Pinnacle Therapy

A journey into using alcohol as a prop

So, Tony Blair has published his memoirs and confessed that he fell into the habit of using alcohol to support him through the stresses of being prime minister. The revelation immediately generated a debate, among journalists and the public, about whether this was anything worth writing about – so many of us think nothing of drinking a whisky or G&T followed by a couple of glasses (or half a bottle) of wine each evening.

As Mr Blair said, it was at the upper limit of what is considered appropriate but an interesting question is whether he underestimated his alcohol intake – just as so many of us do when asked by our GP or in surveys.

The difficulty, in a nation where drinking is so much a part of our culture, is that it is very easy to kid ourselves that we can handle what we drink and that what we drink is not too much. I am not implying that Tony Blair was pulling the wool over our eyes or his own; he defined his alcohol intake as “not excessively excessive” and we have to take that at face value.

But what made his confession so interesting was that he recognised his drinking had become a prop. For many, this objectivity is not possible. We drink (or turn to drugs, food, self-harm) to cover up, disguise or distract us from difficult emotions – without being aware that that is what we are doing.

The first stage on the road to recovery is to discover and unravel those feelings so we can learn how to manage and respond to them. And many of us need not a quick-fix prop but professional support to plan the best route for the journey through our complicated, 21st century lives.

Medically unexplained symptoms

Recent studies have revealed that between one in six and one in three people in the UK consults their GP about what turns out to be medically unexplained symptoms – symptoms that are either not related to an illness or are unusually exaggerated for that illness. The majority of those symptoms has a psychological foundation, though the cause can often be missed.

Take, for example, the case of a woman (let’s call her Sarah) who comforted her aunt through her last days and was with her when she died. Several months later, Sarah began to feel out of sorts. She slept badly, largely because she repeatedly woke to find her left arm a leaden weight, cold and without feeling but causing pain including inside her chest. Worried, she imagined this was a sign of a heart problem and booked an appointment with her GP.

Tests showed no signs of a heart condition but a few questions revealed that Sarah had been unexpectedly affected by her aunt’s death – and she recalled that her aunt had died, from lung cancer, while lying on her left side with Sarah holding her left hand. The GP was reluctant to prescribe sleeping pills – sleeplessness was not the symptom that needed treatment. Instead, he referred Sarah to a psychotherapist where she talked through her aunt’s death and other stresses; the symptoms ceased.

Medically unexplained symptoms can affect all parts of the body and in various ways. About a third of them are musculoskeletal (including but not only back pain), roughly a fifth are abdominal (such as digestive problems), a smaller proportion has ear, nose or throat problems, others experience fatigue, dizziness or simply don’t feel right. Some symptoms can be extreme, such as paralysis or blindness; others are less severe.

Common experiences include people with depression who feel pain more intensely and people with asthma whose asthmatic attacks increase when they are under stress – but there are no hard and fast rules; symptoms and their severity vary from person to person.

We don’t know how the mind, brain or body turns the psychological into the physical; the fact is that it does – and we’ve known this for millennia. The solution is to consider whether the symptoms might be triggered by an underlying emotional cause and, if so, to seek psychological support. [Source: Therapy Today]

The hypnotic effects of charisma

Barack Obama, Margaret Thatcher, Nelson Mandela, Anita Roddick, Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Hilary Clinton, Tony Blair, Mother Teresa, Karen Brady, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, Diana Princess of Wales – and many more great and good – have all been described as charismatic: having charm, magnetism and extraordinary persuasive powers.

And it is the words “great and good” that matter most. You can be great and have charisma; but not all charismatic people are also good. Think of the undeniably charismatic Adolf Hitler.

New research from Denmark shows that charismatic people have a subtle effect on others – which is what helps them win hearts and minds. In a neuro-scientific study conducted by Aarhus University, people in two groups (one of devoted Christians who believed in healing through prayer, and one non-religious who did not believe in that possibility) were asked to listen to three speakers. The speakers were described as a Christian, a non-Christian and a Christian known for his healing powers. Participants were told which they were listening to, in turn. In reality, all three were ordinary Christians.

Leave aside the fact that the study involved Christians. Their faith is not relevant; it is useful as it provides a neat example of how people behave.

Participants’ brains were studied for their reactions to the speakers as the speakers spoke. Afterwards, they were asked to rate each speaker’s charisma. Devoted Christians gave the Christian known for his healing powers a much higher charisma rating. Among non-Christians, there was only a slight difference in their charisma ratings for that speaker.

The brain analysis revealed that the people who rated the Christian with healing powers most highly had deactivated a part of their brain, switching off their scepticism and making them more susceptible to influence. This is a general reaction when with people we trust – we do it with doctors, for example – but it is boosted when we are in the presence of people with presence: we lower our guard, become more trusting, believe more than disbelieve. The study noted that this is also what happens to the brain during hypnosis – which explains why people expect high levels of trust from hypnotherapists.

People who abuse their charisma – leaders of cults, for example – are often described as having a hold over people. And they do – because of the way our brains react to their extraordinary persuasive powers. But, used responsibly, charisma is a valuable tool. It can get you noticed, leading to greater success, and it can help you win friends and influence people. And that all adds up to improved self-esteem and self-belief.

Lucky you if you were born with charisma. If you weren’t, you can acquire it. And if you’ve been drawn towards someone who has abused their charisma, hypnotherapy can help you recover.

Therapy or medication?

Therapy isn’t everyone’s first choice of treatment. For some, taking prescription medication is more attractive. Others try both. Interestingly, a recent American study showed that the most effective treatment was to … give people a choice.

In a study of 1,000 people, about half were allowed to choose from a talking therapy, drug treatment or both. The other half continued with the treatment recommended by their doctor. A year later, almost two thirds (64 per cent) of the people offered a choice recorded an improvement whereas less than half (45 per cent) of those who had followed their original treatment did so.

For those who had a choice, talking therapy came top – one in three (34 per cent) chose therapy only and more than half (57 per cent) opted for therapy and drug treatment together. Less than one in 10 (nine per cent) chose drug treatment on its own.

If we think you would benefit from prescribed medication we will, of course, suggest you talk to your GP. Meanwhile, the fact that we offer so many therapies means we offer our clients a choice. In many cases, we take this a step further and work holistically, recommending a blend of therapies so every client is offered the most suitable treatment for them in their situation.

Having a choice – being involved in the decision-making process – usually means clients are more engaged in their treatment which is more likely to prove successful.

Combat-stress and alcohol mis-use

As news breaks of the death of another British soldier in Afghanistan, it is worth thinking not only of the impact of his death on his family, friends and colleagues but also of the long-term effects of the stress of combat on the troops who make it back home alive.

A recent report, published in The Lancet and summarised in Therapy Today, revealed that today’s troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq have a 22 per cent higher risk of alcohol mis-use than other servicemen and women. The greatest problems were among those serving in combat roles.

Alcohol mis-use is one of many potential effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Whilst the causes of PTSD among our forces are obvious, they are not always so in civilian life where it can be triggered by any event that causes psychological trauma – and that can vary from person to person. For some, it might be neglect, abuse, assault or witnessing a violent death such as suicide; for others, simply hearing about a traumatic event can lead to PTSD.

The good news is that several therapies have proved to be highly effective in treating PTSD including psychotherapy, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitising and Reprocessing).

If you know someone who appears to be mis-using alcohol, or other substances, be aware that it could be their way of coping with the emotional chaos of a traumatic event – and an expression of PTSD. The first step is to recognise that alcohol mis-use is a symptom – not a cause – and that it can be treated.

Dad quits smoking for children using hypnosis

One father of two was featured in the media this month after he quit smoking using hypnosis for his two young children. 56 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. Hypnotherapy to quit 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 themselves has decided they really do want to quit because hypnosis cannot make you do anything you really 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.

Hypnosis and physical pain

A couple of days ago, we wrote an article about how hypnosis and hypnotherapy can help the healing process, however, some people may still wonder how it is possible that hypnotherapy can actually help with physical pain. Often in real life, people have grown accustomed to believing that they have to live with pain and hypnotherapy is renowned for changing people’s beliefs, whether that is their belief that something they have a phobia of is harmful or scary, that they cannot give up smoking or lose weight, so why can’t it change their belief that healing is impossible? By changing this belief, possibilities that people would have thought impossible become possible. They find they can break old thought processes and the physical body is very much affected by our emotions as has been proved time and again; this is why scientists talk about the mind body connection so frequently. Hypnosis is no different and is a large driver in the mind side of the mind body connection. We talk about the placebo effect and how people’s minds and bodies react just because they believe in something. When we want to believe in something, such as getting better and healing is possible, our conscious mind often battles with our unconscious because deep down we have doubts bred by modern society. Hypnotherapy helps our unconscious mind to overcome those battles and allow healing to take place more easily.

Hypnosis can help healing

Despite how 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 such as weight loss, overcoming phobias and quitting bad habits like smoking and nail biting. Hypnosis is also particularly useful in the area of healing. In no way is it suggested that hypnotherapy should be used instead of conventional medicine and treatments, but it is a valuable alternative method of treatment that can work alongside conventional treatment and it is now available on the NHS too. Hypnotherapy can be used to overcome emotional problems and mental blocks. It is often said that laughter is the greatest 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 and in this way, hypnosis allows the healing process to take place.

Hypnosis 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 4 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.

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, witnessing murder or other such traumas. 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 and 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 on occasion it is better to be safe than sorry and take time out to examine how you might feel.

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 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 from with the things they have to see and do in their day to day work but over reasons given included depression and anxiety. The figures are from the period of April 2006 to March 2009 and show 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.

Company alternative treatment plans

Many people are coming round to the idea of alternative treatments such as hypnotherapy now and recognising that although they certainly do not replace conventional medicine or seeing your GP, they can have beneficial effects and are useful in many aspects of health and wellbeing for people. Over the last few years, even employers have started to add healthcare programmes for employees in their benefits packages although not all include alternative treatments yet. Employers benefit from healthier, happy employers and a lower sickness or absence rate and employee gain access to alternative treatments or faster health treatment than they may otherwise have done. One such company is Avanta. Avanta is a firm specialising in offering office space to small and medium sized businesses. The company has introduced a range of improvements to its benefits as 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, and this includes any hypnotherapy treatment. Not all companies recognise alternative therapies in programmes such as this, which is a shame especially when hypnotherapy is recognised on the NHS as being a valuable aid for many people.

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. In this way, it is important that clients really do want to resolve their issue and 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 has saved their money for the smoking cessation session and another has been given the money by their parents to stop them from smoking. From this simple analogy, who do you think would have the greater chance of success from the session? For psychological reasons, the chances are that the first client who saved their money probably has the better chance of success. A hypnotherapist is not just there to take your money. Self paying clients generally are more motivated and want the results more. Using your own money makes you motivated. 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 comes along who is not paying for their own hypnotherapy, the therapist will ask additional questions to find out whether they really want hypnotherapy.

What does a trance feel like?

Many people feel nervous at the thought of going into a hypnotic trance, probably because of all the hype that hypnosis gets through the media such as films and television, much of which is exaggerated. So how does it feel to go into a trance? Trance is actually something that we all experience regularly if not on a daily basis. Without hypnosis, you go into a trance whenever you are focusing your attention solely onto a single thing or feeling for some time. Being in a trance is a really nice feeling and having a hypnotherapist to guide you into one is just the same. Examples of when you may experience a trance include: • When you are absorbed into reading a good book or watching a great film. The phrase ‘getting lost in a book’ is a good once to demonstrate when we are in trance • When immersed in exercise, you can often see that people are in trance. Again, we have a phrase to demonstrate this trance when we say someone is ‘in the zone’ • When we daydream, we can experience some vivid images and feelings; this too 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, trance is not some mystical dreamy state of mind but is influenced by what you are focusing upon. The hypnotherapist will help ensure you feel safe and relaxed.

Why should hypnotherapy be faster?

In past articles, and speaking to clients, we have often referred to the fact that many issues can be resolved using hypnosis in as little as one or two sessions and many clients will express their surprise at this. The number of sessions that an issue will take depends largely upon several factors, including the hypnotherapist themselves and the client, but in general hypnotherapy is a relatively fast solution. Perhaps it is because when psychotherapy and counselling is used, the therapist often focuses on why an issue is there and where it came from. Hypnosis, on the other hand, is more focused on the results. However, having an insight into where it came from can often help achieve the results we want too. Naturally the number of sessions will also depend on the problem in hand; for instance, curing a phobia or quitting smoking will often take just a single session, however, for something more serious such as an eating disorder, you should expect to have more sessions depending upon how serious the problem is. Before you have your hypnotherapy, if you are at all unsure of the number of sessions and the cost, or have any other questions, then your hypnotherapist should explain their estimate and be happy to answer any questions you might have.

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 EBay. The French beauty group is making a legal claim against EBay, the online auctioneer, 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 as 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 longer term, 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.

Can psychotherapy save a marriage from divorce?

Whether or not psychotherapy and counselling can save a marriage from the brink of a 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 a period of six weeks, the couple met with a therapist to discuss issues within their relationship, how to work their problems out and eighteen months later the couple are happily together. Asking for outside help can seem difficult for many couples and families, as you are effectively 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 well worth the effort.

London mediation pilot scheme successful

In the Mirror earlier this month, there was an article featuring a mother and daughter, who had partaken 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 twelve 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 through a third party mediator. It is important to understand and remember that a mediator will not judge or take sides in the disagreements in front of them but 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 into 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 that is small business, large corporations, neighbours, families or any other situation.

Are men more afraid of embarrassment than of phobia?

Most people have a fear of one thing or another; 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 helps phobias very quickly, 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 a fear 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 therapists 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 actual 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 male or female, 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.

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 and these were 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 6, 9, 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."

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 had experience with. By using mediation in schools and to resolve family issues, this will help highlight the positive benefits of mediation and a more peaceful, less time consuming and less expensive way to resolve disputes at all levels and areas of life.

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, 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, the expense and time involved in 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 that is being commonly used is mediation. A representative for Hammonds lawyers in Birmingham, Erica Simpson, also 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. 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.”

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.

Hypnosis 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 get 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".

Most hypnosis sessions for fear of spiders, and many other phobias in fact, work in just one session and is one of the reasons that hypnosis became so well known. The good news is most hypnotherapists will cure a fear of spiders without having to have a host of spiders in the room. 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 at all and are able to move them by themselves without the usual feeling of panic or fear.

Is hypnosis for birth just a new way to make money?

Over the years, most people have come to accept that in some way or other hypnotherapy has its place in complementary therapy; it is even available on the NHS now. The ways in which it can be used are still being discovered and many accept it can be used for more than just quitting smoking, but to use it to help with childbirth, is that just a new way for hypnotherapists to make more money? When you speak to mothers who have used the hypnosis technique during childbirth, it is likely that you will realise that many find hypno-birthing, as it is often referred to, a great help. There are videos of mothers giving birth without a scream and without the need for drugs. If hypnosis can be used to help people through surgery, then perhaps it stands to reason that it can be used to help women give birth without pain. Hypnosis during childbirth helps women to reach a state of relaxation, without drugs, and allowed them to give birth in a natural way and reportedly without pain. A hypnotherapist will give the mother-to-be several hypnotherapy sessions, during which the mother will learn how to tell her body to not be affected by the pain. The mothers still learn breathing techniques but also relaxation techniques, and the popularity of giving birth with hypnosis is growing.

Mandy Moore had hypnosis 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.

How to spot a good psychotherapist

In the area of counselling and psychotherapy, there are around a hundred different codes of practice and complaints procedures in the UK. In recent years, there have been many attempts at working towards a central process for handling complaints but this was derailed last year, effectively ending the final goal of a national register for therapists. The vast majority of psychotherapists are genuine, however, the one or two bad eggs receive much publicity in the media and naturally give cause for concern to many clients who need counselling or psychotherapy services, so it is important to make sure that you feel comfortable with your psychotherapist and know what to look for. Here are a few pointers to watch out for: • Your psychotherapist or counsellor should welcome any questions and answer them openly and honestly • You should feel safe and secure at all times • Everything in your session should be absolutely private and confidential • A good therapist should never judge you. At no point should a psychotherapist or counsellor ever react negatively to you, only therapeutically • Take into account the psychotherapist’s qualifications and feel free to check them with the examining body There are actually few psychotherapists or counsellors that abuse the system, but by following the above pointers you should be able to feel confident in your therapist.

Hypnotherapy for bulimia

Hypnotherapy is hypnosis for therapeutic benefit and there are countless ways in which hypnotherapy can help people. The ones that people are most familiar with are issues like quitting smoking, curing phobias and weight loss has also had a lot of media attention recently as celebrities such as Lily Allen have talked about how it has worked for them. However, there are other lesser-known issues that deserve more recognition. For example, in the Crawley Observer earlier this month there was an article about a 23 year old actress who suffered from bulimia for nine years. Bulimia is a problem that affects many young people, particularly women although men can be affected too. The actress, Natalie India-West, who has just clinched a major acting role in a forthcoming film The Goodfellow, said:

"It started when I was at school, I was getting really into my dancing in a big way, the pressure of it was huge, I desperately wanted to be thin. Because I couldn't starve myself I thought if I make myself sick then hopefully I might lose weight, because it worked I thought 'oh great', but little did I know the consequences it would have on my life."

Like many bulimics, Natalie was secretive and tried to hide her bulimia but she became weak and suffered nosebleeds, and at just seven and a half stone, she finally faced her problem and underwent hypnotherapy for her bulimia and treatment. Hypnotherapy can be used to help eating issues like anorexia and bulimia, and many more.

How to spot a good psychotherapist

It is important in any case of therapy, of whatever kind, that you feel comfortable with your therapist and in this case the psychotherapist. However, that is not the only thing to watch for so here are a few pointers to help you spot a good psychotherapist:

Member of a governing body is important, but not the be all and end all. Check out any bodies that the psychotherapist is a member of to make sure that they are genuine
Personal signs: if the therapist seems overtired or perhaps even the other way and is hyperactive, then this could be a warning sign and steer clear
Don't be impressed by a posh address. All this shows is that the psychotherapist can afford rent. Many people feel uncomfortable with a therapist that works from their own home so many therapists will work in the rooms of another company or rent somewhere
You should feel free and able to ask any questions you like. If the therapist makes you feel uncomfortable for questioning them, then keep clear
The psychotherapist should offer you a 'get to know you' session where you can ask questions and make sure you feel comfortable
You should be given a clear indication of how the sessions will work and the work paths and timeframes

It is perfectly normal to feel nervous, that is understandable but you should feel comfortable enough to ask questions at any time and the psychotherapist should be open with you.

Therapists angry as NHS plays down psychotherapy

Counsellors and psychotherapists alike are said to be angry that the NHS is playing down the role that psychotherapy and counselling plays in the treatment of depression. Their National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) 2004 guidelines prioritised CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and interpersonal therapies as the best ones to treat depression, however, the latest revision of the NICE guidelines state that patients should be warned and advised about the 'uncertainty' of the effectiveness of the treatment in the case of depression. This has resulted in a backlash from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) which accuses the NHS of playing down the important role that psychotherapy can play and denying patient choice. Chair of BACP, Lynne Gabriel, commented:

"While the tone of these statements does not inspire confidence in counselling and psychotherapy, the impact on choice of therapy is of major concern. In our response, we will question the rationale and methodology that informs the NICE downgrading of counselling and psychotherapy as therapies of choice for mild to moderate depression."

Psychotherapy and CBT are still being recommended by the NHS for depression and can prove very effective in the treatment of depression.

Using hypnosis to stop blushing

Blushing is often associated with the flushes of youth and is a normal response to emotion, often decreasing as we become older. However, for some people, the problem does not go away as they grow older and it can become a serious social phobia. We all remember the feeling, as that uncomfortable feeling of heat rises to our cheeks, covering our face and neck but for most of us, thankfully, it becomes less of a problem as we get older and if we still experience it on occasion then it is not a real problem. For example, Katie Holmes says that she still blushes whenever Tom Cruise pays her a compliment, even now they are married. Hypnotherapy can help people to get rid of their blushing. There are many different ways that people try to get rid of blushing, even going so far as surgery, but before a person resorts to something as drastic as surgery, it should make sense to try cheaper and less intrusive methods of therapy. Hypnosis used for therapeutic purposes has grown in popularity over the years, although many people remain unaware of the great number of uses it can be put to and stopping blushing is just one of these. Hypnotherapy is a quick therapy when compared to other methods and can help in just one or two sessions.

Mediation saves money for businesses

Despite its growing popularity in recent years, mediation is still a relatively unheard term for many people who, although they may by now have heard the term, still remain unaware of what the term means and what mediation does. It helps raise awareness therefore when respected spokespersons promote the use and benefits of mediation. One mediation expert in the Isle of Man has been helping raise awareness in Sheffield by giving a talk about how mediation can save businesses money. Using mediation services can help companies to save estimated millions of pounds by helping to make sure that their staff members and workforce get along together in the workplace. Making use of mediators means that any cases or disputes can be resolved quickly and in a much more cost effective manner than by going through court. Of course, solving workplace or employment disputes is not the only means by which mediation can save companies and courts much time and money, but mediation can also be used in family matters and larger business cases, or any case where two or more parties have a dispute. Mediation has seen success all over the world and continues to grow in popularity, with courts taking a dim view on those who refuse to participate in any form of mediation.

Stop snoring with hypnotherapy

As mentioned in our article yesterday, today sees the start of Stop Snoring Week. This promotional week is designed to highlight the problem of snoring and show people that they do not simply have to put up with it; there is help available in different forms and one of these is hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy has gained acceptance and growing recognition as a serious therapy in recent years as people have slowly realised that the perception given and promoted by the media and by the stage hypnotists is not the be all and end all of hypnosis and in fact, hypnosis can be used to help people overcome many problems in life. Helping people to stop snoring using hypnosis is one of those areas that hypnotherapy can help with that many people do not even realise. Snoring is a bigger problem than many think, because it doesn't just affect the health of the person doing the snoring but can be a huge problem for those trying to sleep nearby or even in the next room! Consider seeing a hypnotherapist to help cure your snoring problem. Hypnotherapy is a relatively quick therapy and many can be cured in just a single session.

National stop snoring week

Tomorrow marks the start of Stop Snoring Week (20th - 26th April) and for many couples, snoring can become a real problem in the relationship. In fact, figures have shown that approximately 10 per cent of couples sleep in separate bedrooms because of one or both partners suffering from snoring. In some ways, snoring is a bigger problem than others because the person who actually suffers from the problem isn't the one who has the problem! Persuading your partner to do something about their snoring habit can be very difficult so perhaps Stop Snoring Week is the perfect opportunity to raise the subject. Hypnotherapy can be the answer for both partners, and can resolve the issue surprisingly quickly. Many people are surprised at how quickly hypnosis can help and it can be done in as few as one or two sessions. Hypnotherapy helps to train the mind to control your breathing in exactly the same way as it does when you are awake, and hence stop the snoring. The benefits are endless and not just to the partner who has to put up with the snoring. For example, did you know that snorers are at 34 per cent higher risk of having a heart attack than those who do not snore? It isn't just about the sleep, so use Stop Snoring Week to make an appointment with a hypnotherapist and solve the problem.

Will hypnotherapy work if I fall asleep?

Many people worry unnecessarily about falling asleep during hypnosis, either because they worry they might fall asleep and the therapy won’t work or because they did fall asleep during hypnotherapy and they wonder if they have wasted their money! There are different trains of thought on the matter and it does depend partly on what you are having your hypnotherapy for. In many cases, the hypnosis requires you to remain quite alert and the hypnotherapist will not allow you to fall asleep. In the vast majority of cases, people are actually rather surprised at how alert they are during the hypnosis and that they can recall every single word the therapist said during the session. This is not unusual, it is only the media that has given the impression that nobody recalls anything whilst they are in hypnosis. However, the fact that you can hear every word the therapist says in itself makes most people feel safe and secure and that helps them to achieve hypnosis. If you are having the sort of hypnotherapy session that requires you to really relax, such as a session for stress and relaxation, for example, then the hypnotherapist may allow you to fall asleep. This is unlikely to prohibit the hypnotherapy and is usually only towards the end where you might be asleep for just one or two minutes, and is nothing to worry about.

Ethics of a hypnotherapist

A good hypnotherapist will work in an ethical manner and follow the below ethical code of conduct: • Before you visit, a good hypnotherapist will make sure you know and understand their fees and availability • They should fully explain the way that hypnotherapy works in a way that is understandable for you • Hypnotherapy is a relatively fast therapy when compared to some other therapies and a good hypnotherapist should not look to prolong this any more than is necessary • They should answer all your questions fully and to your satisfaction. If you are not happy with their answers, then walk away • Anything and everything you tell the hypnotherapist should be in the strictest confidence • A properly qualified and ethical hypnotherapist should work to their own level of competence You should feel comfortable with your hypnotherapist and able to talk to them and you should feel comfortable throughout the hypnotherapy. Note that your hypnotherapist should remain professional and keep your relationship professional at all times, so you should not be or become friends, for example. If that were to happen, then you should look for another hypnotherapist to continue your therapy.

What if I don't wake up from hypnosis?

A few days ago, we wrote an article on one of the most common questions that people ask when they first speak to or visit a hypnotherapist and this is another such question: what if I don't want up from hypnosis? Even this question of possibility has come from films and dramas on television that have shown a hypnotherapist perhaps having some sort of heart attack or leaving for some reason and their client has been left stuck in some sort of hypnotic trance. However, this scenario was only ever created for dramatic effect and it is impossible to happen in real life. Let's imagine for a second that such an event were to happen and the hypnotherapist was not there to finish the hypnotherapy session. All that would happen is that the client would fall asleep and wake up when they were ready, just like normal. What is actually more likely to happen is that the client would be alerted immediately because during hypnotherapy most people hear every word and are more aware of their surroundings than normal, so this is impossible.

In hypnosis, can I move?

Recently, we have covered several articles talking about a few misconceptions that many people still hold about hypnosis and hypnotherapy despite how far the therapy has come in the last decade or so. This question is still one of the most common questions that a client has when they first come to see a hypnotherapist - can I move during the hypnosis? Hypnosis is a perfectly natural state and one that we enter almost every day. Some people think that when in this hypnotic trance they will have to stay completely and utterly still and not move at all but this is not the case. If you feel an itch during the hypnosis, then you can scratch it. If you want to shift position, then you can do so. There is nothing to stop you and it will not affect the hypnosis. Much hypnotherapy does involve closing your eyes but this is just to help you to relax and in fact is not always the case. For example, an athlete will rarely be asked to close their eyes if they're having hypnosis to improve their performance because they want an alert trance that they can recreate during sport.

Hypnotherapy Misconceptions: clucking like a chicken

This is one of the confusing things about hypnosis. There is a clear and distinct difference between a stage hypnotist and a qualifed hypnotherapist. A stage hypnotist is there for entertainment purposes only and to get an audience to laugh. Clinical hypnotherapy is there to help people with their issues or problems and is a serious therapy about helping you to achieve your goals. A hypnotherapist will not make you cluck like a chicken. A stage hypnotist carefully selects the people who he is going to work with on stage to make sure he chooses people who actually want to take part and are willing to do the suggestions he gives to them. In hypnosis, nobody can make you do what you don't want to do and will not ask you to cluck like a chicken. A hypnotherapist is only there to help you achieve your goals and will do so with the utmost respect.

Hypnotherapy Misconceptions: hypnosis is dangerous

Yesterday we wrote about one of the largest misconceptions there is about hypnotherapy and hypnosis in general, that it is magic. Although many people don't believe in magic, there is something about hypnosis that makes them think it is somehow mystical. However, the fear that some people still hold about hypnosis and hypnotherapy is that it is somehow actually dangerous. Hypnosis in itself is certainly not dangerous and you are particularly safe when working with a fully qualified and experienced hypnotherapist. We have wrote several articles about how to make sure that you are working with a properly experienced hypnotherapist and one of the best ways is to work with one who works for a reputable company. There is no danger with hypnotherapy as you are fully in control at all times and can even come out of trance when you want to. Having said this, it is important to avoid working with either unscrupulous stage hypnotists or unqualified hypnotherapists. Some set themselves up as hypnotherapists working with severe psychological issues when they have no experience of doing so and this is not the type of hypnotherapist you want to work with, A proper hypnotherapist will ensure you are taken care of emotionally and with respect.

