Hypnosis is a pleasant and calming experience that can help you quickly change your life! It is non invasive and relatively low-cost as only a few sessions are required to change the behaviour or condition in question. Hypnosis can help you alter your thoughts, regulate your behaviour and use your mind to control your body. You have probably experienced hypnosis many times before - while becoming so engaged in a good book or film that you lose track of time, when you have been travelling on the motorway and allowing your mind to wander or becoming so engrossed in some other activity that you didn't hear the doorbell ring. Hypnosis is a state of increased alertness, even though someone in hypnosis appears as if they are asleep. In this altered state of consciousness the mind is more open to suggestions that it receives and information that has apparently been forgotten is more readily remembered when asked to do so. Hypnotherapy helps you get into a meditative state and then go on to do some work to change your thoughts or behaviour.

All hypnosis is really self hypnosis as it is the client who decides whether or not to accept the suggestion that they are "feeling more relaxed". If a client constantly questions whether they are feeling more relaxed or being hypnotised they are too distracted to follow the suggestions and go into the relaxed state of hypnosis. People with good imaginations make the best hypnotic subjects. But the benefits are open to anyone who is just willing to have a go and see what happens.

Hypnosis feels different for everyone. For some their bodies feel heavy, some feel light. Some people feel their fingers tingling. All the senses are heightened, so for example some clients may notice sounds that they had not noticed before. But unless these sounds are important they are easily disregarded allowing the client to concentrate on the focus of the session.

Hypnotherapy is well known for helping to change behaviours, such as smoking cessation, weight loss and eradication of phobias. But its application is much, much wider than that. Because it works to change thoughts that underlie behaviour it can be applied to simply any thought process or behaviour as well as being used to treat physical symptoms. Hypnotherapy can also be used to address: Fears and phobias Insomnia Weight control Personal development Sexual problems Confidence, Memory and Concentration Public speaking Manage stress Improve performance at work Control pain Enhance Motivation Uncover blocks to success Improve athletic performance Enhance creativity Preparation for surgery Skin problems Overcoming grief or guilt Changing relationships with others Headaches Nail biting Allergies Asthma And the list goes on and on and on!

Hypnotherapy sessions involve a free consultation when the client and I can talk about hypnosis in general and the issue to be addressed. As discussed earlier there are two main approaches to hypnotherapy: Directed hypnotherapy Non-directed hypnotherapy During the initial consultation these two approaches will be discussed and agreement reached on what approach to use and the number of sessions that it is thought will be required. An appointment for the first session will then be made. Because each session is tailored to each individual, hypnosis is not performed in the initial consultation, as time is needed to prepare the session. After some sessions the client may be provided with a CD that they are required to listen to regularly until the next session. The programme is flexible to allow changes that arise between each session to be incorporated into the programme. This will help the client reach their goal as quickly and easily as possible. Sometimes the hypnosis sessions are accompanied by some "homework". In addition to listening to the CD once a day, clients may be asked to do some note taking - for example someone wishing to lose weight may be asked to write a diary on thoughts, situations and actions related to their eating habits. This deeper level of self-understanding facilitates change by tackling the cause of the problem, not just addressing the symptom.