Hypnosis is a psychological state resembling sleep, which is characterized by the individual functioning at a higher level of consciousness. Within this heightened state of awareness, your unconscious mind is more receptive and relaxed, acting as an incredible tool to help understand the problems that are deep rooted and unconscious. It is important to do this in order to stop these subconscious motives manifesting and negatively impacting our conscious day-to-day lives. During such an intensified period of focus and concentration, I will provide your subconscious mind with suggestions to alleviate your issues or problems. I will then provide your mind with self-suggestions in order to replace such negative underlying thoughts with positive ones, so that even when your out and about you will only think positively. Now to answer the second question. Yes, Hypnosis is a completely safe and natural state that we all experience many times throughout our day. For example, imagine you are driving from your home to a familiar destination. There are many times that you will reach such a familiar destination without realizing how you got there, leaving you wondering ‘who was in control of the car for the last five minutes or so?!’ This is what we call ‘trance’, which is a state a little like day-dreaming for some people. Our role is to get you out of ‘trance’ giving you real control and direction over the decisions you choose.

An article within ‘Psychology Today’ recently explored the kind of feelings experienced during Hypnotherapy. The authors raised the point that the feelings are in no way strange or unusual to the individual, but are in fact very familiar and pleasant. The authors used the comparison of feelings experienced when day-dreaming/being lost in thought. During such a state, the individual is still conscious of everything going on around them, but they experience a relaxing state that they can choose to ‘drift off’ into from time to time. Such an experience helps to heighten the individual’s sense of awareness, acting as a powerful tool in helping deal with any problems/issues being faced. Most people comment on how relaxed they feel during hypnosis. This feeling often continues for sometime after the session is over, leaving you ready to continue your day.

No, certainly not. I cannot make you do anything against your will, in the same way that I (or anyone for that matter) can make you do or say anything that you are not happy doing. And why would I want you to do anything against your will? The aim of our client-therapist relationship is to get the very best from our work, and that means treating you in professional, non-judgmental and ethical way.

Everyone can be hypnotised because all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. You must understand that if you want the result through using Hypnosis, then we will work successfully together, I merely work as a guide to your subconscious. Anyone who is under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances should not be hypnotised.

No, this isn’t possible. Think of hypnosis as being similar to day-dreaming. You may day-dream, but you always re-focus and become conscious of yourself again. Even if I were to leave you in trance and walk out of the room, you would in time either drift into sleep or simply open your eyes. The problem is when people get stuck in a day-dream and live life in a fantasy which they cannot snap out of. Essentially, Cognitive Hypnotherapy helps you to snap out of the ‘trance’ state that may be negatively dictating your life in order to regain control and direction of your decisions.

Of course it is! It is quite natural to feel this way when considering doing something new, and I assure you, you are not alone! In fact, by the end of the initial consultation, any fears or concerns you may have will be resolved. Also, before we start our work together, during our initial consultation we will discuss all queries you may have about the work, so that you are totally satisfied with my approach before making a commitment. And we won’t do any further work until you are happy to proceed.

Over the years working as a therapist, I have worked and guided individuals from all walks of life, of all ages, of all backgrounds. In fact, you name a profession, and the chances are they have been to see a hypnotherapist! The thing they have in common is realising that they can achieve more, and they each have the desire to develop personally with a little guidance in finding a way forward. This is where Cognitive Hypnotherapy and I can help!

Cognitive hypnotherapy treats the person, not the label. Essentially, because everyone is an individual we work collaboratively as a team to develop a plan made to measure and tailored to you! It can therefore be difficult to put an exact number on how many sessions you will need. Some people get what they want in 2-3 sessions, for others it may be 7-10 and hence my ‘round-about’ number is 6 sessions. Overall, it comes down to you as the more effort dedication and commitment you put in positively affects the outcome. On my part, I aim to provide you with results as quickly as possible, but I at no expense jeopardize the quality and sustainability of my work. I always create and use the most effective, and efficient plan for you.

Each of our sessions lasts approximately 60 – 70-minutes as some techniques will take longer with some people than with others. We will book 70-minute sessions in advance in order to allow for session flexibility, as everyone’s treatment plans are different. Plus, by booking in advanced allows plenty of time to work together effectively and efficiently in a way that is right for you. I personally book 2 hours out of my schedule for each client, in order to ensure that I focus directly on each treatment plan to make sure that the process is being completed accurately and effectively for each individual client.

During our first initial consultation, we will go over all the questions that you may have. I will then discuss in full exactly the methods that I use. If you decide that my methods are not for you, this will be no problem at all. As aforementioned, for the treatment to work you need to make sure that your therapist is right for you. If you decide that you like my methods and results, then we will begin our journey together. My key goal is for you to be happy with our client-therapist relationship, and hence I do not want you to waste your time or money engaging in something you are not fully satisfied with or committed to.

I have a private and comfortable room with a reclining leather chair and footstool for you to relax on. Essentially, we will spend our first session discussing the issue/s that are holding you back, and we will explore different methods that can be utilized to make a real difference in your life. We will work together to find your desired solution state (your ideal future state) so that when we get there you can look back on your treatment plan and recognize your progress. The time spent looking at your past and the issue at hand is very important, as you may begin to perceive the issue in a way that you may not have perceived it in before, which is an essential part of therapy. More so, the history taking aspect of our first session will allow me to develop and personalize your treatment plan for us to follow per session. If we have enough time left we will do some hypnosis to begin your positive journey, which also allows you to experience how relaxing hypnosis can be. I have found that for many of my clients, simply discussing their issue in a flexible, non-judgemental and impartial way can really kick-start the process of a positive change. Of course it is paramount to finish by reminding you that anything discussed within our sessions is completely confidential.

General hypnotherapy – £75 per session Coaching – £75 per session Relaxation Hypnosis – £30 per 40-minute session Childbirth Course – £200 per 4 session course (£50 per session)

There are no hidden charges. As part of your treatment plan I specifically design and record CD/MP3 downloadable recordings of hypnotic suggestion for you, which is given free of charge. I also provide e-mail, telephone and Skype support between sessions (within office hours) if required, which is included as part of the service, and therefore does not incur a charge.

No – nothing comes with a guarantee. The reason for this is quite simple; the way I approach my profession is aimed at helping you to gain control back in your life, and therefore you are essentially the master of your own success. As will be mentioned within our initial consultation, the only expectation I have of you is that you work to the best of your ability to make the changes you want. I am afraid to say that I cannot wave a magic wand to make everything better, and even if I could, it would not be your success. I want you to be the master of your universe. The guarantee I will provide you with however is that I will do my upmost best to help guide you towards your solution state, which includes me working within our sessions, as well as outside of our sessions developing and perfecting the treatment plans and methods for you. I would urge you to be very cautious of a therapist who guarantees success, as after all, we are not machines but human beings. As with all therapies, a specific one may not work for you, whereas another will. Cognitive Hypnotherapy is no exception from this; it works very well for some, and maybe not as effectively for others. It is however a wonderfully fascinating and well-documented form of therapy, and I have experienced a fantastic rate of success with my clients.