Hypnotherapy

How can hypnotherapy benefit me?

Stress & Anxiety

Do you feel stressed? suffer with panic attacks?

Stress and anxiety normally go hand in hand. Stress is caused by an on-going current issue, whereas anxiety arises out of fear and uncertainty about a situation that might happen.

Everybody suffers with stress at some point in their lives and whilst some stress can be positive for us because it motivates us and helps us prioritise important things, long-term chronic stress can be harmful and detrimental to our health. Eustress is a useful stress that motivates us to finish a project at work on time, or helps us work towards a goal.

Chronic stress can be caused by problems such as divorce, or losing someone close to you, caring for a sick relative and can go on for a long time.

When our body feels under threat it goes into flight (run), fight or freeze mode and this is our body’s built in survival instinct.

In cave man days when you were faced in a threatening situation like coming face to face with a bear, your body would go into flight, fight or freeze mode depending on what was the safest option to keep you alive, in this instance usually flight (to run). Once the threat was gone your body would go back into ‘green safe mode’ where you are relaxed and ready to socialise.

However, we rarely come face to face with a bear these days but when our body faces stress it goes into amber or red mode and stays there which isn’t good for our mind or body. Most of the time our body should be in green mode which is when we feel safe, relaxed and socialable.

When we are faced with a mild threat we can go into ‘amber mode’ which is fight or flight and if we severely threatened where we can’t fight or flight we will go into ‘red mode’ which is to freeze. When our nervous systems remain in a red mode for a long period of time it causes chronic stress which can cause health problems such as heart disease, stroke, heart attacks, unexplained pains and aches in the body, IBS and digestive problems, hormone imbalance, weakened immune system and so on.

Hypnotherapy involves relaxing the mind and body which in itself is good for stress and anxiety but it also makes positive suggestions to change your mind-set and the way you view and deal with problems or challenges that cause you stress and upset.

Anxiety can be triggered by a stressful memory or event. Sometimes you may know the trigger of your anxiety but sometimes it is buried deep within your subconscious mind and you will not know what is causing you anxiety. You may suffer panic attacks or increased heart rate, restricted breathing and/or feel nauseaous. These are all symptoms of anxiety which can be very frightening when they are happening but this is your subconscious mind perceiving a threat and preparing your body to fight or flight. However, your subconscious mind isn’t always correct and sometimes there is no threat. Hypnotherapy accesses and communicates with your subconscious mind to reveal hidden memories or traumas and can change the emotions attached to a traumatic event.

Pain Management

Do you suffer with chronic pain or unexplained aches and pains in your body? Are you a business that loses money to employees being off sick with pain? Pain in your body can be linked to an unresolved trauma whether past or present. It can also be due to an injury or health related issue such as stress.

Hypnotherapy is very effective and can give you coping mechanisms to help you manage the pain. It cannot take the pain away but we can work together to find coping mechanisms which will help with your pain on a day to day basis.

Here are just some of the issues hypnotherapy can help with:

  • headaches and migraines
  • cancer pain
  • back pain
  • arthritis
  • phantom limb pain
  • fibromyalgia
  • dental pain

The British Pain Society and Cancer Research UK (see useful links section for more info) recommend hypnotherapy and self hypnosis for relaxation techniques and as we know relaxation in itself helps with pain management because when the body is relaxed and in ‘green mode’ everything is working in sync and harmony within our body and endorphins are released which are our body’s natural pain killers, but when the stress response is triggered by pain, certain bodily functions shut down in order to prepare us to fight, flight or freeze and causes muscles to tense which causes more aches and pains.

Weight Management

Have you or do you struggle with weight management?

  • are you underweight and struggle to gain weight?
  • perhaps you are overweight and struggle to maintain a healthy weight goal.
  • You may have tried every diet going without any long-term success?

Do you have an aversion or strong dislike to a certain food or food group? Do you eat too much chocolate?

Hypnotherapy can help you explore the issues surrounding your weight problems and/or aversions by changing your mindset linked to these issues. We can work together to find a solution to your problems.

The aim of Hypno Gastric Banding is to mimic the experience and effects of surgical banding, without any of the surgery risks, so the person may reduce their appetite, engage in healthy eating habits and lose weight. The client’s subconscious is informed a gastric band has been fitted, that the very small pouch has been created, so, the stomach sends signals to the brain that it is full after eating small amounts of food. As with surgical banding, hypno-banding will only be effective if the client follows instructions regarding portion size, liquids and healthy eating.

The pros of the hypno gastric band v the surgical gastric band are that you will have no pain or recovery time from the fitting of gastric band, the results can be seen straightaway, the diet is less intense, no hospital visits, no time off of work, no waiting lists for the NHS, no follow up visits for tightening of the band, no side effects such as vomiting or breathing issues because the band has been tightened too much.

Packages consist of 5 x 1 hour weekly sessions:

Session 1: Initial assessment , explanation, Terms and Conditions and consent – 1 hour.

