Not all hypnotherapy is the same. I practise Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, which uses evidence-based techniques supported by scientific research. I am also a qualified Life Coach and NLP practitioner. I use mindfulness and meditation techniques alongside Hypno-CBT and have a keen interest and in-depth knowledge of philosophy and spiritual teachings. You get a multi-component or an integrative therapy approach, where we can cover things from a multitude of angles. We examine which of your thoughts, behaviours and beliefs might be holding you back and look to see how we can replace them with more helpful, positive ways of being. In my experience, the more you can come to understand your problem, the better your chances of overcoming it.

Hypnosis is a very safe and special way of using various naturally-occurring psychological and physiological states. Think of hypnosis as something we do every day when we watch TV or engage and focus on something to the exclusion of everything else. Everyone, in principle, can be hypnotised. Just relax, think positively and imagine the things being suggested. Hypnotherapy is a collaborative process in which you allow yourself to follow the guidance of the therapist by using your imagination to evoke positive emotions and rehearse behaviour change. This therapeutic alliance between client and therapist is crucial.

Hypnosis is not a state of mind control, you cannot do anything against your will and nobody has ever got ‘stuck’ in hypnosis.

Comedy stage hypnosis has little to do with clinical hypnotherapy.

Around 90% of people report being aware of everything that happens.

To add to my Hypnotherapy and CBT approaches I also offer Life Coaching and Mentoring. I am a fully qualified Life Coach, gaining my diploma in 2003. And as such, I offer a fully integrated service which is multi-component based. This allows me to adapt to the needs of my clients as I see them arise during the session. Sometimes a client may come to me with a particular issue, and as we progress, others may surface which may be better tackled using a different discipline. I will always discuss this in the session. My life experience, qualifications and research into areas such as spirituality and philosophy also enables me to offer mentoring if requested.

A key question of course – and yes it does. And if it didn’t why on earth would I be doing it!?

Barrios, Ph.D presented a review in American Health magazine in 2007 that measure it as having a 93% success rate after an average of 6 sessions, which would make it the most effective and fastest therapy there is – particularly for anxiety issues. Of course other studies vary for different issues and say that the effectiveness varies from person to person. It seems science is still catching up with what Hypnotherapy is and what it can do and evidence is building as more trials are undertaken and accepted by the scientific community. There are certainly many variables, but when combined with an approach such as CBT, the evidence is pretty overwhelming.

It depends which session we’re in and what we’re tackling (Stopping Smoking is a separate programme).  But in general the first is different to further sessions. In that first session we combine talking with assessment – getting to know you and your issue and goals more thoroughly. Then agreeing those goals and me forming an effective treatment plan. I will then let you know how many sessions to expect. My work is always outcome and process driven so we don’t talk forever about the past and how you may have arrived at the challenge you’re facing. I always record the actual process, script or meditation element for you to keep for life. Subsequent sessions involve assessing your progress, doing more processes, setting homework for between sessions and sometimes resetting goals.

Yes. It is completely safe. Nobody has ever got ‘stuck’ in it. 

It is something of a debate in the field of hypnotherapy and science as to whether there is such a thing as hypnotic trance. Whilst this may sound surprising, there is no single brain state shown by scans that corresponds to ‘hypnosis’.  The idea of hypnotic sleep is something of a red herring too, because while hypnosis is often paired with deep relaxation, in one study people were hypnotised while riding exercise bikes. This has led many academics to conclude that there is no such thing as hypnotic trance and that all hypnosis can be explained by ordinary psychological, biological and social factors. There is no doubt that this helps demystify the whole process and removes the hypnotist from his pedestal. However, there is no doubt that remarkable things can happen to people with hypnosis, including teeth removal and open heart surgery – without any anaesthetic!

Trance or no trance (it’s only a word anyway!), think of it as you will. It’s better in some ways to think of it as focused, relaxed attention. Something we do all the time when attending to something at the exclusion of everything else.

It’s almost certain you are. Have you got any imagination? Do you get carried away in a film or novel? With imagination and a willingness to learn you will be surprised at how quickly you can hypnotise yourself. You probably already do.

It is a means of experiencing certain helpful ideas at a level profound enough to influence our emotions and behaviour.

Hypno-CBT is targeted, short-course therapy — typically 3–6 sessions depending on the issue. Some simpler issues like specific phobias can sometimes be resolved in 2–3 sessions, while more complex issues like deep-rooted anxiety or chronic pain may take a little longer. I’ll give you an honest estimate after our first session. My stop smoking programme is a structured two-session course.

Yes — I offer full sessions via Zoom, Teams and FaceTime, and the results are just as effective as face-to-face work. Online hypnotherapy has been proven to work very effectively, and many clients prefer the convenience of working from home. I’ve helped clients across the UK and internationally via online sessions. See my Areas I Serve page for more information.

For the initial consultation, you’re welcome to bring a partner, friend or family member if that would make you feel more comfortable. For the actual therapy sessions, it’s generally better to work one-to-one so you can fully relax and engage with the process without feeling self-conscious. We’ll discuss this together and do whatever works best for you.