Dad quits smoking for children using hypnotherapy
One father of two was featured in the media this month after he quit smoking using hypnosis for his two young children. Fifty-six year old Chris Carter from Woodley has two children aged two and six years old and, having been a cigar smoker for 35 years, he decided it was time he put his family first and improved his health.
Methods such as chewing gum, nicotine patches and going cold turkey using willpower alone do work for some smokers but for many, these just mean bad moods for days on end before finally giving in to the pull of smoking again.
Using hypnosis, Chris Carter quit smoking with the help of a clinical hypnotherapist. Quitting smoking is one of the most well known reasons for using a hypnotherapist although other issues it can help with are becoming better known nowadays, especially now it is available on the NHS.
Curing someone of their smoking habit can be done in as little as one session using hypnotherapy - but only if the smoker has decided they really do want to quit, because hypnosis cannot make you do anything you don’t want to. As the recession continues, hypnotherapists are seeing more clients who want to quit smoking because it is such an expensive habit as well as being dangerous to your health.
31/05/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Hypnotherapy can help healing
Despite the way hypnosis is often portrayed in the media, on films and television, hypnotherapy is a real tool to help people overcome real issues in everyday life - issues such as weight loss, overcoming phobias and quitting bad habits like smoking and nail biting.
Hypnotherapy is also particularly useful for healing. In no way is it suggested that hypnotherapy should be used instead of conventional medicine and treatments, but it is a valuable alternative treatment that can work alongside conventional medicine. And it is now available on the NHS.
Hypnotherapy can be used to overcome emotional problems and mental blocks. It is often said that laughter is the best medicine and that being stressed does not help anybody. Using hypnosis simply as a relaxation and visualisation tool helps to relieve stress and that can allow conventional medicine and treatment to work twice as effectively.
Contrary to popular opinion, people do experience the feeling of hypnosis; they don’t black out or forget everything that was said. It is relaxing and helps the unconscious part of a person to work in coordination with the conscious part and stop us battling with ourselves. In this way, hypnosis allows the healing process to take place.
27/05/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Hypnotherapy helps mum lose four stone
We have talked in previous articles about how hypnosis can be used to assist weight loss and, indeed, celebrities such as Lily Allen have dropped dress sizes using hypnotherapy.
According to reports in the media this week, one mother has had hypnosis to help her believe she had had a gastric band fitted. It took five sessions with a hypnotherapist to help Marie Corns after she had ballooned in weight to 15 stone and 6 lbs. After hypnotherapy, Marie found she felt full following small portions of food and, in the space of only four months, she lost just under four stone and went from a size 22 to a size 14.
Marion, 35, from Whiston, Merseyside, said: “I have tried every other diet and exercise plan the world has to offer. I’ve tried tablets, Weight Watchers, Atkins, SlimFast, even a personal trainer but none of them helped me. I can remember every part of the ‘procedure’, including being wheeled into theatre, the clink of the surgeon’s knife and even the smell of the anaesthetic. Now if I try to eat a large portion I feel a pulling sensation in my tummy.”Marie decided to try hypnotherapy after her friend had hypnosis to help her stop smoking. Naturally, when having hypnosis for weight loss it is important that people do follow dietary advice and see a properly qualified hypnotherapist.
25/05/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Counselling for trauma
Counselling and psychotherapy are associated with traumatic events, but when someone thinks of examples of where it might be used they often think of dramatic happenings such as returning from war or witnessing a murder.
However, trauma can come from smaller incidents too. During a robbery at the Bookers Cash and Carry in Wrexham earlier this month, two members of staff on duty were threatened by the criminals. Although nobody was hurt during the ordeal, events such as this can be alarming for anybody. All staff members at the Felin Puleston Booker site have been offered counselling by the company. One patient from the site was taken to nearby Maelor Hospital with symptoms of shock. A Booker spokeswoman said:
"We take matters of security very seriously and are fully co-operating with the police who are now investigating the incident. No colleagues were hurt and all have been offered counselling."Psychotherapy and counselling are often used in matters such as this and the earlier the better. Sometimes clients do not even realise how they have been affected until months, or even years, later so it is better to be safe than sorry and take time out to examine how you might feel.
23/05/2009 | Posted in Counselling, Psychotherapy,
Counselling for our police officers
According to an article in the Express & Star, figures released to them under the Freedom of Information Act have shown that almost 1,000 police staff members in the West Midlands alone have had to take time off work citing stress as the cause in the last three years - with over half of these being front line officers.
