How can hypnotherapy help weight loss?
Many people have become much more interested in the idea of using hypnotherapy for weight loss after the media and hype surrounding Lily Allen’s recent weight loss using a hypnotherapist. The singer dropped two dress sizes and said that thanks to hypnotherapy she had found all the motivation she needed to get to the gym, enjoy her workouts and avoid the foods that had previously been her downfall. So can hypnosis really work to help people lose weight and how?
Hypnosis works in many instances for weight loss because losing weight is not just about stopping eating. Many who suffer from being overweight are overeating for emotional reasons. For example, many eat because they feel stressed, have low self-esteem or use it as a coping mechanism. Hypnotherapists help people to replace these negative thoughts and negative cycles with healthier ones, which help us to make healthier food choices. New, positive processes are established that reinforce feeling good about oneself, such as going to the gym or coping in other ways - taking a long bath or reading a good book. In this way, people lose weight not because the hypnosis did anything to them physically, but it stopped the emotional need to overeat.
24/02/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Get fit with hypnotherapy: Part 3
In earlier parts, we discussed how hypnotherapy can help with sports performance for athletes and even for people who simply wantto get more from their workout. We also talked about the different benefits that can come from hypnotherapy sessions with a hypnotherapist or sports psychologist, and subsequently from ongoing self hypnosis techniques. So, if this is an area you feel you might be interest in, where should you start?
There are many CDs and scripts available for purchase, however, although it is possible that hypnosis can be induced in this manner, it is a much better choice to begin by seeing a professional hypnotherapist. The hypnotherapist can tailor a hypnosis session to an individual, whereas a script or CD is designed for the masses. Everyone is different. A hypnotherapist can help you to reach a deeper level of hypnosis, suitable for your needs, and is able to make sure the session is right for you.
In the hypnotherapy session, the therapist will first of all have a chat with you to talk about what you want to achieve from the hypnosis. The first stage is then what is termed an ‘induction’, which is when the hypnotherapist helps you reach hypnosis. This is very calm and relaxing; there is no swinging watch or swirling image to watch as you might have seen in the media. Once in hypnosis, you are given a few suggestions to help you. You are likely to be aware of every word, few people actually reach deep hypnosis where they don’t hear every word and in most cases it is not necessary anyway. Generally, you’ll need a few sessions but you should continue to get the most benefit in sports performance, although this can be done through self hypnosis techniques that your hypnotherapist can show you.
22/02/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
New York school uses mediation
A New York high school has been able to co-ordinate over 200 peer mediations to help students resolve their issues. Retired police detective, Mary Ann McGovern, has been helping Schenectady High School through the Center for Community Justice’s peer mediation plan for the last 12 months. McGovern said:
"Peer mediators are a group of trained, dedicated students who help their fellow classmates resolve their own issues. We do not give advice or judge. We just guide the mediation process".The mediation programme now covers all three middle schools. One year ago, they incorporated the "incident reduction plan" because the school was rated the 16th most violent in the state. There are now 40 trained mediators, trained in mediation techniques and communication. Trained mediators sign an oath of confidentiality and receive training before helping in mediation cases and at least two mediators handle each case and are monitored during the mediation. McGovern added:
"The program is a valuable tool for crisis intervention. Mediation is an alternative way to resolve conflicts, giving students a forum to have their voices heard and a chance to own and resolve issues that negatively affect them".Mediation guides conversation and facilitates negotiation to help people reach a resolution in a quick and peaceful manner. It has become increasingly popular in recent years and is helpful in all sorts of cases.
20/02/2009 | Posted in Mediation,
Get fit with hypnotherapy: Part 2
In an earlier article, we discussed how hypnotherapy can be used to help those who wish to improve their performance in the gym, on the field in their chosen area of sport or even in the workplace. Here are just a few of the benefits that you can get from practising hypnosis, either with a hypnotherapist or, after a few sessions, with your own self hypnosis techniques:
- relaxation: this is the first point that many people make when they have had their first hypnosis session, how relaxing they found it and how nice they felt afterwards. Hypnosis is a very relaxing feeling, however, it doesn’t end there. When it comes to the area of sport, an athlete will have nerves. These feelings of nerves can be good to a certain point but they can work against you.
