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.