I qualified as a Hypnotherapist with the BST Foundation in London, this blog contains notes from experiences i have had along the way, but i will never discuss client details which are kept strictly confidential.

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Thursday, 4 March 2010

NLP Practitioner Training

NLP Practitioner Training - An Insight Into The Course Contents
by: Gemma Bailey

People Building is an NLP and Hypnotherapy Training company based in South East England specialising in courses in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire at NLP Practitioner, NLP Master Practitioner and Hypnotherapy Diploma level. All of our trainings are accredited by appropriate awarding bodies.

In this article, I am going to discuss some of the course content and explanation of the NLP Practitioner course.

An understanding of the Mind- Body connection – In short, when you think about something, chemicals are released in your body. The chemicals that are released will affect your mood and therefore how your body is feeling, for example, if you think about something that makes you really nervous, you could end up giving yourself an upset stomach. Likewise, the body is connected to your mind, so if you exercise your body, happy chemicals are released and your head feels a happier place to be.

Understand and read body language – In NLP we read body language using calibration. This means that we first get an understanding of what a particular gesture, posture of expression mean, then when we later see the same person making that gesture, posture or expression, we know that they are probably feeling the same way as when we saw them do it last. Calibration is important because it stops us from generalising about what a person is feeling. For example, we may generalise that when a person crosses their arms, that they are being defensive, but they may just be feeling chilly!

NLP Presuppositions which positively influence your world – These are a list of convenient beliefs that encourage you to consider the impact your communication has on others, and how to treat every result and behaviour as positive, as far as is humanly possible.

Enter someone else’s world for greater understanding of others – Often we are so trapped in our own idea of life, that we forget that others are constantly having a completely different experience of life to the one we are having. NLP teaches us how to understand and respect another person’s perspective.

Communicate effectively – Everyone is experiencing the world in a different way, and part of the reason why this happens is because people use their senses in different ways. Some people rely more on their vision, others on their hearing. When a person has a sensory preference this impacts upon the way they understand information and the way they communicate. Using NLP techniques we are able to get onto another person’s wavelength and communicate more elegantly.

Have better rapport and quickly gain a connection with others – People like people like themselves, and when you have good rapport with someone, you unconsciously mirror each other’s physiology. By understanding how to use this skill, we are able to quickly gain rapport, and break it when we no longer wish to have it.

Tips for Creating a Successful Personal Online Dating Profile

by: Caroline Mackenzie

Your profile is the key to meeting your perfect match at online dating and personals services so it’s surprising that many profiles are mediocre at best. With a little extra time, thought and effort, and the help of these tips, you can make yours a winner and attract a large pool of admirers to take your pick from.

Invent a distinctive username:

Your username (nickname) is the first hint at what kind of person you are. It needs to be original and memorable, while somehow summing you up - not easy in a dozen letters or so!

For ideas, think about your interests, background, location and personality. For instance, an outgoing person from Phoenix might choose PhoenixSparkler, an avid skier with a wild streak might be SnowTiger. Humor’s great (I recently spotted MissBehaving) but overly sentimental (LetMeBeTheOne), meaningless (Vyc2DX) or desperate sounding (SoLonelyInOhio) names are a turn off.

Give yourself time: think of a name before sitting down to complete your profile, as well as a couple of backup options. It’s amazing how many “original” names are in use already. Most services spit out alternatives but they’re usually unimaginative and full of numbers.

Write a compelling headline:

Your opening line, or headline, is like the first thing you see on an ad: it should compel people to read on and find out more about you. Don’t be apologetic about being there - “I don’t normally do this sort of thing” - and don’t begin (as thousands do) with “My name’s Bob, I’m 25 and live in Boise.” This isn’t compelling. It’s not even interesting. “Born in Boise, Heading for Barbados” is more the thing. It’s intriguing without being confusing, and raises questions: is Bob a traveler, a dreamer or working for an international company? Only one way to find out – read on!