Post-traumatic stress is something that perhaps we may expect our police force to suffer, given the things they have to see and do in their day-to-day work life. But other reasons given include depression and anxiety. The figures are from April 2006 to March 2009 and included 959 police force staff from the West Midlands police force, ranging from constables to operations centre offices and telephone operators. West Midlands police explained some of these absences were for external reasons, such as bereavement, and they have a counselling section to help staff.
A retired police superintendent John Mellor, aged 80, told the paper that counselling and psychotherapy didn’t happen in his day. He said:
“I understand that modern police officers like those in my day suffer from stress and it seems everything these days seems to be done to assist them. Back then when officers got sent to incidents such as murders or bad road accidents, which could be causes of stress, they didn’t seem to notice it.”As a nation, it seems we suffer from stress and related depression much more, perhaps because of the expectations of the society we live in and perhaps because of the publicity surrounding murders and bad road accidents we are more aware of the number. With therapies such as hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and psychotherapy, a greater awareness of our feelings and early intervention, we can use the tools therapists have nowadays to help combat our problems.
22/05/2009 | Posted in CBT, Counselling, Hypnotherapy, Psychotherapy,
Company alternative treatment plans
Many businesses are coming round to the idea of alternative treatments and recognising that, although they do not replace conventional medicine or seeing your GP, they can have beneficial effects and are useful in many aspects of health and wellbeing.
Over the last few years, employers have started to add healthcare programmes to their benefits packages - and many include alternative treatments. Employers benefit from healthier, happy employee and a lower sickness or absence rate. Employees gain access to alternative treatments, or faster health treatments, than they may otherwise have done.
One such company is Avanta which specialises in providing office space to small and medium sized businesses. It has introduced a range of improvements to its staff benefits since it reviewed its entire benefits structure earlier this year.
Amongst new benefits such as salary sacrifice pension contributions, increases to maternity and paternity pay, and medical insurance, is an innovative offer to help its staff to quit smoking. For any member of staff who wants to stop smoking, Avanta is offering an incentive to reimburse them on aids to quitting, and this includes any hypnotherapy treatment.
Not all companies recognise alternative therapies in programmes such as this, but those that do know it is worthwhile, not least because hypnotherapy, for example, is recognised by the NHS as being a valuable aid for many people.
21/05/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Does it matter who pays for my hypnotherapy?
Some clients may be surprised when a hypnotherapist asks how they are paying for their hypnotherapy session, but money is an interesting topic when it comes to motivation for hypnosis.
In earlier articles, regular readers may have noted that we often talk about how the hypnotherapist is only a guide and the real work for hypnosis is done by the client themselves. Because of this, it is important that clients really do want to resolve their issue; so motivation is therefore key.
In terms of money, if you consider two separate clients who have come to a hypnotherapist to help them quit smoking: one saved their money for the smoking cessation session and another was given the money by their parents. From this simple example, who do you think would have the greater chance of success from the session?
For psychological reasons, the chances are that the client who saved money for the treatment probably has the better chance of success. Self-paying clients generally are more motivated and want the results more. A hypnotherapist wants the results for their client too, and it is not in their interest to take your money if the hypnosis is unlikely to be effective so, usually, if a client who is not paying for their own hypnotherapy comes for treatment, the therapist will ask additional questions to find out whether they really want hypnotherapy.
19/05/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
What does a trance feel like?
Many people feel nervous at the thought of going into a hypnotic trance, probably because of the hype it gets in the media and on television. Much of it is exaggerated. So how does it feel to go into a trance?
Trance is something we all experience regularly, perhaps daily: you go into a trance whenever you focus your attention solely on one thing or one feeling, for some time. Examples of when you may experience a trance include:
- being absorbed in reading a good book or watching a great film - the phrase "getting lost in a book" says it all; it demonstrates when we are in trance
- being immersed in exercise - again, we have a phrase to demonstrate this trance; we describe it as being "in the zone".
- daydreaming - we can experience vivid images and feelings; this is a form of trance.
These are just a few of the normal, every day, things we do whilst experiencing a trance-like state. As you can see, being in a trance is not some mystical dreamy state of mind; it is influenced by what you are focusing on. Being in a trance is a really nice feeling and having a hypnotherapist to guide you into one is no different. A hypnotherapist will help ensure you feel safe and relaxed when you are in a trance.
17/05/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Mediation for EBay and L'Oreal
Mediation has been agreed upon to try and resolve the ongoing conflict and legal battle between French beauty group L’Oreal and online auctioneer EBay. L'Oreal is making a legal claim against EBay for allowing the promotion of counterfeit goods using the L’Oreal name.