Hypnotherapy Misconptions: hypnosis is magic

As we have discussed in previous articles, there are many misconceptions about hypnosis and hypnotherapy and one of the most popular ones, thanks to its presentation on television, in films and in the media, is that hypnosis is magic and mystical, but this is not so. Hypnosis is often deemed to be associated with the occult and some sort of black voodoo magic popularised by the Egyptians and peophe used to link hypnosis with magic in order to present a belief of power and control over others. Films and the media have done little to vanquish this perception. As a result, many people today, although they do not believe in magic as such, are still afraid of hypnosis believing that the hypnotherapist can manipulate their mind, but this is not true. Hypnosis is a state of trance and is perfectly natural. You cannot be hypnotised unless you want to. Hypnotherapy is a way of getting people to help themselves and using trance to help them to relax and to do that. The result might appear like magic when your problem goes away so quickly and easily, but you have done it yourself with the help of the hypnotherapist.

Hypnosis for modern day stress

Stress is reportedly one of our highest health problems with an estimated 70 per cent of our health problems being in some way stress related. Indeed, many surveys have shown that adults believe they are under far more stress in today’s modern environment than a generation ago or even a decade ago. Stress levels are not just in adults though, but in our children too now. It can be difficult for people to know how to recognise problematic stress symptoms and to know what to do about it. Stress is difficult to pin down for an exact definition and to deal with. Many people do not understand or know how to deal with it; there are so many possible causes of stress. To cope with stress of modern day life, people have tried many different strategies, such as exercise, yoga, deep breathing, relaxation techniques, meditation, muscle relaxation therapies, visual imagery and such like. Many of these strategies are actually incorporated in hypnosis, otherwise known as hypnotherapy when used for therapeutic benefit by a qualified hypnotherapist. Hypnotherapy has been shown to work wonders for stress. Hypnosis often involves deep breathing, along with relaxation techniques like visual imagery. The feeling of hypnosis is one of deep relaxation where you can have not a care in the world. In addition, depending upon the cause of your stress, hypnotherapy can often help through things like increasing your confidence or motivation, removing bad habits or other factors that can help some people reduce their stress levels.

Checking hypnotherapist details

Thanks to the popularity of complementary therapies, hypnotherapy is considered a popular profession and therefore quite lucrative. With the recession and redundancies, many people are looking for a new career and it is expected that the recession will show an increase in the number of hypnotherapists as people see it as a way to retrain to a new profession. Naturally, there is nothing wrong with this, however, when you want to see a qualified hypnotherapist to help you overcome your phobia, increase your confidence, quit smoking, lose weight or any of a wide number of issues that hypnotherapy can successfully help you with, you want to make sure that who you are dealing with is both properly trained and qualified. It is important therefore to use a hypnotherapist that you are comfortable with. Seeing a hypnotherapist in their home is not something everyone is comfortable with and this is why many people choose to go to a company that employs hypnotherapists for this sort of work, provides the therapy rooms and also completes the proper checks on a hypnotherapist. There is little regulation in the UK and anybody can set themselves up as a hypnotherapist. It is therefore important that you seek ease of mind by using a hypnotherapist that has done a certain number of hours training, continues to train and keep up to date and has had the proper checks done.

Jeremy Piven heads for mediation

Following yesterday’s article about actor Tim Allen being referred to mediation, it seems another television actor Jeremy Piven is also being referred to mediation talks in order to settle a dispute between himself and the producers of Speed-the-Plow Broadway play over his departure from the show. A mediator is set to mediate between the two parties in June after a grievance hearing failed to settle matters last month. 43 year old Jeremy Piven, star of Entourage, left the show in December as he claimed he was suffering from mercury poisoning. Both Mr Piven and the producers have made statements saying they are preparing for the mediation talks. In mediation talks such as these, they are often done face to face. This is not always necessary although it does help to speed matters up. Anything discussed during mediation cannot later be used in court. Although many high-profile matters such as these are now being referred to mediation and only using expensive, lengthy court proceedings as a last resort, mediation is in fact commonly used in small matters such as neighbourhood issues, family problems, divorce matters and other day to day problems.

Tim Allen for mediation

Mediation is being used today in all sorts of cases and hit the headlines recently as a judge referred a case involving Tim Allen to mediation. The lawsuit alleges that 55 year old actor Mr Allen stole the idea for Wild Hogs, the successful 2007 comedy movie that also starred John Travolta, William H Macy, Martin Lawrence and Ray Liotta. Mr Allen is being sued by Battle One Productions Inc. who claim the idea was actually pitched to Tim Allen’s personal assistant back in 2002. The productions company is claiming over $25,000 in damages. Mr Allen’s defence claim that not only is this untrue but the company waited too long to lodge a complaint. It is expected that the matter should be brought to a close using the mediation process where a neutral third party will liase with both parties. This case is just another example of how mediation can be used to find mutually agreeable resolutions for two or more parties without the lengthy process and expensive matter of going through a court battle. It is not just about business or politics but can be used in small court cases, family or divorce matters and even to resolve neighbourhood disputes as we have seen in recent articles.

Vanessa Raw on hypnotherapy

British triathlete Vanessa Raw was recently featured in The Times in an interview about her being named a member of the British Olympic triathlon academy squad. The triathlon is a gruelling event consisting of a 1,500-metre swim then a 40km (25 mile) cycle and finally a 10km run and is certainly not for those faint of heart. Vanessa Raw told the Times she has great expectations for the Olympics in three years time and is using hypnotherapy to help her focus and improve. She said:

“I’m in hypnotherapy at the moment and I get to visualise London already. The more I think about it, the more excited I get. I’m pretty fired up now. My plan is to win the event. I think it’s a reasonable expectation.”

Using hypnosis to train for sporting events is not unusual. Many footballers, boxers and athletes have used it in the past. Using mental imagery and goals helps them to focus. Most athletes will admit that the mental attitude is just as, if not more important than the physical aspect to it and can make the difference between winning and losing. So, let’s see if hypnotherapy works for Vanessa Raw.

More mediation with the new Acas code

The new Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures is due to be brought into force in April this year and with it comes a lot more focus on using mediation to resolve matters of dispute. This means we are likely to see much more need for mediation in the future in all areas of business, as well as family matters. Mediation has been used in the workplace more and more often in the last few years, however, has not taken off as much as had been expected. The new focus that the new Acas code is putting on mediation is likely to change all that and HR departments everywhere will be looking to bear this in mind when potential personality clashes between employees might arise. Mediation involves using a neutral third party to mediate between two parties in dispute and both parties must be willing to partake in mediation for the method to be used. Although the new Acas code does not demand that mediation be used, the code puts great emphasis on the company intervening as early as possible and informally where appropriate. Mediation is best used as early as possible and although HR departments can be good at intervening, they are never seen as neutral because they do represent the interests of an employer whereas an employed mediator is neutral and are trained to skilfully help individuals to forget their own interests and focus instead on an intended goal and how the two parties can best achieve that goal.

Curing a fear of clowns

In recent articles, we have discussed the media's latest coverage of fears and phobias. One surprisingly common phobia that recently gained a mention in the Mirror is the fear of clowns, otherwise known as coulrophobia. Hypnosis is well known for being able to help people overcome their fears, even when they become so bad that they affect their going about their daily lives and are then referred to as phobias, and coulrophobia is no exception. Different people are scared of clowns for different reasons; for some, it is the colourful make-up, for others the insanely wide grin and for some it is the red nose or huge shoes. Whatever the cause of the fear, hypnotherapists are often called in and can cure a phobia in a matter of just a couple of sessions. Celebrities reported to suffer from a fear of clowns include Daniel Radcliffe and Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp is reported to have said:

“Something about the painted face, the fake smile. There always seemed to be a darkness under the surface, a potential for real evil.”

Perhaps Johnny Depp should pop in for a hypnosis session?

Coping with children's phobias

A child's fear or phobia can be difficult for a parent to assess. Sometimes it can seem like nothing serious and indeed may fizzle out, however, it is important not to dismiss them. Even those that appear to fizzle out can sometimes rear their head again in a year or two, or even as an adult, and become much more severe, so how can parents decide what action is best if any? Children are often afraid of things like the dark, spiders, dogs or the dentist, and if left unnoticed, dismissed or ignored, can develop into worse phobias, so it is important for the parent to speak to the child and talk about their concerns. In childhood, fears are often picked up from close relatives, especially parents, or close friends so it is important to try not to show such fear in front of children or to talk to them about it. If a fear does develop or seem to be becoming a problem, then hypnotherapy is great for children because their imagination is still so active. Many hypnotherapists specialise in helping children. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is also another option that parents can explore.

Hypnosis for fear of spiders

Probably one of the best known fears in the world is a fear of spiders, otherwise known as arachnophobia, the name that was made so famous by the film of the same name. Not only is the name renowned the world over, but the actual phobia is incredibly common. Almost everybody knows somebody who has a fear of spiders so great that they cannot remove the common household spider from a room. Many people are not bothered by this fear so much as to want to do anything about it, however, for some people their reaction to even the common spider is enough to warrant wanting to do something about it and hypnotherapists often see people for this fear. Hypnosis is probably still best known for helping people to quit smoking but possibly its second most renowned success is with phobias. Phobias can be cured by hypnosis in as little as just one session. Eva Mendes had hypnosis for her fear of spiders that started when she was just a little girl, because it got to the point where she could not sleep in any room where she had spotted a spider. She said of the hypnosis:

"There was no swaying clock or anything like that - so I was disappointed by that. I do not know what she did but it really helped because now I will see one and I will be cool with it. When I was a little girl if I ever saw one I would have to have somebody kill it."

Hypnosis for fear of knees

In their career, a hypnotherapist will come across all sorts of fears. One that may sound rather strange to a lot of people but is actually a known phobia is genuphobia - otherwise known as a fear of knees. This fear has actually been highlighted in the media recently, an article in the Mirror featured a lady who had suffered from this fear most of her life and first recalled it bothering her in her teens. Over the years, her genuphobis got worse and worse, as many phobias do for many people, until it was starting to affect her daily life. She could not kneel down, go swimming and had lost many friends as a result. Hypnosis is incredibly good at dealing with phobias, and often very quickly in as little as just a couple of sessions even if a phobia has bothered a person for years. The lady in the Mirror's article acknowledged that her auntie also suffered from the same fear of knees and it is likely that her own fear has been picked up from her relative. Many fears that we suffer as adults have been picked up from our parents, close relatives or friends, or just from a simple experience of our own that perhaps we do not even consciously remember. With hypnosis, it is not necessary to discover the reason or founding for the phobia or fear although it is often uncovered during the session.

Using psychotherapy to solve alcoholism

Alcoholism is a fast rising problem in the UK, as our culture of binge drinking does not seem to be reducing despite the government's efforts to tackle the problem. Alcholics affect not only their own lives but the lives of their friends and family and others around them. Factors contributing to the problem of alcoholism include a person's personality and character traits, suffering from depression and loneliness, shyness and also inheritance. Those born to alcoholic parents are reportedly much more likely to suffer from alcoholism themselves in the future than adopted children. Being raised in a broken home and the early years, including teenage years, has a huge impact on whether or not a child is likely to suffer. Psychotherapy is part of the government's plans to tackle depression and anxiety, and is also a method to help people cope and recover from alcoholism. Talking therapist, like CBT and psychotherapy, encourage the patient to look at how they can resolve their problem rather than how they came to suffer from it. Hypnotherapy has also proven successful in helping people to challenge and change their relationship with drink. In helping understand and combat this rising issue, the profile of psychotherapy is being increased.

Spice Girl Mel B has hypnosis

Former Spice Girl singer, Mel B, is having hypnosis to help her get over stage fright according to recent reports in the media. Mel B is due to start a new production in Las Vegas next month, called Peepshow, and is reportedly having trouble with her stage nerves and has hired a hypnotherapist to help her get over them. 33 year old Mel said:

"I'm getting hypnosis. I'm seeing a guy called Anthony Cool, who performs a show at Vegas too. I'm doing this just in case I get any last-minute nerves - you know, in case I can't remember the lyrics or the moves. He's going to hypnotise me as soon as I get there."

Hypnotherapy is hypnosis used for therapeutic purposes, and stage nerves is just one of the fears or problems that hypnosis can help with. Confidence, stage fright, motivation, getting rid of phobias or habits, such as smoking cessation, are just a few examples of where hypnosis has been known to help. Hypnosis is also known for being a fast therapy and often people only need one or two sessions at the most to get rid of everyday phobias or habits.

Psychotherapy to cope with recession

Under a new government plan, many people across the UK are to receive help to cope with the effects of the recession through psychotherapy and counselling. A new advice centre linked through doctors surgeries, NHS centres and the job centre is to refer people to qualified psychotherapists for help and treatment. This move reportedly comes from the government's fear that many people will become mentally ill and therefore long term unemployable from too much worry and stress and therefore psychologically affected by the recession, putting a huge cost at the feet of the credit crunch. Many people become depressed and anxious when they lose their job, and a new job is often the answer to this. However, the depression and anxiety itself can become a barrier to finding new employment. At a time when two million people are out of work, psychotherapy could be the answer to helping people stay afloat and find their feet. Around 6 million adults are estimated to be suffering from depression or anxiety in the UK. Talking therapies, such as psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), are methods that encourage people to look at the solutions to their issues rather than examining the causes of the problems.

Where a dental phobia comes from

As mentioned in an earlier article, many fears and phobias are passed from parent to child and how this is done has already been described. However, a fear of the dentist affects many people and ranges from mild dental anxiety that most people overcome in order to visit the dentist to a real dentist phobia that can be quite serious if a person refuses to visit the dentist even though they may be in pain. It is a common phobia that is treated by hypnosis. Dental phobia affects around 10 per cent of people in the UK and it often develops in childhood. When you are a child and you have visited the dentist for the first time, it is often unhelpful for a parent to state afterwards something along the lines of "There, that didn't hurt did it?" That statement in itself is enough for some children to associate the dentist with pain. Of course, many children only visit the dentist when they are in pain from toothache in the first place and thus an association of the dentist with pain begins. It is important to ensure children visit the dentist for routine check ups anyway so they don't have this association and in a similar way as the last statement did not help the child, it is helpful to mention afterwards "There, the dentist has taken your pain away now" so that they associate the dentist with helping to remove the pain. Consider how your child's visits to the dentist affect them in order to avoid them having to see a hypnotherapist later in life to help them remove it, and if your child is already starting to suffer, ensure they have child hypnotherapy as soon as possible.

Cure your phobia for your child

Not all parents may be aware, but it is incredibly common for a child to 'inherit' their parents phobia as mum or dad unwittingly passes on their anxiety and fear of one thing or another. It is not uncommon to hear somebody say that their parent is also afraid of the same thing but this fear is not genetically passed on as some may mistakenly believe, but rather this generational fear is passed on because the parent shows it to their child in their earlier years. Even if a fear is just a fear and not the more serious term 'phobia' that can affect your daily life, it can grow to affect your child's life in a much more serious way, so if you really cannot hide your fear completely, then perhaps you should consider tackling your fear before it affects your child. One of the best, and fastest, ways of tackling a fear or phobia is by using hypnosis. Hypnosis in a therapeutic sense is called hypnotherapy and is nothing to be afraid of. Hypnotherapy is delivered by a professional, qualifed hypnotherapist and can usually rid a person of a fear, even a lifetime phobia, in just one or two sessions.

Mother's Day hypnosis

Next Sunday, 22nd March, is Mother's Day and for many of us, it is the time to wonder what to give our mother as a gift. Flowers and chocolates are the typical gift but with mothers often on a diet and flowers perhaps feeling a little 'usual' many of us are unsure what to purchase on this special day. When we think of what sort of gift to give for Mother's Day, it is often nice if we can find a gift that is lasting or one that will be truly enjoyed, and hypnotherapy can fulfil both these wishes. Stress is something that everyone is feeling to some degree or another in this time of recession, even if we are only feeling the worry of how it might affect us in the next twelve months or worrying about how it is affecting our friends and loved ones. Hypnosis is incredibly good at relieving stress because hypnosis gives a great feeling of relaxation. In addition, if you purchase a gift voucher for hypnotherapy, then there is no need for you to know whether it was used for something as simple as stress and relaxation or for something much more life changing, such as getting rid of an annoying habit or phobia, or giving a boost in terms of motivation for losing weight or going to the gym or increasing our confidence. For this reason, hypnotherapy can be the perfect gift for anyone, including that most special person in our life, our mother on Mother's Day.

Benefits of CBT for prenatal depression

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be an effective therapy for women suffering from prenatal depression. The Daily Mail recently told the story of public relations executive Tina Barrett who suffered from prenatal depression for the whole nine months of her pregnancy. 32 year old Tina was quoted as saying:

'I just wanted to shut myself away from the world. The pregnancy wasn't planned. Ideally we'd have waited a few more years, but Craig - a graphic designer - and I wanted a family and we didn't even consider not having the child. But I couldn't understand why I didn't feel as ecstatic as everyone around me, why something just didn't feel right. I didn't want to look at the pregnancy books people gave me or go to antenatal classes. I've always been an optimistic person, but once I became pregnant I didn't feel like me any more.’

Prenatal depression, also known as antenatal depression, is experienced by just as many women as postnatal depression, yet is relatively unrecognised. Half of these sufferers also go on to suffer from postnatal depression too. In severe cases, some develop psychotic tendencies and potentially that can place the baby at risk. Many doctors recognise that treating a depressed, pregnant woman can pose certain problems as antidepressant drugs during pregnancy is not a good idea and this is where other treatments need to be explored. CBT is one of the treatments that can be highly effective and helps people to identify their behaviour issues and change their beliefs.

Quit smoking on No Smoking Day

Today it has finally arrived, the 2009 National No Smoking Day, the day upon which many hundreds of thousands of people all across the UK will be pleding to quit smoking for at least one day and the day after the last cigarette of their lives for many people. According to magazine New Scientist, hypnotherapy has the highest success rate of any method to quit smoking, which is quite a claim. Using hypnosis, a hypnotherapist can help a person to:

stop feeling the desire to have a cigarette
stop their physical body from craving nicotine
have a feeling of being in complete control

They say that it takes just a few weeks to change a habit, but using hypnosis, many people stop smoking in as little as one session. In times of recession such as these that will save a person an awful lot of money as the price of cigarettes continues to rise. It is not as easy as reading the information on how smoking affects your health or watching the adverts broadcast by the government, because a person has to really want to quit smoking deep inside in order to stop. Hypnotherapy works because if a person does want to stop, then the hypnotherapist just helps that person to make sure that their unconscious self agrees with their conscious being. We've all had that feeling where we don't want to do something but somehow just cannot help ourselves and this is when our conscious and unconscious selves are not in sync. Using hypnosis, we can make sure this inner conflict does not happen and that is why it can feel so easy to give up smoking after hypnotherapy.

CBT could ‘cure’ insomnia

In a recent article we talked about the research done at the Sleep Research Centre at the Loughborough University. Researchers involved in the study concluded that around five hours of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) could ‘cure’ insomnia for most people. CBT used in this research is based on psychological interventions encouraging the sufferers of insomnia to break their cycle of worry to sleepless nights and return to their normal sleeping patterns. The CBT methods start with using basic notes on what can promote sleep, so helping the sufferers avoid things like taking short naps in the daytime because they felt tired and encouraging them to start waking and going to bed at the same each day and night. The therapy also included changing the sufferer’s habits to avoid caffeine, exercise or eating close to bedtime and teaching the sufferer how to relax, such as focusing themselves at night to avoid going over their day to day worries and problems. CBT is known as a talking therapy, much like counselling or psychotherapy, and many people can feel quite cynical, however, the results are difficult to deny. This study showed 70 per cent of sufferers benefited greatly, including those who had been on sleeping pills for twenty years or so.

Hypnosis or hypnotherapy?

The purpose of this article is to help establish the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy as there is a great difference between hypnotising somebody as in an on stage performance and the therapeutic benefits experienced from hypnotherapy from a qualified hypnotherapist. Hypnosis is a state of mind between being fully awake and being asleep. It is a feeling of being really relaxed and comfortable, yet still being very focused and open to suggestion. On the other hand, hypnotherapy is using hypnosis for therapeutic purposes and benefits. Contrary to popular belief, it is actually not the hypnotherapist that makes these positive changes happen but the client themselves. All the hypnotherapist does is help their client to reach a relaxed state of hypnosis and to find the solutions to their problems within themselves, from their inner, subconscious self, which believe it or not, we all have! Hypnosis on its own is not therapy and stage hypnosis is just for entertainment with the aim of getting laughs from the audience. Hypnotherapy is a therapy in its own right and there are endless techniques and methods that can be used by a hypnotherapist to help a client find their own solution, to remove their problems or achieve their goals.

Using CBT instead of sleeping pills

It seems that the recession is not just upsetting many people financially, but is also causing an almost national epidemic of insomnia. Worries about redundancy, savings, mortgages and debt are causing countless sleepless nights. Research from one medical website showed that almost half of 1,000 survey respondents confirmed they were not sleeping as well as before the economic crisis. Although the current economic climate may be exacerbating the problem, insomnia is not a new problem. Around 1 in 20 adults take some sort of sleeping pill even though many say that pills can often cause more harm than good as patients can become tolerant and even find it hard to sleep without the pills when they try to stop. Another answer could be CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Loughborough University conducted research into the matter and their Sleep Research Centre concluded that around five hours of CBT can actually cure insomnia for most people. CBT is a therapy that examines the way that we think or feel about situations or objects and how we react to them. Various techniques are used to help us change the way we feel or think about these and to adapt to more helpful reactions.

Agyness Deyn uses hypnosis to quit smoking

Queen of the catwalk, Agyness Deyn, has told the media that she is trying hypnotherapy in an effort to quit smoking for good. The 26 year old model, whose real name is Laura Hollins, has said that she is really determined to give up smoking because she felt it is like being in a ‘bad relationship’ and commented:

"I feel like I'm playing mind games with nicotine. It's like being in a bad relationship."

It is always good to see stars and celebrities setting a good example for those who admire them and quitting smoking and other bad habits, as the younger generation will follow the example they set. Hypnotherapy is known to be particularly effective and has been made famous particularly by its success rate with smoking cessation. Just one or two sessions can be enough to help a lifelong smoker quit smoking forever without a backwards glance. The only pre-requisite is for the client to genuinely want to quit their bad habit. Hypnosis can help with many other bad habits too, such as unhealthy eating habits, binge drinking, nail biting and many other issues. It is important to seek help from a qualified hypnotherapist that you feel comfortable with.

Rowetta's success with psychotherapy

Former X Factor singer, Rowetta Satchell, has been battling her booze and binge drinking issues through psychotherapy ever since she returned from appearing on Living’s reality TV series, Rehab. The series followed seven celebrities trying to conquer their problems. Rowetta said:

"It was one therapy session after another, from eight in the morning until five at night. You don't get a chance to think about anything other than your problems."

Rowetta underwent intensive counselling for her alcoholism in a clinic in Malibu, where it emerged that her problems stemmed from her experience as a victim of domestic violence for five years at the hands of her ex-husband. During X Factor, her old feelings resurfaced when her ex husband sold his story to the tabloids talking about her abuse. When her feelings were re-opened, this encouraged her and her family to talk about subjects they had avoided for years, bring them closer together and helping resolve issues Rowetta had kept buried for years. Since her return from rehab, she has undergone regular psychotherapy and counselling, and only fallen off the bandwagon once on New Year’s Eve. Psychotherapy is also known as ‘talking therapy’ and is well known for resolving psychological issues caused by past experiences such as that experienced by Rowetta.

Psychotherapy qualification for Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax, comedienne and TV personality, has recently completed a psychotherapy qualification and is planning on changing her career to one in psychology, according to reports in the media. The high profile comedienne is likely to highlight the benefits of psychotherapy to many. Currently, Ms Wax is now studying neuroscience. She is also appearing as a special guest speaker at a public event organised by the British Psychological Society. Psychotherapy is the practice of helping people to resolve their problems through talking rather than just taking drugs and as a result it has often been referred to by many as a ‘talking therapy’. Psychotherapists work with people suffering from a large variety of distressful problems and usually become involved when their problem is affecting their daily life in areas such as work, relationships or any other aspect. Psychotherapy has proved particular useful for psychological issues caused by past experiences including traumas such as experiences in war, bereavement, abuse, stress at work, relationships, physical attacks or any other such problem. Finding a psychotherapist that the client feels comfortable with is particularly important as the client must feel at ease. The client must be able to talk freely and openly.

Demand for mediation grows with recession

During a recession, many people are affected in a negative way. Unemployment is rife with up to two million people currently out of work, and even those who are lucky enough to still have a job probably have a family member who is out of work and are worried about their own job. Money worries are high and as a result, stressed out couples are likely to take it out on each other and on those around them. With little money to spare, it can be difficult to spend quality time together too. As a result, mediation is in great demand. Although divorce law is meant to be recession proof, thanks to the property problems and negative equity running high, many couples cannot afford to consider divorce either. Mediation is one answer that is certainly much cheaper than a divorce. Mediators can help with all manner of family issues, not just couples that feel they're reaching the end of the road. The mediator is a neutral third party, not there to judge but to facilitate communication and negotiation to a mutually agreeable solution.

Hypnosis to stop binge drinking

In a recent article, we discussed how the problem of binge drinking in the UK could be much worse than we thought a few years ago. Many people believe that with willpower they can stop binge drinking easily, however, some find it much harder than they originally thought when they actually try to stop for a few weeks or months. It is easy to think that all you need is a little willpower and confidence and you will be able to break the binge drinking cycle, however, in this respect the habit can be similar to smoking, so is it possible that this habit can also be broken using hypnotherapy? Having a few hypnosis sessions with an experienced hypnotherapist can help overcome binge drinking by removing the urges and temptations that you associate with the binge drinking, give feelings that help you feel in control and remove the need to drink so much, and help you deal with all sorts of social situations. Using hypnotherapy to stop binge drinking does not mean you will consume no alcohol at all afterwards, but merely help you to restrict your drinking to a more reasonable level of consumption. Hypnosis simply helps you to overcome the problem of drinking to excess.

Using a routine for self hypnosis

Often when you visit a hypnotherapist, you will only need one or two sessions as hypnosis is renowned for being a fast therapy, especially in areas such as smoking cessation or weight loss. However, in some areas, the hypnotherapist may suggest that self hypnosis could be a good idea to help you maintain or control the issue in hand. This is particularly useful in areas such as stress management or anxiety attacks. A good hypnotherapist will be able to teach you self hypnosis. You could go out and purchase a script to help you, however, scripts are often designed for the masses and are not as effective as a personalised self hypnosis routine. Until you get used to your self hypnosis, the hypnotherapist will probably suggest that you get into a routine and practice your self hypnosis regularly. As a beginner in hypnosis, it is a good idea to keep the hypnosis brief, perhaps to just ten minutes at a time. A good time to do this is when you first wake or when you are going to sleep at night. With practice, you will be able to use hypnosis easily but you may need to be patient at first and perhaps have the odd hypnotherapy session to help you. As with many things worth doing, regular practice is important.

When to quit smoking

If you are looking to quit smoking, then hypnotherapy has no doubt been suggested to you at some point as many people have heard of the benefits and speedy results of this therapy. Here is some advise to take into account for before you visit the hypnotherapist:

Plan when to quit. This is not an excuse to put off smoking cessation, however, there are wrong times to try and quit. For example, it is a good idea to try and quit when the rest of your life is quite stable. It is not a good idea to try and quit at Christmas, birthdays, stressful times such as exams or when going through a break up
Get rid of your smokes. Before, yes before, you go to the hypnotherapy session, get rid of all your cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters and anything else. Be strong and throw them away, not just in the bin but take them to the tip. After the hypnosis, you won't need them any more.
Tell your family and friends. Getting the support of people around you is important.
Find motivation. Easier said than done, but before you go to your hypnotherapy session think about what else you can do. Giving up smoking is a good time to try something new like going to the gym. You could save up the money you would otherwise spend on cigarettes and treat yourself to a new haircut, massage or anything else you fancy!

How can hypnosis 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, such as 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 stopped the emotional need to overeat.