Again, it’s not easy. If you get stuck, a favorite line from a song, book or movie can say lot about you – who you like and/or what you believe in - and stands out to other people who love it too.

Post at least one photo:

For 75% of online daters, the photo is the first thing they look for when browsing through profiles. Not surprisingly, profiles with photos get ten to fifteen times the response of those without. Including a photo is a must! But beware, some photos do more harm than good. Big offenders are photos that show you with someone else, or even worse, part of someone else. (It might not be your ex, or your ex’s body part, but people have no way of knowing.)

If you don’t have a suitable photo, get one taken, and keep it real - glamour shots could come back to haunt you. Think about asking a friend to pick out a photo that they think looks most like you. Make sure people don’t have to squint at the screen to see what you look like, and be sure to smile!

Check the right boxes:

Most profiles have a hefty component of check boxes – age group, sex, and so on. It’s a basic thing but when researching sites I do it a lot myself: check the wrong boxes or forget to change them from a default setting that isn’t right for me. And I’m not alone. Believe it or not, a common mistake among online daters is choosing the wrong sex of their ideal partner. So, take care over these basic but important details.

Check your grammar and spelling:

You might be the most intelligent person on the planet but if you rush your profile and don’t check your spelling and grammar you’re not going to come across well to anyone who values intelligence. You might like to prepare your freestyle entries using a program with spelling and grammar checkers, then paste them into your profile.

Avoid clichés:

Unfortunately, a lot of people say the same thing in the same way as everyone else. It’s boring at best and unbelievable at worst. Can we really believe that so many people “exercise regularly and keep in good shape”? Also, use a thesaurus to replace well-worn words like “good” and “nice” with more interesting, meaningful alternatives that add spice and sparkle to your profile.

Make your meaning clear:

Your spelling and grammar might be perfect but sometimes your words can convey a completely different meaning from what you intended. Give your profile a thorough reading to avoid potentially embarrassing or damaging misinterpretations!

Stick to your own style:

Many online dating profiles include sections where you can express yourself in your own words. It’s a chance to make yourself more human and “real,” and other members can pick up lots of interesting information about you – clues they might find appealing - from the way you express yourself. Don’t block the process by suddenly adopting a style and tone that isn’t really you.

Focus on your unique qualities:

It’s our unique qualities that make us attractive - and to some, very attractive! When you have a chance to describe yourself, let these qualities shine. Skip the things that people take for granted (and have in common) and focus on the things that make you, “you.”

Perhaps you speak another language, have an unusual skill or interest, or something you feel passionately about. Small things count too. If you change your hair color every other day or have an addiction to triple hot chili sauce, say so. People who share or appreciate your unique qualities will tune right in and they make great conversation starters if they decide to make a move!

Flatter yourself – it’s allowed!:

If you’re good at something or proud of yourself for something, go ahead and blow your own trumpet. Confidence (not to be confused with a raging ego!) is an attractive quality and there are plenty of ways to flatter yourself while sounding modest: “My friends say I’m…” or, “If I had to describe one thing about myself that I like…”

Be honest:

Many people can’t resist the urge to be less than completely honest when writing their online personals profile. Women tend to lie about their appearance and men about their status and physical prowess. There’s really no need. Online dating and personals services have thousands if not millions of members. You’ve got a great chance of meeting someone who’s attracted to the real you, warts and all. Of course, there’s no need to tell your darkest secrets – just keep it real. You’ll be able to pursue relationships without having to worry about all the lies you’ve spun. Honesty is an attractive trait.

Be passionate about your passions:

If you have a hobby or interest that you’re absolutely passionate about, that takes up a lot of your time and energy, go ahead and rave about it. It’s better that people know up front how important it is to you, and fellow fanatics will tune right in!

Be careful with humor:

Humor’s great but a super-dry or tongue-in-cheek sense of humor may not work well in writing. People don’t know you and can’t see the twinkle in your eye. You’ll have ample opportunity to display your brand of wit when you’re communicating one-on-one with other members.