- visualisation: perhaps surprisingly, visualising yourself achieving your goal, working harder or better and getting what you want makes a big difference between an average and better-than-average performance in any area. By picturing something, you are making that image more powerful and life-like and hypnosis can intensify this image much more than we can in our conscious mind alone.
- improving performance: the one we all want. It has been shown that hypnosis can help control pain and most athletes are familiar with ‘getting in the zone’ and that sports performance is as much about mental willpower as it is about the physical aspect. Our best performances happen when our mind and body are in sync and hypnosis can help with that.
18/02/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Neighbour feuds use mediation
A new mediation service has been offered in the town of Bury to help solve problems with neighbourhood feuds. This mediation service has been set up by the local council's anti social behaviour team, The Whitefield office of Contour Homes and the Irwell Valley Housing Association - to help those neighbours who are no longer speaking due to a fall out or disagreement.
Ann Walton from Contour Homes commented: "This scheme is quite unique because it is bringing together housing experts from different organisations. All parties are 'loaning' their experts free of charge in order to provide an impartial service to people living in Bury. Essentially the service is for neighbours who have fallen out and are at the stage where they can no longer talk to each other. Our trained mediators will work with all parties to find a solution that is agreeable to everyone".
As with all mediation services, it will be impartial. Whatever happens during mediation is not reported or noted to any other individual or organisation; it is strictly confidential. For any mediation to work, all parties must agree to take part. Mediation has proved successful in business matters and families as well as neighbour issues. It is a much cheaper and quicker resolution than taking any legal action.
17/02/2009 | Posted in Mediation,
Get fit with hypnotherapy: Part 1
When it comes to using mental techniques to improve our fitness, athletes can use a variety of methods but hypnotherapy is probably the one method that men are least likely to give a chance. However, when used properly, hypnotherapy can be a great way to improve working out, sports performance and even attitude and performance in work.
For those who may be feeling a little sceptical at this point, this is perfectly natural but take a moment to consider that Tiger Woods has reportedly been using self hypnosis techniques since the tender age of just 13 years old. A variety of Olympian athletes have made use of hypnotherapy to help them to overcome their own self-doubt and mental limitations and to visualise their success in their field.
Hypnosis is not just for the serious athlete though; if you simply want to get more out of your workouts at the gym then it can help the normal person too. Hypnotherapy is certainly not the way it is portrayed in the media. There is no swinging fob watch, clucking like a chicken or imagining you are the king of England. Sports psychologists and hypnotherapists use hypnosis techniques in a very different way.
16/02/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Estate mediation hailed success
The mediation solution being offered on an estate in Kingston, Surrey, has been noted as a success by the local police. Conflict on the Knollmead estate between residents and local youths was originally managed by a dispersion order issued by the local council, however, it was soon noted this was not an effective long term solution and so a mediation service with a local company was offered to bridge the gap. The two groups, residents and youths, met separately with the team of mediators and agreed to take part in a mediation process. Two sessions took place to listen to each group first before brainstorming took place to find possible solutions before a written agreement was designed to solve the conflict moving forward.
Lead mediator Mike Morris said: "The willingness to talk and listen honestly to each other revealed a strong commitment to express feelings but also to explore practical solutions. I was impressed with the ability of these two groups to explore an effective solution. They are to be applauded."Mediation is constantly being used in different situations all over the UK, at group levels, in business and also in smaller situations such as domestic issues between families or neighbours, and is proving a successful, cheap and quick resolution in many cases.
15/02/2009 | Posted in Mediation,
One month countdown to No Smoking Day
Just one month from now, on 11th March, it will be No Smoking Day and last year, over 1.2 million people made an attempt to give up smoking on No Smoking Day. All over the UK, various promotional items advertising No Smoking Day and the benefits of giving up smoking, both to the smoker and to those around them, are appearing in places like nurseries, health centres and more.
For those who really want to stop smoking, it is worth taking a few minutes to consider their reasons why.
The reasons you want to give up smoking are what can drive you and there is no real reason for you to wait another month before you quit. There are all sorts of ways to help you get motivated and keep off the cigarettes, including nicotine patches, counselling and of course hypnotherapy.
