Therapy services we offer

There are many different modalities (kinds) of talking therapy. Some conditions are better treated by some kinds of therapy than others, and different people respond better to different modalities. This page discusses the different ways of working we offer. Sometimes we may just use one, sometimes we may work with more than one together.

In particular I trained in “Hypno-CBT” which uses Hypnotherapy to make CBT more effective.

Hypnotherapy

Everyone is able to imagine experiences. Try it now.

Take a breath. Imagine holding a lemon in your hand. Feel it’s texture. Now imagine biting into that lemon. Can you taste it? Did your mouth physically respond by producing saliva?

In everyday life we all go through different states of awareness, from being hyper-alert when playing sports, to being on ‘automatic’ during a less interesting task, to the different levels of sleep. In hypnotherapy a client is verbally guided (by a process we call ‘induction’) into more playful open mental state (which we might call ‘trance state’) where they are able to respond even more strongly to suggestion. This allows suggestions to more easily achieve the desired changes.

During hypnotherapy a client is still awake and aware of their surroundings throughout, and is able to recall what happened afterwards.

Hypnotherapy is particularlly effective at treating certain conditions, including:

• Quitting Smoking
• Phobias – unhelpful fears of something, such as animals, flying, or heights.
• Mild depression – generally feeling ‘the blues’ / sadness.
• Mild anxiety – generally feeling unhelpful fear or excessive concern.
• Changing habits – such as sticking to a diet plan to lose weight, or desisting from nail biting.
• Pain management – living better with a chronic painful medical condition.
• Improving self-confidence – for example, in public speaking or presenting.

More information about hypnotherapy is available from the NHS.

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Cognitive Behavorial Therapy

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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is therapy relating to thinking & feeling (cognition), and what we do and experience from our bodies (behavioural). 

A good analogy for CBT is having a sports/fitness coach – just as a coach can teach you how to train your body to act in more helpful and effective ways, a CBT therapist can teach you how to train your mind to act in more helpful and effective ways.

Let’s try a simple example. Suppose someone is feeling sad for some reason. Many people when they are sad notice other reasons to be sad, which in turn makes them even more sad. This is called the ‘vicious cycle.’ While those feelings are real and may be justified, excessively dwelling on them is often not helpful. With CBT someone can be coached and trained to identify when our thoughts are slipping into a vicious cycle and how to direct our thoughts out of the loop into a more balanced and helpful way of looking at the situation.

CBT is particularlly effective at treating:

• Anxiety – excessive fear
• Depression – excessive sadness
• Obsessive Complusive Behaviour (OCD)
• Chronic pain & fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping
• Anger management

More information about CBT is available from the NHS

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Mindfulness

Mindfuless is the state of bringing one’s thoughts and attention to one’s present surroundings, and techniques to achieve that state.

It’s sensible to reflect on the past and plan for the future, but often in life we excessively dwell on the past or future in ways that are not helpful. By using mindfulness exercises we can find a new perspective on our lives.

Let’s try an example. Sit down somewhere, if you are not already doing so. Now, focus your attention on the texture of the chair below you. You probably didn’t even notice it until now. Now you are thinking about that, at this very moment you are probably not thinking about anything else, such as past misfortunes in your life.

Mindfuless is often helpful for:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• For people with recurring depression, preventing it’s return

More Information about mindfulness is available from the NHS.

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