Say it with feeling:

Too many profiles read like a job application with flat phrases like, “I enjoy skiing, cooking and photography” which don’t really tell us much. Add emotions, thoughts and feelings into the mix. The idea is to showcase your personality and make a connection on an emotional level.

Be positive:

Our bugbears say something about the type of person we are but keep them to a minimum in your profile or they’ll say something bad! Focus on the things that make you feel good and you'll come across as a fun date.

Don’t dwell on past relationships:

Too much talk of past relationships is a sure way to scare off potential dates. It doesn’t show much commitment to moving along in life with someone new. However, some services touch on the subject in their profiles in which case you can give it a more interesting, positive twist by talking in general terms about lessons learned, where you are today and what your hopes are for future relationships.

Describe your ideal match in your own words:

If you have an opportunity to describe the type of person you’re looking to meet in your own words, use it. If someone reads your profile and likes you, they’ll know right away whether or not they’re a likely candidate for your affections. On the other hand, don’t be too picky or demanding! One idea is to limit yourself to the three or four attributes that you value most in a partner and perhaps one big turn off (you want to keep it positive overall).

Describe the kind of dates you enjoy:

Make it easy for people to ask you on a date by giving them an idea of the kind of dates you enjoy. For instance, “I like a relaxing atmosphere where you can chat and get to know someone,” or, “Doing something new and exciting together is a great way to get to know someone.”

Promote yourself as a great date:

When someone likes what they read in your profile, they’ll probably wonder what kind of date you’d make. In other words, you seem interesting and attractive but would you be the date from hell? Put this question to rest with upfront information that paints a great picture of what it would be like to date you. For instance, perhaps you’re a good listener who likes a quiet, relaxing atmosphere where you can talk and get to know someone, or a sociable energetic type who thinks that doing something new and exciting together is the best way to get to know someone.

When your admirers know you’re on the same page in terms of dating style, they’re more likely to take the next step and ask you out, or at least to get to know you better, confident you’ll be a great date. And if your dating styles are completely out of tune, at least you’ve avoided finding it out the hard way - on that date from hell.

Create a Master Profile:

Save all your profile information and entries in a master file so you don’t have to start from scratch if you’re planning on using more than one service. Profiles vary considerably from service to service but many parts will be similar.

Make Changes:

Last but not least, don’t forget that your profile isn’t written in stone! It’s fast and easy to make any changes you like, so don’t fret too much about perfection!

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

Arthritis Hypnosis Connection

by: Paul Gustafson RN, BSN, CH

Did you know that we all have the ability to enhance self-healing, increase comfort and improve nutrition, exercise, communication and flexibility? This article explains clinical hypnosis and how it can bring relief to clients suffering from arthritis. Hypnosis is easy to learn, you can do it on your own and it empowers you to take an active role in your healthy well-being.

The subconscious mind has many jobs. It quietly and effectively regulates our bodily functions and stores all of our values, beliefs and memories. It also balances our blood pressure, heart rate and co-ordinates each step we take everyday of our life. The negative effects of arthritis extend into many areas of a client’s life, as does the positive resolve and relief of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is the simple process of accessing and directing the subconscious mind to support certain positive changes. It is the language of the mind, it access the most powerful level of awareness and down loads new applications of freedom and relief.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It causes a deterioration of the protective lining of cartilage in our joints. This deterioration occurs due to a breakdown of the chondrocytes that form cartilage. Osteoarthritis affects men and women equally. Most people over 30 years of age have some features of early osteoarthritis. The degree of limitation depends on the location of the inflammation. The major areas of concern are hips, knees and spine. The development of osteoarthritis may be related to trauma, aging or heredity.

The symptoms of stress play a big role in exacerbating the situation. Communication with family and friends plays a key role in managing stress and hypnosis makes this a lot easier. Suggestions offered to a client during a hypnosis session encourage them to share what’s on their mind enabling them to offload concern and frustration, giving them more time doing things they enjoy.