Quitting smoking is probably one of the most famous treatments that hypnosis is known for, as it has helped people to quit smoking for life after just one session. One of the keys to its success is the client's reasons for quitting. There is little point visiting a hypnotherapist to stop smoking if you don't really want to stop. If you are doing it to keep your partner or family quiet it is unlikely to work. Hypnosis can't make anyone make life changes that they really don't want to make so, if you really don't want to stop, it will be a waste of your money and the hypnotherapist's time. However, you do not have to believe in hypnotherapy for it to work. So, no matter how cynical you are of hypnotherapy, if you really want to quit smoking then hypnotherapy could be the answer to your prayers.
11/02/2009 | Posted in Counselling, Hypnotherapy,
Hypnotherapy for self-esteem
Many people are suffering from stress, feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. It is possible that these feelings are being felt more profoundly because of the current economic crisis. When we feel this way, it is possible to feel that life is passing us by.
Self-esteem is part of feeling self-confident and, when we lack in self-esteem or self-confidence, it can be hard to look for ways to help without thinking of years of drugs or psychotherapy. Hypnosis offers one alternative to these solutions.
Hypnotherapy has long been associated with helping people to increase their self-confidence, and consequently their self-esteem. Relaxing with hypnosis can help us get away from our day-to-day troubles and help with stress management. Hypnotherapy is notorious for being a quick therapy, partly because the hypnotherapist helps the client to change the way they think or feel themselves. The results all come from the client; the hypnotherapist simply helps them to find their own way.
When stress management becomes an issue, or someone is suffering from low self-esteem or a lack of confidence, there is no reason why just one or two sessions of hypnotherapy cannot help a person to turn their life around.
10/02/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Mediation for anti social behaviour
A local mediation service has teamed up with the Wandle Housing Association to help train eight local residents to become community mediators. The idea of this new scheme is to help tackle things like anti-social behaviour in several London Boroughs. The volunteer residents complete a 40 hour training course and learn how to act as mediators and support other residents.
Mediation is expected to become a valuable part of the service to tackle anti social behaviour. It is hoped that, should this pilot scheme prove successful, then there is the possibility that it might be rolled out across London and possibly even the whole of the UK.
Key skills for mediators include being able to communicate effectively, listen to different parties without making judgment and facilitating discussions leading to mutually agreeable solutions. Mediation is a great service for helping people to resolve issues and disputes. The mediator is a neutral party and does not offer advice, but merely helps the disputing parties discuss their issues openly with a view to reaching a resolution. Mediation has proved successful in areas such as business matters, family disputes and neighbour issues. Mediators help in a wide range of scenarios and, as a result, mediation is becoming much more popular.
09/02/2009 | Posted in Mediation,
Mediation to resolve strike action
There has been much talk in the media about the oil refinery strikes happening across the UK and, this week, a mediation service was called in to help with the negotiations. In strike action, the employers and employee representatives (often a staff union) negotiate to reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion. However, with emotions often running high, it can be difficult to work through the discussions and reach that conclusion. That is where mediation is particularly useful.
A mediator is a neutral third party who sits in on the negotiations and is there to help facilitate the discussion. They do not take sides or offer advice and mediation is often quicker, cheaper and easier than going through court proceedings.
In cases such as this strike, where speed is of the essence, mediation can be very useful. However, mediation doesn’t just have to be used in extreme cases like these oil refinery strikes. It can also be particularly useful in family or neighbour issues as well as business matters. Mediation in recent years has gained popularity and is being used more and more frequently.
05/02/2009 | Posted in Mediation,
Psoriasis and hypnotherapy
Psoriasis is a stress-related problem. For many people it means red, scaly skin that can bleed easily. This skin condition is often found in the knee, elbows, back and trunk areas of the body and the toe and fingernails are often prone to pitting. It can affect almost anyone. The cause is unknown but it is thought that genetics do play a role; sufferers of arthritis are also often prone to getting it.
The problem varies wildly in its severity from one person to another and, in very rare cases, can be life threatening if huge areas of skin are open to infection. For some sufferers, other factors aside from stress are known to make the condition worse such as injury, cold weather and a low immune system. Where stress is a large factor, regular hypnotherapy can reduce the stress levels. Hypnotherapists will also often teach self-hypnosis so the patient can practice regularly at home for themselves.
04/02/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