Hypnotherapy to battle binge drinking

The British culture of binge drinking has long been a hot topic in the media with reports showing that the UK tops the bill with the amount of money spent and the volume of alcohol consumed on an annual basis. The government has spent billions of pounds in recent years on alcohol misuse programmes, aimed to help young people specifically to realise the damage that they are doing to themselves. However, the problem is not just with the younger generation. Indeed, an estimated one in four adults in the UK has a problem with binge drinking on a regular basis. Hypnotherapy is an unlikely solution to an individual’s drink problem, however, just a few sessions of hypnosis with an experienced hypnotherapist can help people to change their relationship with drink permanently. Hypnosis works by allowing the client to help themselves. It is easy to make simple promises or resolutions to ourselves, but willpower alone is rarely enough as has been proven with smoking cessation. Alcohol is no different. Hypnotherapy allows for changes to be made at an unconscious level and when our unconscious self is in harmony with what we really want at a conscious level, then changing our habits is relatively easy.

Get fit with hypnosis? Part Three

In the earlier parts of this article, we already discussed how hypnosis can help with sports performance for athletes and even for the normal person who simply wants to 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 CD’s 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.

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 twelve 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 program now covers all three middle schools. One year ago, they incorporated the ‘incident reduction plan’ because the school was rated the 16th most violent school 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 only guides conversation and facilitates negotiation to help people reach a resolution in a quick and peaceful manner, and mediation has become popular in recent years in all sorts of cases.

Get fit with hypnosis? Part Two

In an earlier article, we discussed how hypnosis 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 practicing 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.

Neighbour feuds use mediation

A new mediation service has been offer 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 some 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 matter, family and neighbour issues and all manner of areas. It is a much cheaper and quicker resolution than taking any legal action.

Get fit with hypnosis?

When it comes to using mental techniques to improve our fitness, athletes can use a variety of methods but when it comes to hypnosis, this is probably the one method that men are least likely to give a chance. However, when used properly, hypnosis or 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 or hypnosis 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.

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 partake 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.

Hypnosis for chronic headaches

According to information from the Mayo Clinic, around 90 per cent of children aged below 18 years old suffer from headaches. The headaches could be as a result of several factors, such as stress, head injury, sickness or certain foods. Their research appears to suggest that hypnosis can decrease the number of chronic headaches in children particularly. When considering using hypnotherapy for anything related to pain, it is important that the client sees a doctor or GP to ensure the pain is not being caused by something more serious. Chronic headaches are defined as a headache that occurs for 15 days within a month for at least 3 months continuously. There are different techniques to help control headaches, including minimising any stress, monitoring diet such as avoiding sugary foods or food high in fat and making sure enough sleep is had every night. It is possible that pain relievers alone are insufficient as the body may develop a resistance to them with long periods of use. Hypnosis is another technique for handling headaches. Hypnotherapy or self-hypnosis can help to reduce the number of headaches experienced and also the intensity. A good hypnotherapist will be able to teach self hypnosis to use on a more frequent basis.

One month countdown to No Smoking Day

Just one month from now, on the 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 do really want to stop smoking, it is worth taking a few minutes now 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 from just one session. One of the keys to its success though is the client's reasons for quitting. There is little point visiting a hypnotherapist to stop smoking if that client does not really want to stop and is only doing it to keep their partner or family quiet so they can say 'oh it didn't work'. Hypnosis cannot make anyone make life changes that they really don't want to do so if you really don't want to stop then it will be a waste of your money and the hypnotherapist's time. Having said that, you do not have to believe in hypnotherapy for it to work so no matter how cynical you are of hypnosis itself, if you really do want to quit smoking then hypnosis could be the answer to your prayers.

Hypnosis 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 on a daily basis. Hypnotherapy is notorious for being a quick therapy, partly because the hypnotherapist helps their client to change the way they think or feel themselves. The results all come from the client themselves; 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 that person to turn themselves around.

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 make 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 and so mediation has proved successful in areas such as business matter, family disputes and neighbour issues. Mediators help in a wide range of scenarios and as a result, mediation is becoming much more popular in all sorts of areas.

National Fitness Week

This week is National Fitness Week. All over the country there are events happening in local sports and fitness centres deigned to encourage people to start moving and stop sitting like couch potatoes every night in front of the television. Initiatives and schemes such as this one are an ideal excuse for people to do something about their health and wellbeing. That does not always have to mean starting to spend four nights a week at the gym, but could also be to make a small lifestyle change such as a change to the diet or to finally give up smoking. No Smoking Day is also coming up next month. Making changes like these are not easy and require a significant amount of willpower to summon up the effort to make these changes. It reportedly takes around eight weeks for a new habit to instil itself but even then, people fall off the bandwagon particularly at stressful times. Hypnotherapy can help people instil these habits at a deeper level within themselves as opposed to just talking themselves into or out of things. For instance, hypnosis can help people to find the motivation to get to the gym or to eat healthily, which is what happened with Lily Allen according to her comments to the press. Hypnosis is also highly noted for its quick success with helping people to quit smoking and for those who really do want it, it's well worth it.

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 to the issues at hand. However, with emotions often running high, it can be difficult to work through the discussions and reach that conclusion, which is where mediation is particularly useful. A mediator is a neutral third party that sits in on the negotiations and is there to help facilitate the discussion. They do not take sides or offer advice and is often quicker, cheaper and easier than going through court proceedings. In cases such as this, 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 in more and more cases.

Psoriasis and hypnotherapy

Psoriasis is a stress-related problem that can respond to a reduction in stress levels and as such hypnosis can help sufferers find some relief. Psoriasis for many people 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. Psoriasis is something that can affect almost anyone - the cause is unknown but it is thought that genetics do play a role, although sufferers of arthritis are 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 hypnosis can reduce the stress levels and a hypnotherapist can teach self hypnosis so a patient can practice regularly at home for themselves.

New uses for mediation

Mediation has become much more popular in recent years, particularly in cases such as employment law or family mediation, and it seems there are new uses being found for it every day. Just last week, there was a story in the media about how Phoenix is starting to offer mediation to local residents experiencing issues with their neighbours barking dogs. Apparently, the problems with barking pooches is becoming so widespread in the area that the local School of Law is starting a new mediation service this month specifically to deal with the problem. This idea is not entirely new as another area in America, Chandler, has been offering a mediation service about barking dog issues since 2007 and has dealt with more than 150 individual cases. In fact, the service in Chandler is so popular that a quarter of its scheduled appointments are now about dealing with barking dogs. Who knows where the uses for mediation will end?

Power of perception

When thinking about hypnosis and how hypnotherapy works it is an important point to note the power of perception. As a strong example we can all probably associate with, think about how you feel when you get a tiny cut on your hand or finger. Imagine if you're playing football or having fun doing something, it is quite normal not to even notice the pain until you have stopped what you are doing. However, if you're at work feeling tired or irritable, the slightest cut will no doubt really hurt as you have no other distractions. The mind tends to perceive pain when it has little else to focus on. We have all had a bruise that we cannot remember getting. Hypnotherapy can help your power of perception because it communicates with your unconscious mind and the unconscious mind can alter your pain perception. This is why hypnotherapy can help you to learn to manage pain from things such as childbirth, headaches or over pains and this is why it has even been used to replace anaesthesia in surgery as we have talked about in previous articles.

Will the hypno-diet catch on?

An article in the Sunday Mirros talked about Lily Allen and her amazing weight loss as she dropped three dress sizes to a great size 8, all of which she attributes to her hypnotherapy for weight loss sessions with a hypnotherapist in London. Allen has stated before that the hypnosis has meant she feels good about exercising and motivated to eat healthily rather than eating fatty foods.

Lily told the Mirror: “After the hypnotism, I want to go to the gym every day, otherwise I feel really bad. I just want to get more toned and healthy. I feel really good about everything at the moment – I’ve never been happier.”

Although some health professionals do still question the effectiveness of hypnotherapy and do not understand how it works, the fact remains that many people have successfully lost weight with hypnotherapy. So what happens with hypnotherapy for weight loss? Typically, you will have a discussion with a hypnotherapist about your past relationship with food, the sort of foods you eat and the type of food you need to eat less of in order to lose weight. The hypnosis is not at all about a swinging watch and 'you must lose weight' repeated at you over and over again, but instead is a relaxing experience and enjoyable. Hypnosis for weight loss is still not mainstream but hopefully more people will try it now they have seen the results for themselves from celebrities such as Lily Allen.

How CBT helps phobias

More and more people have heard of how phobias can be cured through the use of hypnotherapy, however, not as many are familiar with the work of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, otherwise known by the acronym CBT. CBT is useful for many mental health issues and likewise phobias. Treating a phobia with CBT usually involves a gradual exposure to the item or situation in questions, which allows the sufferer to face their fear themselves. It is not necessary to know or understand where the fear originated from in the first place. Occasionally, in severe cases, some anti-anxiety medication can be used. Usually, a sufferer will book a series of sessions with a psychotherapist for CBT, which could be anything from 6 to 12 sessions although results have been seen in fewer sessions that these in some cases. The most important thing about a phobia is not to beat yourself up over it but to identify that you do have a real problem and summon up the courage to face it and to seek help, whether that is through hypnosis or CBT. You are not the only one to suffer from your phobia, no matter how rare it is.

Where phobias come from and how to stop passing them on

Occasionally, a phobia can be genetic and thus inherited from a parent however, more often than not a phobia develops during our lifetime. We are more susceptible to impressions during our early years so it is unsurprising to learn that strong fears can be started by traumatic events in our childhood years. It is not always necessary to understand where a phobia has come from in order to help the sufferer either eliminate or reduce the effect to a more healthy level, however, in past cases it is not uncommon for a phobia sufferer to remember a previously forgotten incident during therapy, which can then become part of the therapy process. In other cases, a child can actually pick up on a phobia from a parent or a near and loved one. For instance, if one parent is afraid of flying, it is not unheard of for their child to pick up on that fear and begin to feel afraid as well. As a parent, it is important to try not to show your fear of such things to your children. The severity of the effects of phobias varies wildly from case to case however, in the worst instances a sufferer might be unable to even leave their home because of their fear. Successful methods for curing these fears include hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) where just one session can have a great impact and even cure the fear completely in some cases.

Diet alone may not be enough

If you, like many others this year, are trying to lose weight as one of your New Year’s resolutions, then perhaps you have already given up on the diet, switched to another diet or are steadfastly holding resolute to your guns. No matter what you are trying, if you find that you are always falling off the bandwagon after a few months and yo-yo dieting as an unhealthy consequence, then perhaps you should consider that diet and exercise alone are not enough. Sometimes there are other factors involved, such as childhood, the way you think about food or approach it, sugar needs and emotional issues. These are not necessarily huge problems but they affect your relationship with food. In order to make sure that a diet is effective, it might be necessary to consider combining the diet with an alternative therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or hypnotherapy, which can help you to examine your feelings or thoughts about food and how your life is affected by it and can help you to change unhealthy patterns into positives. For instance, everyone has vulnerable moments in their day to day lives when they are more susceptible to food. Sometimes simply identifying these can help. CBT is a good way to talk through these issues and look at strategies to help you overcome problems. Hypnotherapy on the other hand can help you to change your ways at a subconscious level so you are no longer fighting with your conscious willpower.

Curing a phobia

A phobia is not just a fear, but a really strong fear that generally affects someone’s life in an adverse manner. The fear could be of anything, however, some fears are more common than others such as snakes, spiders, vomit, the dark, going out, thunder and lightning, heights, needles and many more. Other less common phobias could be buttons or Velcro. A psychotherapist at the South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, Peter Kolb, recently told the Surrey Comet newspaper:

“We are all afraid of things but this is a reaction which is out of keeping with the item. The worst case I have seen was someone with a bird phobia. If she was anywhere near a bird she would perspire unbelievably. There was hair matted on her face. People have to realise that these people are petrified. Some years back there was a woman with a spider phobia who climbed out of a window and actually fell to avoid a spider. People have tried to get out of their cars while they are moving because a wasp has got in. “It’s a level of fear that takes precedence over everything else. They are so afraid of that item that it overlays other things that the rest of us would say are very hazardous.”

There are different methods that can be tried to overcome phobias. Sometimes a phobia can be removed completely and other times it will just be reduced to a more healthy level. For instance, a fear of snakes is perfectly natural to some degree. Methods that have had proven success rates in the past include hypnotherapy or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which have been known to cure a phobia in as little as one session.

Case of a vomit phobia sufferer

Phobias are quite commonplace and indeed, they affect approximately one in ten people, however, most people hide their phobia rather than seek help to recover from their fear. In a recent article in the Surrey Comet, one 25 year old student avoids alcohol and always leaves a party early, because she has had a fear of vomit since she was aged five. Thanks to this phobia, she also refuses to eat out in case of food poisoning and will not go anywhere where somebody might throw up, such as the local pub. She told the paper:

“I realised I had the phobia after an incident at school. A child was sick, and then another was. I started to panic and they took me outside. I didn’t understand why I was so frightened. But every time from then on I would panic. I started to hyperventilate and sweat. I would feel I had to get out. Now I try to avoid social situations where people might be sick. Even seeing it on screen at a cinema can make me feel very nervous.”

This phobia has had a real effect on her life. The nameless student is too embarrassed to tell boyfriends and relationships do not last long because she is so closed. This story might sound surprising and yet it is not uncommon. A vomit phobia is not that unusual, although for the sufferer, it can feel like they are the only person in the world with this condition. Therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or hypnotherapy have been known to cure phobias even as extreme as this in just one or two sessions, although sometimes a little longer is required for severe cases.

Credit crunch leads NHS to turn to psychotherapy

As predicted in earlier articles, it appears that the credit crunch has indeed led to a general increase in levels of anxiety and depression. According to recent reports, the NHS is expected to search for psychotherapists able to help those feeling adversely affected by the current economic climate. Thanks to the credit crunch and consequent recession, many people are losing their jobs or struggling to cope with rising debts and in many cases, this can result in feelings of depression or anxiety. Permanent secretary Hugh Taylor from the Department of Health told the Sunday People newspaper:

"A long downturn would have some impact on mental health associated with unemployment and particularly debt. We are already making investment in psychological therapies and increasing the number of therapists.”

Reportedly, the government is expected to invest around £173 million to ensure that all hospitals have access to psychotherapy by 2011. Psychotherapists are able to counsel people at any stage of their live. In some cases, it helps just to talk about issues and to gain a new perspective on problems. With modern life, psychotherapy is becoming increasingly popular.

Hypnotherapist cures Labour MP’s fear of heights

Since a visit to the Eiffel Tower at the age of 22, Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey Derek Wyatt discovered he had a fear of heights that made him feel sick and ever since he has tried to avoid being more than about 10 feet high. This fear stopped MP Wyatt from going up ladders, using open lifts or even driving p narrow roads when abroad in France or Italy. Not only that but Mr Wyatt loved to ski and had to cover his eyes when being taken up the side of snowy hills and mountains. When the opportunity for a Christmas skiing trip in Canada came up, the now 59 years old MP decided he had had enough and made an appointment to see a hypnotherapist. He told Kentnews:

“If you’ve got children who want to be taken skiing, it’s not much fun if you can’t join in or have lunch with them at the top.”

The hypnotherapist initially booked Mr Wyatt in for four separate hypnosis sessions, each of which would last around 90 minutes, however, after one session of hypnotherapy she told Mr Wyatt he was cured. When it came to the skiing trip, Mr Wyatt went on the largest ski lift in the world and did not feel even a wobble. Mr Wyatt was delighted with the hypnotherapy and went on to add:

“I had hoped the hypnotherapy would work, but at my age I’d try anything to get over my fear. I was delighted when it did. I know people who have been helped to quit smoking and all sorts of other things, so I’d certainly recommend it.”

Four years smoke free thanks to hypnosis

In the Killeen Daily Herald last week, the newspaper reported the story of a gentleman called Chris Everett who started smoking with his parent’s permission at school and his addiction followed him for the next 45 years. The story is not unusual in itself as particularly at that time many people started to smoke whilst at school and have struggled to kick the habit ever since. What made the story slightly different was that Everett was a registered nurse and despite knowing all the health and financial risks, he could not kick the habit until a doctor’s nurse made a comment during an appointment. The nurse said she had kicked her smoking habit using hypnosis. Everett told the paper:

"I looked at her as if she was an alien. I asked her if she had any info and she went into her bag and came out with this number that she told me to call. But I really just thought of it as this clock or pendulum swaying back and forth."

Despite feeling sceptical, Everett made an appointment with a hypnotherapist and went for his hypnotherapy. He listened to her speaking, closed his eyes and said he had thought that it could not possibly work. Four years on and thanks to hypnotherapy, Everett has remained smoke free for four years and is saving the money he otherwise would have spent on a dream trip to Paris and Rome later this year. Quitting smoking using hypnotherapy doesn’t mean you have to believe in it; it can still work and often in as little as one session.

Hypnosis for the dentist

According to new research published in Psychopharmacology, an online journal, a trip to the dentist may not be so scary in future years. The research, from researchers at the University College of London, seemed to suggest that when laughing gas is mixed with hypnosis patients could find it easier to relax for a minor operation. The scientist’s research showed that people are approximately ten per cent more open to suggestions when the gas, nitrous oxide, has been inhaled and that they could then benefit from hypnosis instructions once sedated. Having said that, the people would still have to get to the dentist in the first place, which is where many people struggle as their fear of the dentist is so bad that it could be considered a phobia. Indeed, many hypnotherapists regularly deal with phobias of the dentist, whether the problem is getting to the dentist, seeing a needle or even seeing the gas mask for the nitrous oxide or ‘laughing gas’ as it is called. Hypnotherapy can help with a fear of the dentist, often in as little as just one to two sessions.

Britain worries over finances

Website ReallyWorried.com shows the UK Worry Index, the resulting index devised from a survey of over 1400 people. According to this index, the global financial crisis means that the cost of living is now at the top of this UK worry index. The survey showed people are worrying more about money than they are about their health and drinking more than the previous year too, possibly in an effort to cope with our worry. Resorting to alcohol can breed more problems and this could be made worse as the survey showed 38 per cent bottle up their feelings. Talking about problems or looking at ways to change our patterns of thinking can really help and counsellors are finding that the credit crunch has meant an increase in the number of patients seeking help and solace from the stress. Parents also worry their kids may become a victim of bullying. Youths aged from 16 to 24 are the group that worries the most as one in six apparently worry for around twelve hours per day. The worst day is Monday and after midnight is the time when we worry the most. Earlier this month The Sun quoted Phillip Hodson, a spokesperson for the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, as saying:

“It is alarming to realise from this research just how many people in Britain are chronic worriers. Worry is the central component of all anxiety disorders and most depression. Worry is the paralysing emotion that leaves us like rabbits trapped staring into the headlights. And it’s not only in the mind. The physical side of worry triggers a range of other symptoms from tics to indigestion and from obsessions to insomnia. “While it’s true that ‘born worriers’ may never be cured, it is a darn sight more difficult to keep on worrying once you share your concerns with others who may already have found some good answers and who make you turn your fears into a realistic story with a beginning, a middle and, hopefully, a happy ending.”

Counselling, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy are great therapies to help cope with the stress and worry so it is unsurprising that therapists are seeing more people for help with their day to day lives.

Using CBT for insomnia can help paranoia

According to a recent study from King’s College London, the lack of a good night’s sleep can sometimes contribute to paranoia. The research shows that around 70 per cent of those who admitted to suffering from paranoia also suffered from a form of insomnia where they found it difficult to sleep.

"A few nights of poor sleep can make us feel stressed, muddled in our thinking and disconnected from the world," the Telegraph quoted Dr Daniel Freeman, from King's College London, as saying. "These are ideal conditions for paranoid fears to take hold. Regular, good-quality sleep is important to our psychological well-being. The results were clear: higher levels of insomnia were associated with higher levels of persecutory thinking.”

Dr Freeman stated that this new research indicates the possibility that by tackling the insomnia, the risk of paranoia could also be cut. Ways of tackling insomnia are several and have been tried and tested. For insomnia sufferers, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is something that has proven beneficial for many. CBT is a way of helping people to change their behaviour through their way of thinking and combined with hypnotherapy, its chances of success can be increased significantly.

Four stone weight loss with hypnotherapy

68 year old Maureen Foster from Tamworth, Staffordshire was featured in the Tamworth Herald earlier this week as a result of her losing weight with hypnosis. Maureen has lost over four stone in weight and reduced her dress size from a size 22 to a size 12 using the process of hypnotherapy. Maureen told the newspaper:

“I've tried all the different diets and I've lost weight every time, but I've always put it back on. This is the only one that I've kept the weight off – it's not a diet, it's a way of life. I was a size 22, I had been as low as a 14 before, but I'd never been able to maintain it – now I'm a size 12. I've always struggled with my weight, all my life. But now it just feels normal."

Maureen had tried every diet in the past but thanks to hypnotherapy, she has lost weight and hasn’t eaten a chocolate or biscuit since and has found that she no longer wants them. In this case, Maureen was lucky to find that a hypnotherapy CD worked but in many cases these aren’t always perfect because they are made to suit a broad range of people. When you see a hypnotherapist for weight loss, they can tailor the session to suit you perfectly so sometimes even if you tried a hypnosis CD and it didn’t work, seeing a hypnotherapist has a much higher success rate, often in just one or two sessions.

Mediation for Jodie Sweetin

Actress Jodie Sweetin and estranged husband Cody Herpin attended their first mediation session earlier this week as they try to avoid a long winded court battle over custody of their nine months old daughter, Zoie. Sweetin, former star of Full House, aged 26, filed for separation from 31 year old Herpin in November and, amongst accusations from her estranged husband of reverting back to her old habits of drink and drug abuse, was limited to supervised visits with her child. Since then, a court ruling in December ruled the custody should be shared 50:50. However, Sweetin’s lawyer has issued a statement saying that Sweetin and her ex partner are now

“working hard to avoid a protracted custody battle”

The couple are trying mediation now and met for the first mediation on the 5th January in California. Sweetin’s lawyer commented:

"They are trying to work things out regarding the sharing of their child. As far as reconciliation as a couple goes, in family law, you just never know."

Family mediation does not just have to be used when divorce is on the cards. The mediation process is useful in any area where there may be either disagreement or negotiation.

Lily Allen hypno-diets

The magazines and media have been full of celebrity gossip about Lily Allen this week as the singer has been showing off her slim figure. Lily Allen has returned from her New Year trip to the US looking slimmer than ever, having reportedly dropped two full dress sizes using the latest trend in America to use hypnotherapy for weight loss, which the media has named the 'hypno-diet'.

Susan Hepburn, a Harley Street hypnotist, said: ‘It's very big in LA and New York and it's becoming increasingly popular in London. During sessions, I taught Lily to favour healthy, low-fat meals instead of junk food. And to see that alcohol isn't a confidence booster, it's just extra calories that sabotage your efforts to get a good body.’

Using hypnosis for weight loss is not something that is new and hypnotherapists have used hypnotherapy for weight loss for some time now; it is something we have discussed in our articles for some time. However, giving it a media-friendly name like 'hypno-dieting' and seeing celebrities such as Lily Allen, Geri Halliwell and Sophie Dahl promoting the benefits does bring it into the public eye much more!

Avoid a New Year divorce with mediation

According to a report from the Times Online, it isn’t just your body that might be flagging following the Christmas period but your relationship might need a little tender loving care too. The Family Mediation helpline has stated that thousands of UK couples worry about separation in the New Year period and indeed divorce lawyers state that the first working day in the new year often sees a flurry of activity as couples file for divorce. Mediation is the process of allowing a neutral third party to help bring together two parties in order to find a mutually satisfactory outcome to any dispute. Contrary to popular opinion, it isn’t just for corporate companies or legal disputes, but can also be used in relationships, especially where children are involved. To help avoid divorce, couples should take a little time for themselves. This doesn’t have to be an expensive time, sometimes just watching a film together or going back to places where they dated can help to rekindle memories of happier times and to remind each other why they got together in the first place. It is important not to resort to blame tactics, but to take a more constructive approach and see how you can proceed together as a couple from hereon in. Mediation can often help couples to see things from outside the relationships. A mediator does not take sides, but simply helps to reach workable agreements and avoid a trip to the courts if at all possible.

Self hypnosis for pregnant ladies

When you are pregnant, being able to relax is an important part of pregnancy. In recent years, it has become more apparent how modern day stress of even our day to day lives can affect the unborn child. Mums to be should therefore look to reduce stress as much as possible throughtout the pregnancy, learn to slow down and to take time for themselves to relax. Perhaps unsurprisingly, time to really relax is something that we do not all have any more and for those mums to be with a career, used to working longer hours and balancing everything at once, relaxing can seem difficult. Hypnotherapy is becoming more and more popular, even in use for the actual birth - called hypnobirthing, but even for those who do not particularly wish to use hypnotherapy for the birth itself, it can be incredibly useful to help them relax. A good hypnotherapist will be able to teach the mum to be how to use self hypnosis herself at any time when she might feel stressed or just wants to take some time out to really relax. Amazingly, more and more of us, men and women, need to be taught how to relax properly nowadays and the feeling of hypnosis amazes many when they feel it for the first time as it is such a wonderfully relaxing feeling.

Scotland group offer support for alternative births

A new support service is being launched by Peterhead mothers Amber Sebold and Charlie Paris later this month to offer support for mums to be who wish to explore the option of an alternative birth to a traditional hospital birth. The two mothers believe that home birth can be less stressful for pregnant ladies with a lower risk of complication and their support group will be the first of its sort in Aberdeenshire. Charlie Paris has used hypnotherapy to help her get through the births of her two children and said:

“I loved the freedom of being able to go where ever I wanted. I used natal hypnotherapy to get me through the births and I would absolutely do it all again.”

Many women now use hypnosis, whether in a home birth or hospital birth, in an effort to reduce the stress involved and to avoid using drugs unnecessarily. The hypnotherapy birth is becomingly increasingly popular and many hypnotherapists are now offering this. Often, it can be taught in groups or to individuals over a period with a set number of hypnosis sessions. Using hypnosis to relax is a valuable skill.

Stop Smoking for New Year

Unsurprisingly, the promise to stop smoking is one of the most popular New Year's Resolutions every year. Perhaps for some it is even the 'annual New Year's resolution', made and broken each year. There are many different ways available now to try and quit smoking from nicotine patches and chewing gum, going cold turkey and replacing the habit with other habits at times when you know you are really susceptible to craving that cigarette. More and more popular now is hypnosis. Hypnotherapists can and do stop people from smoking in as little as two hours, but some people have tried hypnosis to quit smoking and for some reason they say it didn't work, so how do hypnotherapists explain this? The one pre-requisite to quitting smoking using hypnosis is that you must really, really want to stop and you must reall want to do it for yourself. There is no point visiting a hypnotherapist and paying good money if you're only doing it because your partner really wants you to and for Christmas you said you'd try hypnotherapy. Really, you don't want to, you're just doing it so you can say you have. Similarly, if you are so very cynical of hypnosis that you actually do not want to give up smoking in that way because it means you would have to admit you were wrong, then that too can be a huge hindrance. It is ok if you don't really believe in hypnosis, that doesn't mean it won't work, but if you really don't want it to help you then it will be an uphill struggle from the start. So if you really want to give up smoking, then try hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy for blushing

Hypnosis has been used to stop people from suffering from phobias, manage pain and all manner of problems, including changing our habits such as stopping smoking or prevent nail biting. However, it can also help with smaller issues, which although may seem minor to some people, to the sufferers can be a huge problem. In the Daily Record in December, a reader's letter was featured from a younger reader about blushing. Blushing can seem a huge problem for young people and although many grow out of it as they mature, for some it remains a problem throughout their life. As an adult, blushing can become a large issue and although as a sufferer you are more aware of it than anyone else is, if it affects your confidence it can stop you from being successful in job interviews, from giving presentations or talks or even just from speaking up when you need to. Hypnosis is used to increase confidence and using similar techniques, it can also be very successful at stopping blushing.

Stage hypnosis is not hypnotherapy

When talking about hypnotherapy, many people think of stage hypnosis and get a little worried that the hypnotherapist might make them cluck like a chicken. However, stage hypnosis is not hypnotherapy. The sort of hypnosis seen on television or on stage is different; it is a form of entertainment. It is not therapy; it is not designed to help you overcome a problem or issue such as weight gain, smoking, stress, lack of confidence or phobias. Those who get up on stage for stage hypnosis are generally those people who deep down are willing to do the silly things they are asked to do by the stage hypnotist, either because they are an extrovert or simply because they know they can do the silly things requested of them and blame the hypnotist for what they did. Many hypnotherapists are really against stage hypnosis because it damages the reputation of the good that hypnosis can do for many people. It remains an area of great debate. One thing is for sure though, a hypnotherapist cannot and will not make you do anything you do not want to do. Even if they were to try, you are aware of everything being said whilst in hypnosis and any such suggestion would simply cause you to wake immediately anyway. Hypnotherapy is a completely separate thing entirely and is perfectly safe.