It takes energy to deal with any physical or emotional burden. Hypnosis creates ideal sedation allowing for sound sleep. We all follow the path of our most dominant thoughts and if the last thoughts a client has at bedtime involve deep restful sleep, they are in a much better position to recharge their body and mind for tomorrow’s challenges.

For those suffering with arthritis it’s often difficult just keeping up with the fast pace of day-to-day life. Hypnosis helps individuals adjust to a more appropriate pace and also to release the frustrations and anxiety associated with any limitation. Clients who routinely relax with hypnosis are more centered, balanced and less affected by things they can not control.

Increasing muscle tone reduces stress to affected joints, which increases mobility and comfort. Low impact activities like swimming; walking and range of motion exercises are commonly recommended to clients with arthritis. With hypnosis it’s easier to integrate new regimes and to establish positive subconscious connections between healthy activity and improved mobility, comfort and freedom.

The more protection in your joints, the more comfort and mobility you create. Since the subconscious controls the multitude of our bodily function, hypnosis can direct it to increase the production of chondrocytes, which increases the growth of healthy new cartilage. Pain is often the biggest issue with arthritis. Some pain, however, is necessary; it acts as a warning system telling us that something isn’t right. The responsible approach with hypnosis is to only reduce unnecessary pain, leaving intact the body’s ability to signal us and protect us from further complications.

Hypnosis can also be used to regulate the flow and distribution of endorphins, which are the ‘feel good’ chemicals the body uses to create comfort and relaxation. Using hypnosis to regulate endorphin production plays a big role in putting the client in control. Hypnosis can also alter the perception of where the pain is located. By redirecting sensitivity away from key areas such as hips, knees and vertebrae to a less critical part of the anatomy like a finger tip, the client has much more control.

The same approach can be used to attach a different quality to pain. A sharp pain can be perceived as dull; burning pain can be perceived as cool. Involving other senses is one of the distinct advantages hypnosis offers in managing the symptoms of arthritis. Another technique involves using one color to represent pain and another to represent comfort, and then blending the two offering instant relief.

Lastly, by attaching a number value to pain creates the option of change. By imagining a yardstick during hypnosis a client can pick the number that best reflects their current level of pain, and then they are directed to different numbers which changes their perceived level of discomfort.

With hypnosis arthritis sufferers gain a distinct advantage in managing and even reversing the limitations of arthritis. Hypnosis is simple, empowering and extremely effective. A few sessions with a hypnotherapist gets you started and with a little practice you begin to effect healthy positive changes in your life. We all have remarkable self-healing abilities and hypnosis is an excellent way to jumpstart a return to a healthier more active life.

Hypnotize the Pounds Away: Weight Loss Motivation Through Hypnosis

by: Lyta Humphris

Many individuals these days, male or female, young or old, are struggling with weight management. Concerns with rising cases obesity are no longer based upon a Hollywood conception of what is the appropriate body size. Instead of doctors wanting their patients to be "thinner", they want them to be healthier. The patients, however, are not necessarily discerning the difference.

What Has This Lead To?

Both women and men alike are becoming hooked on yo-yo diets. What is a yo-yo diet? Yo-yo dieting describes the process of going on a diet, losing a few pounds and then going off the diet. When the pounds come back, the dieter then begins another diet and the process continues. Repetitive weight loss and gain is hard on the body, especially the heart and of course, it is hard on the emotional state of the dieter as well.

In addition to this, many dieters are using unhealthy methods of losing weight. Many take dieting pills which are often just glorified caffeine pills claiming to be the miracle cure for obesity. Then, there are those who dive into the "fad diets". Whether it is the cabbage or grapefruit diets, many of these do not give individuals the nutrition they need to live healthily. In addition, low carb diets such as Atkins often create abnormally high levels of protein in the body for the liver to digest. After all, man cannot live on meat and cheese alone.

What To Do?

