During the first session there will be a discussion about hypnosis to ensure that you are well informed and comfortable before moving ahead.

Hypnosis is a naturally occuring state of focused attention.  You will be invited to close your eyes and that immediately excludes any visual distractions and this can help you narrow your focus onto what's going on inside your mind and body.

Whilst in hypnosis we are working to create a mindset where your inner focus becomes more signifcant, more real to you than external reality. With that level of focused attention you develop a special kind of cognitive flexibility - an ability to experience your life and situation from a different perspective, This can have a powerful and positive effect on the way that you think and respond .

You could think of hypnosis as being like watching a good movie. You become absorbed in what is infolding on the screen. You may feel scared, tense or sad depending on how the storyline is developing for the film's hero. For a while you are focused intently on this expereince and it becomes your reality for a time. Yet all the time you are sitting in the comfort of your cinema seat or favourite chair at home. It's all about where your direct your attention.

Your brain can struggle to distinguish between outer reality and imagined reality and so by using hypnosis to create a positive version of your reality we can help the brain to adopt the desired positive version of yourself.

It is thought that only a very small percentage of people will struggle to focus and go into hypnosis. An equally small number of people will be hypnotic virtuosos (like those that you might see eating raw onions at one of those hypnosis stage shows).

The majority of people are absolutely fine with it and studies suggest that it is someting that you improve at with a little practice. If you are able to direct your thoughts and imagine things then you will be fine.

Mostly you will remember what happens, but not always.

Hypnosis is not sleep - you will hear everything that I say, but you will likely only remember as much as you would from any normal conversation. This is because there will be times when you are listening intently to what I am saying, As the session progresses, you may find that your mind becomes absorbed in imagined experiences and you may have a sense of drifting a little.

People often report that it felt iike they were in hypnosis for just 10-15 minutes when in fact it was 50 minutes

In the first session we will have a thorough discussion about the issue and what you would like to achieve. It is important to spend time in conversation so that you have the opportunity to express yourself and be heard. This allows me to build my understanding of what you are wanting to achieve and helps us to develop a mutual understanding and trust - this is a key element of successful therapeutic work.

We will discuss hypnosis, what it is and what it isn't and I will explain my approach and why I believe it will work for you. We will of course use hypnosis from the very first session. Subsequent sessions will always include a conversation initially to discuss progress and any challenges and this will help to shape the treatment plan.

Hypnosis tends to have a very calming and relaxing quality to it and this can have huge benefits if you are suffering with anxiety and stress. When we are stressed or anxious, our sympathetic nervous system is cranked up and releases stress hormones, triggered by the 'fight flight' response. Hypnosis can be used to activate and enhance the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the 'rest and relax' response and this can be used deliberately to reduce the sensitivity to triggers.

With depression we would work on helping your mind to focus on more positive experiences to help lift mood. Hypnotherapy should be considered as complementary to any treatment you are receiving from the medical profession and not a replacement for it.

I believe great things are possible and have indeed witnessed many!

Most of the time we are stuck because we have learned behaviours or habitual responses that don't serve us. We may not have learned these deliberately or consciously, but in most cases the things that hold us back are not behaviours or responses that we were born with. If you can learn to be this way, then you can learn to respond in a better way. 

Coming to a a session with a positive expection and a belief that things will change positively for you is a great starting point. We are working with the mind here and the messages and suggestions that we perpetually feed our minds will drive our habitual responses.

Come to the sessions with belief and expectation and lets see what we can achieve together. This is not something that I 'do to you' and you magically change, - this is a collaboration, you have to play your part too. If you, do great things are possible!

Hypnosis is like meditation in many ways but not quite the same. Hypnosis is inherantly used to overcome a problem or achieve a specific goal or outcome.

Meditation is less goal directed but they both share the common theme of focusing on your inner thoughts and sensations, and relaxation is often a key quality

All hypnosis is essentially self hypnosis. It is in essence simply a way of focusing your mind and thinking in a certain way. Thinking is not dangerous and nor is hypnosis. It is not a matter of hading over control of the mind, it is about taking back control of your mind and the way that you habitually think and respond. You can't get stuck in hypnosis. You will not be asked to do anything that you are not entirely comfortable with.

Think of it as being like a SatNav in a car. The SatNav suggests a route, but you don’t have to accept the suggested route and you remain in control at all times.