Mediation in the workplace

When people think of mediation, they tend to think of it in extremes. They either think of it as being for families or couples going through a divorce, or they think of it as being political mediation between countries. However, mediation can take place at all levels, even in the everyday workplace. Mediation is both confidential and without prejudice, avoiding publicity and is cost effective too, so a mediator can work to tailor the mediation process to the situation. A mediator is a third party that is not involved in the situation at all and takes neither side, but simply facilitates the way to negotiation and discussion with the aim of finding an agreeable situation for both parties. In April 2009, the new Employment Act comes into force and within this legislation mediation is being highlighted as a powerful way to manage employment and workforce disputes. Many employers will be looking to use mediation as a way to avoid the cost, stress and stigma associated with industrial tribunals. In the current economic climate, mediation is a great way for employees and employers to work together to identify underlying issues and cost cutting measures, including redundancies and in many areas it has highlighted wider areas for improvement within a business.

What happens in psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy for many people is a scary word, possibly because it starts with the word ‘psycho’ and anything to do with the mind scares people, so for the nervous or the intrigued, here is a brief description of what happens during a psychotherapy session. Usually, a psychotherapy session is scheduled each week or each fortnight and the same time and place and the session will normally last from 50 – 60 minutes. Everything said during these sessions is confidential. Group therapy is possible, but most sessions are individuals as the session is tailored specifically to one person and results are generally achieved quicker and are more effective. The client and therapist normally sit in normal chairs – the chaise longue generally used in films or TV shows is really a thing of the past. Psychotherapy, like any other therapy, is not a magical cure-all. Like many therapies, the cure lies within the client. The therapist is merely there to help the individual find themselves. Different therapists used different techniques but no matter what they are, they are there to help clients to develop an understanding of their own thoughts, feelings and behaviour in a variety of situations and thus feel better equipped to cope with life.

Hypnotherapy could help with MND

According to newspaper reports, hypnosis is being used in Tyneside to help control the symptoms of motor neurone disease (MND) in sufferers. At Newcastle’s St Oswald’s Hospice, hypnotherapists have been conducting a study into how hypnosis can help control symptoms in those with the condition. A common symptom of MND is uncontrollable saliva secretion. Although sufferers produce saliva in normal quantities, their ability to swallow if often impaired and hence the saliva spills from their mouth instead of being swallowed. Those who use clinical hypnosis in dentistry have long used hypnotherapy to dry out a patient’s mouth before dentistry is carried out. From past research, it is known that hypnosis can influence the mind and hence the nervous system, which controls the body, such as saliva production and so why should it not work in the case of MND? Hypnosis has helped several MND patients in the Tyneside area to control their saliva secretion and this gives them confidence as well as relieving the embarrassment and anxiety that it causes them, enabling them to enjoy their life. Of course, the best news about using hypnotherapy is that unlike some medication, there are no side effects. Hypnosis is generally a quick therapy and after just a few sessions the control should gradually begin to show and for some patients, they are able to learn self-hypnosis so that they can use the hypnosis techniques themselves every day.

What if I don't know what the problem might be?

As you ask this question, it might sound a little silly, however, this is actually a very common question. If you were to speak to a counsellor, a psychotherapist or a hypnotherapist, they would all tell you that they often see people who do not know what the problem is. A client might be a little depressed, upset or under the weather and be unable to pinpoint what is troubling them, but they know they are not happy with their life. A good therapist can still help you. They will be able to ask you questions or use relaxation techniques, such as hypnosis, to help you find the specifics yourself. If it helps, try asking yourself the following questions before you visit a therapist for your first session: 1. If you were to briefly describe your life, how would you describe it? 2. How do these feelings affect your life and in particular, your home / work / social life? 3. What thoughts stay with you? Occasionally, small niggles stay with us throughout our life and hold us back, preventing us from meeting our true potential 4. How long have you felt like this, do you remember when it started and what was happening in your life at that time? 5. What are you proud of in your life and what makes you feel good? This question is important too as it is necessary to remember the positive aspects as well By thinking about these questions first, it might help you and your therapist find the root of your issue quicker and give you something to start with. Whether you would prefer psychotherapy or hypnotherapy may depend on your preference firstly, or you can take advice on which to use.

Therapy for Christmas

Christmas is approaching fast and hopefully most of our Christmas shopping is done, however, no doubt in the final week's run up to Christmas there will be plenty of people rushing round for a last minute present. As the years have progressed, it seems to be getting more and more difficult to find a meaningful and thoughtful present for anybody at the time of year. In this age of gadgets and technology, most people seem to have everything that they actually need and another DVD or CD to add to the collection hardly seems a thoughtful gift. One rather unusual gift, however, could be the gift of therapy. At this time of year, no doubt your friends and family are complaining about how stressed they are or how they want to lose a little weight and how in the New Year they will give seroius thought to how they will give up smoking or get fit. These are the things that really matter to our friends and family and the things we cannot just buy. What we can do though is to help them find a way to achieve their goals. It is probably not the first thing that springs to mind when putting together a Christmas list, but a hypnotherapy session to quit smoking, hypnosis for relaxation or stress management or a visit to a hypnotherapist to help with weight loss could be an ideal present and could be presented as a gift voucher at Christmas. Hypnotherapy is relaxing and yet at the same time can help us to achieve those life long goals and New Year's resolutions permanantly and easily. If you really want to quit smoking, it can be done in just one or two sessions. Weight loss hypnosis can help motivate you to exercise, stop those cravings for cheese, chocolate or whatever food is your downfall or simply change your attitude to food. This is the sort of gift that will last a lifetime - and certainly be more memorable than yet another DVD.

Psychotherapy helping Type 1 diabetes

According to a new report from British researchers, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) integrated with motivational enhancement psychotherapy might help those with type I diabetes. Those with type I diabetes have to monitor their diet closely, have injections of insulin and exercise in order to control blood sugar levels. Psychological problems can interfere with diabetes control. Dr. Khalida Ismail from King's College London and several colleagues took 344 Type I diabetic patients that had poorly controlled diabetes to one of either CBT, regular treatment, or a combination of CBT and motivation enhancement therapy (psychotherapy counselling focusing on self-motivation). Over the course of one year, blood sugar levels, depression, self care activities, weight and qualify of life were monitored. Those who received psychological therapy came out the best with a larger decrease in blood sugar levels that those on regular treatment alone. The changes, however, were small and this study could not determine if the results would continue past a one year period. Nevertheless, the research team concludes that the change was sufficient to be clinically meaningful. CBT and psychotherapy counselling combined can be very effective in the treatment of all sorts of issues which are deemed to be affected by psychological matters.

Hypnosis and Ulcerative Colitis

According to a study from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry that has been published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, hypnotherapy is able to reduce inflammation that causes the symptoms of ulcerative colitis to appear. Ulcerative colitis affects around 1 in 600 people in the USA and gives diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain. Usually, women are more likely to suffer than men and it mainly affects those aged 15 to 25 or in the 50’s. In the study, seventeen people with active ulcerative colitis were given a hypnotherapy session focusing on their gut to help them relax. Eight others listened to music for the same length of time to relax. Those who received hypnotherapy shows a marked decrease in blood levels of markers of inflammation. Researcher Dr David Rampton said:

"This work shows that a single short session of hypnosis can return some of the chemical changes in the bowel associated with inflammation back towards normal in patients with ulcerative colitis.”

Past research has shown hypnotherapy helps with IBS and ulcer symptons, other digestive disorders where inflammation plays a role. Rampton suggested that this research may indicate that hypnosis might be able to help with other diseases such as Crohn’s disease.

No Smoking Day 2009 announced

We have not even got to the New Year resolutions yet, where no doubt millions of people will be including 'to give up smoking' as one of theirs, and already No Smoking Day 2009 has been announced as Wednesday 11th March 2009. Those considering giving up smoking in the New Year should not see this as an excuse to wait yet another three months before they try, but maybe they should instead consider No Smoking Day 2009 as their goal, so that by the time it comes around, they have already given up the habit. Smoking cessation is something that people find very difficult. It is a habit, often inbred over years of use, and can be associated with so many different areas of one's life. The Christmas period is a time when people begin to look around at the family and friends and consider their life, and quitting smoking is something we can do to alter our lives for the better, especially if there are children around. However, you don't have to try to quit smoking alone. Therapies such as hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help immensely, sometimes in as little as just one or two sessions of hypnosis. The only pre-requisite is that you must really want to give smoking up, as nobody can make you do what you do not want to do.

Lily Allen used hypnotherapy for weight loss

As Christmas approaches, many of us will be trying to lose a few pounds before the festive period so we can afford to indulge in those chocolates being passed round and the endless rounds of turkey sandwiches. No doubt there will be several pounds added to our weight over Christmas and our New Year's resolutions will include at least one related to losing a little weight. Lily Allen fans might remember this time last year when Lily Allen revealed how she had visited a hypnotherapist in London to help her lose weight. Lily dropped an amazing four dress sizes, going from a size 12 to a size 8, and it was only after several celebrity magazines and newspapers asked for her secret that she revealed that she had been having hypnotherapy to help her lose weight. Under hypnosis, Lily was able to retrain her mind so that she enjoyed eating healthily more and enjoyed her trips to the gym. Hypnotherapy is still not as well known for weight loss as it is for quitting smoking or curing phobias, but hypnosis is ideal to help those who want to have a little more motivation to help them lose that weight. Hypnotherapy is not a magical cure-all but by looking at the client's history and past relationship with food, hypnosis can help in the right way for you, whether that is helping stop cravings for certain foods, increasing motivation for exercise or just generally reframe how a person feels about food.

How can hypnosis help with physical problems?

In order to understand how hypnosis and hypnotherapy can help people with physical issues or problems it is important to first consider how our emotions affect us. Every single person on this planet experiences emotions and has what is called the 'mind-body connection'. Emotions come from our brain and our brain is active in creating our emotions. If the brain is working and active, then so is our nervous system so when you feel an emotion, the nervous system is affected in some way and therefore it follows that the rest of your physical body is also affected as the nervous system controls our body. Some emotions, like laughter and joy, have a positive effect on our body and others, like jealousy and anger, have a negative effect. These can positively and negatively affect our immune system and other areas. Think about when you get stressed, how does your body react? Some people experience skin problems like acne, others experience a tension in the neck or back - these are physical reactions to an emotion. Although the body is quite resilient, it can only take so much. As hypnosis works on the subconscious level and our emotions, it can therefore help to negate the negative effects of our emotions on the body and help us with physical problems caused or exacerbated in some way through our mind and emotions. A hypnotherapist simply helps you to help yourself.

CBT effective for recurrent depression

According to recent research from the Netherlands, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is most effective when it is used for recurrent depression, especially on those who have suffered four or more bouts of depression. The research has been published in this month’s publication of the British Journal of Psychiatry and suggests that GPs could look at patients past history of depression to identify the ones who would benefit most from CBT treatment. The Netherlands study took 208 patients suffering from depression whose ages ranged from 18 to 70 and were receiving treatment from their GPs. Some continued with their usual GP treatment, some were given psycho-education and others were given CBT combined with psycho-education. All patients were continually monitored over a two year period. For those with three or less periods of depression, all three methods appeared to work equally as well as each other, however, for those with four or more previous bouts of depression, CBT plus psycho-education proved the most effective. The researcher is quoted as saying:

“We found that in patients with three or fewer prior episodes the three treatments perform equally well, whereas in patients with four or more episodes, CBT plus psychoeducation performs clinically better than usual care. This effect is assumed to be attributable to the CBT component of CBT plus psychoeducation, since psychoeducation did not differ from usual care ( although a favourable interaction between psychoeducation and CBT cannot be ruled out completely.”

Quit smoking like Ben Affleck did

Ben Affleck quit smoking using hypnosis. The Pearl Harbour star told Oprah Winfrey on her show earlier this year that he had finally quit smoking after twenty years. For twenty years, Ben Affleck smoked a minimum of one pack a day and had tried several times to give up as he got older. He said:

"I thought I would give it up at 25 and then 30, but that came and went."

Now with his millions of dollars there is no doubt that he had all the chances to quit smoking and tried other methods, however, if was his childhood friend Matt Damon who finally persuaded him to try the same hypnotherapist he had used. To date, Ben Affleck has not smoked a cigarette in more than two years now. Matt Damon had also been smoking for a long time – sixteen years in fact – and after just three hypnosis sessions, he quit without a glance back, as he told the Jay Leno show. Damon said:

"I should have done it years ago. It's amazing, I didn't even want cigarettes anymore."

These two are not the only celebrities to have quit smoking using hypnotherapy, despite having millions in the bank to be able to afford any treatment they wants to. Ellen Degeneres, Drew Barrymore, Charlize Theron, Winona Ryder and Samuel L Jackson also stopped smoking using hypnosis. Ellen Degeneres even quit smoking live on her show as she had a impromptu session with a guest hypnotherapist. No matter how rich or poor you are, quitting smoking is difficult but help is available if you really want it.

Freud’s contribution to hypnosis

There is much debate about who invented hypnosis and how it was discovered. Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) is known for having invented psycho-analysis. He is generally credited with introducing the idea of dual consciousness to the Western world, i.e. the idea that we have both a conscious and subconscious mind and this underlying thought is the basis of hypnosis, hence he made a great contribution to the development of hypnosis and subsequently hypnotherapy, the use of hypnosis for therapeutic benefit. Nowadays, hypnotherapy is becoming more and more mainstream and many hypnotherapists do work for the National Health Service with referrals from GPs for patients who need to quit smoking or lose weight, although this is still fairly rare albeit often successful. Hypnotherapy is mainly thought of as a way of curing phobias and quitting smoking, but it can also be used for many other emotional and physical issues. If you are unsure if hypnosis can help you, make an enquiry with a hypnotherapist at a reputable clinic and a good hypnotherapist will be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

What will happen when I see the hypnotherapist?

Many people are nervous and they should not be shy of asking this question when they consider having hypnotherapy. It is important to feel at ease with the hypnotherapist. Here is a short breakdown of what happens in a hypnotherapy session:

Usually the hypnotherapist will start by talking to you about what hypnosis is and you have the chance to speak to your hypnotherapist about any concerns you might have
Then, your hypnotherapist will ask you questions about the issue or problem that you are seeking help with and might ask you a few questions about yourself
To start with, the hypnotherapist will ask you to relax and will induce a light hypnosis
As you relax, the trance will be deepened a little. All the time, you will be aware of what the hypnotherapist is saying and you can stop at any point
Under hypnosis, the actual therapy takes place. This may be as simple as the hypnotherapist asking you to follow some guided imagery or imagine yourself in a particular situation
You are given feel-good suggestions and emerge from hypnosis
Dependent upon your issue, you may require further hypnotherapy sessions in which case the hypnotherapist will give you some homework to help reinforce therapy between sessions

Psychotherapy and hypnotherapy

The basis of psychotherapy rarely focuses on just the one, single problem or issue and is all about exploring your feelings and reactions. One main difference between psychotherapy and hypnotherapy is often the number of sessions. Psychotherapy rarely starts with an idea of how many sessions will be required and so there is usually no real limit on the number of sessions a client might have. Often, the way the client feels is the way a psychotherapist and client can determine when the client has reached a place where they feel confident in stopping the sessions. On the other hand, hypnotherapists do tend to work on a limited number of sessions, often just one or two, and as much as six to ten sessions, dependent upon the issue in hand. Hypnotherapy is usually very much about the here-and-now and does not need to delve into past personal history or discuss your childhood, although this does depend upon the specific problem. Occasionally, they do, and in which case the hypnotherapist will often employ techniques or methods from psychotherapy. Similarly, nowadays many psychotherapists are able to employ hypnotherapy techniques as and when it might prove useful for a client.

Counselling and hypnotherapy

When a hypnotherapist undergoes their training, a lot of what they learn comes from a wide range of counselling methods and techniques. Naturally, these skills include learning to listen properly and in the case of hypnotherapy, listening well helps the hypnotherapist to understand what you want to gain from the hypnotherapist session, or sessions. A good hypnotherapist will form a good rapport with their client, build a working relationship where need be in the case of longer term hypnotherapy and be empathetic to your needs. Gone are the old days of authoritarian hypnosis, nowadays hypnotherapists have adapted to a more modern role and part of their role includes counselling methods. However, this does not mean that you should expect a hypnotherapist to use specific counselling methods as there is a wide range of methods available to them and a qualified hypnotherapist will be trained and qualified to help you feel comfortable, able to talk and enable you to feel confident about the hypnotherapy work you do to help you overcome your problem or issue. For many issues, hypnosis is a very quick technique and often just one or two sessions will be required but your hypnotherapist will be able to advise you on this.

Mediation settles Channel 4 dispute over Richard & Judy phone-in dispute

Through a mediation process, Channel 4 and the phoneline operator Eckoh yesterday reached an agreement and dropped legal action against each other in the Richard & Judy phone-in dispute. A spokesperson for Eckoh said: "Eckoh announces that they and Channel 4 decided to resolve their differences through mediation rather than through the courts. Following a successful mediation held on December 1, both parties have reached an agreement and all matters relating to this dispute are now settled.” Channel 4 has said that Eckoh breached their contract in an effort to recover the £1 million fine it received from Ofcom when viewers were not able to have a chance of winning the Richard & Judy You Say We Pay competition on the show last year. Eckoh had denied any liability and issued a counter claim against Channel 4. There are no other details disclosed about the agreement reached via mediation between the two parties. Mediation can be used as a process to reach a mutual agreement between any two parties, whether that is companies as in this case, or between two individuals as is often the case in family mediation.

Basics of hypnotherapy

First of all, hypnotherapy is perfectly safe. Hypnosis has had a bit of a harsh ride thanks to the media, films and television, however, it is not as is often portrayed. Being in hypnosis is not like being sleepy or being in a daydream like state. As we have mentioned before, being in a 'trance' is perfectly normal and something that most of us do every day of our lives without even realising it, such as when we get really absorbed in a good book or when watching a film. Hypnotherapy is simply a way to get that trance-like state to work for you and all a hypnotherapist does is help you to guide you to help yourself. When in hypnosis, you are aware of what the hypnotherapist is saying and if there is a fire alarm or any sort of interruption, you will immediately be wide awake and as normal. It is impossible for you to be left in hypnosis, even if something were to happen to the hypnotherapist, you would simply relax and come round in your own time. Hypnotherapy is just as the name describes; it is therapy under hypnosis.

Types of depression

Sometimes people say they have the blues, and other times they say they are depressed, so what is the difference? Naturally, there are different levels of low feelings. Perhaps you feel low because you got a parking ticket, or perhaps you feel low because you have lost a loved one. The feeling about the parking ticket is not the same as how you might feel when you lose a loved one. It is natural to feel depressed when you lose somebody you love, because you have a serious illness or other such situation. This sort of depression is called reactive depression as you are reacting to an event or situation and can be helped with psychotherapy and hypnotherapy. Clinical depression, however, is more serious and long term and psychiatrists label it long standing depression as it is often unrelated to a certain event. Clinical depression could involve the loss of appetite, loss of pleasure, suicidal feelings occasionally or inability to sleep. It is very serious and requires urgent attention and it is best to seek help from a GP. A GP may refer a patient with clinical depression to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

Sports celebrities and hypnosis

The benefit of hypnosis is sport is outstanding and includes a wide range such as helping an athlete to stay calm, maintain their focus, get rid of distractions in their mind, improve their mental stamina and increase their motivation. Here are just a few sports celebrities that have used hypnosis in one form or another to help their career: Tiger Woods – since a young age, he has used hypnotherapy regularly and was introduced to it at just 13 years old. He has said:

'We worked on a way to visualize the target and pull it back into my hands and body and let my subconscious react. That’s what’s best for me. It is inherent in what I do now.’

WBC heavyweight champion Frank Bruno has used hypnosis to perform at his peak. In 1996, Steve Collins defeated WBO Super Middleweight title champion Chris Eubank, which he said was due to using hypnosis in his mental preparation work. He said he had worked on his mental attitude to programme himself to throw two punches to every one punch from his opponent and statistics from the fight show around 300 punches from Eubank versus more than 600 from Collins. If you want to be at the top of your game, whether sports or anything else, hypnotherapy can help you enjoy yourself and get the results you want, making you a winner.

Hypnosis and sports

Nowadays, nearly all the top sports athletes, men and women and the most elite mental coaches working with them use some form of hypnosis to help them to perform their best, although it may not used under the name of ‘hypnosis’. Using your unconscious mind, hypnosis is able to help sports people to push themselves for that extra effort and produce great results. Hypnotherapy is just hypnosis used for positive results, and is often more commonly associated with weight loss, smoking cessation or overcoming phobias, but by harnessing a person’s unconscious mind to work with their conscious mind, people can achieve much more than that. Hypnotherapy usually involves some form of imagery, asking a person to imagine themselves as a non-smoker, or as a slim person, or winning that race and these images embed themselves in the unconscious mind. Hypnosis cannot make anybody do what they do not want to do and the way it has been presented in the media or on television is misleading in many ways. Hypnotherapy is only ever used for positive results and many top sports people have hypnosis to thank for helping them to become the best that they can be.

Caesarean section under hypnosis

In Iran, obstetricians have recently performed the country’s second ever caesarean section operation using hypnotherapy instead of anaesthesia. Obstetrician, Roya Khodai, said:

“The patient was subjected to hypnotherapy upon entering the operation room and was ready to have the C-section after 30 minutes.”

Khodai said the c-section took around 30 minutes and the baby was born without any notable complication. She also added the mother’s vitals were controlled throughout the surgery, although an anaesthesiologist was available in case of any unexpected issues. The only complication reported apparently was a small amount of blood loss that was brought under control immediately, and both mum and baby are in good health. Khodai also commented that hypnosis is considered effective as an alternative to anaesthesia for patients in minor surgery - caesarean sections are classed as a major operation - and is ideal to overcome complications relating to the use of anaesthesia. Hypnotherapy is being used more frequently in operations, and is also successful in helping people to overcome emotional and physical problems such as quitting smoking, weight loss, phobias, and many more. Many women are turning to hypnosis for a natural, pain free labour without medication.

What happens to someone during hypnosis?

Many people wonder what happens during hypnosis, even those who have experienced it may still be unsure of how it works. During hypnosis, the body relaxes, breathing becomes slow and deep, the pulse rate will drop and the metabolic rate will decrease. It has also been shown that there are changes in the nervous pathways and hormonal channels. Although this state feels very relaxed, the person is actually in a special state of heightened awareness and concentration. Once a person actually taps into their subconscious, the subconscious does not realise the difference between what is real or what is imaginary and hence whatever it perceives to be true is believed. Most people are responsive to hypnosis in some way or another; however, it often takes a couple of sessions for people to be able to experience real results, dependent upon the issue being tackled. Certain issues are faster to help than others, so issues such as many phobias can usually be tackled in as little as just the one session. Hypnotherapy is a way of using hypnosis for positive results and to help a person achieve what they want to achieve. Often, this may be habitual issues, which is the most publicised and well known such as stopping smoking, but there are other physical or emotional issues that can also be helped such as pain relief or weight loss.

How does hypnotherapy help with the menopause?

As explained in yesterday’s article, hypnosis can be used to help improve menopause symptoms and many women are turning to hypnotherapy to help them through this difficult phase of their life. In fact, hypnosis can relieve almost any menopausal symptom through guided imagery, such as anxiety, insomnia, hot flushes, stress and more if it is done properly. Hypnosis is able putting mind over matter and the mind is capable of telling the body how it should and should not feel. For example, in the case of hot flushes, a symptom that many women wish to relieve, estrogen has been proven to play a part in setting the temperature of the body in the brain. So when estrogen levels are low, the brain believes the body is getting how and starts to cool the body down through sweating and releasing that heat. As hot flushes are just a small malfunction in the brain, hypnosis can help train the mind to influence the body to cool down the hot flush. Self hypnosis can be used to stop these hot flushes at any time. However, before a person attempts self hypnosis, it is recommended to see a person trained in hypnotherapy as a hypnotherapist can teach how to do this, make sure that the person knows how it feels and how to do it properly.

Can hypnosis help with the menopause?

When it comes to the time of the menopause, exercise is recommended to help women keep their bodies strong and healthy, however, although it may improve or prevent symptoms in some cases, exercise is not always the best thing to relieve symptoms such as a sudden hot flush and it is for this reason that many women have been turning to hypnotherapy to help them. Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis and the word can cause many people to feel worried because of inaccurate portrayals in the media or on television. Hypnosis is a way for people to achieve deep relaxation, which is actually a heightened state of concentration. Under hypnosis, a person can be directed to tap into their subconscious and in this state of awareness they can be presented with positive thoughts and ideas through talking or imagery. Using hypnosis for positive, physical healing and development is known as hypnotherapy, and it can be used to help with the menopause and is effective for many people. Although self hypnosis is possible, it does take a lot of practice and many people find it much easier to see somebody skilled in hypnotherapy, otherwise known as a hypnotherapist.

Hypnosis and eating disorders – Part Two

In an article yesterday, we discussed different eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia and how hypnosis can help with all sorts of eating disorders. As mentioned, the first session is an opportunity for the hypnotherapist and client to get to know each other. Often, self hypnosis is taught so that the client can use it themselves around the clock when the hypnotherapist is not there. Another common method in hypnosis, used for many things, is mental imagery. Contrary to popular opinion, the hypnotherapist does not ‘control’ the client nor is the client put into a trance. In fact, being in hypnosis is being in a heightened state of concentration where the hypnotherapist guides the client to being able to help themselves. Mental imagery is used to allow the client to envisage themselves improving throughout the hypnosis sessions. Many of those who have had eating disorders say that hypnosis really helps them to find out how to deal with the psychological and emotional part of the illness. Clients learn new eating habits and gain control over their life again. Binge eaters and those with bulimia feel more in control and those with anorexic learn how to really see themselves and feel better about themselves. Comfort eaters learn how to deal with their emotions instead of turning to comfort eating. Depending upon the severity of the eating disorder, clients may need four to eight sessions or more and each session lasts around sixty minutes. The advice of medical professionals should also be sought to ensure that a client is doing what is good for them. There are no side effects with hypnosis at all.

Can hypnosis help with eating disorders?

Eating disorders affect many people at some point or another in their life. Eating disorders does not just mean anorexia, although anorexia is one of the most common eating disorders of today. With anorexia, individuals eat very little in the hope that their body will become thin. However they also tend to see themselves in the mirror as heavier than they are and obsess over their weight, which usually results in an unhealthy weight loss that they then find difficult to stop. A second common eating disorder is the pattern of binge and purge. This is where an individual will gorge themselves on all sorts of food and then purge themselves by making themselves throw up. This way, they have the experience of eating without the resulting weight gain. This is different to bulimia, where a person eats as normal then vomits, making it difficult sometimes to spot an individual suffering from bulimia until their weight is too low. Hypnosis can help with these problems but it is not commonly known. Often the first visit will involve the hypnotherapist getting to know the client and vice versa. Relaxation techniques are them used that are designed specifically for eating disorders. New behaviours are introduced to the client and the client will usually learn how to use self hypnosis to help them whenever they need it.

How does hypnosis stop smoking?

There have been some studies that have looked at the effectiveness of hypnotherapy on people who want to quit smoking, and there has been a mixed response. Some research seems to suggest that hypnosis may work by improving willpower, motivation and reducing cravings. Hypnosis can be used by a client themselves afterwards to reduce the feeling of a craving too. However, much current evidence is based on a poorly designed study or cases. One important thing to remember if you are considering seeing a hypnotherapist to help you to stop smoking is that you must really, really want to give up. Also, you must want to give up for yourself. There is no point trying hypnosis because you promised your partner that you would give up smoking, if you do not really want to stop yourself, as it will not work. A hypnotherapist has had special training to understand behavioural and emotional problems and many now use hypnosis in conjunction with CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to help stop the habit, however, no amount of training can make hypnosis force you do something that you don’t really want to do. Hypnosis is unfortunately not a form of magic but a technique to help you harness your own desires and solve your problem, whatever that might be, including smoking cessation.

Can hypnosis really stop smoking?

