normal. but when a panic attack strikes, it feels anything but normal.

A panic attack can happen completely 'out of the blue', and often occur for little or no apparent reason. The onset of a panic attack is usually very sudden, and is basically an exaggeration of the body’s normal response to fear. The chemical adrenaline which is normally produced when we need to do something ie run from danger or stand and fight is overproduced and the result is a multitude of unpleasant sensations.

The symptoms of a panic attack will vary from person to person, but can include any of the following:
• Shaking
• Difficulty in breathing, or shortness of breath 
• Abnormally rapid heartbeat 
• Excessive sweating 
• Chest tightness
• Chest pain
• Abnormal sensations of the skin 
• Raised blood pressure 
• Tension and apprehension
• The feeling that 'something terrible' is going to happen.
• A specific fear of death

Panic attacks are extremely treatable, and respond very well to a course of hypnotherapy.

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Relaxation

Psychology, refers to relaxation as a focusing on the mind and a relaxing of the body's muscles. Research has shown that being too tense or living with too much stress has a significant negative impact on our lives. It can lead to physical illnesses such as headaches, high blood pressure, ulcers, fatigue, and many psychological issues, including inappropriate emotions, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and exhaustion. People utilize relaxation, in combination with stress management, to improve their quality of life, reduce the physical components of stress, and improve their psychological functioning. 

There are different forms of relaxation, including breathing exercises, deep muscle relaxation, progressive muscle relaxation, imagery, meditation, and yoga. Although each of these has different components, the main goal in each is to relax the body's muscles and focus the mind. Since the body and the mind cannot be separated, most agree that both of these components must be present for any relaxation technique to work. 

Hypnosis is a very deep state of relaxation where your mind is more focused and the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviour are more clear.

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Pain Management

The management of chronic pain can be helped greatly by using hypnosis. Psychological approaches to pain relief are well documented, and hypnosis has been widely used for centuries in this area.

Dr Milton Erickson, one of the world's leading authorities in the use of clinical hypnosis used his skills to manage his own chronic pain from the two bouts of polio he suffered during his lifetime.

One of the problems with chronic pain management is that the brain can get into the habit of using pain-killing drugs, requiring higher and higher doses. Hypnosis works in a different way, causing the brain to stop responding to pain signals.

The trick to using hypnosis for pain management is to learn the skills contained within a Hypnotherapy session so that you can then use them yourself whenever you need them. Many people quickly grasp the techniques and gain relief from the start.

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Anger Management

It is human nature to sometime feel angry, it’s a defence mechanism, and the adrenalin that runs through our body gives us strength and prepares us for any situation. It is part of the fight or flight response which we all possess. This goes back to ‘cave man’ days when the adrenalin in your body was used to either stay and fight or run for your life.
In our modern society anger comes out in many forms. In most cases you feel anger towards someone else. There are many causes for this, but as you know getting angry helps no-one. When you get angry other peoples reaction towards you changes, you yourself feel stressed, tense and anxious.

Obviously anger can damage relationships, and that is bad enough, but anger has also been shown to be terribly damaging to the heart, especially in men.

When you become angry, the pumping efficiency of the heart drops, often seriously, leading to arterial damage. Effective anger management one of the most important emotional skills you can learn.

Hypnosis breaks the pattern of uncontrolled anger by changing the way your unconscious responds to every day demands. It will change your reaction to your anger and stop it before it starts.

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Grief and Loss

Grief and loss are one of the most life-transforming issues anyone can deal with. There are 5 stages of grief that everyone, no matter what his or her beliefs on death or loss are, each have. We must move through the following stages in order to resolve the emotional feelings that accompany these transforming issues.

1) Denial: Refusing to accept the loss has occurred.

2) Anger: This may be directed at either the person who has been lost or at anyone else who happens to be there or not there. We must be careful not to do harm to those who are not responsible.

3) Depression: This stage and anger go hand-in-hand. We can go back and forth between these two stages until it is time for us to go on to the next stage. By learning good coping mechanisms we can move through these stages safely.

4) Bargaining: We can bargain with anyone to try to cope: God, our therapist, anyone in the life really, we can even bargain with ourselves. A bargain is struck that assists us to cope with the tragedy or loss.

5) Resolution: In this final stage is acceptance. It is the beginning of putting one's life back in order. When we move on, we honour the fact that life is precious and that each and every moment of our lives needs to be spent recognizing our purpose while taking positive action to achieve our goals and enjoy our journeys.

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Jet Lag

Jetlag is caused by a complex combination of circumstances and affects us physically, mentally, and emotionally. A physical example is swollen feet. A mental example is disorientation. An emotional one is anxiety.

Jet lag is a temporary condition that some people experience after flying across several time zones in a short period of time. This causes the traveller's internal clock to be out of sync with the environment. People experiencing jet lag have a difficult time maintaining their internal, routine sleep-wake pattern in their new location. For this reason, jet lag can make you feel lethargic one moment and energised the next.

Jet lag creates a major problem for holidaymakers and business people who must cross several time zones to reach their destination. As travellers attempt to adjust their internal clock to a new external environment, symptoms result with varying intensity. These symptoms may include dry eyes, dry and irritated nose and sinuses, headaches, earaches, muscle cramps, and abdominal bloating, dizziness, swollen feet and ankles.

Just imagine being able to programme your mind to accept the time difference so that when you arrive at your destination, your mind accepts the new time and keeps you alert and fresh. The CD has been designed for you to listen to as you are travelling – all you need is a portable CD player. The powerful suggestions within it help you to overcome the dreadful symptoms of jet lag.

