HOW CAN I HELP?

Psychotherapeutic Counselling and Hypnotherapy can help you cope with a difficult life event, an upsetting physical or mental health condition, difficult emotions or a whole host of other issues such as: 

Addiction 
Anxiety
Depression
Childbirth, pregnancy and fertility
Eating disorder

​Fears/phobia

Insomnia 
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other bowel conditions

Menopause
Pain management
Panic attacks, fears/phobias
Relationship issues, sexual issues
Relaxation techniques
Self esteem/self confidence
Stress
Tinnitus

Weight issues (gastric band hypnosis)

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​This list is in no way exhaustive and there are many more. Below is a brief explanation of just some of these issues. 

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​Stress, Anxiety and Panic Attacks:

Therapy helps you to cope with symptoms of stress, anxiety, fear and attacks and helps to overcome limiting beliefs and increase self esteem.

 

Fears/Phobia:

Counselling/hypnotherapy can help to identify the root cause of phobia/fears, alter your reaction to  it and desensitise your fear.      

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"If someone can be traumatised in 30 seconds, why can’t they be healed in a day, an hour, a  minute?"          - Rick Wilkes

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Relationship Issues:

Therapy can help relationships in a number of ways.  Specifically to: 

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Gain new perspectives on relationships and develop an appreciation for another’s position.

Recapture the lost feelings of love, friendship and commitment.  

Re-experience past memories in a more positive way.  

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Learn relaxation techniques allowing you to be calm around each other. Develop self belief that builds confidence and the ability to create new and successful relationships. Strong relationships are about opening communication channels and this can’t work unless you open these channels. Hypnotherapy can help you to communicate with your subconscious more effectively, and ultimately enhance communication within your relationship.

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Childbirth and Pregnancy (and fertility):

Hypnotherapy during pregnancy can teach simple self hypnosis, relaxation and breathing techniques for a better birth. You will discover that severe pain, fear and anxiety (that everyone seems to be hell bent on telling you about) does not have to be a part of birth and you will instead experience the joy and magic of birth, feeling peaceful... relaxed... and even smiling as your baby comes closer to you! 

Counselling/hypnosis can help with fertility by getting you mentally,  emotionally and physically ready for conceiving a baby.  It lessens  anxiousness and stress (one of the biggest problems for fertility).

 

Sexual Issues:
Sexual difficulties are generally problems that prevent the individual or couple from enjoying sex, therefore making sex difficult.  Therapy can help to identify the root cause of the issue and deal with it effectively by releasing negative or limiting beliefs and then learning how to manage and deal with them.

 

Self Confidence (and Public Speaking):

Therapy helps those suffering from low self-confidence.  It seeks to  determine the root cause of the low self-confidence and then find ways to resolve it. Hypnosis can reach the unconscious mind and modify belief systems, and replace negative thought patterns with positive ones. This can boost self-confidence and completely change an individual’s life

 

Skin Conditions:

The link between mental stress and skin problems has long been discussed but recently hypnotherapy has been taken seriously as a treatment for stress-related skin conditions.  

It is thought that hypnotherapy helps by accessing the individual’s unconscious mind to teach new behavioural patterns and dislodge anxious thoughts.  Counselling helps to reduce low self-esteem or insecurities the patient might have surrounding  their skin condition.

 

Weight Control:

Dare I Eat That (DIET) .........Whilst diet plans focus on what, how much and how often you eat, counselling and hypnotherapy for weight loss changes how you feel about what you eat.

On a diet you might eat a carrot and wish you were eating carrot cake, but with hypnotherapy you may learn to enjoy the carrot and not give that cake a second thought!

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It might be hard to imagine a world where you'd happily turn down your favourite food for something healthier, but counselling and hypnotherapy techniques can change your thinking patterns and gain control in a way that doesn't depress you and will help you develop a positive relationship with food and exercise. The aim of therapy for weight loss is to make you feel confident about your body, change any negative thoughts about eating and help you lose weight responsibly without impacting on your emotional well-being and being happy to eat the carrot instead of the cake. 

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Gastric band Hypnosis is a safe method of weight loss which fools your subconscious mind into thinking you have an actual gastric band fitted. This results in a change of eating habits (as with actual surgery) where you eat less as you mentally feel fuller much quicker. It is generally

conducted over three sessions. 

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Menopausal Symptoms

Hypnotherapy can be used by using the power of your subconscious mind to regulate your hormones and thereby helping to alleviate the symptoms of the menopause.

