You may find that when we meet there are a combination of therapies that may help you to reach your goals and change for the better.
I am trained in a number of therapies and may suggest an integrated combination of approaches.
Counselling & Psychotherapy
This involves developing a relationship so we can discuss and explore your problems and difficulties. By listening carefully and asking probing questions I aim you to help you see things more clearly or from a different perspective. I will not give advice or tell you what to do – it is your journey of self discovery. Psychotherapy may delve deeper into the psychological basis for your feelings.
Hypnotherapy
Being hypnotised by a therapist is not like you see on TV and there are no swinging watches!
Being in hypnosis is not like being asleep or being under an anaesthetic. In most cases you will be aware of what is happening, you will be able to respond to questions and suggestions, and afterwards you will remember what happened. In fact, two-way communication is important so that the therapist can keep track of what’s going on in your mind during the session.
After coming out of hypnosis you will probably feel drowsy for a short while, and then feel just pleasantly relaxed. There are no unpleasant side effects, but suggestions put in place during hypnosis can change the way you react to certain circumstances, the temptation to have a cigarette for example, or feelings of anxiety in an exam. This is a completely natural phenomenon, which can be induced using a range of different methods.
Depending on the aim, Hypnotherapy will use the following types of session:
- Suggestion Therapy
Can be used to address specific problems or habits such as smoking, moderate weight loss or confidence issues. - Regression
Is used to re-visit past events and deal with the emotions attached to them, and progression can be used to address fears, hopes and dreams for the future. - Guided Affective Imagery
A dream-like fantasy, where the therapist sets a scene and allows you to explore it, giving guidance along the way. The only limit is your imagination! This can be a lot of fun, but actually has a serious purpose, giving an insight into your personality and the issues in your life, and has a variety of therapeutic uses.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
In CBT you talk about how your thinking affects your behaviour. Together we explore how possibly unhealthy thinking patterns may be causing problematic feelings and behaviour. We will aim to find ways for you to challenge your existing thought patterns and how you react to events. So for example negative thoughts can produce angry feelings which then affect your mood and behavior; CBT will help you to challenge these patterns and help you to react in more positive ways.
CBT involves talking about emotions and events in your life so you can identify negative patterns. One you have discovered these patterns you’ll be asked to try and replace them with more postive thoughts and be given techniques that may help you deal with everyday events.
NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)
NLP provides tools and techniques for dealing with fears (phobias), limiting beliefs, lack of self-confidence and may other debilitating conditions. NLP looks at how how our brain interacts with the environment (for example in our use of language) to create certain patterns of behaviour. You then learn ways of changing how this interaction happens (eg by changing the language you use) to produce the desired outcome. One of the advantages of NLP is that it can be ‘content free’ so that you don’t have to reveal the actual content of your problem to your therapist and so possibly save embarrassment.
TFT (Thought Field Therapy)
This is based on the theory that there are meridian points around the body where energy flows and that our negative thoughts and emotions can block this energy. By tapping on certain points on the upper body and hands it is possible to unblock the energy and thus overcome the negative feeling or phobia. Positive results can be achieved very quickly with no side effects.
The Bowen Technique
The Bowen technique eliminates physical and emotional stress through non-invasive and gentle moves on the muscle and connective tissue along the whole body, using the thumb and fingers. It is not the same as traditional massage or osteopathy and extends beyond the presenting symptoms helping to heal underlying physical, chemical, emotional and mental causes of chronic illness.