Session 2: Preparation for Hypno Gastric Band – 1 hour.

Session 3: The Hypno Gastric Band surgery and information of what to eat – 1 hour.

Session 4: Hypno Gastric Band adjustment for soft/pureed food – 1 hour.

Session 5: Hypno Gastric Band adjustment for solid food – 1 hour.

Fears & Phobias

Do you have a fear of:

  • spiders?
  • flying?
  • dentists?
  • snakes?
  • heights?

Do you have a phobia that is affecting your day to day life? You are not alone! Many people have a fear or something at some point in their lives and this can be a learned habit or because of a traumatic event that has led you to have a fear.

Research has shown that hypnotherapy is particularly beneficial for treating phobias and fears. Fears and phobias are very common but when they affect your day to day living then it becomes a bigger problem. Hypnotherapy can change the way you feel about your fear or phobia and find ways to overcome them.

Smoking Cessation

Do you want to quit smoking? Have you tried every possible option without success?

Did you know that hypnotherapy is the most effective way of stopping smoking compared to other methods such as willpower alone and the use of nicotine gum or patches.
You may have your own personal reasons for wanting to quit but here are just some of the benefits of quitting smoking:

The average packet of cigarettes costs around £10.40 for a packet of 20 cigarettes per day for a month equates to £322.40 per month. That is £3,868.80 per year – what could you use that money for instead?

– Within 20 minutes of quitting your last cigarette-
your pulse will return to normal.

– After 8 hours of quitting your last cigarette, the harmful carbon monoxide levels in your body will have reduced by half.

– your tastebuds will return to normal

– your other senses will be heightened.

– your breathing is easier.

– your house and your clothes won’t smell of foul cigarette smoke.

– your children/grandchildren/pets won’t be breathing in harmful toxins.

– improved overall health.

Hypnotherapy is a great way to re-programme your thinking and change unwanted habits.

Here are just some of the health issues smoking causes;

Around 10 million adults in Great Britain smoke – about 22% of men and 21% of women. Smoking causes almost 90% of deaths from lung cancer, around 80% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema and around 17% of deaths from heart disease. About one third of all cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking, including lip, mouth, throat, lung, kidney, liver, stomach, bladder and cervix (ASH 2011).

Smokers under 40 have 5 times the risk of a heart attack than non-smokers and those smoking up to 14 cigarettes a day have 8 times the risk of dying from lung cancer. Nicotine is absorbed through the skin and cigarette smoke remains on the skin, hair and clothes up to 3 hours after smoking. Other conditions that can be caused by smoking or for which smoking is a significant risk factor include:-

  • Coronary heart disease
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Pneumonia
  • Dementia
  • Strokes
  • Hypertension
  • Angina
  • Heart failure
  • Heart attacks
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Stomach ulcers
  • Gum disease
  • Loss of sight caused by diabetes
  • Infertility in men and women
  • Impotence in men
  • Osteoporosis

Self-esteem and Confidence Issues

Whether you are struggling with the confidence to make a public speech for a work project or struggle to socialise in big groups of people, maybe you want some more confidence to apply for a job you have always wanted to do but don’t have the self-belief you can do it? Hypnotherapy can help.

I belief that most confidence and low self-esteem issues stem from childhood issues or traumas and follow us into adulthood. Low confidence and self-esteem can be a learned behaviour from our caregivers or can be due to upsetting or traumatic events in our lives.

However, some confidence issues can be because of events that have happened in our adult lives. You may not know where the issue comes from or why – and this is something we can explore together and resolve through hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is very effective at changing the emotions and negative feelings linked to an event or issue and can positively change your outlook.

Low confidence and self-belief were the very issues that brought me to hypnotherapy so I know first hand how successful it can be. It helped me overcome traumatic events from my childhood that affected my confidence and has led me into helping people overcome their issues today.

Hypno-birthing

Are you worried about becoming a mum? Are you pregnant and feeling anxious and scared about labour? Are you putting off having another baby because of a previous traumatic labour? whatever your reasons are – hypnotherapy can help. Hypno-birthing teaches you techniques to keep you calm and relaxed both before, during and after labour. These techniques are a mixture of deep breathing, positive affirmations, visualisations and suggestions which can guide you through your thoughts and feelings. It puts you in control even if things don’t go to plan. It can help you manage pain and stay calm throughout the whole process.

Relationship Issues

Whether you are wanting to start a new relationship, end a current relationship, need help with divorce, are having family relationship issues – hypnotherapy can help. We can discuss your issues together and work together to find a solution. Humans are social people and have a basic need to form relationships, however this doesn’t mean that doing so is an easy process.

Every person is unique and has their own morals, opinions, beliefs and behaviours (whether good or bad) and so forming a relationship with another person is not always smooth sailing. Maybe you have your own issues that are affecting your relationship or your ability to form a relationship, or maybe your partner’s behaviour is causing issues in your relationship? Maybe a relative is putting too much stress or pressure on you. Whatever problem you face – I am here to help.