Hypnosis is a very old form of psychotherapy for the Western world and yet is probably the most misunderstood too, predominantly because of the way it has been portrayed in films and on television. It is a great meditation and relaxation technique and most people enjoy the feeling of hypnosis. In hypnotherapy, the hypnotherapist helps you to focus attention inwards and use your own mental images and imagination to change the way you think, almost like when you are daydreaming. You are not in a trance but are actually in a heightened state of concentration. Hypnotherapy is useful to change your perception of phobias, treat pain and anxiety and to stop smoking. The way in which hypnosis helps you to quit smoking is to reduce cravings, increase motivation and improve willpower, making it easier for many to stop smoking. Many people can stop smoking using hypnosis in just one or two sessions, so it is neither expensive nor time consuming. This time of year is very busy for hypnotherapists as people stop smoking in time for when they visit relatives or friends for Christmas but also as they begin to consider their New Year resolutions.

Hypnosis for Pain Management

In 2000, a study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry shows that when hypnotised people were give a black and white picture and told it was colour, the activity in their brain was the same as when they see colour. Results were similar when they were told they could hear noise when there was none and with not feeling pain when their hands were submerged in painfully cold or hot water. Therefore, it is unsurprising that hypnosis can also be used to treat chronic pain or that hypnobirthing can be used to help women to give birth without medication. Research from Harvard University has shown that hypnotherapy reduces the need for anaesthesia during operations and speeds up the process of healing post surgery. Hypnotherapy has also been used to help treat IBS, dermatitis, asthma, nausea from pregnancy or chemotherapy and to help remove unwanted habits like smoking, overeating, phobias or post traumatic stress disorder according to the president of the Society for Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH), Etzel Cardeña. He also added that the effects are usually lasting although occasionally a client might lapse after a period of months or years and need further sessions. In the case of phobias, studies have shown around a 50 percent success rate in one session. Otherwise, it depends on the motivation, the disorder and the hypnotisability of the subject. Hypnosis is most effective when combined with CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) or psychotherapy.

Hypnotherapist Has Surgery Without Anaesthetic

A hypnotherapist from Worthing in West Sussex has successfully had surgery without a general anaesthetic thanks to hypnosis. 61 year old Alex Lenkei is a registered hypnotist and has been practising since he was 16 years old. Mr Lenkei chose to use hypnosis on himself before undergoing the 83-minute operation on his right hand without the aid of a general anaesthetic. The operation took place at Worthing Hospital and included removing partial bone from the base of his thumb and also fusing joints to try to improve his arthritis. Mr Lenkei stated that although he was fully aware of what was happening during the surgery, he did not feel any pain. David Llewellyn-Clark, the consultant orthopaedic surgeon, said that he had been happy to allow the unusual sedation by this patient as he was confident of the hypnotist’s abilities. Mr Lenkei said:

"It took between 30 seconds to a minute for me to place myself under hypnosis, and from that point I felt a very deep relaxation. I was aware of everything around me, from people talking and at one stage a hammer and chisel was used as well as a surgical saw, but I felt no pain."

An anaesthetist was on standby during surgery in order to administer anaesthetic if deemed necessary.

CBT for OCD

Later this month, many health professionals and members of the general public that have been or are affected by OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) will meet at the Imperial College London for the 2008 OCD Conference. This annual meeting, organised by OCD Action a UK charity, helps to inspire and educate its attendees and give an opportunity for people to realise that they are not alone. An estimated 1.8 million people in the UK are affected by OCD and public awareness has been increased recently when public figures such as Justin Timberlake and David Beckham discussed its effect on their personal lives. OCD is just one of the areas where CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) can help. CBT can help to control OCD and help people to face their fears and help them to understand their anxiety. Many people have found they can cope with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder using medication and/or CBT.

OCD Conference 2008 Date: Saturday 22nd November, 2008 Time: 09.30 - 17.00 Venue: Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ Fees: £75 (health professionals), £30 (public), £20 (members of OCD Action and supporting charities) To register: visit http://www.ocdconference.org.uk or telephone 0870 360 6232

CBT for Anxiety Disorders

Occasionally, it is normal and indeed healthy for a person to experience a certain level of anxiety. However, when this becomes excessive or an irrational fear that interferes with that person’s daily life, then it has become an anxiety disorder and needs treatment. Indeed, an anxiety disorder will last at least six months and may become worse if not treated as soon as possible. Anxiety disorders are often treated with medication or psychotherapy, and occasionally a combination of both. Psychotherapy will involve talking to a professional, such as a counsellor or psychologist to discover the cause of the problem and how to treat the symptoms. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is useful when treating anxiety disorders according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Techniques from CBT can focus on changing current patterns and ways of thinking or beliefs that are associated with the anxiety. CBT can include self talking, attention training, challenging how we think and what we fear or believe. One component of CBT is exposure, which means purposely facing the fear to allow desensitisation to take place, although this is only ever done once the client is ready. CBT is known for being a relatively quick therapy.

Where do phobias come from?

We often talk about phobias and the different sorts of phobias, and naturally about hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that are both excellent therapies to help cure phobias once and for all, but where do they originate from? Phobias usually start from a traumatic experience in childhood, usually before the age of 12. Although we may not think that experience is traumatic now, at the time it upset us and was filed away in our unconscious mind. From that point on, when we encounter that same thing that upset us, our subconscious tells us to act how we did when we had that bad experience. For example, it may be that when you were little, you found a spider in your bed, and you were upset about that. From then, when you see a spider you might feel faint or sweat or whatever – that reaction is at a subconscious level. Phobias are not just of physical things, but they can be social situations or anything. Although the conscious mind may be rationally telling you that you should stop being silly, it only constitutes 10 percent of your mind and the unconscious mind is much more powerful as it remembers everything you have ever experienced and creates your reactions. Through hypnosis or CBT, the subconscious is trained so it can re-learn how to react to the trigger for your phobia so you don’t feel the same way or have the same physical reactions. Many phobias can be dealt with in just one session, although some may require more.

Hypnosis to Combat the Credit Crunch

At times like these, we are all trying to tighten our belts and save the pennies so we can survive the credit crunch, however, for some this is more difficult than others. If you automatically go on high alert when you hear an advert for a sale in the shops and you find yourself reaching for the credit card, then you may have a possible shopping addiction. It is possible to cut up all your credit cards, but if you do have an addiction then the thought alone is probably enough to make your heart pound with anxiety. Like all problems, the first place to start is to admit that you may have a small problem with money or shopping. If you have unworn clothes or shoes stacked in your wardrobe, then that could be a sign of a problem. There are also a few things you shouldn’t do. For example, you shouldn’t label yourself as a ‘compulsive shopper’ as this will create a victimhood feeling that may give you subconscious permission to continue. Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help you to make the changes you need in an easier way, whether it is this change or any other. It starts by helping you to deal with and understand your situation and then to help you address your problems in an appropriate manner.

How Does Hypnosis Help Childbirth?

Every woman wants a comfortable birth, swift recovery and a healthy baby and hypnobirthing has received much press coverage in recent years, so how does hypnosis help with childbirth? • Relaxation – hypnotherapy will help the woman to relax, which gives greater bloodflow to the womb helping in birth • Overcome Fear – pregnant women hear a lot of horror stories and build up anxiety. Fear can really change a birth as it causes tension, restricts blood flow and hence increases pain, so hypnosis can help a woman to stop being so fearful and give a more natural birth • Relaxes the baby – if mum is relaxed so is baby as a tense mother releases adrenalin and hormones into her blood stream and distresses the baby. If the baby is distressed, then medical staff are more likely to intervene • Post Natal Recovery – if mum is relaxed and blood flow is increased, then the blood flow will help tissue recovery and give a good milk supply. Stress is known to restrict milk production so a mother who has had hypnotherapy has a headstart Hypnosis is becoming more popular and hypnobirth sessions can be arranged on a weekly basis prior to the birth. It can do no harm, and many women find it very helpful.

Hypnosis For Children With FAP or IBS

Stomach pain in children is diagnosed as Functional Abdominal Pain (FAP) when the pain is chronic and no other symptoms can be found. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is when people have a sensitive intestine resulting in cramps or spasms caused by food and sometimes stress. Hypnotherapy sessions have been shown to help adults suffering from IBS, however, recent research has shown that hypnosis can help children who suffer from either IBS or FAP. This study tested 53 children from the age of 8 to 18, 31 of whom were diagnosed with FAP and 22 with IBS. These children were placed into two separate groups, one of which had six hypnosis sessions over three months and the other group had six therapy sessions and the usual medical care. Every child kept a weekly diary before during and after the therapy up to 12 months afterwards. The hypnotherapy group showed a higher pain decrease than the control group at the one year follow up session. The study concluded that the hypnotherapy did result in an improved pain intensity and frequency, with the one year follow up showing 85 per cent of the hypnosis group had successful treatment compared with 25 per cent of the children from the control group.

Blackpool Man Has Hypnosis After Acomplia

A Blackpool man was featured in the Blackpool Gazette recently as he told the paper how he had suffered suicidal thoughts after he had been prescribed a controversial weight loss diet drug, Acomplia, otherwise known as rimonabant. Gordon Pothecary came off the medication two months ago and after reading of the worrying side effects in the papers this week, he was shocked to discover the drug had been linked to suicide. The drug has now been banned in the UK.

Mr Pothecary, of Hornsey Avenue, said: "It did make me have suicidal thoughts. I would never have acted on them but it did make me think I would be better off not being here anymore. I felt I couldn't see a way out. I'd been taking another drug called Oralstat for about two-and-a-half months and I lost about 1.5lbs to 2lbs a month, but didn't suffer any side-effects. I went to see the nurse and she said they were changing my medication on to this new one. I lost about 12 or 13lbs in the first few months. It gradually got worse and worse, my stomach felt all tensed up, I was short-tempered. My moods were terrible. I would fly off the handle at the smallest things. All those side-effects I read about sounded very familiar: low mood, depression, anxiety, irritability, nervousness and I couldn't sleep."

Mr Pothercary is now have hypnotherapy to help him to ease the symptoms and to get back to his old self and will shortly be starting counselling.

He commented: "After I came off it and started having hypnotherapy, I did feel better. Now I am gradually getting back to normal.”

Hypnosis can help to ease both physical and mental symptoms and many people use it for weight loss.

Hypnotherapy for Mark Owen

Mark Owen of Take That stardom is having hypnotherapy to help him to quit smoking, as he is desperate to give up his smoking habit before his second child is born. Mark, aged 36, has smoked since his teenage years, but now wants to stop smoking for his two year old son Elwood and his unborn child, due next month, with his fiancée Emma Ferguson. After twenty years of smoking, Mark has found trying to give up smoking difficult. Mark said:

“I was on 15 a day, more when I was working. The first two days were the hardest [but] I keep getting angry and snapping for no reason. I keep eating too, anything, just so I can put something in my mouth.”

Take That’s 2009 tour has recently become the fastest selling tour in UK history last Friday. Hypnosis is one of the best ways to give up smoking as it can help you to stop smoking at a subconscious level and many stars have turned to hypnosis for help with phobias, weight loss and to quit their smoking habits. For the change to work, you must really want it and sometimes a life-changing event such as the birth of a new child can give you that incentive.

Hypnotherapy to Achieve Your Goals

It is human nature to want everything now; we have so little patience in this world of modern technology where everything is real time and instant, and thus we expect to achieve our goals instantly too. Hypnotherapy can be used to achieve our goals and two most common goals for many people are weight loss and quitting smoking, however, it is not magic and results are not instantaneous. For example, if it took you five years to put on five stone, how could you possibly expect to lose all that weight in just a couple of months? Yet clients do think it is possible. Hypnosis for weight loss is not a diet program, but rather a permanent way to alter how you think about food and consequently manage your weight, without you putting unnecessary stress on your body or your mind. Similarly, if you want to stop smoking, many clients think they can visit a hypnotherapist and come out as a non-smoker immediately after just a two hour session. For some people, it is actually that easy, but it is not the same for everyone and setting impossible goals for yourself is setting yourself up for failure. Your hypnotherapist will help you to tap into your inner potential and make the changes you need. Expect to take small steps though, and you will not be disappointed as you will achieve your goals.

Swindon Town Uses Hypnotherapist To End Losing Streak

Swindon Town’s manager, Maurice Malpas, recently tried to change things around for his side, to stop them from sliding down the League One table. Malpas turned to a sports hypnotherapist to stop the Robins’ from losing again at the County Ground. The fully qualified hypnotherapist held sessions with the players as the former Scotland defender was determined to stop the five-game run on their home soil. Players were given both group and individual hypnotherapy sessions. To stop the usual routine, Malpas also changed their usual pre-match dressing room music to try and stop the poor run. Midfielder Michael Timlin admitted: “We have ditched the R&B for some music from the 70s and 80s like Billy Ocean and Spandau Ballet.” It seemed the efforts may have worked midweek, as Swindon finally got a home win against Northampton, 2 – 1. Hypnotherapy for sports is not a new tactic and many athletes and teams have used hypnosis in the past to help motivate the players. Naturally, Swindon was bound to get a home win sooner or later, so cynics are bound to say it had nothing to do with hypnosis, and who knows, maybe this particular win would have happened anyway, but many athletes swear by it.

Top Tips for Stress Management

Everywhere we look at the moment, people are feeling the strain of everyday life. It may be family troubles, pressures at work or something completely different, but more and more therapists are seeing clients for anxiety or stress related problems. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy are both useful therapies when it comes to handling stress, but here are a few tips to help you handle stress: • A healthy lifestyle: there are not many of us who really have the time to fit in hours of exercise every week, but to adopt a healthier lifestyle means making small changes to our diet and our exercise levels, as well as getting enough sleep. This help sour bodies to cope with stress • Avoid taking on any more: if you are feeling a little anxious or stressed, try to avoid taking on any more. All of us wish to please and do not want to let anyone down, however, this can only add to your stress so learn to say no without offending or upsetting anyone • Take time out: it is important to find a little time to relax, even if it is only ten minutes to chill with a cup of hot chocolate and a magazine. If you can, find time to meet up with friends for a cuppa. Having a break will mean you are more productive afterwards and make you feel better. Laughing helps boost your immune system, helping you cope with stress and anxiety These are just a few small tips to help you, but a therapist will be able to help you spot recurring patterns of behaviour and responses, helping you to prioritise things, look at your situation from a different point of view and help you learn how to cope.

Couples Therapy

Couples therapy is usually viewed as being completely different from psychotherapy, because it is the relationship that is being focused upon, rather than the individual. However, the individuals within the couple cannot be overlooked. Psychology is often seen as a medical treatment, being used when somebody has a ‘problem’ and so they are ‘sick’ and need assistance. However, psychology should not be viewed purely as a medical system, because psychology deals with both problems and changes. Couples counselling or couples therapy focuses on relationship troubles between two individuals, which inevitably involves both individual problems and relationship issues. For instance, when a couple argues constantly, then individually, they will be feeling anxious, depressed or angry, or a combination of these. This sort of behaviour can often be traced back to unconscious family issues. The process of couples counselling can a combination of counselling, psychology and mediation, making it particularly effective. With couples counselling, the therapist will help the couple pick out the problems in the relationship, help them to decide how it needs to change and work towards making these changes. The therapist is helping the couple, and not either individual. Changes could include the interaction within the relationship, personal problems, communication, sharing responsibilities and choosing life goals.

Helping Children Through A Relationship Breakdown

Earlier this month, The Sun newspaper wrote about the importance of children when parents are having personal relationship troubles. At times like these, children can be scarred, not only in terms of their memories as they get older but they can also carry these problems into adulthood. It can damage them and help prevent them from forming proper relationships with other family members, friends and even from finding the right sort of relationship with partners in the future. When you are experiencing personal problems, you often feel low in confidence, tired – both physically and emotionally, and the last thing you might feel you can cope with is the additional pressure of coping with your children’s needs. However, how you handle your children now can affect the rest of their lives. There are many ways that counselling or mediation can help, even with just a few simple and straightforward tips: • Do not pretend that nothing is wrong. Tell them that you are not getting on but be sure to emphasise that it is you both love them (so long as that is true) • Re-iterate constantly that it is not their fault • Ask how they feel • Tell the school what is going on • Do not blame your partner Family or partner counselling or mediation is not there necessarily to try to keep a failed relationship going, but it can also help you negotiate your way through the hurt to make necessary arrangements for dealing with your children and helping them through it too.

Advice To Find The Right Therapist For You

Yesterday, we wrote about the importance of the client’s role in therapy and their rapport with their therapist. This view is emphasised in a new book by Professor Mick Cooper of the University of Strathclyde, called Essential Research Findings in Counselling and Psychotherapy: The Facts are Friendly. His work is also supported by a group of colleagues, including Barry Duncan, a highly regarded American psychologist. In 2004, they stated that

"clients, not therapists, make therapy work"

Professor Cooper’s advice to those who are considering visiting a therapist is summarised below: • Ask therapists for any thoughts about why you may be facing your difficulties and what they believe may be able to help you. If your own thoughts radically conflict, then you might find it difficult to establish a good rapport • Consider a therapist to help you concentrate on your own strengths. For instance, if you believe you are good at understanding the reasons behind your own behaviour, then choose a therapist who can help you develop these skills rather than one who prefer to focus on emotions or on the behaviour itself • Be sure that you work with a therapist that you like and who makes you feel respected. A good working relationship is an important factor in therapy, whether that is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or psychology. After all, the best indicator of the outcome of your treatment is how much you can actively involve yourself and this is more likely with a good working relationship

The Importance of the Client and Therapist Relationship

A new review of research launched last week in Telford at the Annual Conference of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy challenges the idea that it is the therapist that plays the most important part in influencing treatment results. Professor Mick Cooper, from the University of Strathclyde has written a book, Essential Research Findings in Counselling and Psychotherapy: The Facts are Friendly, which states that the most important factor is in fact a motivated client. Another indicator is the relationship and rapport between the client and their therapist, according to Professor Cooper. The government has recently committed £170 million over the next 3 years, which will be used on including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in its Improving Access to Psychological Therapies initiative. Professor Cooper, of Strathclyde's Faculty of Education, said:

"Many clients will benefit from CBT but there is a danger in putting too much emphasis on the type of therapy that a therapist provides, rather than the therapist's ability to relate to his or her client in caring and understanding ways, and the needs and preferences of individual clients. Rather than moving towards a therapeutic 'monoculture', we need to be able to provide people with a range of therapies and therapists, so that they can choose the one that best suits them and build on their particular strengths."

Can I Be Hypnotised To Forget My Ex?

For some, this may seem a surprising question but certainly an intriguing one, and one that comes up more often than you might have thought. In films and on television shows, people have seen examples of hypnotists making people ‘forget’ things and firstly, this needs to be clarified. This is called ‘posthypnotic amnesia’. It does not, as you might think, remove a memory as this is impossible. It simply ‘hides’ it from your consciousness but it is still there and not everybody can achieve this, so it is quite rare. Therefore, the simple answer to this question is no. Even if somebody could achieve posthypnotic amnesia, which cannot be guaranteed, the memories are still there and will still influence their life and their actions. The most important thing about bad experiences, no matter how painful they are, is that we should learn from them. Yes, your bad relationship might be painful and yes, you might wish to pay any amount of money for that pain to be removed, however, you do not have to stay in pain, you just need to learn from your experience and move on - and hypnosis can help you with that. Hypnotherapy is remarkably good at help people to cope with pain. There are several techniques that will help you to distance yourself from a traumatic or painful experience. This hypnosis will mean that you can take away all the positive benefits of the experience without having to keep the raw pain. Like time would normally help us to detach the emotion from our memories, so hypnosis speeds up this process.

Psychotherapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

There are many people who dread this time of year. It is the time of year when people start to feel the effects of Season Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD symptoms include feeling depressed, hopeless, anxious, feeling as though you have no energy, oversleeping, losing interest in otherwise favourite activities, weight gain and difficulty concentrating. They only apply during the autumn and winter and tend to fade during warmer, sunny days. A doctor can advise if your own symptoms are actually related to SAD and they might run tests to rule out other possibilities, however, there is no test to officially diagnose SAD. For those who do suffer from SAD, the most effect treatment is an increased exposure to sunlight and many people purchase a light box, which imitates natural light. Another option that not everyone thinks of is psychotherapy or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT can help to pick out and change the thought processes that contribute to the symptoms, such as depression. CBT is all about spotting negative thought processes and helping us to replace these with more positive thoughts. SAD is a long term illness, however, psychotherapy and CBT can often help sufferers to cope with SAD.

Fear of Dentists – Part 2

Research has shown that a fear of the dentist is surprisingly common. In fact, a survey conducted by the British Dental Association showed that approximately 25 per cent of the British population has a fear of dental procedures or the dentist. Sometimes, just the mention of a dentist, the sign of a dental practice or even just a simple advertisement for toothpaste is enough to give a person a feeling of anxiety. It is therefore not surprising that these people avoid the dentist so much that their oral health is suffering and they are desperately in need of a dentist. Often, a person will put up with much discomfort and real pain rather than visit the dentist, as their fear and reaction is so great they would rather struggle on. When they come to a hypnotherapist, it is often as a last resort, because they have no other alternative than to visit a dentist. Hypnotherapy can cure this dental fear in just one or two sessions and completely release someone from their phobia. A fear of dentists is a common condition seen by a hypnotherapist. Either a dentist or a doctor can refer someone to a hypnotherapist, so that they can have the dental treatment they need without their usual feelings of panic, anxiety or palpitations at the thought of or when visiting the dentist.

Fear of Dentists – Part 1

The origin of a fear of dentists or dental phobia often lies in a person’s childhood or at least in a past experience. Occasionally, the fear has been inherited from a parent, as is often the case with phobias. Sometimes, it may even have been caused by an unhelpful comment from a dental nurse or dentist during a dental procedure. Many people associate a visit to the dentist with a feeling of vulnerability or a loss of control, however, often they can conquer these fears with the knowledge that advances in modern technology make their fear unjustified and the vision of healthy teeth and gums is compelling. Hypnosis can be of great benefit in cases such as these. Nobody is born with a natural fear of a dentist and so we have ‘learned’ this fear and reaction. This means it can be ‘unlearned’ and we can re-program our reaction in just one or two sessions of hypnotherapy. Although sufferers of this phobia, like many other phobia sufferers, already know in their own mind that their fear is mainly irrational and unnecessary, they are not empowered to conquer this fear. This is where hypnosis can help to rid the person of their fear forever.

I Wasn't Hypnotised

If a hypnotherapist had a pound for every time they heard somebody say:

"I wasn't hypnotised, I heard every word. I just decided to {stop smoking} anyway."

then we would be very rich. Hypnosis is not some magical state of mind where you will hear nothing, be aware of nothing and simply awake having undergone amazing changes that you suddenly believe have always been there. If you have changed after hypnosis, then the chances are then you were hypnotised. As an example, if I told you not to think of a purple tree, then your mind naturally has to think of a purple elephant in order to think about not thinking about it. Re-read that again, it does make sense. Now, if I asked you to imagine lifting a ripe, yellow lemon to your nose and smelling a lemon, smelling that bitter smell, and imagine squeezing a few bitter drops onto your tongue, then the chances are that some sort of salivatory action is taking place in your mouth as you imagine this. I haven't done any magic, or hypnosis, but simply demonstrated that you could not prevent the action because by the time you were aware of it it had already happened. This is the power of hypnosis - it is not the power of the hypnotherapist, but the power of your own imagination and your own mind. The hypnotherapist just helps you to help yourself.

Therapy for the Credit Crunch

With the impact of the credit crunch, people are feeling anxious and stressed about their financial worries and how they might cope. Even if finances are not an issue, many people are still feeling the strain and many therapists are finding they are dealing with more and more stress-related or anxiety-related problems. There was an article in The Times this weekend that mentioned the different ways people are coping and one hypnotherapist was quoted as saying:

“A lot of people in the financial sector are so stressed and nervous about their performance and about their jobs being on the line that my clients have more than doubled. I help them realise it’s not actually so terrible; these people are not going to be homeless.”

This highlights one way that hypnotherapists and indeed CBT (Cognotive Behavioral Therapy) can help people to see their problems in a different light and even change their way of thinking. For example, the people in the financial sector referred to in this quote could bring about the exact scenario they are worried about, simply by worrying about it. If you are anxious about your performance, you are more likely to make a mistake and hence more likely to have a lower performance level. Visiting a therapist can help you to chance how you think and act to have a more positive effect on your life. Thinking positively could mean you are one of the few performing well as everyone else around you is anxious and stressed.

Post-Surgical Hypnotherapy

Nowadays, surgery is commonplace, whether the operation is to fix or to diagnose an issue, it is performed to help somebody’s quality of life. Naturally, a common problem with surgery is the pain we feel. Recovering from surgery can be painful and take some time. Other side effects could include infection or bleeding. A hypnotherapy study was published in the Anesthesa & Analgesia journal in 2002 to determine if hypnotherapy could play a role in handling the side effects from surgery. In this publication, it talked about how past research had only focused on the pain element and yet this study was looking at how the hypnotherapy was given and whether it could help with other side effects. The study involved researchers analysing results from 20 studies, all of which were controlled and all of which used hypnosis with patients having surgery. It was decided that hypnotherapy was very effect at treated post-surgery side effects and from all the 20 studies, those who received hypnosis had a better outcome after surgery than 89 per cent of those in the control group that did not have hypnotherapy. The study concluded that hypnotherapy is beneficial when it comes to helping people deal with post-surgical side effects and their healing and the researchers involved in the study were said to

“strongly support the use of hypnosis with surgical patients”

Dispelling the Myths of Hypnosis

Thanks to the sort of coverage that hypnosis receives in films and on television, many people have a fear of hypnosis and that fear carries over to hypnotherapy. Many hypnotherapists are used to answering the usual questions about whether they will be dangling a swinging pocket watch in front of the client’s eyes or asking them to ‘look into my eyes, you’re feeling very sleepy’ so nobody should feel afraid to ask these questions of their hypnotherapist before they go ahead with an appointment. However, things like this are just a myth and are not true. Nowadays, more people are aware of this thanks to hypnotherapy taking off as a therapy and being more accepted by the general public. More and more people know somebody who has had hypnotherapy and there is more publicity and talking about it. Wrexham FM is one radio show that is helping to dispel the common myths about hypnosis as this week’s Sunday broadcast from 7-9pm will include a discussion of the reality of hypnosis and hypnotherapy. Dispelling the myths is an important part of hypnotherapy being accepted broadly across the UK so if you are unsure about whether or not you want to try hypnotherapy, then you should not be afraid to ask the questions as any good hypnotherapist will be more than comfortable discussing any issues or queries you might have.

Can Hypnosis Improve My Finances?

Hypnotherapy can do and help an awful lot of things, but directly improving your finances is not one of them. However, it can improve your finances indirectly. How much money you earn and the way your finances are organised depends on things such as: • How you yourself approach money and feel or behave towards money • How you feel about yourself, your self-image and how you deal with your self-image or try to improve it • Your ability to motivate yourself in order to learn new skills, try new things and develop beliefs • Your level of self-confidence • The amount of control and self-belief you have and how you believe this affects your life Each of these affects the others and the most important one is the final point. How much control you believe you have over your life will directly impact what you do and your finances and hypnosis can be used to help you develop your self-belief and self-perception. For example, past clients have improved their self-belief and used this to gain more job interviews and opportunities than they had ever done, or believed they could do, in the past. Their self-confidence has shone and they have been able to share this with others.

What is Family Mediation?

Family mediation is often done in the months following divorce or separation. Mediation is a way to help couples search for their own solutions to any disputes they may be experiencing. It is not some form of psychiatry as some believe, but simply being able to discuss issues in front of an impartial third party can help people to find solutions that they may otherwise have missed without things getting too heated. Family mediation is growing in popularity all the time and is now used in many issues in a family, such as with disputes between children and their parents, upset or angst over caring for seriously ill relatives or elderly relatives, children becoming homeless through family arguments or even disputes over contact with an absent parent or grandparents. So what happens during family mediation? Both parties explain their concerns to the other in front of a family mediator, who is qualified in family mediation. They are not on anybody's 'side' but there to help both parties. Occasionally, they may suggest some ways of solving the issue, in order to discuss the options, but will never tell either party what they should do. In addition, the mediator might provide information on legal matters, but again, will not and cannot give advice on what to do, so if legal advice is needed, they will recommend seeing a solicitor. In some instances, it is advantageous to see a solicitor when agreement is met or between sessions so that each party can be certain that whatever is agreed is fair to them.

Is It Too Early For New Year's Resolutions?

