Please email if you'd like an information leaflet about hypnosis.
'I don't want to cluck like a chicken' 'Can you wipe bad memories from my brain?' People have said these things and more to me. Ask me anything that concerns you!
Be wary of lay hypnotherapists who cannot help you with your problems without hypnosis.
As a clinical hypnotherapist I can help you with or without hypnosis; it can be a useful tool.
Q1) Will I be 'under your power' during hypnosis?
Absolutely not!
In summary:
Hypnosis is a clinical tool which can be used to reinforce CBT.
Hypnosis is a state of focussed attention, like being engrossed in a film or a good book.
There is no mystical ‘trance’ state.
You can't be made to do silly or embarrassing things like you may have seen in stage hypnosis entertainment!
Self-hypnosis is a skill which almost any client can learn.
The client is actively “doing” self-hypnosis and can choose to stop whenever she wants.
Q2) What practical things will I need for our online sessions?
You need safety and privacy - a peaceful room where you won't be interrupted/overheard during the session. Headphones/ear buds are ideal. I will check your personal safety arrangements at the start of every session. I will check your address if in the UK and contact number.
A comfortable chair, ideally with headrest + notepad/pen +/- anything you need for comfort.
A stable internet connection for video calls over Zoom + connected laptop/tablet set up opposite your chair so that I can see the upper half of your body. We will agree arrangements in case of internet disruption.
Q3) How will I feel afterwards?
If we have practised relaxation, I usually recommend that you avoid driving/operating heavy machinery for 30 minutes or so afterwards, for you to obtain maximum benefit. You will be able to respond to eg. a fire alarm even during hypnosis.
Q4) Does it work?
I teach you life skills to help you achieve your SMART goal. There is no 'it' with therapy; you do the work with my expert guidance.
Q5) How long does the benefit last?
For as long as you continue to use the skills and techniques you have learnt. It's like playing a musical instrument- practice is necessary and then the desired behaviour becomes an automatic habit.
Q6) How do I learn self-hypnosis?
I will teach you. Self-hypnosis is a skill like learning to drive/write/play a sport- it takes regular practice.
Recommended books if you'd like to read about BPD/Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder
a DIY approach to the sort of work we do in a DBT programme 👉🏻The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook: An Integrative Program to Understand and Manage Your BPD a book by Daniel Fox. (bookshop.org) or via Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/4eM9pFT
the essential book if you decide to join the DBT programme 👉🏻DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition, (Spiral-Bound Paperback) a book by Marsha M. Linehan. (bookshop.org) or via Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3xHMDOW
Please buy the paper version which also gives to access to the ebook version.