Sometimes, good old diet and exercise is just not enough. Maybe it’s the genes. Maybe it is behavioral choices that we make everyday without realizing how they are undermining our health. So how do we change these behaviors? One method is through weight loss motivation hypnosis. You may have visions of a creepy soul dangling a pocket watch in front of your face and your eyes beginning to spin. However, this is not what hypnosis is.

The goal of hypnosis is to access the subconscious mind. Under normal circumstances, you control your conscious level of thought while your subconscious takes care of the automatic stuff, like tying your shoes or starting the dishwasher, things that do not require conscious thought. Still, your subconscious is like the driving force that works with our conscious brain to control our actions. Sleeping is the time when consciousness is put on the back burner and the subconscious mind can take control.

Dieting Motivation Through Hypnosis

Hypnotism works on relaxing the conscious level of the mind. Although your conscious mind is subdued and the subconscious mind is allowed the front seat, you are still knowledgeable about what is going on. You and your hypnotist will work to "reprogram" the subconscious side of you. If chocolate, for example, is your weakness, your hypnotist may associate chocolate with nausea so that thinking of chocolate makes you feel nauseous.

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

Pay for Hypnosis by Card or Paypal

You can pay for Hypnotherapy sessions by card or Paypal please contact me for details,

email: steve@frontiermodels.com
Mobile Call or Text: 07979 334366
Landline: 01424 434134

Monday, 1 March 2010

Clinical Hypnosis

by: Paul Gustafson RN, BSN, CH

Clinical Hypnosis

Did you know that Americans spend as much out-of-pocket for holistic solutions such as hypnosis as they do for inpatient hospitalizations? The Eisenberg studies of 1991 and again in 1997 shocked the mainstream medical community with these findings. The authoritarian approach to western medicine assumes that health and wellness comes from others. This minimizes the importance of our own natural ability to not only enhance the healing process but to avoid illness to begin with.

If the rapid assembly line of traditional healthcare has clinicians overwhelmed, what about the emotional state of those being cared for? How are the patients coping with their situation? What expectations do they have for recovery? Do they see themselves as temporarily side tracked or powerless? Do they believe there is a role for them to play in their own recovery or do they feel totally dependant? This article describes how hypnosis works and reviews some of the clinical applications.

What is Hypnosis?

The word “hypnosis” is a Greek derivative for “sleep” coined by scientist James Braid in 1843. It was an unfortunate choice of words because hypnosis is not sleep at all. Nearly all hypnosis clients hear and remember everything during a session. Hypnosis is better described as a combination of deep physical relaxation and heightened awareness.

It is the process of bypassing conscious thought and stepping into the subconscious, which is our body’s control center and also where all of our habits, values and beliefs reside. The subconscious mind is like the hard drive of a computer, it is where all the programming is stored. Hypnosis not only helps you step inside of this powerful place, but it also empowers the client to initiate positive changes supporting improved health and thoughts of future success.

A hypnotist/hypnotherapist uses soothing music and paints peaceful verbal images enabling clients to shift from conscious to subconscious thought. Once this is accomplished they are directed with carefully phrased suggestions, affirmations and imagery supporting the desired goals. The client subconsciously integrates the information and puts it into action.

Clinical Hypnosis

Clinical hypnosis applies to medical concerns. There are dozens of applications of this holistic technique in the acute care setting and scientific research is building an impressive case supporting its effectiveness and cost saving merits. Here are some examples:

Intensive Care: Clients can block out distractions and reduce discomfort, which improves their ability to get quality rest and speed up recovery time. Clinical hypnosis reduces stress, balances blood pressure and heart rate, which minimize complications. It can also be used to reduce secretions, bleeding, improve immune response and make procedures more tolerable.

Oncology: Hypnosis lessens stress, anxiety, pain, nausea and vomiting. It reduces respiratory distress and even helps prevents hair loss. It increases confidence and self-image. Clinical hypnosis helps ease the acceptance of physical restrictions or even coping with end of life transition.

