“I went to see Derek to give up smoking. He was very clear with me that I had to want to give up or hypnotherapy would not work for me. On this basis I was happy to proceed as I really wanted to be a non-smoker. Derek explained the process to me, that he would distract my conscious mind and talk to my subconscious mind. I would be aware of what was happening but be completely relaxed. Immediately after the session, I was not…
Hypnotherapy
- Anxiety
- Eating disorders
- Low Self Esteem
- Changing Unwanted Behaviours
- Lack of Confidence
- Weight Loss
- Self-Image
- Sleeping problems
- Stress
- Invasive memories
- Phobias (some examples)
- Spiders
- Air travel
- Thunderstorms
- Wasps and insects
- Hypodermic Needles
- Dentists
- Hospitals
- People in Authority
- Uniforms
- Psychosomatic Physical Symptoms
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Panic Attacks
- Exams, Tests, and Assessments
- Public speaking
- Workplace Stress
- Workplace Anxiety
- Sports Confidence
- Addictions
- Habits
When people think of hypnotherapy and what it can be used for, they invariably mention quitting smoking as the main aim. Quitting smoking is currently the least requested treatment from all the hypnotherapists I know. The great majority of my clients are seeking help with anxiety.
If you want to achieve more than your own efforts have managed, then there is a good possibility that a series of face-to-face sessions will help you. I have a range of strategies that I am qualified to use.
It is a very safe process and I make sure that my clients remain in control of proceedings throughout. In many cases, they declare that it has helped them to relax to a deeper level than they have been able to manage for many years. Relaxation is the key to enabling your mind to let go of misbeliefs and unhelpful thoughts.
I believe that the reason people find it so difficult to change their self-destructive thinking and behaviour is that those beliefs are held in their unconscious mind. When we tell ourselves to change, we are usually only able to reach the conscious mind. The conscious mind is already convinced that a new, more constructive, internal program is required but the unconscious mind steadfastly holds it in place. It does so with the best of intentions; it believes it is beneficial to you. The best way of reaching that part of the mind is to use deep relaxation as enabled by hypnotic trance.
What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is the use of hypnotism to enable a person to make desired changes in how they think, feel or behave.
What is Hypnotism?
Hypnotism is the intentional creation of a state of trance. Hypnos was the ancient Greek word for sleep. It is only the body that sleeps during a trance; the mind stays awake, albeit deeply relaxed.
What is a Trance?
A trance is a natural state of mind where the conscious part of the mind is encouraged to relax, or switch off, allowing the unconscious part of the mind to have free rein to drift or wander.
The conscious part of the mind deals with facts and reality. The unconscious mind is more concerned with imagination.
We all go in and out of the trance state quite frequently. Have you ever arrived at a destination after travelling a familiar route and found yourself unable to recall the journey, or sections of it? Maybe you have been unable to recall passing a particular landmark? This type of experience is simply a natural trance and perfectly normal.
When you learn something new you give it full concentration, in other words, conscious effort. If you are a driver maybe you remember how complicated the process of learning to drive seemed to be. “Slowly lift the clutch pedal while gently depressing the power pedal without looking” the instructor would say. “Look ahead of you and use the steering wheel to get the vehicle to go where you want it to”. “Now change gear, clutch in, move the gear lever up, down, sideways”. “And while you are doing all that, look into your rear-view mirror and check it is safe to move the car”.
Learning new skills takes concentration. When they eventually become second nature, they can be carried out unconsciously while your conscious mind can be busy thinking of something else. Is this safe? Yes, because any little event that requires decision-making will alert all parts of the mind simultaneously., So, if brake lights go on in front of you, or a ball bounces onto the road, you respond immediately and switch back into full awareness, so you can decide rapidly whether to brake or swerve.
So, how does the trance state assist you in attempting to do something differently i.e. make changes in how you think, believe or act?
The clue is in how the unconscious mind works. It uses imagination, not facts. The conscious mind tends to attempt to supervise the unconscious mind and that is why your therapist guides you to distract your conscious mind with a fact-based task. This leaves the unconscious mind unfettered and free to range. This resourceful trance state can enable you to make the changes you desire.
Many issues, including phobias, confidence issues, unwanted beliefs have been put there by your own imagination so it is logical to harness your imagination to make changes. It is really difficult to do that yourself, and that is where a hypnotherapist is useful.
What Clients Say
“When I first met Derek I was feeling lost in my career. I was questioning my decisions and my self-confidence was affected. Derek helped me to understand why I was feeling that way. Through our sessions I found clarity. I’m now loving my work everyday and feel really in touch with my own sense of purpose. Everything makes more sense and I can see where I want to go on the road ahead. Thank you Derek! X”
“I visited Derek approximately three months ago for hypnotherapy with the aim of losing weight. This was my first experience of hypnotherapy and I was unsure of how I would respond or indeed if I would lose weight. I found that Derek makes you feel completely at ease with the whole process. The hypnotic state is so relaxing allowing your subconscious mind to take on suggestions, in my case to lose weight, he also addressed confidence issues . I have had three appointments with…
“Derek, I just wanted to send this message to say thank you. Because of you, I am a stronger person. I now have two little children and also now have my niece living with us after losing both my father-in-law and my sister-in-law in the last four months. Despite this being the craziest time of my life, I feel as though I am able to keep strong as you empowered me to. It may, or may not, seem strange that I am still overweight…
“I have visited Derek a number of times, and for a large range of problems. I have always been happy with the outcome. Derek has a knack for getting to the heart of the problem and finding the right tool or treatment to get to a positive outcome. Most recently I have received treatment in order to be more assertive prior to a return to work; it has worked so well I have been able to overcome my previous anxiety and successfully manage my…