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Insomnia

Sleep is a delicate thing - it can’t be forced, only encouraged; and this makes it highly susceptible to problems. You may lie there ‘waiting for sleep’ process but as soon as you get anxious about not sleeping, sleep becomes even more elusive. In short, if you think you won't be able to sleep, it's almost certain that you won't, just like if you try not to think of a pink elephant – what do you think about?

Insomnia and sleep problems tend to start in isolation but can soon develop into bad habits. Hypnotherapy can help you to develop new expectations and make insomnia a thing of the past.

So how could hypnosis help? Well, first of all hypnotherapy generally involves hypnosis combined with relaxation which in itself is one of the key elements in falling asleep easily. First you learn to relax physically; with practice this is very quick and very simple. Secondly, you learn to relax mentally and learning self-hypnosis will soon make it very easy indeed. You will learn to be a falling asleep expert.

We all enter into Hypnosis several times a day because it is a completely natural state of relaxation. It is a willing state. You cannot be hypnotized against your will. It is best to think of hypnosis as a relaxed guided meditation. In this relaxed state your subconscious mind is open to hearing positive suggestions that will help you sleep better. In addition, while in hypnosis your subconscious is willing to let go of any blocks or negative thoughts that may be the cause of your sleep problems. 

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Insomnia and Bedtime Stories for Children

We all have a tendency at times to struggle to get to sleep sometimes and children are no exception. Sometimes sleep problems become chronic and a pattern of insomnia sets in. This can cause much frustration both for child and their parents and can even result in relationship difficulties if the problem is not addressed. If you find yourself struggling to put your child to sleep night after night, then it is important to do something about it. 

Here are some of the main causes of insomnia in children and babies:

• Teething 
• Lack of routine at bedtime 
• Childhood depression or trauma 
• Family troubles 
• A diet too high in sugar and stimulants like cola, coffee and tea

A bedtime ritual is a great help in childhood sleeping difficulties and children always respond to a ‘quiet time’ just prior to going to bed. For instance your child is far more likely to go to sleep if you read a calming story or they listen to a quiet CD than having an argument or a pillow fight with their siblings.

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Sexual Fulfillment

Over time, our feelings and beliefs about sex can change. Imagine how good it would be to stop the anxiety and embarrassment and get your sex life back. Our beliefs about sex and about our bodies can be changed to work for us instead of against us. We have an incredibly powerful computer called the brain which controls every function in our body including the physiology needed to create and maintain an erection or sexual desire. Our mind also knows what is creating the problem and how to release the source of anxiety. Hypnosis can uncover any underlying problems and use the power in your brain to restore a powerful and passionate sex life.

We are capable of even greater sexual satisfaction than most people realize, and are only limited by our fears or beliefs. Some women experience trouble reaching orgasm simply because they believe it will be impossible, or because of guilt or embarrassment in the past. The subconscious mind is very good at giving us what we want, so if it is focused on the dysfunction or fear or guilt, which is what you will get.

If you are sure the problem is psychological and not physical then Hypnosis can begin to change the thoughts that perpetuate the problem and can free you from the anxiety, limiting beliefs or past trauma with sexual problems. 

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Stress Management

Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help prompt us into action; it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. With the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion, or a new relationship, we experience stress as we readjust our lives. In so adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder us depending on how we react to it.

Positive stress adds anticipation and excitement to life, and we all thrive under a certain amount of stress. Deadlines, competitions, confrontations, and even our frustrations and sorrows add depth and enrichment to our lives. Our goal is not to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage it and how to use it to help us. Insufficient stress acts as a depressant and may leave us feeling bored or dejected; on the other hand, excessive stress may leave us feeling "tied up in knots." What we need to do is find the optimal level of stress which will individually motivate but not overwhelm each of us.

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Past Life Regression

This is a hotly debated topic within the hypnotherapy world and depends very much on your own beliefs. It is a proven fact that clients in hypnosis are guided into what appears to be memories of a former life, in certain circumstances this can happen spontaneously while the client is hypnotized. There are several theories and explanations regarding past life regression, some of which are as follows:

Many people believe that while under hypnosis they are genuinely recalling a past life that they have actually lived.

There is a substantiated theory that memories can be passed down genetically through DNA just the same way that appearances, characteristics can be passed down from one generation to another, so therefore we are experiencing the past life of our ancestors. 

It could be a figment of the client’s imagination; it could be a book, film or a TV programme that the client has read or watched and although long since forgotten by the conscious mind can be re-lived by the unconscious mind.

Other people may believe that they are tapping into the actual memories of another soul who lived in the past, reaching those memories from the Akashic Records which are said to be from the universal book of life, memories of other lives that can be accessed under hypnosis.

In conclusion, whatever you believe in, I have had many past clients who have benefited tremendously from past life regression by coming to terms with negative issues that are happening in their present life.

Interestingly, from my experience during past life regressions, the answer to questions that have been asked, such as names, dates, occupations, addresses etc., have been checked out and facts that clients could not possible have known have been substantiated. An example of this is that buildings, long since demolished have been described in detail and research has established that these buildings were exactly as described in regression.


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Self Hypnosis

Self Hypnosis is an excellent way of taking control of your life.

Whether your aim is to lose weight, stop smoking, gain confidence or overcome fears and phobias you can find your own solutions to the problem.

It's a well known fact by Hypnotherapists that 'all hypnosis is self-hypnosis'. You can learn all the techniques that you need to improve your life.

Through self hypnosis it is possible to reach the subconscious mind through bypassing your conscious mind (the part that you are thinking with right now) and implant suggestions that will be effective to your aim. It is essential that these suggestions are phrased in such a way that they will not be misunderstood. This is why it is vital to use a trained hypnotherapist or a self hypnotic CD in order to achieve the right conditions.

It doesn't matter if you're 19 or 99 - anyone who is interested enough in their own well-being to do something about it can learn self hypnosis.

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