Areas of Expertise
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
I use an approach that encourages the use of hypnosis within the framework of evidence-based cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques to help my clients achieve mutually agreed and realistic goals. CBT is goal orientated and solution focused.
The key question of cognitive-behavioural therapy is: What is stopping a person from changing their habits and overcoming their fears today? Whatever the origins of a current problem, the reasons why the problem has been maintained can be quite different. My approach is based firmly on the present moment and on research-based techniques that are proven to work well. This method gets to the root of the issue faster, delivering meaningful and long-lasting change.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a skilled communication aimed at directing a person’s imagination in a way that helps elicit changes in some perceptions, sensations, feelings, thoughts and behaviours.
In a typical hypnotherapy session the hypnotherapist and client will discuss the intended alterations or therapeutic goals desired. The hypnotherapist will ask questions about previous medical history, general health and lifestyle to decide on the best approach for the individual.
Hypnotherapy may be found to be helpful for those seeking relief from a range of problems and is used alongside a person’s own willpower and motivation to seek a desired goal. It is often used to help relieve anxiety, aid sleeping, help to address bedwetting, address attitudes to weight, and help clients achieve behavioural change to stop smoking. It may also help with minor skin conditions that are exacerbated by stress and confidence issues, and may also be used to enhance performance in areas such as sport and public speaking. Hypnotherapy may help people to cope with and manage the relief of perceived pain.
Hypnotherapy has also been used with both adults and children to help manage the pain associated with irritable bowel. There is evidence to support its use in this condition for both adults and children and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Guidance (NICE) recommends the NHS should consider referring patients for hypnotherapy if their irritable bowel is persistent and has failed to respond to simple prescribed medicine.
If you feel hypnotherapy may be beneficial to you or someone you know - please feel free to contact me. In the past year - I've done hypnotherapy for such a wide variety of issues, it would be difficult to list them all - but here are some examples:
Panic Attacks
Cynophobia (Fear of dogs)
Arachnophobia (Fear of spiders)
Anxiety - (Re-entering school, social situations, public speaking)
Fear of Driving
Life transitions
Fear of previous partner
Nail Biting
Pushing People Away - Guarded Personalities
Claustrophobia
Social Anxiety
Weight Loss
Motivation for exercise, study habits, meeting deadlines
Gender/ Identity
Social dynamics
There are many others and if you don't see what you're looking for listed, feel free to send me an email through the Contact Me feature to see if hypnotherapy may be right for you. Also, please check out my Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
My Approach
For the majority, 4 or 5 sessions (with active homework) will be sufficient to see noticeable change. The combination of CBT and Hypnotherapy is powerful in progressing on your path to where you want to be.
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My approach is twofold:
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Facing toward your future, we do not spend much time looking back into the past (unless this clarifies our way forward). We focus on the beliefs, feelings and thoughts which are impeding you in the present. These may be hard to identify by yourself as over the years they will have become automatic thoughts and beliefs. Together, we can identify these patterns, debunk them and replace them with positive patterns. This enables change for the better across all areas of your life.
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To ensure that you have the tools to ensure long-term, self-efficacy and the resilience to change the way that you respond in the future.
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Hypnotherapy is a collaboration and alliance between the therapist and the client, each has a vital role to play. As a therapist, I cannot ‘do’ hypnotherapy ‘to’ you. I am here to bring my knowledge, skills and experience to each session so that I can guide you in reaching your goals. Your role as the client is to simply be completely honest and cooperate throughout the process, and ask any questions you might have. We need to have a strong working alliance to ensure an optimal session.
It is essential to have a quick phone or zoom chat before your sessions begin. There is no charge for having this chat. During this chat I can get an idea of your current situation and what you want to work on. I also take this opportunity to let you know how I work and make sure we have an initial rapport as well as answer any questions you may have. The number of sessions is based on a case-by-case basis, it could be as few as two or as many as ten; it all depends on the individual situation and progress. Appointments are usually scheduled weekly with tasks (homework) that you will complete during the sessions to help your progress.
First Session
In the first session, we get to know each other which typically lasts just over an hour. Initially, we will discuss your situation, complete consultation forms and personal details, conduct any necessary evaluations for specific cases (phobias, insomnia, stress, etc.), medical history including any information about ongoing treatments or medications, and a brief chronology of your life and its main events. By putting all this information together in a succinct manner, we can develop a treatment plan and discuss the best options tailored to you.
As we start on your journey you are active in the therapeutic process. We will always refer back to your first assessments to chart your progress.
Subsequent sessions
Each session we will discuss progress and tasks that you were working on along with any hurdles you have been experiencing. Through this, we will continue to develop your plan and be agile within your sessions. At the end of each session, we will discuss new tasks or the development of techniques.
Final session
When we reach our agreed-upon goals, we will discuss the tools and techniques to prevent relapse. We will run through your understanding of each of the techniques and how they are used, perhaps even how they apply to other areas of your life.
Progress session
If you would like we can schedule a session 8 weeks to 12 weeks later to catch up on how you are doing, any techniques you would like to develop or discuss any hurdles you are experiencing in your life.