It might only be October, but in the shops we are already seeing advent calendars, Christmas cards and selection boxes, so it is too early to consider our New Year's resolutions? After all, come Christmas, and we'll be too busy doing the shopping, eating the food, unwrapping the pressies and visiting relations to stop and think so now might be a good time to reflect on the year and what we'd like to change. There are many things about ourselves that we would like to change, but rather than depressing yourself with a long list that you are unlikely to do much about, consider the one or two most important things and concentrate on those. For many people, giving up smoking is top of the list. Stopping smoking is something many people have tried and failed, so they give up and accept they think they are addicted. However, for these people, if they really want to give up smoking, then it is an unconscious reason why they have been unable to quit smoking so far. Hypnosis is particularly good when you want to quit smoking, and can be done in just one two-hour session in many cases. Hypnotherapy is not as scary as it sounds, you are not under anybody's control, you are aware of everything and will not be made to do anything you don't want to. In fact, that is the key. For hypnotherapy to work, you must really want to quit smoking. Be sure you want to quit, as it will not work if you are only doing it for your partner for example. In fact, if you really want to, why wait for the New Year? Many will quit smoking in time for the party season, so why not you?

Hypnotherapy for Hot Flushes

A recent American study has revealed that hypnotherapy’s relaxation hypnosis could help to reduce the severity and frequency of the hot flushes that many menopausal women suffer in the years around their menopause. The study’s results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, where a group of 51 women took part and 26 of these received hypnotherapy. When the two groups were compared, the group who had received hypnosis had a 68 per cent decrease in hot flushes. Most of the women who received hypnosis relaxation therapy also found that they had fewer uncomfortable side effects from hot flushes, which included a reduction in the loss of sleep and difficulties in social interaction. The study’s lead investigator, Gary Elkins, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor, said:

"This study validates that this type of treatment is effective in decreasing hot flushes. There is a real need to study emerging mind-body interactions to treating these ailments because many times medications are not an option.”

After the success of this research, the researchers now intend to recruit 180 post-menopausal women to take part in a five year study so that they can further analyse the physiological response to hypnosis.

Hypnosis Might Slow Dementia

According to the Daily Mail, recent research has shown that hypnotherapy might be one way to treat those patients fighting against dementia. The University of Liverpool carried out the study in which patients were treated with regular session of hypnotherapy. The study showed that regular hypnotherapy sessions led to an improvement in the level of concentration and memory. Alzheimer’s disease is the main form of dementia, and affects approximately 750,000 people in Britain. Within the study, one group of patients attended regular sessions of hypnosis, whilst another group of patients attended regular sessions where they talked about current affairs and news. Those receiving hypnotherapy were shown to be more inclined to socialise and were also less likely to become depressed. The forensic psychology leading the study, Dr Simon Duff, said:

'Those having hypnosis sessions showed real improvement across all the areas we looked at.'

Although the results of the study are not conclusive, the results are interesting and will hopefully result in further research into the link to slowing the onset of dementia.

Improving Sports Performance

Hypnotherapy has been used by famous athletes to improve their sports performance and although some may scoff, many swear by it. This seems to be backed up by a new Australian study, whose results suggest that the faster speed achieved by athletes when they take performance-enhancing drugs is in their mind. The research compared athletes on a placebo with those given a growth hormone drug. Those who had taken the dummy pills ran faster, jumped higher and managed to lift heavier weights than those who were on the hormones. The results suggest what hypnotherapists say is true – if you think that you will perform better, then you will. Many professional athletes have used creative visualisation to boost their performance for years and one of the methods that hypnotherapists use is visualisation. However, visualisation in hypnosis is much stronger, because the person is completely relaxed and is focused on the visualisation that they are doing with the hypnotherapist so they concentrate harder and the memory is stronger. The director of mental training in sports medicine from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr Aimee Kimball, said:

"If you visualise being stronger, running faster or winning, you are priming your nervous system to do just that. Studies have found that the method can enhance physical performance significantly, sometimes by 20% or more."

Use Hypnosis to Help Study

Many people find studying or revising for an exam a chore and quite boring, so it could be difficult to imagine being able to change that perception so that we enjoy learning and revision. Hypnosis can be used to develop effective study habits by increasing your motivation and helping you to enjoy studying. The average focus time is around twenty minutes but you must be really focussed to retain that information. Those who have seen memory experts on television should know that the memory can be trained. We have all seen the TV shows where a memory expert trains a contestant to use a memory game to enhance their memory and pass a test. Hypnotherapy can help to train your memory to retain information more easily. Your memory is also dependent upon state, so hypnotherapy helps to enable deep concentration and activate the memory recall ability. It is importantly to study regularly in small chunks and hypnotherapy can help you to become more motivated to do this. Naturally, it will always help if you study somewhere quiet without distractions as hypnosis is not a miracle, although it may seem like it at times!

Ways to cope with Everyday Life

In the current economic climate, as large banks and financial institutions are struggling and the value of shares and pension funds tumble, causing redundancies and interest rate increases, it is no wonder that stress is spreading like wildfire across the UK. For many city employees, stress is an everyday hazard but even for those who are used to a high level of stress, the recent events are taking their toll. The problems of stress and depression are beginning to show in clinics across the country, as psychiatrists and hypnotherapists alike are starting to see people who are being driven to the brink, afraid of losing their jobs and having added stress to their relationships. Experts say that the pessimistic doom and gloom in the newspapers influences everybody, even those who are not yet feeling the financial burden. For anybody feeling anxious, stressed or depressed, it is best not to panic and remember that there is always a way out. These feelings only make things worse, and if you are not sleeping or eating, or are feeling suicidal or particularly depressed, then do visit your doctor who can prescribe treatment, available on the National Health Service. The right treatment, such as hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy or simply talking to a professional can help you to see things differently and stop the vicious circle. The worries of everyday life can look much better by taking advantage of different approaches such as stress management, hypnosis, psychotherapy or CBT.

Hypnosis for Dogs

Is it really possible to hypnotise a dog? Many people, when asked this question, would emphatically declare the answer to be no. After all, a dog cannot understand the words of a human, so how would he be hypnotised? According to a hypnotherapist in America, however, the answer is an emphatic yes. It is certainly easier to train and work with a dog when they are quiet and calm, but that state is often difficult to achieve when they are running round in circles, panting and jumping up and down. Without having tried the doggie hypnosis techniques, it is difficult to judge whether this is really something that will work on all dogs, however, it is certain that hypnosis does work on humans. Many people worry that hypnotherapy won't work for them, but so long as you are of sound mind, capable and willing to concentrate on what the hypnotherapist is saying, then there should be no reason why you cannot be hypnotised. Hypnosis is a perfectly natural state of relaxation, and one we enter into every day. It has worked for so many people for so many different issues that are affected by the mind-body connection that we are only just beginning to comprehend, and so many people consider it worth a try.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy & Anxiety

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, has helped many people since its introduction to the public. The cognitive part means changing thinking patterns that have been supporting the person’s fears and the behavioural part helps people to react differently to anxiety-provoking or problematic situations. CBT helps people to confront the problem situation and to desensitise themselves so that they are no longer anxious. For example, CBT can help those with a social phobia understand that they can get past their belief that others are judging or watching them. Those with a fear of germs or dirt are encouraged to get their hands dirty and wait a little while before washing them. The waiting period is gradually increased. Once they have done this a few times, the anxiety reduces. It can also help with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by asking the client to recall their traumatic memory in a safe environment, reducing the fear it brings. CBT therapists also teach relaxation methods and relieve anxiety. Often, it can take some time for a person to feel relaxed enough to encounter the situation or object and they may have to begin firstly through only tapes or pictures. To be effective, CBT must be tailored to the individual’s needs. It is drug free, there are no side effects and therapy often lasts about 12 weeks.

What can hypnosis help with?

As regular readers will know, hypnosis is a powerful tool and can be used for many things. Hypnotherapy is a way of using hypnosis for therapeutic purposes, but many people still associate hypnotherapy with stopping smoking and curing fears and that is all. Hypnotherapy can be used for so many different things that the list is almost endless and hypnotherapists are finding new uses for it all the time. Hypnotherapy can be used for almost any problem or situation where the body and the mind are both coming into play on some level. Here are just a few of the issues that hypnotherapy has been used to help: Sports – improving performance, anxiety, coaching, overcoming concentration problems and increasing focus Business – stress management, assertiveness, motivation and direction, problem solving and communication Education – increasing concentration and focus, improving memory, exam nerves, study techniques, improving memory skills Personal – increasing confidence or self esteem, curing phobias and anxiety, depression, addictions or other unwanted behaviour, sexual or relationship issues, eating disorders and pain management Hypnotherapy promotes better health, well being and better life. For years, it was helped thousands of people in their every day lives.

CBT Fighting Bulimia

Bulimia nervosa is characterised by binge eating, i.e. eating unusually large amounts of food, and then purging oneself, usually by making oneself vomit or by using laxatives or diuretics. Unlike anorexia, where the weight can fall dramatically, those suffering from bulimia can have a normal weight for their age, however, they do have a similar fear to those with anorexia - they fear gaining weight and are unhappy with their size. Their behaviour is often done secretly because they feel disgusted or ashamed, and hence bulimia can be difficult to spot. Also like amorexia, bulimics often have psychological issues like depression or anxiety. Bulimia nervosa often results in physical problems such as oral or teeth-related problems, or issues with electrolyte imbalances and gastrointestinal issues. Psychotherapy has proved effective in handling bulimia nervosa, especially cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. CBT can be tailored to treat bulimia in an individual case and can change the binging and purging cycle, slowing it down and eventually removing completely as a result of changing the person's attitude to eating.

Saying Goodbye to Emotional Wounds

From an early age as young children, we are often encouraged not to cry, to bury our problems and to ‘be strong’. However, these temporary solutions can have great drawbacks and result in problems for years to come. Instead, we should learn to identify our feelings, deal with and release them; otherwise these problems can result in baggage that we will carry for the rest of our lives. Sometimes we are not even aware that our issues stem from childhood issues, or even from an experience later in life. This is partly because by our teenage years, we are often in the habit of burying our problems and feelings and do not even realise that we are doing it any more. Our unconscious mind is then programmed to help us steer clear of the warning signals for these situations that we wish to avoid, in order to protect us from the buried hurt. Sometimes, particularly in relationships, we realise how we are acting, for example, if something causes us stress, yet we do not realise how to stop ourselves from behaving this way. This is where therapies, such as psychotherapy and hypnotherapy, can help because they help us to deal with our unconscious mind at levels we cannot access easily on a day to day basis. As we learn to deal with our feelings and problems, we learn more about ourselves and become a more rounded person.

New Study Reports Hypnotherapy Can Help Arthritis Sufferers

A study from Bangor University presented their findings on the 11th September at the University of Bath to The British Psychological Society's Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference. They stated they found that those suffering from arthritis can help to alleviated their pain by using both hypnotherapy and mental imagery. Rheumatoid arthritis is progressive and a disabling disease affecting just under 1 per cent of the adult populated in the UK. It is very painful and can affect a person’s ability to do everyday tasks. Despite medical treatment, many still suffer with high pain levels and often turn to alternative treatment to lessen their fatigue and pain. Arthritis sufferers can alleviate their pain by using mental imagery and hypnotherapy. The study from Bryan Bennett and colleagues at Bangor University asked 42 patients to visualise their pain and attempt to manage it. Their results showed that the imagery techniques and hypnosis were effective at reducing the pain and tiredness.

Bryan Bennett commented: "All the participants were asked to identify what areas of their life were important to them but were negatively affected due to the RA. By doing so they were taking an active part in their own therapy. By employing the techniques they were taught, they were able to self-treat when necessary - allowing them to control their pain and enabling them to get on with enjoying life."

CBT Helps Dialysis Patients With Insomnia

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, otherwise known as CBT, is a type of psychotherapy. According to a recent study reported in Reuters, it seemed to improve the quality of sleep in dialysis patients. CBT is a non-drug therapy and the investigators from the study said that it seemed to be quite effective with dialysis patients suffering from sleep problems. Dialysis is the procedure to remove toxins from the bloodstream when a person’s kidneys are failing to do it sufficiently for them. According to the study chief, Dr. Hung-Yuan Chen from National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, told Reuters: “Sleep disturbance in dialysis patients is a "puzzling and prevalent complaint. However, only hypnotics are available for clinicians to solve this problem at present." CBT has proved effective in the past for insomnia in the elderly and also cancer patients and those with chronic pain. The study included 24 patients, with 14 randomised to have one hour per week in a psychiatrist-led CBT session. Almost 80 per cent in the CBT group had improved changes in sleep patterns, and also had a decline in a blood protein called interleukin-1-beta, which has been linked to inflammation. The results after 4 weeks, although impressive, were not statistically significant according to the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

You Are Hypnotised Every Day

Many people are initially sceptical and sometimes even fearful of hypnosis and hypnotherapy. This is partly because they do not understand it and partly because of the bad press and image it has been given from films, television programmes and other media. However, hypnotherapy is the process of using hypnosis for therapeutic purposes, to relieve someone of a lifelong phobia or problematic habit, or to help them increase their chances of success in a particular area of life. There are many health benefits from hypnosis too. In fact, we should not be afraid of hypnosis. Hypnosis is simply a relaxed state of mind during which a person's mind is focused entirely on something. Indeed, we are hypnotised every day. Every time you become so absorbed in reading a book or watching television that everything else is ignored, that is hypnosis. When you are daydreaming that is hypnosis. How many times have you driven to work and then realised you do not even remember the detail of getting there? That is hypnosis, you were probably focusing on what you need to do for the day or daydreaming about something, and yet if anything had happened on your journey, you would have been immediately jolted out of hypnosis. That is exactly what would happen in a hypnosis session if something interrupted your train of thought, which was not in accordance with your visit's purpose. Hypnosis is a perfectly safe state of mind and one we experience for ourselves almost every day.

Stopping Smoking with Hypnosis CDs

Many people try to quit smoking using hypnotherapy CD's or tapes and declare hypnosis as a load of old rubbish that just doesn't work. However, hypnotherapy should be tailored to the individual. Hypnosis CD's are designed for the bulk of people, and incorporate a number of techniques that have been proven to help people in that past, but that does not unfortunately mean that it will be right or work for you personally. It is much better to make an appointment to see a hypnotherapist. Naturally, this is a more expensive method than just nipping out to buy a CD or tape, however, if you are really certain that you want to give up smoking then this is the better method. Considering how much you probably spend on smoking cigarettes, hypnosis is not too expensive. Most hypnosis sessions for smoking are a one-visit or at most two visits for success. Hypnosis is proven to be a quicker method for this sort of habit or addiction than other methods, and when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy, the success rate is much higher.

Hypnosis Helps Pole Vaulter To Olympic Gold

Those who were glued to the television for the Beijing Olympics might be interested to know that the Olympic Gold pole vaulting medallist, Australian Steve Hooker had his fear of pole vaulting cured with hypnosis just a few years ago. Hooker soared to his Olympic Gold in dramatic style earning him an Olympic title and an Olympic record 5.96 metres on his final try. He is also the first Olympic champion from Australia in pole vaulting. Hooker said:

"The whole competition was mentally and physically the hardest thing I have done in my life. It was more boxing than pole vault. I should have skipped the second jumps altogether. They were not working for me. I should have gone straight to the third."

Hooker explained that dreams of Olympic competition were impossible for him in recent years as he was close to quitting in 2001. Only a few years ago he was unable to cope with the mental demands of the tough discipline and had even been throwing tantrums in training. He added:

"I would run through a lot and not take off and it got to the point, by the end of it I thought about giving it in. It was so mentally draining going to training not knowing if I would be able to jump or not. I was throwing poles, cracking tantrums, I was in a miserable bad mood. Your whole life, it really brings it down when it's really what you want to do and you can't do it just because it's not clicking in your brain.”

Hypnotherapy, combined with visualisation techniques, got him back on track. He told The Australian newspaper:

"I would talk to her at the start of the session and say, 'I want to talk about lowering the pole vault in my last couple of steps and jumping off the ground.' I would tell her the cues I wanted to work on, so she'd work it into the things that she was saying while I was under hypnosis.”

The results from the hypnosis came gradually for Hooker but when they came, the results were outstanding and well worth waiting for, as hypnosis has ensured that Hooker has no trouble with the mental aspects of his sport any longer.

Hypnotherapy and IVF

Around 1 in 80 babies is born as a result of IVF treatment in the UK nowadays. One in seven couples have difficulty conceiving and in the four year period from 2001 to 2005, there was a 20 per cent increase in IVF cycles across the UK. Hundreds of new mums have used natal hypnotherapy to help their IVF experience. IVF is an emotional rollercoaster, with hope, fear, hospital appointments and possibly years of trying with multiple IVF cycles. Even for those under the age of 35 it has only a 29 per cent success rate. Earlier today, it was announced that the government is looking at changing the rules so that only a single egg can be used. This is to avoid multiple births through IVF, which increase the chance of complications at birth, but may also mean more cycles required to achieve pregnancy. Hypnotherapy has, over the years, helped hundreds of women through IVF. Hypnosis can help women to achieve the relaxed state that is important to help them conceive, and can instil in them a greater positive feeling, calmness and confidence. Confidence is often knocked after years of trying to conceive.

Therapy for Relationship Woes

In most cases, where couples are experiencing problems in their relationship it is usually the case that although the individual feels they are right, they are usually part of the issue themselves. Hypnotherapy is slowly gaining recognition in relationship therapy, however, couples should not wait until the bitter end to seek help. The leading cause of relationship problems is past baggage. Everybody has ‘baggage’ from their past, whether that is from a past relationship, daily experience or from childhood. Hypnosis can help to move past old hurt and irrational feelings or fears, allowing people to enjoy their current relationship. Hypnosis can also help to restore sexuality, confidence, open communication and other critical issues when in a relationship. Hypnotherapy can restore inner peace, erasing old critical or negative feelings and thoughts, and it does this by allowing the person to explore their past and let it go. Sometimes even when we feel something is not a problem, the subconscious has stored the old feelings and makes it almost impossible to let go without dealing with the problem at a subconscious level, which is where hypnotherapy comes in. Hypnotherapy can also help couples enhance their relationship, so there does not have to be problems before hypnosis can help. It can help a couple enjoy a close emotional bond and enhance their sexuality, allowing them to explore their thoughts, remove any mental blockages and feel closer and more committed to one another.

The Mind-Body Connection and IBS

IBS, otherwise known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, can cause serious problems for sufferers who want to get on with their daily life. It can give bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation or flatulence. Around 15 per cent of the UK population is affected, although only half tend to seek medical help. As we accept more and more, the mind and body are intricately connected and the gut even more so, as there are more nerve cells in our intestines than in our nervous system. IBS sufferers can testify that emotional upsets aggravate the condition and so learning to minimise stress can help IBS substantially and emotional retraining can help to control it. Early studies from a small number of specialists have indicated that the mind body approach is more effective than each singularly. Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy have both shown to contribute to controlling the condition and relieving the symptoms. In hypnosis, patients usually visualise their colon functioning properly. In cognitive behavioural therapy or short term psychotherapy, patients can change their symptom-provoking thoughts, such as thinking that a certain situation will cause their symptoms to reappear or thinking that their colon will always cause them problems. In a UK study of 204 patients, where over two thirds of patients were helped with hypnosis, 81 per cent maintained their improvements for up to six years afterwards. Stress reduction or relaxation techniques have proved just as helpful as avoiding certain foods.

Hypnosis Helps You To Help Yourself

Hypnosis was once thought to be a form of witchcraft and has had a long journey to get to where it is today. Many people think hypnosis is when the mind is relaxed to a state that makes it responsive to external suggestion. Actually however, it is really a form of intense concentration, internally focused so you are oblivious to your immediate surroundings, focused on either yourself or on something in particular. We enter hypnosis several times a day, such as when engrossed in a book, watching a film or just daydreaming. This state of mind is useful to address our own problems. Hypnotherapy is when hypnosis is used to help people conquer their fears, build self confidence or attain their goals. During hypnotherapy, it is your own mind power that is being tapped. All the hypnotherapist does is to guide your mind in the right direction. You are in control all the time, even during hypnosis, and will accept only the suggestions that you know will help you achieve your goals. Hypnosis can help anybody who really desires to change and is willing to take steps to change, can benefit from hypnotherapy. Hypnosis can be used for such a wide range of issues, which just goes to show how much progress the therapy has made over the years and its rising popularity.

Weight Loss Hypnotherapy Boot Camp

In the news last week, there was much talk about a new Devon-based weight loss boot camp called NuBeginnings. NuBeginnings was founded by a lady called Victoria Wills, who realised how beneficial hypnotherapy was as a long-term solution for weight loss, primarily because it helped to get to the cause of why people have trouble with their food and can help them to overcome this at the subconscious level. The boot camp started in January 2008 and each week takes in eight new clients for a seven day programme of hypnotherapy and NLP. Although proving successful, with a price tag starting from £1,695 per week, it is no surprise that not every body can afford the week long camp. Hypnotherapy is a notoriously quick method of helping people, particularly with problems such as weight loss, so it is possible to work on client’s weight loss issues in just a few sessions.

Chicken Nugget Addiction Cured With Hypnosis

After an amazing eighteen years of eating only chicken nuggets and chips, student Carla Laban has a healthy diet at least, thanks to hypnosis. When Carla was two, chicken nuggets were the only good that did not make Carla throw up violently. From that point on, Carla would skip breakfast every day and have nuggets for both dinner and lunch. This meant she was eating around 30 nuggets daily, at an average cost of £5 per day. Thanks to hypnotherapy, Carla is now starting to eat pasta and vegetables. Carla said:

"I can remember having chicken nuggets and chips for the first and thinking, 'I can eat this without being sick. Before that, I couldn't eat anything without having a panic attack and my throat tightening up. I couldn't even stand the smell of other food. I used to get ill quite a lot. While classmates would have a cold for a week, I'd have one for four. People thought I was being fussy. They didn't understand that I physically couldn't eat anything else."

Despite exercise to combat the unhealthy diet, Carla was still ill. When Coventry-based Carla was preparing for university her family arranged for her to see a hypnotherapist to wean her off the chicken nuggets. Thanks to hypnosis, she now eats more varieties of food and is still improving. The hypnotherapist started by helping Carla to make a small shift from nuggets to chicken goujons. Next, she moved to chicken pizza and slowly onto other food types. All sorts of phobias can be cured with hypnotherapy, including food phobias, however, each person is different.

CBT Over The Phone

A new telephone based scheme was launched last week to help depression sufferers in the Shetland and Western Isles. NHS 24 has established the pilot scheme, NHS Living Life, which is expected to increase the region’s access to psychological therapies. Around 3,000 people per year are expected to use the service, which will run from 1pm-9pm, Monday to Friday. The main aim of the service is to help people over the age of 16 to use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT is a form of psychotherapy that helps alter ways of thinking and behaviour that are unhelpful to the client. It is ideal for use during periods of distress or depression. NHS 24 Interim Chief Executive, Doctor George Crooks, said:

“While medication is frequently prescribed, there is a broad awareness that psychological therapies such as CBT can provide long-term benefits to patients.”

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has been increasing in popularity in recent years and in many cases has been successfully combined with hypnotherapy, which is also a relatively speedy form of treatment. There are many people suffering from depression who are unable to access treatment because of a shortage of face-to-face qualified therapists, particularly in rural areas, and this scheme will hopefully allow people to be ‘more in control’ of their mental health.

The unusual gift of hypnosis

Nowadays, everybody seems to have everything and many people struggle to know what to give someone as a present when they seem to have everything. Some of us even have trouble trying to think what we would like for ourselves! One unusual gift that could pleasantly surprise could be hypnotherapy. What else could compare to helping a loved one to overcome a lifelong fear? Perhaps they are afraid of flying but have always wanted to visit DisneyWorld with the kids, or perhaps they are afraid of needles but long to go on an exotic holiday. Hypnotherapy doesn't even have to be for a particular problem. Perhaps it would be enough to surprise them with a stress and relaxation session, they could improve their opportunities at work with increased confidence or they could finally quit that smoking habit and cut out the nicotine patches. With hypnosis, there are endless opportunities! One thing is for certain, the gift of hypnotherapy is original and everyone can get something out of it.

Hypnotherapy for Infertility

Possible infertility is usually defined as when a couple is unable to conceive a child after a couple of years. There are all sorts of reasons why a couple may not be able to conceive or just hasn't conceived quite yet and isn't always the woman's fault, nor can it always be put down to the man. Around one in six couples seek help in conceiving. Just because they haven't conceived in a year or even two, doesn't mean they can't conceive but the more frustrated the couple feel, the more difficult it can be. There are many medical reasons why a couple cannot conceive, but if they have all been ruled out, then hypnotherapy is an option that can help. Hypnotherapy for unexplained infertility is very popular and successful treatment in the USA. It works by focussing on the emotional aspects of trying to become pregnant, being pregnant or becoming a parent, and helps to deal with the stress related to the issues involved. Doctor have even recommended the process. It isn't just about visualisation, but is about helping the mind to influence the body. As humans, we don't yet fully understand our mind- body connection, but over the years most of us have come to accept the connection, even if we don't appreciate just how powerful it is. Our bodies are influenced by our emotions, thoughts, even our beliefs. Emotions can affect the hormones, which control the ovulation and pregnancy. So if you have trouble conceiving and cannot find out why, hypnotherapy is one solution you can use to take action.

Exploding the Myths of Hypnotherapy

As many people have only really heard of hypnotherapy through films and the media, they often have only the dramatised version of hypnosis, which is not only blown out of proportion but predominantly untrue. Here are a few common myths of hypnosis and the truth about them:

Mind control - this only helps to boost book sales and sell film tickets. Hypnosis doesn't give control to the hypnotherapist. Instead, the hypnotherapist simply guides the person to control their own mind. He cannot make anybody do what they don't want to
Special powers - to get great results, a hypnotherapist does not have to have special powers or some strange sort of magic. Indeed, he simply knows the best way to help someone become susceptible to suggestion and help them unlock their own mind
Lack of awareness - another untruth is that the person is not aware of what's happening whilst they are experiencing hypnosis, or that they are 'unconscious'. This also is not true. In fact, very few people relax enough to forget what the hypnotherapist says. The client can hear every word and although they may feel relaxed, they are often more aware of their surroundings than usual

These are just a few of the common misconceptions, so if you have any questions about hypnotherapy, just ask!

Divorce Mediation

Divorce mediation can help couples to make decisions to reduce the likelihood that the divorce will decrease the couple’s assets and in a way that will reduce any negative impact on children. However, divorce mediation does not suit every troubled couple. Divorce mediation requires both people to be honest about their situation and want a positive outcome from it. If one party is intent on hiding assets, making the other person feel miserable or wants to take an unfair advantage of the other person, then divorce mediation will not work. There are many advantages to divorce mediation. Firstly, it is cheaper. The couple usually splits the fee as well. Without mediation, each person pays their own lawyer, so between them they will pay twice as much. The main advantage is that the couple get to decide the divorce outcome. The mediator’s goal in divorce mediation is to ensure each person agrees at each step of the process. Together, the couple decide when to file for divorce, how to divide property and parenting time with children, and everything else. Without mediation, a judge decided for the couple and they are stuck with that. If a couple believes they can work together reasonably to finish their marriage, then they should most definitely consider divorce mediation.

Eva Mendes Had Hypnotherapy To Cure Her Spider Phobia

Since a young age, Hollywood actress Eva Mendes suffered from a panic fear of spiders. The actress said:

“Ever since I was a little girl I had this problem. When I would see a spider, some sort of psychological blockade would activate, and my reactions were indescribable fear and I would go crazy. I would call somebody to kill it, and after that I would have to see the dead spider in order to believe that it was no longer there. When I would see a spider at night, and I could not call anybody to kill it, I could not sleep all night. In those situations, I was psychologically lost."

A fear of spiders is incredibly common and is otherwise known as arachnophobia. Eva decided to give hypnotherapy a try. Eva added:

“I do not know exactly what they did, but it definitely helped. Now when I see a spider, it does not bother me at all. My life is a lot easier.”

Eva found hypnosis very relaxing and after a few hours of hypnosis, she was cured. Eva said of the hypnotherapy:

“You lay down, relax, and then go through a few different kinds of relaxation. When you finish, you have the feeling that the whole process took three minutes, but in reality it lasted an hour.”

This description of hypnotherapy is pretty typical of most hypnosis clients. Hypnosis is a state of relaxation and hypnotherapy is when a hypnotherapist talks to you whilst you are in hypnosis to help you for some therapeutic purpose.

