I can't believe my last post was in June and it's now the first day of October! Has it been so quiet that I've had nothing to say? No! Quite the opposite. This summer I've been in the studio a fair bit, making a series of new self-hypnosis recordings for Hypnosis for Pregnancy, Hypnosis for Childbirth and Hypnosis for Post-natal recovery, as well as Emotional Eating and Insomnia. I'm hoping these will be ready for sale on my website soon. I've also been writing for and editing the latest edition of Hypnoversity, the professional online journal which from now on is also available in print as well as online.My new Hypnosis for Childbirth website has been keeping me busy too and should be live in a few weeks. Add to that a bit of teaching and client work of course and the summer has just flown by. Luckily the weather that we might have expected in August has now arrived, so we can all enjoy a bit of an Indian summer. Having decided some weeks back that I should practise what I preach and reduce my working hours (by not working every Sunday morning at the centre), I can now enjoy a day in the sunshine tomorrow. It can be so easy when you love your work as I do, to rack up loads of hours, but I guess I need to 'walk the talk' and take a break from my pc too!
Hypnotherapy has been in the news a fair bit in the last couple of weeks, especially in regard to the NHS. They have started a major study into hypnosis for childbirth in the North of England which I'm sure will provide evidence of the benefits to women and their babies. I have been working with pregnant women preparing for childbirth for many years and really enjoy teaching women and their birthing partners how to use self hypnosis to prepare mentally and physically for their special event. The eradication of fear allows women to approach childbirth excited rather than anxious, and the relaxation of muscles can make birthing quicker and more comfortable. Women I have worked with have described very fast physical recovery from birthing as they have been drug-free. The use of hypnosis by birthing women will of course save the NHS shedloads of money on drugs and staffing hours, but a positive and happy birth experience will be the most important advantage of offering this service to pregnant women.
Last week I watched two healthcare professionals discussing on BBC1's 'Breakfast' the possible benefits to using hypnosis with patients to help them with diagnosed conditions including stress and anxiety. It was suggested that healthcare staff could be trained to offer hypnosis to patients who were open to it. Dr Rosemary Leonard (Breakfast's resident GP) said she wouldn't have the time to offer this service. Sadly, there was no mention of referring these patients to suitably qualified hypnotherapists outside the NHS. Hypnosis is already recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence) for certain conditions such as IBS, but in my experience, most clients seeking help with such conditions, self-refer. Opinion amongst my professional colleagues on this coverage appears divided, with some being cross that hypnotherapy appears to be viewed as something that needs to be delivered only by medical professionals, whilst others see it as good publicity. I tend to feel that the recognition that hypnotherapy has an important role in healthcare is a good thing.
The NHS is unlikely to train enough healthcare workers to a high enough standard any time soon, so as with other health services, those who can't wait or don't want to wait for help, will need to seek help outside the NHS. When I have hurt my back, knee or wrist I have sought the help of an osteopath who works exclusively with the musculo-skeletal system, rather than see my GP, so I'm confident that many clients will appreciate the time and professionalism that an experienced hypnotherapist can offer them and will continue to choose to consult private therapists.
The public need to feel confident to book with private therapists, knowing that the person they are seeing has received sufficient training and works to a code of ethics. An article in the press recently described a case where a 'cowboy' hypnotherapist induced false memories of abuse in a client. In this instance, the 'therapist' had done a very short correspondence course. This of course is completely unsatisfactory and unacceptable. Regrettably, it is still legal for anyone to set themselves up as a counsellor or therapist and this needs to change. Members of the public should check that any therapist they are considering consulting belongs to a professional association (which will require them to be adequately qualified and insured). I am a member of the APHP (Association for Professional Hypnosis & Psychotherapy) the GHR (General Hypnotherapy Register) and the CThA (Complementary Therapy Association). I am also a member of the CNHC (Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council) which is a regulatory body funded in part by the Dept of Health.
Last week I watched two healthcare professionals discussing on BBC1's 'Breakfast' the possible benefits to using hypnosis with patients to help them with diagnosed conditions including stress and anxiety. It was suggested that healthcare staff could be trained to offer hypnosis to patients who were open to it. Dr Rosemary Leonard (Breakfast's resident GP) said she wouldn't have the time to offer this service. Sadly, there was no mention of referring these patients to suitably qualified hypnotherapists outside the NHS. Hypnosis is already recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence) for certain conditions such as IBS, but in my experience, most clients seeking help with such conditions, self-refer. Opinion amongst my professional colleagues on this coverage appears divided, with some being cross that hypnotherapy appears to be viewed as something that needs to be delivered only by medical professionals, whilst others see it as good publicity. I tend to feel that the recognition that hypnotherapy has an important role in healthcare is a good thing.
