FAQ

Please click on a question to see the answer or use the buttons to toggle them all.

  • General
    • What are your practice hours?
      • My practice hours are 9am to 5:30pm Tuesday to Friday, and until 8pm on Thursdays. Please note that if I am with clients, you will be directed to an answerphone during these hours. Please leave your contact details and I will call you as soon as I am available.
    • Do you still offer counselling?
    • Will the sessions be confidential?
      • All personal information is treated in the strictest confidence and remains confidential even after therapy finishes. Even if you are recommended to see us by your company or health insurer, we will not share information with them unless you specifically authorise us to (even if they are paying the bill.)
      • In extremely rare instances, confidentiality may need to be broken for legal and/or ethical reasons – for example, where disclosure is demanded by court order or where there is good reason to believe that there is a danger of serious harm to the client and/or others. We will do our utmost to let you know in advance of breaking confidentiality, if such a rare situation were ever to arise. This is in accordance with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) Code of Ethics & Conduct.
      • As a part of the requirements of both the BACP and NCH for ongoing training and quality control, anonymous case histories may be discussed with a suitably qualified supervisor. In these circumstances, no names or identifying details are used. The supervision is intended to ensure that the needs of the clients are being addressed and to monitor the effectiveness of the sessions.
  • Hypnosis / Cognitive Hypnotherapy
    • What is hypnosis and is it safe?
      • Hypnosis is simply a state of internally focussed attention, very much like daydreaming or meditation, and so is 100% safe. In fact, most people naturally go in and out of hypnosis every day without even thinking about it.
      • If you have ever found yourself so absorbed in a book or film that the hours seemed to fly by in a moment, or in a boring meeting where every minute seemed like an hour, or so lost in thought driving to work that you don’t remember the last few miles, then congratulations, you can do hypnosis!
    • How is Cognitive Hypnotherapy different to other approaches?
      • Many problems are a result of your subconscious mind trying to act in your best interests, but using incorrect, outdated or incomplete information.
      • Cognitive Hypnotherapy allows you to address the subconscious thoughts, conflicts and memory patterns responsible for your particular problem. With our guidance, you can find creative ways to modify these patterns and take back control.
      • And because we tailor all our work to you as an individual – there are no ‘one-size-fits-all’ hypnosis scripts – the changes you wish to make are more likely to be accepted by your subconscious mind, making them ongoing and permanent.
    • Can anyone be hypnotised?
      • Yes, but only if they want to be. A hypnotist has no control over you – and you cannot be hypnotised against your will. Of course, like any skill, some people find going into hypnosis easier than others, but everyone can do it to the level needed for effective therapy to take place.
    • Will I be made to do or say something stupid?
      • A Hypnotherapist will not be able to make you say or do anything you would not normally do, or which would violate your sense of right and wrong.
    • What if I don’t wake up?
      • Hypnosis is a naturally occuring human state, and our minds are used to moving us in and out all the time. If someone is left in hypnosis, they will either return to full awareness when they are ready, or fall properly asleep and wake naturally later.
    • Will I remember anything from the session?
      • Very occasionally a person may have amnesia of a session, however 99% of people remain aware of everything around them, and will remember most, if not all, of what they or the therapist said in the session.
    • Will I lose control or reveal secrets?
      • No, you remain in control at all times. A hypnotherapist does not have any control over you. In fact, the state of hypnosis is in fact one of heightened awareness where it is possible for your mind to be aware of many more things than is possible in the conscious state.
    • How many sessions will I need?
      • Sessions are tailored to the individual client and their presenting problem, so this is usually something best discussed on an individual basis. For many issues, a breakthrough session is all people need. Other issues may benefit from some follow up or single sessions.
      • A course of treatment, whether via breakthrough or single sessions will involve and inital discussion to find out how your mind is generating and sustaining your particular issue, followed by appropriate interventions, coaching and exercises to help you move forward.
      • With Cognitive Hypnotherapy, the aim is to help you in the shortest number of sessions possible and teach you useful skills to help yourself going forward.
  • Stress
    • What is stress?
      • People often use the term stress to describe how they feel when they experience mental, emotional or physical strain – for example by too many demands, overwork, anxiety etc. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) defines stress as “The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them.”
      • From our perspective, stress is a natural reaction to situations which our subconscious mind perceives as being a threat (rightly or wrongly). It can arise for many other reasons other than excessive pressure, which is why a situation which one person finds stressful may not be a problem to someone else.
      • Whilst some pressure can keep us motivated and focused, stress undermines performance and can make people ill – both physically and emotionally. It can for example, increase your risk heart problems, cause insomnia, lead to eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and memory problems.
      • Book a session and reduce the impact of stress on your life today.
    • What causes stress?
      • According to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), typical causes of work-related stress include poor communication, a bad working environment and skills not matching those that are needed for the job. Or more specifically:
      • • if you don’t have enough control over your work,• if you don’t get enough support from your employer,• if poor relationships are affecting how you do your work,• if you’re not sure of your role at work,• changes at work
      • In addition, long working hours, a difficult journey, lack of job security, inflexible working hours, too much or too little responsibility and poor working conditions can all lead to stress.
      • In fact, any situation that your subconscious mind perceives as being a threat to you (rightly or wrongly) can cause you stress. Our stress management clinic gives you one on one time to understand and deal with your stress – so book your stress breakthrough session today.
    • How can you help reduce my stress?
      • We use a combination of Cognitive Hypnotherapy, Neuro Linguistic Programming and Life Coaching to tailor a solution to your circumstances and needs.
      • As therapists, we help you remove limiting beliefs, uncover and build on your strengths, and help you update your subconscious to remove any faulty programming. As life coaches, we can help guide you to your own creative solutions to the challenges in your life.
      • The result is an approach which allows lasting results to be achieved quickly and easily – often in a few hours. Book your breakthrough session and get started today.