How to choose your therapist

There is no perfect therapist for everyone; different therapists will suit different clients, so my number one tip is to choose someone who you feel comfortable with. Many therapists like myself, offer a free consultation on the phone or face-to-face and this can help you satisfy yourself that’d you’d feel safe and confident working with them. A short chat will also give you the opportunity to ask questions about hypnosis and to discover if they are experienced dealing with the issue you want help with. Their website, if it is a well-designed and professional one may also give you a pretty good impression of the therapist’s personality or approach, as can reading any blogs or articles they’ve written.

Whether you meet up, speak on the phone or exchange emails, you’ll probably want to ask a bit about what to expect in your therapy sessions. The question I am asked most frequently by prospective client’s, is “How many sessions will I need?” Whilst I appreciate why people want to know this, it’s almost impossible to give a precise number and you might want to consider how a therapist could ‘know’ how exactly how many sessions will be required before you’ve even started. What I tell clients is that I will see them for as few sessions as are needed for them to experience the change they seek. I also explain that hypnotherapy is described in psychotherapeutic terms as a brief therapy, so the therapy is likely to take weeks, rather than months or years.

Other things you will want to know is whether your therapist has attended a recognised hypnotherapy practitioner course, belongs to a professional body and has appropriate insurance. Most reputable hypnotherapy organisations do require a minimum number of training hours, insurance, etc, so membership of one of these bodies, should be enough to satisfy your questions. You may want your therapist to belong to the CNHC (Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council) register. This is a government backed voluntary register so not all therapists will choose to register.

Whether you prefer to work with an experienced therapist or are happy to see a newly qualified therapist is personal choice. New therapists can be very enthusiastic and effective; my hypnotherapy graduates are therapists I’d certainly be happy to recommend. I’d suggest that you arrange to talk with your prospective therapist on the phone or face-to-face to check how comfortable you feel. Rapport between client and therapist is vital for a positive outcome.

Practicalities are worth considering too; you’ll want to research the location of their practice if it’s not known to you and decide too whether you’d prefer to go to a high street clinic, a health club or to a therapist’s home? How you can pay for your therapy might be a factor too. Are you able to pay by card or Paypal, or will you need to pay by cash? Is spreading the payment by using a credit card likely to be important in order to avoid gaps in your therapy?
Once you have considered all of these factors and any others that are relevant to you, then go ahead and book; many of my clients tell me that they feel better as soon as they have their first appointment booked.

Chill out or charge about? The anxiety elimination debate

If you’re stressed or anxious and admit to it, you will probably receive plenty of advice from friends, colleagues or maybe, you’re GP. Some will suggest taking some time off, a holiday perhaps, or a relaxing massage. Others will suggest yoga, meditation or mindfulness; something gentle. Or you may be advised to burn off your stress through physical activity such as running, a gym workout or Nordic walking. So who is right? Well, both strategies can be beneficial and a combination of approaches is most helpful.

Physical exercise can help reduce your anxiety, not just at the time, but later too. Regular exercise has been shown to do far more than provide stress relief, it can improve mood, self-esteem and increase our sense of overall wellbeing.  An exercise regime can help with sleep problems and insomnia too, though it’s not recommended that you exercise vigorously in the evening as this can be stimulating – ask anyone who goes to the gym before work. Exercise can be a distraction from unhelpful or negative thinking, especially if it’s exercise that needs speed or concentration; it’s nigh on impossible to fret about anything while jumping around in an exercise class, kick-boxing or playing footie. Distraction from, or interruption of, negative or catastrophic thoughts are strategies that therapists apply and recommend for managing and reducing anxious thinking. Exercise doesn’t need to be frantic to be beneficial though and research has shown that even a short walk can help reduce anxiety and stress.

So what about the passive approach - the relaxation route to becoming stress-free? Massage (especially Swedish massage or aromatherapy) can be very soothing and de-stressing, but as a qualified massage therapist, I know that the mental effects can be relatively short-lived; the physical effects last longer. Yoga classes can really help and many classes include some visualisation (which is self-hypnosis) or meditation. Mindfulness and meditation are becoming increasingly popular due to media coverage and celebrity endorsement. Meditation is not new and neither is mindfulness and both can be really helpful tools to help you stop that never ending head chatter. One myth about mindfulness is that it is a relaxation technique, but in truth it is more about acceptance than relaxation.

Of course you may want to seek some professional help to manage or eliminate your anxious feelings or behaviour. Some people choose the medical route and consult their GP and others prefer to work with a talking therapist / hypnotherapist such as myself. Whichever you do, the inclusion of exercise, relaxation and mindfulness will definitely have a positive impact on your mental and physical wellbeing.