Earlier this week, a court in Paris announced that it had invited them to, and both parties had accepted to enter into, a legal mediation process. This is a high profile case and one which may have repercussions in the future. The French courts ruled against EBay following the case lodged by LVMH and Hermes. EBay is purely a retailer, however, the courts rules the host could have done more to prevent counterfeit goods being sold and that the retailer should bear some limited responsibility.
Mediation in this instance is being used to try to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution or agreement for the longer term over efficient measures to combat the sale of counterfeit goods in the future. With the ever-growing popularity of the mediation process in many cases, we expect there to be more and more news of mediation being used in high profile cases such as this.
14/05/2009 | Posted in Mediation, Psychotherapy,
Can psychotherapy save a marriage from divorce?
Whether or not psychotherapy and counselling can save a marriage from the brink of divorce is a question that many people tend to ask before making an appointment to see a therapist. According to one article in The Times earlier this month, the answer is yes.
The couple featured in the article were at the point of seeking a divorce. The wife had had an affair that she had ended and wanted to work through their problems but, naturally, mistrust had crept into the relationship. Over six weeks, the couple met with a therapist to discuss issues within their relationship, how to work out their problems and, 18 months later, the couple are happily together.
Asking for outside help can seem difficult for many couples and families, as you are involving a third party in what may be a private and emotional matter for each person. However, as this feature showed, sometimes counselling or psychotherapy can help to understand and survive something that may seem impossible to overcome. When it comes to the point of divorce, this is the make or break crunch point for a couple. If they really want to try to work things through, then there is often little to lose by trying counselling and, if it creates a stronger marriage, then surely it is worth the effort.
13/05/2009 | Posted in Counselling, Psychotherapy,
London mediation pilot scheme successful
In the Mirror earlier this month, there was an article featuring a mother and daughter, who had taken part in a pilot mediation scheme called the Time Out project. The scheme was designed to help families and was launched in Lambeth, South London.
In the first 12 months, the Time Out project showed a 91 per cent success rate, reconciling 91 per cent of families referred to them. This project actually allows troubled teens to stay in a home for up to six weeks, the only requirement being that they and their family take part in mediation to help resolve their problems. Mediation is a neutral way to discuss problems. It is important to understand and remember that a mediator will not judge or take sides in the disagreements in front of them. They are there solely to help negotiate and find a mutually agreeable resolution.
When mediation is first suggested to people, they often worry about a third party listening in to their talks but, after one or two sessions, most find that it really helps. Mediation isn't just for family problems either, but for any disagreement where two or more parties are involved, whether in a small business, large corporations, neighbours, families or any other situation.
11/05/2009 | Posted in Mediation,
Are men more afraid of embarrassment than of phobia?
Most people have a fear of one thing or another. And a certain level of fear is perfectly healthy. However, when that fear starts to interfere with day-to-day life, or prevent someone from living a normal life, then that fear is generally known as a phobia.
Hypnotherapy is a very swift way of helping people manage their phobias - often in as little as just one session. And hypnotherapists see many people every week for a fear of one sort or another. The most common fear in the UK is of spiders (otherwise known as arachnophobia) but other common phobias include a fear of heights, needles, dogs or insects.
A few of the treatments available to cure phobias include counselling, hypnosis and psychotherapy. If you were to ask any therapist (whether psychotherapist, hypnotherapist or counsellor) most would say that they see more women than they do men. Is it possible that men are more embarrassed or afraid of being seen to be afraid that they are of their phobia? Or is it that men are less afraid of anything than women are?
Perhaps we will never know, but one thing is certain; phobias are nothing to be embarrassed about, whether you are man or woman. So, if there is a chance of curing a phobia in just one session and your phobia is impacting on your life, then you should make an appointment with a therapist.
09/05/2009 | Posted in Counselling, Hypnotherapy, Psychotherapy,
CBT may help adults with generalised anxiety disorder
In the April issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the results of a controlled, randomised trial showed that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may help older adults with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).
Only pilot studies were conducted in primary care, where late life adults often seek treatment for GAD. CBT has been shown to be effective in treating panic disorder in younger patients, GAD and both in addition to being effective for older patients suffering from depression. However, the treatment response rates and effect sizes were lower than for academic clinical trials.
The study took 134 older adults split into two groups, one treated with CBT and one with enhance usual care (EUC). CBT included cognitive therapy, motivational interviews, relaxation training and problem solving training. EUC included biweekly telephone calls and minimal support. The patients were evaluated at the start, after the three months treatment and followed up at six, nine, 12 and 15 months. When compared with EUC, CBT showed significant reductions in the severity levels of worry and in symptoms of depression, as well as improvement in general mental health. The study authors concluded:
"Compared with EUC, CBT resulted in greater improvement in worry severity, depressive symptoms, and general mental health for older patients with GAD in primary care. However, a measure of GAD severity did not indicate greater improvement with CBT ... CBT is useful for older adults with GAD in primary care."
