Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help with many conditions, but it is vital that you have the desire to change
Anxiety and Stress
Most people who come for help will be suffering from anxiety and stress in some form. Even if we are coping with the stresses of life and doing everything we need to be (running a business, holding down a job, looking after family etc) these repeated stresses will have a cumulative effect on us.
Often the impact will be gradual, becoming easily irritated, never finding the time or inclination to do fun things, not wanting to drive on busy roads etc, constantly seeing the negative in everything in life, drinking too much, insomnia, comfort eating etc etc. These can lead to more severe issues, never going out, repeated ill health, hyper vigilance, existing physical conditions being exacerbated. Everyone’s stress manifests itself in different ways, we can often clearly see the stress in someone else, but some people find it more difficult to measure their own stress.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy offers a gentle but powerful approach to solving the problem. It focuses on the positive aspects of your life and stays away from fixating on the negative. During the deeply relaxing sessions you develop the ability to control the anxiety and feel comfortable in all situations. When you feel confident, calm and relaxed, and this will happen over time, you will have a new positive, and robust outlook.
The treatment is really an education, giving you the tools to build resilience to find your own solutions (one size doesn’t fit all!) and the ability to cope in the future when life becomes challenging.
Depression
Statistics show that 1 in 4 Britons will suffer from a mental health problem within a given year, with anxiety and depression being the most common combination of mental health disorders in the UK. Between 8 and 12 percent of the population will struggle with depression and the effects on home, career, relationships and personal esteem are enormous.
Hypnotherapy can be a real and effective tool for helping with depression. The Solution Focused approach engages the persons mind to use those natural and internal resources. This empowering process, gives you the necessary confidence and control to start living you life just as you wish.
Insomnia
If you suffer from lack of sleep, find it difficult to fall asleep, or wake up in the middle of the night, you know that the consequences can be devastating.
Sleep has an important purpose and prolonged periods of sleeplessness can lead to irritability, weight gain, fatigue, and lack of motivation at work and at home. Loved ones can bear the brunt of our tiredness as we become ill tempered and irritable. Work performance may suffer and feelings of anger may start to creep into our thoughts.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help you empty your stress bucket which in turn helps you get to sleep and stay asleep right through the night.
Confidence and Self-esteem
Lack of confidence and low esteem can have a detrimental effect on our lives, whether it is associated with our relationships, at work, at home or when we are socialising. Through hypnosis it’s possible to access the subconscious mind where negative beliefs, thoughts and behaviours can be revised and replaced. The result is a new and motivated attitude with increased self- belief and confidence.
Specific Phobias
Phobias can be debilitating for a person, no matter how irrational they seem. Fear of spiders, heights, needles, public speaking, flying (to name but a few) can be relieved within 4 weekly sessions. More complex fears and phobias such as agoraphobia or claustrophobia take a little longer. During the initial consultation we will explore the best treatment option for you.
Weight Management
When it comes to achieving and maintaining our ideal weight, everyone’s needs are different. Some people may wish to lose a few pounds or a few stone or they might even want to gain weight instead! If you suffer from an eating disorder such as Anorexia, Bulimia or Binge Eating, then our needs are often more complex. One thing is for sure, fad diets will only work on a short term basis and can sometimes be counter-productive. If you want to reach your ideal weight and stay there then we need to change the way we think.
Whether it’s weight loss or weight gain that you’re hoping for this, there is no quick fix but we can look to change our mind about the type and amount of food we eat and more importantly get the root of why we continue to eat wrongly, when we know it is wrong! Solution Focused Hypnotherapy aims to help you to find what works for you. When our anxiety/stress levels are lower we are less prone to the emotional peaks and troughs that can cause us to eat inappropriate amounts of food at the wrong time. I run small group classes for weight management as well as individual sessions.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS is a condition of the digestive system. IBS symptoms can cause extreme discomfort with stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation. The symptoms of IBS tend to come and go and are often triggered during periods of stress or after eating certain foods. Symptoms tend to vary between individuals and can affect some people more than others. However, most people suffer from stomach cramps before experiencing either diarrhoea, constipation, or bouts of both. The cause of IBS in unclear but we do know that it can be aggravated by stress.
It is worth noting that NICE clinical guidelines of May 2010 state that:
“There is moderately good evidence for the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in improving global symptoms in adults with irritable bowel syndrome (…) the use of hypnotherapy may be an effective intervention in children with chronic constipation that has not resolved with usual treatment and may offer an additional approach which works.”
Sports Performance
Hypnotherapy improves mental strength, boosts confidence, motivation and focus – everything a serious sports person wants. Hypnosis has been used in virtual every sport from boxing, golfing, swimming, sailing to cricket, the list is endless, hypnotherapy has helped boxers win world championships, helped golfers win The Open, helped sportspeople win Olympic Medals. Some countries bring a team of hypnotherapists with them to the Olympics to help gain that edge.
Many athletes acknowledge that sports are not entirely a physical game. A player’s body has to be in shape, but this is only one part of the battle, it is really a mental game. Whether it is help with the anxiety surrounding a highly stressful and crucial situations to perform, or the visualision of that move, or that winning shot that you need then give Jennifer a call.
Exam Preparation
Hypnotherapy can help you to reach your full potential by helping you to achieve better grades. Through visualisation and mental rehearsal I can help you to achieve better focus, improve your concentration, sleep better and get a better mindset to achieve your goals.
We all feel a bit of stress coming up to an exam, it can be healthy, it can motivate us, but when that stress spirals out of control it can be devastating. Symptoms of exam stress can be catastrophizing over things going wrong, focusing on your weakness, finding your mind goes blank when you enter the exam room, or physical systems from sweating and nausea to panic attacks. Hypnotherapy can help to alleviate these symptoms and allow you to take your exams in your stride.
Stopping Smoking
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy has great success in helping people give up smoking for good, in a single session. But remember hypnotherapy can not make you do anything you don’t want to, so you need to want to stop, I can help you make it happy.
Hypnotherapy and Pregnancy and Labour
Pregnancy is an exciting time, but some women find it stressful and a time of worry, I can help you relax and enjoy this precious time. Researchers have found that after 17 weeks cortisol, the stress hormone, can be found in the amniotic fluid at the same levels as in the mothers blood. So its never too early to give me a call. Hypnotherapy during pregnancy is growing in popularity since it has no negative side effect and can be used safely in pregnancy when a women’s other options are limited. I can also teach you self hypnosis to help you keep calm during labour, if you’re scared, your body will respond accordingly, producing adrenaline, a hormone that makes your tense muscles more tense. That means your uterus has to work harder to contract and relax. With effective hypnosis, your breathing is more even, which means more oxygen reaches you and your baby. Increased oxygen stimulates the production of oxytocin (the hormone that controls contractions) and endorphins (the good-mood natural chemicals that runners talk about). The ultimate goal is contractions that are more effective and less painful.
Hypnotherapy can help with so much, if you want help with something that is not on the list then give me a call.