The NHS is unlikely to train enough healthcare workers to a high enough standard any time soon, so as with other health services, those who can't wait or don't want to wait for help, will need to seek help outside the NHS. When I have hurt my back, knee or wrist I have sought the help of an osteopath who works exclusively with the musculo-skeletal system, rather than see my GP, so I'm confident that many clients will appreciate the time and professionalism that an experienced hypnotherapist can offer them and will continue to choose to consult private therapists.
The public need to feel confident to book with private therapists, knowing that the person they are seeing has received sufficient training and works to a code of ethics. An article in the press recently described a case where a 'cowboy' hypnotherapist induced false memories of abuse in a client. In this instance, the 'therapist' had done a very short correspondence course. This of course is completely unsatisfactory and unacceptable. Regrettably, it is still legal for anyone to set themselves up as a counsellor or therapist and this needs to change. Members of the public should check that any therapist they are considering consulting belongs to a professional association (which will require them to be adequately qualified and insured). I am a member of the APHP (Association for Professional Hypnosis & Psychotherapy) the GHR (General Hypnotherapy Register) and the CThA (Complementary Therapy Association). I am also a member of the CNHC (Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council) which is a regulatory body funded in part by the Dept of Health.
Last week I was in Birmingham to attend an NLP course that I am writing about for the online journal, Hypnoversity. The journal for hypnotherapists, coaches and NLP practitioners was launched by myself and Nick Cooke back in May 2009 and started out as a newsletter for students and graduates of Central England Collge (of Clinical Hypnosis). We now, thanks to the world wide web, have readers far and wide and I am kept busy researching, writing and editing articles about clinical hypnosis and associated therapies. One of the things I enjoy as editor is attending conferences, workshops and training sessions as well as interviewing leading figures in the the therapy world and inspirational teachers and therapists such as Terence Watts, Shaun Brookhouse and Kevin Laye, who works with Paul McKenna and is the author of Positive Shrinking.
The training last week was delivered by Mark Taylor and Nicky Kennedy of Opt2xl and was both stimulating and enjoyable. Having qualified in NLP a good many years ago now, it was good to see another company's approach and I found Mark and Nicky very motivational and generous to their learners. I attended only two days of the five day NLP course as I was also booked to be at a one day self-esteem and confidence course with my friend and colleague Hilary Norris-Evans. Hilary is an experienced tutor and therapist and a master linguist and has more letters after her name than you can shake a stick at. On Friday I agreed to be her volunteer 'client' so the class could see her demonstrate rapid inductions (inducing hypnosis very quickly). Like most experienced hypnotherapists, I go into hypnosis very easily and many in the group were surprised at the speed with which Hilary helped me into the delightfully relaxed state that we call hypnosis.
Many professional therapists are reluctant to use fast inductions, as they want to distance themselves from stage hypnotists who use rapid (and often dramatic) inductions with their subjects. Fast techniques do have a place in professional therapy though and I sometimes use this approach when working with childbirth clients who may go in and out of hypnosis several times during a two-hour session.
So, after a packed week starting with client work in Wimbledon and ending with copy writing in a West Midlands Travelodge, I was glad to get back to my centre for a full week focusing on therapy before Easter arrives.
The training last week was delivered by Mark Taylor and Nicky Kennedy of Opt2xl and was both stimulating and enjoyable. Having qualified in NLP a good many years ago now, it was good to see another company's approach and I found Mark and Nicky very motivational and generous to their learners. I attended only two days of the five day NLP course as I was also booked to be at a one day self-esteem and confidence course with my friend and colleague Hilary Norris-Evans. Hilary is an experienced tutor and therapist and a master linguist and has more letters after her name than you can shake a stick at. On Friday I agreed to be her volunteer 'client' so the class could see her demonstrate rapid inductions (inducing hypnosis very quickly). Like most experienced hypnotherapists, I go into hypnosis very easily and many in the group were surprised at the speed with which Hilary helped me into the delightfully relaxed state that we call hypnosis.
Many professional therapists are reluctant to use fast inductions, as they want to distance themselves from stage hypnotists who use rapid (and often dramatic) inductions with their subjects. Fast techniques do have a place in professional therapy though and I sometimes use this approach when working with childbirth clients who may go in and out of hypnosis several times during a two-hour session.
So, after a packed week starting with client work in Wimbledon and ending with copy writing in a West Midlands Travelodge, I was glad to get back to my centre for a full week focusing on therapy before Easter arrives.
Well it's 9.20am on Saturday morning and I've already been here at the centre for an hour and a half, waiting for the hire company to come and take my conference chairs away. Being near the depot I thought I might be their first stop, but it looks as if breakfast might actually be brunch or even lunch if they make my centre their final collection of the morning.