07/05/2009 | Posted in CBT,
Mediation extended to the playground
In the Yorkshire town of Bradford, secondary schools are to have police officers appointed to visit the schools regularly to help educate pupils at an early age about the pitfalls of crime and to help with day-to-day welfare problems. The scheme is designed to help tackle common school issues such as weapons awareness, truancy and other problems. This new scheme in Bradford is a partnership between several agencies including Education Bradford and West Yorkshire Police and is funded by the police and Education Bradford. It will also help to ensure that mediation techniques are employed as early as possible.
Sgt Dan Greenwood of Safer Neighbourhoods and Partnerships, said: "By treating each school as a community and responding appropriately to their individual needs, we are able to give young people the targeted support they deserve and assist their transition into adult life. It is important that we support the school and assist in enforcing clear boundaries of what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, but utilise restorative approaches to incidents where possible, ensuring that mediation is successfully employed to tackle underlying issues."Mediation is still a relatively new approach to resolving issues and not something everyone has experienced. By using mediation in schools and to resolve family issues, it will help highlight the positive benefits of mediation and a more peaceful, less time consuming and less expensive way to resolve disputes in all areas of life.
05/05/2009 | Posted in Mediation,
Budget will increase mediation demand
According to experts, the dismal picture of the forthcoming financial year, as depicted by the Chancellor in this year’s Budget, is likely to lead to a large increase in litigation and, subsequently, to mediation too. When financial pressure is on, businesses need to recoup losses as quickly as possible and this is likely to mean an increase in the number of disputes. However, given the expense and time involved, going to court is not always the best way either to resolve a dispute or to continue a business relationship. An alternative resolution for disputes is mediation. A representative for Hammonds lawyers in Birmingham, Erica Simpson, from the firm’s dispute resolution team, said:
“This is a highly effective method of resolving disputes. It is a structured negotiation which is assisted by an independent third party and normally takes place over the course of a day. Clients are more comfortable with it than with more formal dispute resolution procedures as they have control over the process and are familiar with negotiation."Courts are increasingly encouraging cases to try mediation before continuing to court - and look favourably on those who have at least tried the mediation route with the full intention of trying to resolve a matter in a more amicable manner without proceeding to court. Mediation is becoming increasingly popular and it is easy to see why.
And mediation can help salvage business relationships which would flounder if the dispute proceeded to trial. Ms Beaton said: “As it is a relatively quick process and does not need as much preparation as would be needed if a more formal method of dispute resolution were undertaken, it is cost effective which is in the interests of every client.”
04/05/2009 | Posted in Psychotherapy, Mediation,
Hypnotherapy at London Zoo
London Zoo has been offering help to arachnophobes through its Friendly Spider programme. The programme uses hypnotherapy and information to help cure those afraid of spiders in just one session. A fear of spiders is one of the most common phobias in the UK.
Dave Clarke, the zoo's head keeper of insects, said:" "The Friendly Spider programme is a great course for anyone with a fear of spiders. Every year we help more and more people to conquer their phobias, and every year we receive really positive feedback from those who are pleasantly shocked by how much it changes their lives".Hypnotherapy for fear of spiders, and many other phobias, works in just one session and is one of the reasons that hypnotherapy became so well known. After just one session, most clients go home searching for spiders in their bathroom or house to discover that they are no longer bothered by them - and are able to move them by themselves without the usual feeling of panic or fear.
03/05/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
Mandy Moore had hypnotherapy for tension
The singer and actress Mandy Moore was reportedly so nervous when she released her new album, Amanda Leigh, that she decided to seek help from a hypnotherapist to help overcome the mental tension she was feeling. Last weekend on Sunday 26th April, Mandy Moore also held a special concert in Los Angeles for 300 fans to mark the release of the album. Before taking to the stage, Mandy underwent hypnosis to overcome her nerves.
Stress management is something that we all have to cope with in some way or another, whether it is through stress of special occasions like Mandy, family problems, issues at work or with finances or anything else. Hypnosis can help people to take time out and relax.
If stress management is something you feel you might need help with every now and then, a good hypnotherapist will be able to teach you some self-hypnosis techniques to help you relax and manage your stress yourself. We don’t all release new albums and have to take to the stage like Mandy Moore, but our modern day lives means we all have our own levels of stress to cope with.
01/05/2009 | Posted in Hypnotherapy,