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Relaxation Techniques:

The relaxation techniques used to induce a hypnotic trance is a therapy all of its own and one I often use with counselling clients to start/end a session (with consent). This deeply relaxed state guides the mind from the troubles of everyday life into a place of tranquillity and peace. This state is comfortable, safe, considered to be a highly liberating experience and helps to strengthen the immune system, lower blood pressure, relieve stress, can lessen chronic pain, diminish emotional upsets, improve energy levels and aid sleep.

 

Chronic Fatigue Symptom/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E/CFS):

Hypnotherapy can be used in conjunction with other counselling therapies to help address aspects such as self-esteem, fatigue, stress, ​motivation and other side effects and symptoms.

Therapy works in a way which helps to understand and identify certain factors which

influence and heighten symptoms and ways in which to manage them.

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What Happens During a Session? 

Our initial contact is normally a free confidential consultation (usually by phone and lasting 10-20 minutes). This allows us to explore exactly what you want to achieve and how therapy may be able to help you. I also find this consultation useful to build rapport and ensure we are both happy to proceed. A face to face first session typically lasts 60 minutes. Subsequent sessions, when needed are 45-60 minutes.

 

I conduct my work from home and the session starts with you simply making yourself comfortable (as you would in your own home.

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Specifics for Hypnotherapy:

What is it?

Hypnotherapy is a relaxed state of mind which allows you to subconsciously change the way you think, feel and behave.  This heightened state of awareness, which is reached using skilled relaxation techniques, opens your subconscious mind and allows the therapist to make appropriate suggestions (personally written from the information gained in our first consultation) which your mind then uses efficiently and effectively.  

 

These suggestions then lead to positive change and to making a difference in your life - where our name came from: "Making A Difference therapy" or MAD as we say. 

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By trusting in your own subconscious mind, it is however,  YOU that will be making the

difference and making a positive impact on the rest of your life.

At MAD we often see these changes being made in a relatively short space of time, however, one of the keys to successful hypnotherapy is the desire for change. 
If you are seeking help because someone else says you need to change, you may not get the results you want.

 

At the end of a session some people remember every word uttered, some remember a little and others remember hardly anything. What you do or don't remember is however not important and has no bearing on how effective the therapy is.  Most people report feeling very well after therapy and a typically very relaxed and refreshed afterwards.  The possibilities of hypnosis are endless and the results can be amazing.

 
 

Is it safe?
In a word, yes (see below). Practised by a qualified practitioner, hypnotherapy is completely safe and contrary to what some people believe you are in fact fully in control whilst under hypnosis. All hypnosis is in fact just self-hypnosis and it is your choice whether or not to take on the suggestions.

                                             

Hypnotherapy is acknowledged as an effective therapy for a whole variety of issues – and is not to be confused with stage hypnosis. An ethical hypnotherapist will work with you to enhance your wellbeing and will certainly not do anything to make you feel foolish or uncomfortable. Everything that you discuss will be in the strictest confidence.

 

Who shouldn't use hypnotherapy?

You shouldn't use hypnotherapy if you suffer from epilepsy, psychosis (a type of mental illness where people have a distorted view of what’s real and may see or hear things) or certain other types of personality disorder, as it could make these conditions worse.  There are also some conditions which require consent from your doctor. Don't hesitate to contact me if you are unsure whether hypnotherapy is suitable for you.
 

Hypnosis Facts 
The history of hypnosis goes way back to ancient times when the Shamans used it for healing and guidance. It has also been used for thousands of years by Australian Aborigines and was given the name hypnosis by an English 18th century physician, James Braid, after he developed the methods used by “Franz Anton Mesmer” (where "mesmerised" comes from).  “Hypnos” is Greek for sleep, hence "hypnosis" but hypnosis is actually NOT a “sleep” state although a person in hypnosis may seem to be sleeping, and exhibit many similar behaviours - deep relaxation, deep breathing, unresponsive to gentle movements.
 
In the past hypnosis has been associated with various strange phenomenon and a lot of people have been very sceptical and even a little frightened by it.  This has certainly been heightened by stage events with people eating lemons, dancing like ballerinas and barking like dogs. 
 
In truth, hypnosis used in a therapeutic way is nothing like what most people have in mind and is in fact a very natural state of mind similar to what is experienced whilst listening to music, watching TV, or watching waves.
 
There is nothing magical about hypnosis and it cannot cause anyone to do anything against their normal beliefs or judgement.  What it does do is to teach subjects ways of dealing with aspects of their life in a clear and positive manner.

The real power is  -  within THEIR OWN MIND!

So NO I can't "MAKE" you do this (unless, of course  you want to)

Click the link below to contact me and book your FREE initial appointment to get started on your journey towards the life you deserve.