Olympic Gold Champion Uses Hypnosis

Last Saturday, a self-admitted nervous athlete had just two shots to win the skeet shooting Olympic Gold for his country and he stepped up confidently and calmly to simply blow the disks from the sky. Vincent Hancock won the gold and hypnosis made the difference. So how did the 19 year old from Georgia, USA, keep so calm? According to his coach, a specialist performance coach and hypnotherapist, it isn't anything to do with his physical form. The difference between a gold medalist and the rest of the competition is the mental game. Shooters have to maintain concentration and intensity whilst staying calm. Not an easy task in anyone's book. According to Hancock's hypnotherapist, hypnosis helps teach the athletes how to get themselves into a meditative state and use the power of suggestion to help reinforce positive, strong thoughts. It helps them to reach their 'zone'. Another method used is modeling where hypnosis is used to reinforce the visualisation of winning and of successfully achieving their goal. However it worked and however it was done, hypnosis certainly made a difference to this young man.

Can Psychotherapy Be Regulated?

Earlier this month, there was much talk in the media about the government’s new proposals to regulate all talking therapies, which would include psychotherapy. This would not just be for the NHS-funded therapies, but they propose to regulate every therapist in the UK. The government would like the Health Professionals Council to govern all therapies. Many professional bodies say it will be unworkable and they are furious at the plans. The College of Psychoanalysts said:

“Under proposed new government guidelines, most forms of psychoanalysis could become illegal.”

As Lord Alderdice put it (the NHS psychiatrist who introduced the Private Member’s Bill for state regulation back in 2001), any prescriptive code of skills or techniques is unlikely to be appropriate as the relationship between the 100,000 therapists in Britain and their clients is unique. Few therapists agree on anything, but one thing that is usually agreed upon is that one form of treatment is rarely correct and should be ‘imposed’. The reasons for looking into regulation are fair enough. Most therapists, including psychotherapists, take a complaint to their governing body seriously, however, many consumers are unsure of to whom they should complain if they have a query. It is certainly more difficult to regulate psychotherapy than other therapies such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) where it is a quick therapy, easy to teach and easy to evaluate (you are either cured of a phobia or not). Psychotherapy is much more difficult to regulate. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy believes regulation in today’s society is essential.

“But,” says Philip Hodson, its chief spokesman, “we have been told that it will be regulated by the HPC and if that is the price of regulation then so be it. I understand the disquiet of therapists, but there are some who argue that there should never be regulation of talking therapists. It is as if we are some kind of super-profession, fit to be our own judge and jury.”

Paramedic Swims Channel After Hypnotherapy

After a 20 year break from swimming, 38 year old paramedic Mark Ransom, successfully swam the English Channel last month in just 12 hours and 23 minutes. In the process, he raised over £1,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. Mark, from Bury St Edmunds, had to wait two weeks to do the challenge as the swim had to be put off due to bad weather. Mark had hypnotherapy before the challenge to get rid of his phobia of sharks, and following the success of this swim, he added that he wouldn’t rule out trying a similar challenge in future. Hypnotherapy is ideal for phobias, whether they are physical habits like smoking or nail biting, or something with a deeper root cause or irrational fears, such as Mark’s fear of sharks, or fears of spiders, dogs, heights or anything else. Having hypnosis to overcome phobias is relatively quick, and can usually be resolved in as little as just one or two sessions. It is not always necessary to uncover the root cause of a fear in order to cure it and many people are amazed at the results.

Hypnosis for Nail Biting

Many people know that hypnotherapy can be used to stop smoking, and that it can work very quickly in as little as one session, however, there are other physical habits hypnosis can help with - such as nail biting. In fact, physical habits are the behaviours that hypnotherapy is most successful at treating immediately and directly. Other common areas include weight loss. In a similar way, hypnotherapy is incredibly effective at stopping a nail biting habit. It may surprise people to hear that nail biting has a lot in common with smoking as it is a physical, ritual habit. There are usually deeply embedded reasons for a simple physical routine, sometimes even deep psychological reasons or causes. Regardless of the cause, this sort of habit can be effectively stopped quite easily using hypnotherapy. Uncovering and resolving deep psychological issues can require many sessions with a therapist, however, in the case of eliminating physical habits such as smoking or nail biting, it is not necessary for a hypnotherapist to work at more than the most basic physical level to stop the habit. Many people have been amazed, not only at the results, but the speed in which they can be achieved. Not all physical habits have a deeper psychological reason. Sometimes it is just a habit for the sake of being a habit and it simply 'feels good' for the individual to participate in them.

Hypnotherapy for Stress & Relaxation

In an earlier article, we discussed how hypnotherapy can help all of us relax in a modern world, where we have become accustomed to being constantly exposed to noise in one form or another, such as mobile phones, television, computers and radio. There are numerous benefits to learning once again how to relax. Relaxation is not just about watching some television, having some me-time relaxing in the bath or going out for tea, it is about quietening our mind’s chatter and really feeling the silence for a short while. Here are just a few benefits of using hypnotherapy for relaxation: • People who have lots to do in a single day usually find they are more laidback and can handle life easily and better than they had done previously • Stepping back and taking some real time out for yourself allows you to de-stress. Without such a high level of stress, life feels happier and healthier • Hypnotherapy helps people to slow down generally and enjoy their life more, whilst still doing everything they used to. As a result, life can become much easier and simpler • When a person interacts with many other people in life, they can often unconsciously take on their problems and stresses. Hypnotherapy allowed them to stay connected to the general life flow

Hypnosis On BBC’s New Tricks

If anybody saw Monday night’s episode of BBC1’s New Tricks programme at 9pm, they may have been put off hypnosis. Many people only hear of hypnosis and hypnotherapy through television and hypnotist shows, none of which is realistic. In this New Tricks episode the team investigate how a hypnosis magic trick resulted in murder. It also showed a hypnotist convince Brian Lane he was drink, which ended in a minor car accident. However, none of this was realistic. Hypnosis is a state of relaxation, and hypnotherapy is the process of using hypnosis for therapeutic purposes. During hypnosis, nobody can make you do what you do not want to do. You may wonder then how a hypnotist gets people to cluck like a chicken and other such nonsense. What many people forget is that when you go to see a hypnotist show, people from the audience go on stage and the hypnotist asks them to do a few little tests first. These tests are not to see how susceptible a person is to hypnosis as many people might believe. It is to see how willing a person is to follow the instruction of that hypnotist on that evening in front of people. The volunteers are just that. They have willingly got up on stage and taken part in the tests. Whether they want to do it because they are extroverts anyway or whether they are willing to do the tests because they know deep down that they can ‘blame the hypnotist, he made me do it’ is irrelevant. Deep down, they are willing to do it. If you are considering hypnotherapy, book a free consultation to speak with the hypnotherapist and ask any questions you like.

National Relaxation Day

Tomorrow is National Relaxation Day in America, and this is definitely something we should all consider. A National Relaxation Day would help us all. So many of us are on the go all the time and we forget that we need to take a step back to relax every now and then. People under stress often do not realise how stress they are until they find they are having trouble sleeping or some other such symptom. Stressed out people can benefit from hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is a way to use techniques to relax our bodies, quieten our mind from the daily chatter and just slow down for a while. Even when left alone, many people find it difficult to relax, mainly because we are used to being surrounded by constant noise such as mobiles, television and radio. We then find it difficult to quieten our mind and be silent. The mind and body need to learn again how to relax. Once we have learned this technique, it is the beginning stage of meditation and self hypnosis. It only takes two or three sessions in most cases to learn these techniques.

Hypnobirthing

In recent months, the media has been discussing the state of British hospitals and in particular the maternity ward. One study suggested the UK maternity service is worse than that in eastern Europe. Indeed, the number of caesareans has doubled in the last couple of years with intervention rates around 28 per cent. The 'normal' rate according to the World Health organisation should be 10 to 15 per cent. We are short of around 3000 midwives and 600-800 obstetricians according to the Royal College of Midwives. Almost ten per cent of first time mums don't get the chance of NHS antenatal classes and some areas do not even offer them now. Is it any wonder that pregnancy is scaring many women? A relatively new therapy is a form of hypnotherapy called HypnoBirthing. With hypnobirthing, a woman attends an informal course that teaches different aspects of birth, including the physical, mental and spiritual aspects. The mum-to-be learns how to relax and stay in control and many women find birth a pleasant experience with little or no need for medical intervention.

Can Hypnotherapy Help Me?

The different uses for hypnotherapy seem to be expanding every year, and we seem to be constantly discovering new ways of using hypnosis. Hypnosis as an alternative therapy is still new and not entirely understood, even by those who use it every day, because it deals with our minds. Our minds have always been an enigma even to ourselves, we still know so little about our unconscious mind. The exposure of hypnotherapy seems to be increasing even more this year, as celebrities such as Chris Martin, Nicole Richie, Lily Allen and more have been hitting the headlines with hypnosis this year. People have also seen it in use on Celebrity Fat Club and Paul McKenna has now moved to LA to promote work over there. Many people may be intrigued by hypnosis, but still wonder what it can do for them so here is a short selection: 1 – Get Rid Of Old Habits: things like smoking, nailbiting, overeating, drinking, blushing or any other habit that we want to stop. With hypnosis, there are no drugs or side effects, just positive results 2 – Phobias: this doesn’t have to be just creepy crawlies, but also fear of dogs, needles, flying, dentists, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, water and many more 3 – Develop New Habits: hypnosis can help you instill new habits like increasing confidence, motivation and public speaking. Habits such as healthy eating, studying, networking, talking, even romance! 4 – Pain Management: this is a media-grabbing one. Hypnosis can be used to help stop pain, but is almost too effective. It has even been used in surgery or childbirth as an alternative to anaesthesia. It is very important to seek medical advice before using hypnosis to remove pain as pain shouldn't be removed without ensuring if there is a physical problem that needs resolving first Another benefit of hypnosis is that you can use self-hypnosis to reinforce benefits yourself, ask your hypnotherapist to teach you.

What is a phobia?

This may sound a simple question, after all, most people would define a phobia as a fear. However, phobias are more than just a simple fear. They are specifically defined as an extreme or irrational, constant fear or anything, such as a place, event, situation, object or animal, that does not worry most people normally. The root cause of a phobia is often a single event in a person's childhood, although they can start at any age, sometimes even late in life. The person has a response, such as anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder and the person will normally do anything to avoid the trigger of their phobia. A phobia can really affect someone's life, often overwhelming them out of proportion, sometimes even making the person feel suicidal. It may sound silly to someone else but to that person it is terrifying. Symptoms can include dizziness, sickness, shortage of breath, confusion and dread, leaving the person feeling embarrassed or depressed. There are an estimated ten million people in the UK affected by phobias, but it is difficult to quantify as not everyone owns up to or feels comfortable admitting to their phobia. Common cures or treatment for phobias are hypnotherapy, counselling, psychotherapy and CBT.

Hypnosis Helps With Fear of Food

There are many common phobias that people are aware of, such as a fear or needles, fear of dogs, hospitals, heights, spiders and more, however, another fear that affects a growing number of people is the fear of food. Perhaps this phobia is fueled by the constant exposure in the media to 'the perfect body' and images of celebrities and skinny models. As we have seen in recent television documentaries, even children are affected by the media and children as young as three or four are experiencing problems with food. Some children insist on eating nothing but one or two types of food, others make themselves sick after every meal. Sometimes it is not even a conscious thing and doctors and physicians can fail when they try to 'tempt' the youngster into eating. Sometimes, temptation is not the problem. For example, there was a case of a child who refused to eat anything but chicken and chips. WIth the help of CBT-based hypnotherapy, it was discovered that the issue stemmed back to a dairy intolerance when eating made the child, aged just three at the time, throw up. Unconsciously, the child associated eating with being sick and the first meal she ate without throwing up was chicken nuggets and chips. From then on, she refused to eat anything else, for years. Hypnosis can help discover the origin of these habits and fears, and help alter behaviour to a more normal eating pattern.

Hypnotherapy Cures Thunderstorm Phobia

An article in the Coventry Telegraph this week featured a lady who had had hypnotherapy to successfully cure her fear of thunderstorms. This phobia had started from simply feeling uncomfortable during a storm to becoming a constant worry and over the years, the phobia had started to rule her life to the point where she was wearing clothes to protect her from the wet weather and avoiding using electrical items for fear of being electrocuted during a storm. It had even progressed to the point where she felt suicidal. Many phobias start as something and nothing and gradually progress to take over the patient's life. A fear of thunderstorms or simply bad weather is quite common, but many people feel alone with their phobia. Self-hypnosis is often tried but things like CD's are not customised to the individual and in the case of phobias or fears, it is often necessary for a hypnotherapist to tailor the session. Sometimes a patient knows the origin of a fear but not always and it is not necessary to know the origin for therapy such as CBT and hypnosis to work.

Overcoming Corporate Stress

Many business people recognise stress as their top complaint on a daily basis. Many do not realise how much stress can contribute to health problems until it is too late. Although stress starts at work, it affects home life and other areas quite quickly. For example, it can interrupt normal sleeping patterns, cause weight loss or gain (usually not the one that you would like) and cause a lack of concentration. This can cause issues at home for the person's partner, children, family and friends. Hypnotherapy is often used to relieve stress and many companies have seen success by incorporating hypnotherapy into their employees routines and corporate benefits. Hypnosis helps, not just by relieving the stress but also by teaching the patient's mind how to deal with stress. The physical problems we feel from stress are caused by a reaction in our mind. Sometimes a patient will have no conscious or concrete idea of why they are stressed, so the hypnotherapist can work with them on an unconscious level to help discover the reason(s) for stress and how best to deal with it. It is not only a case of learning how to deal with new stress but also how to release the old stress of the past. Hypnotherapy can help people to do that.

CBT For Menopause Depression

Depression is notoriously difficult to deal with, and even diagnose according to the exposure in the media in recent months. Some symptoms of depression include:

lack of motivation
inability to concentrate
feeling sad
feeling hopeless
mood swings

These symptoms are also symptoms experienced by women going through the menopause. CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy is a way of learning to cope with depression and has been used by many women to help them cope with the menopause. CBT is a way of teaching and learning new habits and behaviours and these new habits and behaviours can be used to help stem the depression and feelings of sadness. CBT can also help teach people how to better communicate with others. A feeling of being misunderstood can be a contributory factor to depression so this can also help patients overcome their depression.

CBT For Insomnia: Sleep Without The Medication

If you are taking sleep medication prescribed by the doctor, then you should consult your doctor before coming off any medication. Many of the new medications prescribed have few side effects, but if you want to get off the medication and try natural remedies or alternatives, then a responsible therapist will always advise you to speak to your doctor before stopping the medication. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychotherapy, which has proved very effective in the past for many people suffering from insomnia. CBT works, as the name suggests, by modify behaviours or patterns that have become a habit, whether knowingly or not. For example, the therapist may work with you to try altering things such as waking up at the same time each day, avoiding short naps, minimising light and noise in the bedroom and getting out of bed if you're having trouble sleeping after fifteen minutes. Dependent upon your circumstance, situation and personal preference, CBT can also be combined with hypnotherapy, which can prove to speed up the process.

'What Not To Wear' Star Uses Cognitive Hypnotherapy

Star of BBC's 'What Not To Wear' programme, Lisa Butcher, started writing a new column in The Sun from July. In the column, Lisa talks about how she used cognitive hypnotherapy to help to boost her confidence when she first started working in front of the camera. Lisa said:

"When I started work on What Not To Wear at the BBC, the clothes I wore were important, but that was not enough to give me the confidence I needed. I discovered a solution in cognitive hypnotherapy/ neuro-linguistic programming... I went to two sessions and that was enough to build up my strengths and deal with my anxieties."

Hypnotherapy is generally acknowledged as being more effective when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy. As Lisa discovered, it is very effective and results can be achieved in very few sessions. Hypnotherapy is ideal for use with anxiety, confidence, stress or relaxation issues, insomnia, and many fears and phobias. As we have talked about in our earlier articles, many hypnotherapists offer a free consultation to give clients the opportunity to ask any questions they may have prior to a session.

Using Hypnotherapy for Motivation

Everyone is aware of using hypnosis to help them quit smoking, increase confidence, release their fears or lose weight and if you think about all these different effects, they are all changes to your life. At the end of the day, you need motivation to make change or you wouldn't change. However, even with motivation, even with wanting to change, change is not easy. Hypnotherapy helps with motivating you to change - from the inside, really motivating your unconscious self so that it is easy to make that change. You may need motivation for other changes, so think of all the things can hypnosis can help simply by focussing on your motivation for the task in hand. You might need motivation to set up your own business, focus on a particular task at work, or anything. Hypnosis will focus your mind and help you to concentrate. You can only work on one change at a time to help your unconscious mind to absorb the changes you need. Hypnosis can help remove those littles voices in your head that stop you from achieving your goal, voices like 'you don't deserve it', 'you're not good enough', 'you have no time' and more. Hypnotherapy can help to quieten those voices and even remove then. Don't let a lack of motivation stop you getting or doing what you want to in life.

What if I get stuck in hypnosis?

Although this may sound a bit of a daft question to some, it is in fact a very common fear amongst those unfamiliar with hypnosis and how it works. The simple answer is that this cannot happen. In all the centuries of hypnosis being used, there has never been a single report of someone getting stuck in hypnosis. People fear that they might not be able to come round or that if something happens to the hypnotherapist, then they will be left stuck in hypnosis. If something were to happen to the hypnotherapist, the hypnotised person would either awake straight away or they would simply drift off to sleep and wake up when they were ready. This misconception may have arisen when people have watched, usually on television, a hypnotised subject seemingly struggle to come round when the hypnotherapist asks them to. This is usually a simple case that the subject is enjoying the relaxed sensation so much that they don't really want to come out of it. Hypnosis is a really relaxing feeling. Indeed, patients remain in control at all times. It is very rare for someone to go into a deep trance so that they can't hear what the hypnotherapist is saying. Many people can hear every word that is said. If they wanted to come out of the trance, they could do so easily by just opening their eyes at any time.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is when two parties involve a neutral third party to help them overcome or resolve a dispute or argument. The third party is not advisory in any capacity but merely there to help the parties to come to a shared understanding of the situation and to work towards an agreed resolution. Mediation is also sometimes called 'alternative dispute resolution' (ADR). It can be undertaken by couples, two companies, or even two countries. Some examples of disputes which may be dealt with or helped by mediation include: Family:

Marital disagreements
Prenuptial agreements
Separation / divorce
Financial distribution
Parental / custody issues
Elderly care issues
Sibling conflictsWorkplace:

Workplace:

Wrongful termination
Harrassment
Discrimination
Grievances

Disputes involving the following issues:

Landlord/tenant issues
Builders/contractors/homeowners
Contracts
Medical malpractice
Personal injury
Partnerships

Other:

Youth/peer mediation
Violence prevention

Mediation is often cheaper than going to court, quicker and more effective. It is also more private and discreet.

In hypnosis, will I tell my secrets?

This is another common fear from clients, although not always a question they wish to ask. When you are in hypnosis, you will not give away any information that you do not wish to. This fear is based upon the misconceptions and highly dramatised versions of hypnosis shown in films or on television. Stage hypnosis and the media have helped to publicise misconceptions such as these. In hypnosis, you are in full control although many people find they are more receptive to suggestions whilst in hypnosis. Often, people report feeling more 'awake' and aware of what is going on than they are normally! If someone under hypnosis wants to stop the session at any time, it is very easy for them to do and they can simply open their eyes. It is very easy for someone to lie in hypnosis - this is one of the reasons why evidence obtained under hypnosis is inadmissible in a court of law. Hypnosis has been developed over centuries and has proven to be very effective in many ways.

Hypnosis Wakes You Up Before Your Alarm

Have you ever woken up just before the alarm has gone off? It happens to a lot of people and many put it down to co-incidence or habit without realising exactly why. Expectation is a huge power. When we expect something constantly, that expectation is embedded deep in our unconscious and that is what wakes us up. Hypnosis is a great way of making unconscious expectation louder. When we consciously expect something, it takes a while sometimes to filter through to our unconscious mind, however, hypnosis amplifies the effect and speeds it up. As an example, think of a placebo. When patients are in a trial and they have the placebo, they consciously expect the pain to go away or the symptoms to stop and their expectation is so powerful that the unconscious mind makes the physical pain relieving mechanism work and the pain goes away and the symptoms lift. When you have had to wake up early and have woken up before the alarm, it is a little like the placebo effect. Knowing you have to get up early causes the expectation to set your unconscious alarm. Those who suffer from lack of sleep or insomnia when they have to get up earlier than normal often say that knowing they have to get up early increases their stress levels and actually causes the insomnia itself. Expectation is very powerful and using hypnosis, we can harness this effect and use it.

Hypnotherapy As Botox

When we frown, whilst working or concentrating, we accelerate the wrinkling process. The more you frown, the more you will wrinkle and the quicker that process will be. Many people go to extreme lengths to try to combat the aging process, such as using wrinkle creams, face masks and botox has been in the media quite a lot. Hypnosis is often used to battle habits and if you think of frowning as a habit, there is no reason why it should not be used to combat frowning. Botox works by paralysing the muscles, stopping them from frowning using chemicals. Using hypnosis for this purpose is completely natural without any chemicals or other interference and will simply relax the frowning away. Hypnotherapists in Ontario have started offering hypnosis as a method of natural, non-invasive wrinkle prevention and cure.

Hypnotherapy and Public Speaking

Hypnotherapy is known for helping with many fears and phobias, the most common of which are things such as fear of flying, fear of spiders or other creepies or fear of heights. However, it can also help with things like a fear of public speaking. Many people may think that this is just the same as helping someone to build up their confidence, however, there are many confident people out there who would tell you that they have or had a fear of public speaking. Some get through it simply by forcing themselves to and with time and practice, they improve and feel better about it, the fear simply dissipates. However, for some, they simply cannot and will not speak in public. They may experience physical symptoms such as shaking, sweaty palms or a nervous voice, some may even throw up, so what do you do in this circumstance? Simply avoiding public speaking can be impossible for some, particularly in work situations. Such a fear can hold you back from getting on at work, possibly even preventing promotion. Hypnotherapy can help. Hypnotherapy is a very quick and effective therapy, and when combined with a therapy such as CBT, its chances of success are very high. Using hypnosis, it is possible to break old habits and patterns of behaviour that we have got ourselves into.

Symptoms of Depression

Depression is more common than you might think, however, it is also often misdiagnosed when people feel down or are going through a tough period in their lives. Here is a list of common depression symptoms. Many people do not experience them all but if you have a few of these it might be worth seeking some help. Depression does not always mean treatment through medication. Often, other therapies can also help, such as psychotherapy, CBT or hypnotherapy.

Low mood almost all day, every day
Loss of interest or enjoyment in activities you normally like
Feeling weepy, bursting into tears uncontrollably
Feeling guilty, worthless or useless a lot of the time
Lack of motivation, even for the simple thing sin life
Lack of concentration, even to watch tv, read or work
Lack of sleep or waking up early and unable to get back to sleep
Lack of energy, always tired
Going off sex and affection
Poor appetite resulting in weight loss
Too much appetite resulting in weight gain
Often irritable, restless and agitated
Symptoms are generally worse in the mornings
Physical symptoms such as more frequent headaches, chest pain or general aches
Preoccupation with death or suicide, thinking about it a lot

The more of these symptoms you are experiencing, the more likely it is that you are suffering from depression and should see a GP.

Can Everybody Be Hypnotised?

Some people will occasionally say that 'they can't be hypnotised'. Usually, what they are saying is that they don't want to be hypnotised. To be hypnotised, you must be willing to be hypnotised and able to concentrate on what the hypnotherapist is saying. Most people can manage that and so on the whole, yes, everybody can be hypnotised to one extent or another. However, there are a few people for whom it might be difficult. For example, those who have taken a lot of drugs or those who are on the autistic scale. For everyone else, practice makes perfect. Hypnosis is a perfectly natural state of mind, a state that you enter almost every day and hence there is nothing wrong in that. It may seem strange to be entering hypnosis consciously, but it is something that we can all learn and benefit from.

The Problem With Group Smoking Cessation Classes

Some hypnotherapy centres or hypnotherapists hold group sessions for those who wish to quit smoking. Advantages of the group sessions are mainly for the pocket as they are much cheaper for the attendees. For the hypnotherapist, it usually guarantees a weekly slot and there will be those who keep coming back. However, the success rate in group stop smoking classes is generally lower and there are a few reasons for this. Firstly, some attendees may not relax as they would in a private setting, hence hypnosis is slightly more difficult to achieve. It may take a couple of sessions to achieve it and in the meantime, many may give up believing that they should only need one or two sessions or that hypnotherapy 'doesn't work for them'. The hypnotherapist cannot tailor the session to each individual and dependent upon the individual's circumstances, a personalised session may be required. What works for one person may not work for another and a trained hypnotherapist can personalise a session for an individual. For that reason, group smoking cessation classes are often not much more successful than using a self-hypnosis CD from home.

Music Star Had Hypnotherapy for Nerves

Earlier this month, country music star Adam Harvey had his fans on the edge of their seats during his Australian tour. He and his support act, Catherine Britt, performed an unforgettable show in Melbourne, leaving everybody wanting more. Harvey took the centre stage, entertaining his audience from the moment he started singing, with the whole theatre singing and dancing along with him. Both singers joined together to perform the finale songs, ending the show on a high. Afterwards, in an interview with the Star newspaper, many were surprised to hear that Harvey had suffered from nerves for many years, which reached an unbearable peak for him when he started supporting artists like Gina Jeffreys and Kasey Chambers about ten years ago. Harvey then decided to go for hypnotherapy and said that since then he has not suffered from nerves at all. Harvey said:

"I enjoy being close to the audience. For a performer, it’s a relaxing feeling. I ended up having hypnotherapy and ever since then, I’ve never felt nervous."

Since then, Harvey has gone on to become a six time Golden Guitar winner and nerves have not been a problem. Even stars have hypnotherapy for nerves and stress management.

Top Uses for CBT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT as it is often referred to, is a relatively quick form of treatment when compared to others, often requiring only 10 to 15 weekly one hour sessions. The exact number depends on the individual and the problem, as CBT requires active participation by the individual. Many people are unsure what CBT does. It is a behaviour therapy, meaning that it aims to correct negative or unwanted patterns of behaviour or thought. Here is a list of the top uses for CBT:

Stress
Schizophrenia
Anorexia
Bulimia
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Anger management
Insomnia
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
Depression
Phobias

Many therapists like to combine CBT with other therapies, such as hypnotherapy, which often helps to speed up the process.

What Happens in a CBT session?

CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Within the session, the success of CBT treatment depends mainly upon your own participation in the process, hence there is usually an initial consultation with the therapist to discuss any questions or concerns you might have. It also gives you the chance to ask the therapist any questions you might have. During the session, you will work with your CBT therapist to identify negative or unwanted patterns of behaviour or thought. Together, you will plan your structured therapy and the objectives you'd like to achieve from your therapy. As part of CBT treatment, you will usually receive 'homework' that you choose with your therapist. It could include something like keeping a diary, reading material or some other specific task. The homework usually allows you the opportunity to test out techniques you have learned or gradually increase your exposure to certain situations. Common CBT techniques include challenging beliefs you have learned that are negatively affecting your life, replacing these with more positive believes, stopping unwanted or negative thoughts, assertiveness and social skills. Compared with many alternative treatments, CBT is relatively quick, often requiring 10 to 15 sessions, usually held weekly. The number of sessions could be reduced when combined with other therapies such as hypnotherapy. The exact number of sessions will depend on the individual, and the issue to be dealt with. A typical session lasts about one hour.

Knee Surgery Under Hypnosis

A 67 year old pensioner has had knee surgery using only hypnosis for the pain at the private Orthopaedics and Spine Specialist Hospital in Peterborough. Bernadine Coady from Peterborough underwent the one hour knee surgery, normally performed under a general anaesthetic, where the surgeon drills into the knee and inserts a camera. Mrs Coady is a trained hypnotherapist and has worked using hypnosis for 15 years, so she actually hypnotised herself! A spokesperson for the hospital said that the surgeon had known Mrs Coady for many years, having done three operations in this way for her now, two of them being for her foot. They confirmed this is the only patient they have ever performed surgery on using nothing but hypnosis and should anybody else wish to do this, they would have to consider it on an individual basis. In some countries, hypnosis has been used as a method of pain control for many years, particularly in Belgium, where it is offered as an alternative to general anaesthetic where it is very successful and patients report feeling no pain.