The Quit 4 Life training day we did here at the centre yesterday went well and the attendees all seemed happy. Being on the borders of Wandsworth and Merton, I expected people from SW18, SW19 and surrounding postcodes, so was amazed to learn how far some people had travelled to get here - one from Berkshire, another from Essex and one determined soul drove from Devon! Nick Cooke, my friend and colleague and master clinical hypnotist clearly has some 'pulling power' - at least where hypnotherapy training is concerned anyway!
Our next event will be a 'taster day' for new clients, where they will be able to try a short session of reflexology, massage and reiki as well as hypnosis or life coaching. This event will need careful planning to run smoothly, so I'll be meeting with the other practitioners and therapists to sort out the format. Curiously, all our female therapists have names that start with 'L' - Lorna, who does reflexology and many different types of massage and specialises in pregnancy treatments, Leda (pronounced Layda) who does a style of massage known as Raynor - a deep tissue therapeutic massage created by Australian, Brandon Raynor, Leo, a Reiki master and natural nutritionist who has just joined the team, and myself, Lorraine. Maybe I should make it part of the criteria for women working here..
.....Great, it's not yet 10am and the guys from Rayners have collected the chairs, so I'm off to nearby Dolce Vita for a fabulous foccaccio feast and authentic cappucino before my first client arrives - fortunate for both of us that they'll now be spared the deeper rumblings of my empty tummy.
The Quit 4 Life training day we did here at the centre yesterday went well and the attendees all seemed happy. Being on the borders of Wandsworth and Merton, I expected people from SW18, SW19 and surrounding postcodes, so was amazed to learn how far some people had travelled to get here - one from Berkshire, another from Essex and one determined soul drove from Devon! Nick Cooke, my friend and colleague and master clinical hypnotist clearly has some 'pulling power' - at least where hypnotherapy training is concerned anyway!
Our next event will be a 'taster day' for new clients, where they will be able to try a short session of reflexology, massage and reiki as well as hypnosis or life coaching. This event will need careful planning to run smoothly, so I'll be meeting with the other practitioners and therapists to sort out the format. Curiously, all our female therapists have names that start with 'L' - Lorna, who does reflexology and many different types of massage and specialises in pregnancy treatments, Leda (pronounced Layda) who does a style of massage known as Raynor - a deep tissue therapeutic massage created by Australian, Brandon Raynor, Leo, a Reiki master and natural nutritionist who has just joined the team, and myself, Lorraine. Maybe I should make it part of the criteria for women working here..
.....Great, it's not yet 10am and the guys from Rayners have collected the chairs, so I'm off to nearby Dolce Vita for a fabulous foccaccio feast and authentic cappucino before my first client arrives - fortunate for both of us that they'll now be spared the deeper rumblings of my empty tummy.
I can't believe it's the end of February already. Time has flown. January and February are generally pretty busy as people decide on changes they want to make and choose hypnosis to help them improve their chances of success. It's great to see clients breaking old habit, overcoming challenges, fulfilling their potential and just being happier and more relaxed.
Business has been boosted too by being in The South London Press earlier this month. Three of their readers have each been offered a free hypnotherapy course with me as part of a new year promotion. All three were delighted to hear that they'd been picked randomly from the many who'd applied and are looking to rid themselves of phobia, nerves and anxiety and to gain confidence. I start working with them next week.
Next week at the centre we are also running a Quit for Life masterclass session for qualified hypnotherapists. Quit 4 Life is a new national programme for people who want to stop smoking with hypnosis and it has a different approach to some quit smoking with hypnotherapy programmes. March 9th is National No Smoking Day, so it's very timely and apart from training hypnotherapists from all over London, we will be offering this accredited programme to clients from Southfields, Earlsfied, Wandsworth and Wimbledon here at the Hypnotherapy & Natural Health Centre in SW London. As with any other smoking cessation method, smokers do need to really want to stop smoking but hypnosis may help them to succeed where they've previously failed. For more information and to find out about any discount offers visit http://www.quit4life.biz/
Business has been boosted too by being in The South London Press earlier this month. Three of their readers have each been offered a free hypnotherapy course with me as part of a new year promotion. All three were delighted to hear that they'd been picked randomly from the many who'd applied and are looking to rid themselves of phobia, nerves and anxiety and to gain confidence. I start working with them next week.
Next week at the centre we are also running a Quit for Life masterclass session for qualified hypnotherapists. Quit 4 Life is a new national programme for people who want to stop smoking with hypnosis and it has a different approach to some quit smoking with hypnotherapy programmes. March 9th is National No Smoking Day, so it's very timely and apart from training hypnotherapists from all over London, we will be offering this accredited programme to clients from Southfields, Earlsfied, Wandsworth and Wimbledon here at the Hypnotherapy & Natural Health Centre in SW London. As with any other smoking cessation method, smokers do need to really want to stop smoking but hypnosis may help them to succeed where they've previously failed. For more information and to find out about any discount offers visit http://www.quit4life.biz/
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