Psychotherapists Complain About Government Focus On CBT

In a Daily Mail article this week, leading psychotherapists complain that depression sufferers may not be receiving the best treatment because they claim that the government is obsessed with just one form of therapy. In 2007, Health Secretary Alan Johnson stated that the government would spend £173 million per year on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT involves exploring how a patient thinks and the patterns ov=f behaviour that they use, rather than worrying about the cause of any mental health issues. At an international conference yesterday at the University of East Anglia, leading psychology experts have demanded a wider range of therapies on the NHS. Although they agree that CBT has its place and is of high value, they worry that the government is focussing too much on CBT and neglecting other treatments which in some cases could be better for the patient.

Professor Mick Cooper of the University of Strathclyde said: 'The Government's decision to spend £173million on CBT can only be applauded, but not all clients will benefit from that approach."

Atomic Kitten Liz Lost Weight With Hypnotherapy

For those who watched Celebrity Love Island, it was painful to watch as 27 year old, Atomic Kitten's blonde bombshell Liz McClarnon competed with fellow celebrities Lady Isabella Hervey and Rebecca Loos in competitive weigh ins. According to Liz, she was not short of self confidence but the competitive weigh ins left her feeling humiliated and self conscious. Liz told Now Magazine:

"I was uncomfortable the whole time and hunched my shoulders to hide my body. When I got home and saw the pictures, I knew I had to do something. It wasn't just my weight that bothered me, but my lack of confidence. I didn't want to be that hunched, shy girl."

Liz turned to her mum, a qualified hypnotherapist, for help and to stop her old junk food addiction. Before the hypnosis, Liz said she used to eat lots of chocolate and around four packets of crisps each day. She said that after just the one hypnotherapy session, her food habits started to change and it was easy to do so. The hypnotherapy helped her to lose more than one stone and she has now dropped from a size 12 to a svelte size 8 figure. Hypnotherapy can really help with weight loss as it can help you to change old habits.

Top 7 Uses of Hypnotherapy

When we refer to hypnotherapy, we are not talking about hypnotism such as that used for stage hypnosis. Hypnosis used in therapy has no need to even attempt to make you cluck like a chicken or dance around, and you would wake up in an instant if the hypnotherapist even suggested such a thing. We are talking about hypnosis used for therapeutic purposes. Hypnotherapy is much more common nowadays although many people still prefer to avoid telling their friends or acquaintances that they have had it. Here is a list of the top seven uses of hypnotherapy:

Smoking cessation - this is probably the first many will think of and the most common, stopping people from smoking. This can often be achieved in as little as one session
Weight loss
Anxiety / confidence
Fear of flying
Fear of heights
Fear of spiders or other creepy crawlies
Insomnia

You will note that three of our top seven are fears or phobias. Hypnotherapy is very effective at helping people to overcome their fears or change their habits and when combined with another therapy such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) it can be even more powerful.

Evil Hypnosis - or is it?

For decades hypnosis was seen as an evil thing, the work of the devil almost. However, in recent years, people have started to see hypnosis in a different way. Firstly, it has made a huge change in perception through the use of stage hypnotism and many began to see it as a form of entertainment. Stage hypnotism even made its way onto television through the likes of Paul McKenna and one or two other popular hypnotists. However, although stage hypnotism helped people to see that hypnosis is not evil, it did little for its reputation as a therapy. This does seem to be changing nowadays as its therapeutic purposes have been highlighted, again through the likes of Paul McKenna, and yet it is still not considered a mainstream alternative therapy. Combined with other therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), hypnotherapy (the use of hypnosis for therapeutic purposes) is more and more becoming accepted. We still feel the wrath of the stage hypnotist, however, as many hypnotherapists have to commence their discussions with an explanation of the difference between stage hypnotism and hypnotherapy.

The Origins of Hypnotherapy

Many cultures claim to be responsible for the creation of hypnosis and hypnotherapy, so its exact origins are unclear. However, many agree that Franz Mesmer had something to do with its popularity in the UK. Different aspects of hypnosis were discovered by different people, particularly when you think about the therapeutic aspects. Mesmerise and hypnotise are words often used interchangeably and this originated from Franz Mesmer, who is often credited with the technique of originally putting people into a trance, i.e. into hypnosis. Frederick (Franz) Mesmer was born in 1734 in Germany and later moved to Austria to work as a physician. He believed the stars and planets had an invisible magnetic energy that affected not just the water on the earth's seas but also the liquid within humans and animals. He started by placing magnets onto clients and stroking their body to transfer his 'animal magnetism' from his body to theirs, channelling the energy by using a wand. He later thought that it was his own ability to transfer his magnetism that cured his clients. He had many medical successes that he credited to his own hypnotising ability. What many people later believed is that during the hypnosis he was giving direct suggestions to the client so they would heal themselves. Mesmer's healing successes and flamboyant act was popular with his fans, but his strange tactics were naturally unpopular with the scientific professions. In 1778 he was struck off the medical register and left Vienna. He then moved to Paris and continued, building a greater following, including Marie Antoinette. King Louis XVI in 1784 ordered an investigation into whether or not Mesmer had discovered a new bodily fluid. When this could not be proven, Mesmer was driven out of Paris. He went back to Vienna and lived out his days relatively inconspicuously. He died in 1815 aged 81. So there you have it, this is how hypnosis, although known by a different name and in a different guise, was possibly discovered.

University Targets Children's Seizures With Hypnosis

Stanford University's Lucile Parkard's Hospital have been using hypnosis to avoid months and possibly even years of wasted time when diagnosing children's seizures and prescribing drugs. Physicians used hypnosis to check the diagnosis. When diagnosing seizures, it can be difficult to establish the areas of the brain that cause the seizure. Previously, that has meant monitoring the child, whilst hooked up to monitors, and then waiting for days at a time hoping that the child would have a seizure whilst in the hospital. The waiting can be very traumatic for both the child and their family. Another consideration is that the child is in hospital, away from the factors that may be causing or contributing to the onset of the seizures so they may not even be able to have a seizure in hospital. To combat this problem, the physicians were able to hypnotise the children. Children are usually much easier to hypnotise than adults because their imagination is much more active and impressionable. In hypnosis, the doctors were able to induce a seizure by asking the child to simply imagine they were going through a seizure. Whilst under hypnosis, the brain activity can be monitored and this tells the physicians whether seizures are epileptic and need drugs, or non-epileptic, needing psychological or neurological treatment. In a trial of nine children, the hypnotherapist was able to induce a seizure in eight cases, confirming the diagnosis. When the children were experiencing non-epileptic seizures, a combination of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy was used to allow the children to recognise the causal factors and use self-hypnosis to 'turn off' their reactions thus preventing a seizure. The hospital found that although many parents and families were initially sceptical of hypnosis, they soon realised the benefits. You can read the complete article from Medical News Today

Improving Relationships With Hypnosis

Have you ever noticed that your current relationships are influenced by your past? Many experiences from our past influence how we deal with and see new relationships. Often, we do not consciously realise, or maybe we do but cannot fix, the 'left over' issues that may be preventing us moving on with our life or living our life to its full potential. It is fairly common knowledge that hypnotherapy can help people to gain confidence, but many do not realise the many other areas in which it can help, especially when combined with another powerful therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Areas such as increasing sexuality between partners, opening communication channels and other emotions required for a relationship to have a good chance of success. Hypnosis cannot make you fall in love again but we all know that when our self esteem is low it can damage a friendship or relationship. A hypnotherapist can help you to break old patterns of critical thoughts, removing negative tendencies and helping you to achieve inner peace. Just knowing you have a problem does not help you to resolve the problem; the patterns need to be broken. All this does not mean that hypnotherapy can make you the perfect partner, however, it can help resolve negative feelings in particular areas that may be adversely affecting your life and if you do wish to use hypnotherapy, or any other therapy for that matter, for couples counselling, then both partners must be willing to give it a try.

Combating Bulimia with CBT

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is generally thought of as being one of the most successful psychotherapies for bulimia, or bulimia nervosa. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder where the sufferer will often binge on extremes of food and then force themselves to throw it up to prevent themselves from gaining weight. Many sufferers report a feeling of loss of control whilst binging and the purging is often their way of gaining back that control. CBT, especially when combined with hypnosis, is a very effective and quick therapy. When dealing with bulimia, CBT aims to interrupt the old thinking processes associated with the issue, such as the preoccupation with food or weight, the 'all or nothing' thought process and the low self esteem that generally comes with bulimia. It also aims to interrupt the 'binge-purge' cycle. Many therapists will ask their patients to keep a food diary and give feedback on the meal plans, triggers of thought processes, etc. CBT and hypnosis is used to challenge these old patterns. Around 50 per cent of bulimics are able to stop the binge-purge cycle using CBT. From the remaining fifty per cent, many show partial improvement and only a small minority do not respond. Sometimes, bulimia is a symptom of a food-obsessed family background so occasionally, family therapy is also recommended to decrease the chance of a relapse.

Hypnosis and Shyness

Many people associate hypnotherapy with building a person's self-confidence and self-image, however, they may not associate hypnosis with the physical benefits of a similar nature. When someone suffers from a lack of self-confidence, they often experience physical symptoms of shyness as well, which will make them feel worse, hence their confidence is reduced and so the cycle continues. For example, they may blush uncontrollably or their nerves may also mean they suffer from sweating or shaking as well. These physical symptoms can make increasing your own confidence feel more difficult. Hypnotherapy can help with these symptoms, by helping a person to control them from the inside. Combined with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), hypnosis can be even more effective. Together, they can help someone to break past habits and behaviours, even physical ones can be broken and new habits learned to replace them with new found confidence.

How Hypnotherapy Can Help Insomnia

When you are having trouble sleeping, it can affect all areas of your life. You feel tired, lethargic, can get run down and become ill, feel ill-tempered and emotional and take it out on your family, friends and work colleagues. Hypnotherapy is often a great help in curing insomnia, especially when combined with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). One common theme, usually present with those who regularly suffer from insomnia, is that they are thinkers and over-think or over-analyse situations. Hypnotherapy can help to break the over-thinking and old sleeping pattern. A good therapist will also teach you strategies to help reduce over-thinking and learn to let go. If you are suffering from insomnia or having difficulty sleeping, why not try hypnotherapy?

A Virtual Gastric Band To Lose Weight

In the last year or so, publicity about the fitting of a gastric band around your stomach to help you lose weight has heightened and many people have undergone the procedure, despite its £7,000 plus price tag. Now imagine that if you were overweight and hypnotised, you could wake up convinced you had had the procedures and could experience all the sensations of the gastric band, including the steady weight loss without actually having had the surgery. For one Britishrun clinic in southern Spain, they have been finetuning hypnotherapy combined with cognitive behavioural therapy to do just that. The patient undergoes six relaxing and pleasant sessions over a two weeks period, including one deep hypnotherapy session where they have the gastric band 'virtually fitted'. Just like when you have a real gastric band fitted, the patients even re-visit the clinic over the ensuing months to adjust the 'virtual gastric band' to suit the weight loss rate agreed. The use of hypnotherapy and CBT has been publicised widely as ideal therapies to combine, each 'underpins' the other, working in conjunction with each other for some amazingly effective results in all sorts of cases. Even the BBC has run several documentary programmes on the use of the two therapies. Indeed, even the medical profession has now come round to accept the idea of the Mind - Body Link, and it may well be the answer to our global obesity issue. In the case of the gastric band scenario, if nothing else, the client saves the £7,000 fee, the hospitalisation and surgery, no risks of MRSA, anasthetic or DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and more. As hypnotherapy grows in popularity and becomes more widely accepted as people now feel it is not 'taboo' to talk about it, we may well be seeing a real increase in acceptance from the medical profession.

Hypnosis Cures Gambling Addiction

A local newspaper in Huddersfield, reported this week that hypnotherapy cured a compulsive gambler of his addiction, against all the odds. Gambler Tony Mays, aged 38, has quit his gambling habits and sold his Village Bakery business in Marsden, to move to France for a new life with his wife Zoe. Mr Mays said it took just three hypnotherapy sessions to cure him completely. After the third session, he said:

“I knew instantly that I would never bet again. I couldn’t even bring myself to buy a lottery ticket.”

From the age of 13, Mr Mays said he started gambling in the arcades whilst living in Blackpool. He continued:

“I’d probably known since the age of 20 that I had a problem, which I tried to hide. It wasn’t the money that was a problem – I didn’t get into debt or put my career or business at risk – it was the amount of time it took up. I felt guilty that Zoe was always waiting around for me and I felt tired all the time. I must have spent around 30 hours a week in the bookies. It was compulsive to go every day.”

When his mother died from cancer one year ago, Mr Mays decided to change. During his three hynotherapy sessions Mr Mays also learned to self-hypnotise and claims it has also helped him to get fit and lose weight.

“Over a year on, my former gambling colleagues still can’t believe the change. When we went back to Blackpool I had absolutely no desire to gamble, I just wanted to tell all the lads playing the machines to get treatment.”

The Effectiveness Of Hypnotherapy In Smoking Cessation

Earlier this year, the results of more than six hundred individual studies on more than 72000 people were combined to get an overall success rate from several methods of smoking cessation. On average, each one had a success rate of about 19 per cent, and as you might expect, the highest success rate was from the group of people with serious heart health problems, although it was disappointing to see that even these had only a 36 per cent success rate. Across the board, however, the most successful treatment was hypnotherapy. Patients were given suggestions whilst in a relaxed hypnotic trance and the success rate was 30 per cent. After that, was combination therapy. Combination therapy was 29 per cent. This means where more than one therapy is combined, such as exercise and breathing methods or cognitive behavioural therapy combined with hypnosis. Old fashioned methods, such as having your stale cigarette smoke blown in your face was surprisingly successful with 25 per cent. Acupuncture followed with 24 per cent. GP advise was the least successful. Some people were successful with just sheer willpower at only 6 per cent. Self help books or magazines were 9 per cent and nicotine gum at 10 per cent. Hypnotherapy can be very effective when giving up smoking and many people are surprised at the level of success that can be achieved in a mere one session. According to the British Society of Medical & Dental Hypnosis, the latest hypnosis techniques have been up to 60 per cent successful from just one session. However, for hypnotherapy to work on anything, you must want it to work and want it enough. For example, if you really love smoking and you are only going along to hypnosis because your partner asked you to, then it is not as likely to work successfully.

Hypnosis & Weight Loss

Even if you don't believe that hypnosis can help you to lose weight by itself, there is no doubt that many people find it difficult to stick to a diet or exercise plan. This is where hypnosis can help. It can help to retrain your mind to increase your motivation, make that motivation feel more real for you and keep it in your mind. Hypnotherapy can help you to think like a leaner person and develop new habits as well as discard old ones. This does not, however, make it the easy option and you should be wary of wild and exaggerated claims that it is some sort of magic. It is a shame that there are not more scientific, properly monitored studies into hypnosis and its effect on weight loss. Mott (1982) said:

"although hypnosis is sometimes referred to as a method of treatment, it is more accurate to regard hypnosis as a facilitator of a number of different treatment methods."

Previous studies have shown that hypnotherapy works best when combined with a behavioural weight management program and works best when the hypnosis is tailored to the individual rather than just a group programme, which is why many people prefer to visit a hypnotherapist rather than use a CD recording. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps to identify problematic behaviours and retrain and adopt new behaviours. If you are interested in how hypnotherapy can help you to lose weight, ask for details.

Obesity In 2010

In recent years, obesity has become a favourite topic for many documentaries and in the news, with many articles and much publicity on the damage it can do to our bodies, our nation and ultimately our children. A government report published earlier this year predicted that by 2010, more than 12 million adults and a million children will be classed as obese. The problem is getting worse and we need to do something about it now. Just going on a diet does not usually turn out to be a permanent solution for many people and to truly combat obesity requires a change in lifestyle. However, willpower and motivation play a huge factor. Hypnotherapy is often used for weight loss and to help battle obesity so hypnotherapists are likely to see an even larger increase in the number of clients wanting hypnosis for this reason. Over-eating is an emotional need or want rather than a physical one and hence it makes sense to tackle the problem emotionally as well as physically. Many people associate eating with a comfort or habit or they overeat when they experience emotional turmoil of some kind, or a regular emotion such as boredom or upset. For this reason, other therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) are ideal as this therapy focuses upon habits and behaviour and works to replace these with more positive habits. Many people like to find a hypnotherapist who is able to combine the best techniques from more than one therapy to suit the individual, for example, CBT can be combined with hypnotherapy and has proved very effective.

Are We Handling Depression Incorrectly?

An article in the Daily Mail last week talked about how using the wrong drugs could actually be causing depression rather than helping it. When we feel tired and find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, there has been some concern in the media recently that family doctors diagnose depression too easily. According to a new book by Professor Jane Plant, a London University College scientist, called Beating Stress, Anxiety and Depression, many of the two million people in the UK who take antidepressants are actually misdiagnosed. 'A study by an American psychiatrist found that more than 10 per cent of patients diagnosed with mental illness are actually suffering from an underlying physical condition, such as a heart murmur or a mineral deficiency such as calcium or magnesium that causes depression-like symptoms,' says Professor Plant. Many believe that within the NHS, there is too much emphasis on a 'one size fits all' approach and feel that other methods should be taken into consideration, such as using alternatives where possible, such as counselling, psychotherapy and other forms of stress management. For example, many people suffering from anxiety react well to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as this looks at their existing patterns of behaviours and triggers and trains them to react and think differently, so they can avoid anxiety at different situations. CBT is often combined with relaxation therapies, such as hypnotherapy, to make it even more effective. It's also a relatively quick therapy and there is no need for drugs. However, even the alternative treatments should be considered for individual cases. For example, CBT would not be as helpful for someone with post-natal depression, for example, as this is considered a hormonal issue and is best treated by support, counselling or psychotherapy where needed. We live in a nation where we are sometimes too hasty to turn to drugs, our doctors are overworked and alternative treatments and therapies are often still overlooked by many.

Hypnotherapy and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hypnotherapy can be used for many ailments, including many clearly emotional, such as self-confidence and also those that you may not at first believe could be connected to your mind. When diagnosed with arthritis, it can be devastating. Such a chronic illness can lead people to feel many negative emotions, such as anger and depression. This in turn can lead to insomnia, mood issues and a lack of appetite. Furthermore, many wonder what their future may be like, what medication they'll require and as such this can lead to losing the self-image they have held of themselves for many years. Naturally, there are many physical things you can do to help, such as changing your diet to avoid dairy and fat. This can minimise the inflammation and reduce your pain. Many people lead a pain free life whilst still having arthritis. Hypnotherapy can help in reducing the pain and regaining self-image. Techniques such as visualisation and positive affirmations are used. Arthritis is an ongoing condition and so many people prefer to have three or more session with a hypnotherapist to start them off. A good hypnotherapist will be able to teach you self hypnosis techiques that you can then continue to use yourself at home. Self hypnosis helps to focus the mind on the body and your immune system. Many find that it helps to control stress and negative emotions, which do directly affect your symptoms. Many also find it reduces the pain felt.

Use Hypnotherapy For Achievement In Sport

When you partake in any physical activity or sport, many people start to find reasons for failing before they've even set out. In recent years, many have come to accept that your mental state is an important factor in anything that you do, and that includes sport or athletics. Yet, it is still one of the most neglected areas in sports training. Is it really possible that hypnotherapy can be used to help train your mind to help you achieve your physical goals? We need to learn to use our minds in a positive way and we tend to get what we focus on. We need to learn to expect success rather than failure and this makes a key difference in anything we do. Hypnotherapy can help you to change your focus and our approach, to make us feel more confident, set realistic goals, reduce anxiety and maintain a positive attitude. Hypnotherapy has been used in sports therapy for many decades and is still little known. Famous sports stars have used hypnotherapy, for example, Tiger Woods for his golf. Many of them, however, prefer to keep this quiet because of the age old myths and misconceptions about hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is a highly effective method to improve your mental attitude and focus and like anything else, practice and preparation improves performance. When times are tough, when you're feeling mentally or physically exhausted, your hypnotherapy sessions will kick in. You will be able to shake off discouragement and anxiety and focus on the matter in hand. Concentration and technique will be easier to find. A hypnotherapy session for sports enhancement can be customised to the individual and when combined with CBT techniques, hypnosis can be even more effective.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, otherwise known as CBT, is a form of psychotherapy most effective in a face to face consultation with a therapist. It is a form of counselling based upon individual assumptions, beliefs and behaviours and modifying those by developing new behaviour. The technique is easily adaptable to individual clients by identifying key areas, associated feelings and thoughts. It is commonly used in conjunction with relaxation methods and distraction techniques. For this reason, it is an ideal therapy to combine with something like hypnotherapy. By doing this, the client gets the advantages of both therapies. Hypnotherapy, when combined with cognitive behavioural therapy, is incredibly effective and many clients feel the benefit after as little as just one single session. The use of hypnotherapy and CBT separately have both been shown to work very well with children and adolescents as well. CBT is commonly used for anxiety disorders, mood problems, trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Cognitive behavioural therapy can also be used as a stand alone therapy if necessary.

Hypnotherapy Cured Bedwetting

This weekend, the Times told the story of one boy's experience with bedwetting and how it was cured using hypnotherapy. The boy, aged 9, grew up with a normal background but was still wetting the bed by age seven. The problem was causing him embarrassment and making him withdrawn at school and socially, as it does with many young children. Using hypnosis, the boy was cured within three months after years of suffering and attempts at many different treatments. Bedwetting is also known as nocturnal enuresis and is very common in children, particularly in boys, according to the NHS. It is particularly common in those aged under seven years old. Children are particularly receptive to hypnosis and hypnotherapy because they are still very used to using their imagination so they usually find it quite easy. Guided imagery can be a little like storytime to them. When searching for a hypnotherapist, be sure to use someone who has experience in working with children. Most hypnotherapists offer a free initial hypnotherapy consultation for a free chat, where you can be sure that you or your child feels comfortable with the hypnotherapist and can ask any questions that you'd like.

Top 5 Hypnotherapy Myths

The publicity of hypnosis has been poorly presented over the years and as a result many people have misconceptions about hypnosis and confuse hypnosis with hypnotherapy. Hypnosis is the state of relaxation achieved and hypnotherapy is the use of hypnosis for therapeutic benefit. Many people feel apprehensive when they go for their first hypnotherapy appointment because they aren't sure what to expect. Here is a list of five common myths about hypnotherapy: 1 - The hypnotist can make you do anything. This is false. Hypnotherapy relies on you being willing and a hypnotherapist would not even try to make you do anything you did not want to 2 - You are asleep or unconscious. This is false. You will not be asleep or unconscious, in fact, you are only relaxed and will hear what is said 3 - You won't be able to open your eyes. Another falsehood, you can open your eyes at any time you want to 4 - It is dangerous. This is not true. Hypnosis is a perfectly safe, controlled method of relaxation and therapy anda safe way for you to access your subconscious mind 5 - It is guaranteed. Again, this is not true. Hypnosis is not magic and although it has a very high success rate and works quickly in a matter of just a few sessions, like anything in life it is not 100% guaranteed If you are considering hypnotherapy, be sure to choose a qualified hypnotherapist with a reputable company.

Omagh Victims Would Benefit From Psychotherapy

Yesterday, one of the UK's top psychiatrists told the Belfast High Court that the families of the victims of the Omagh tragedy has received inappropriate treatment. This is week six of the trial and Dr Nicholas Cooling, a psychotherapist and psychiatrist of more than 25 years, suggested to the court that had the right treatment been available, many of these families would have been able to move on. Dr Cooling said that many of them suffered from Post Traumatic Stress disorder and chronic depression and the counselling that they had received had not been beneficial. Dr Cooling recommended that therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with psychotherapy would have been much better than the counselling they had received.

"Unfortunately the help available was not effective. None of these people had any effective psychotherapy intervention," he told the court.

Psychotherapy can be extremely effective when dealing with deep issues, in particular where distress is being caused from past situations.

Bride Hypnotised for Fear of Vomiting

An article in the Telegraph today talked about a bride who has enrolled herself in hypnotherapy to cure her fear of vomiting, otherwise known as emetophobia. In fact, she is so scared of vomiting on her wedding dress that she has postponed her big day until she has been cured. 19 year old, Emma Pelling, is a trainee vet and has suffered from emetophobia for the last five years. She feels the irrational fear has stemmed from a time when she was sick in front of her classmates and felt embarrassed. This week, Ms Pelling will visit a hypnotherapist to try to cure her problem. Hypnotherapy is a great, and often speedy, therapy to cure phobias and emetophobia is a debilitating problem for its sufferers who often steer clear of places where they have previously been sick or feel the fear strongly. It is important that sufferers do not feel alone, there is help available and Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, counselling and psychotherapy can all help to cure this problem completely.

What happens in a hypnotherapy session?

The first thing to clarify when talking about hypnosis or hypnotherapy, is that you can forget the swinging fob watch, the 'look into my eyes' mantra and clucking like a chicken. Hypnotherapy is hypnosis used for therapeutic purposes and the above methods of hypnosis are used for stage hypnotism. In a hypnotherapy session, the therapist will talk to you and place you in a highly relaxed state. Hypnotherapy is an enjoyable experience and allowing you to feel refreshed and relaxed afterwards. To help you achieve this highly relaxed state, the therapist will talk you through a series of exercises, which may include muscle relaxation exercises or a visualisation. A hypnotherapy session will usually consist of four parts: The first is a fact find, where the hypnotherapist will talk to you about your issue and what you want to get out of the hypnotherapy session The second is what the therapists refer to as the 'induction' - it sounds scary but this is simply the process we talked about above, i.e. getting you into a relaxed state The third is the hypnotherapy itself, where the therapist will talk to you and help you to achieve what you want to Finally, the therapist will end the hypnosis, bringing you gently out of the relaxed state. Hypnosis is a wonderful feeling and a relatively quick therapy, so many people feel a difference after just one or two sessions.

National Hypnotherapy Week 2008

This week, from the 2nd June to the 8th June, is National Hypnotherapy Week. National Hypnotherapy Week is sponsored by the National Council for Hypnotherapists. In recent years, hypnotherapy has seen a surge in popularity as more and more people come to recognise its benefits. In many practices, hypnotherapy is combined with other complementary therapies, such as NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), to gain the maximum benefit tailored to the individual. Hypnotherapy is a safe and fast solution. Amongst other things, hypnotherapy has helped people with smoking cessation, weight loss, confidence issues such as self esteem, public speaking and performance anxiety and phobias from needles, dogs and spiders. Hypnotherapy is as effective with children as it is with adults. Indeed, children often find it easier to enter the relaxed state required as its so similar to what they do when playing and using their imagination. Many children have found hypnotherapy to solve common childhood issues such as bedwetting, nail-biting, nightmares, food phobias and exam stress. When combined with NLP, hypnotherapy can help both adults and children identify unhelpful patterns of thought, feelings and behaviour and to create new, more helpful patterns to help them overcome problems in their day-to-day lives. When considering a hypnotherapist, check that they are registered with at least one of the national hypnotherapy bodies.

Has Paul Gascoigne lost his job or his identity?

Recent press stories about ex-England footballer, Paul Gascoigne, and his slide into mental illness, demonstrate well how an apparent loss of identity can lead to such negative effect.

Whilst few would argue that Gascoigne’s health issues are entirely due to the end of his sporting career, it could be reasonably argued that the loss of his job will undoubtedly have fuelled other, more latent, psychological factors and patterns of behaviour.

At Pinnacle Therapy, we often work with clients who struggle to come to terms with certain life changing events that are often beyond their control such as redundancy or loss of a career.

It may be that negative, potentially destructive thoughts have simply gained control over the underlying positive strengths.

A significant part of our therapeutic work involves helping the individual to re-visit their core values, skills and talents. In so doing, new potential outlets are frequently discovered; utilising qualities that already exist and have merely been unearthed.

Once an individual gains a better insight into their situation the positives begin to take control over the negatives.

Gascoigne’s perceived loss of identity is not just a self-indulgence reserved for celebs and VIP’s but could happen to anyone.

Emotions do not have to reach such a deep level of despair, as those experienced by Paul Gascoigne, in order for someone to seek help. The time to begin correcting symptoms is when early warning signs appear.

Courtesy of SEJ Consultancy (UK) Ltd