Pediatrics: What better gift to give a frightened child than control during a time of crisis. Children have active imaginations and respond very well to hypnosis. It can melt away fear; increase their relaxation and focus making it easier for them to understand and tolerate procedures and treatments.

Surgical: Clinical hypnosis can reduce anxiety, pain, stress and bleeding. It promotes rapid healing and improved immune response. These clients can better manage post-op pain and nausea. They use less medication and avoid the side effects that go with it. Those who are relaxed going into anesthesia are relaxed coming out of it. They have fewer complications and have a shorter length of stay.

Mental Health: Hypnosis relieves symptoms of despair or sadness, fears, phobias and even addictions. It puts the client in control. They get to play an active role in their own recovery, which adds to an increased sense of fulfillment ensuring long-term success.

Dentistry: Hypnosis helps minimize anticipatory anxiety, bleeding, gagging, pain, excess salivation and distorts time perception making procedure seem to go by quickly. Hypnosis can also help establish a positive association with dental care promoting routine care.

Summary

Clinical hypnosis offers clients an oasis of relaxation and control when they need it most. They have a shorter length of stay, use less medication, have fewer complications and feel like they were a part of the team. Hypnosis can blend nature and science with dramatically positive results. And clients who go on to become self-practitioners of this relaxing technique can make positive changes in many other areas of their lives as well.

Learn Self Hypnosis: What Everyone Should Know

by: A. Thomas Perhacs

In reality, all hypnosis is self hypnosis to put it simply. A hypnotherapist is merely a guide on a voyage. Everyone has day dreamed; consequently, each person has been put under hypnosis at one time or another in their life span. A good hypnotist will constantly educate the client to do self hypnosis, permitting the client to carry on their therapy at their own pace. The lone boundary is the thoughts! There are techniques that a good practitioner should teach anyone who wanted to learn self hypnosis.

Have you ever felt so stressed out that your brain kept wandering to things other than what you were trying to focus on? This was your mind's own healing at work. Would you somewhat imagine yourself at work, phones ringing, computers crashing, boss shouting... and so on and so on... or would you rather picture yourself on a striking tropical island, wind blowing through your hair, sun warming your skin... the smell of the salty, sea air blowing.

Visualize yourself now in that serene, peaceful place of your choice. Pay attention to the waves crashing on the shoreline, the gulls in the air. As you stroll across the sand, you can essentially feel it warming your feet. You can sense of nothing at all... your mind is clear.

In a distance, you see a great hammock wavering lazily amid two beautiful palm trees. You go over and lie down and begin to gently sway on the breeze... relaxation inundating over your full body, mind and spirit.

And there you are... hypnotized... wasn't so hard, was it? At this point, the hypnotherapist gives you constructive messages that trek deep into the subliminal mind. Count to five, come back to the here and now... and the feeling of accomplishment is sometimes overwhelming.

Thus is the curative power of hypnotherapy. Effortless, yet so effective.

So, whats the purpose of hypnosis?

Boundless! The usual hypnosis client is looking for an efficient relief to the problems of weight loss, smoking and drug addiction, pain management, stress management, sleep, or phobias and so on.

No doctor's offices, no drugs, no interfering psycho babble. An hour session with the hypnotherapist and continued practice of self hypnosis in your own home, at your own pace, using your own skills and imagination is all you need.

Medicine and Hypnosis. Hypnotherapy - Healing Emotionally and Physically from the Inside Out

by: Linda Simmon

More and more doctors now realize that hypnosis is powerful medicine. Why this is and how it happens is still something of a mystery, but science is proving that hypnosis can improve your health in amazing ways. It can help relieve pain, make breathing easier for people with respiratory illnesses, aid with gastrointestinal ailments and relieve depression just to name a few. The most astonishing evidence is coming from research on healing.

In a pilot study published in 1999, Harvard University psychologist Carol Ginandes, Ph.D., showed that hypnosis can help broken bones heal faster and, in a follow-up experiment published in 2000, Ginandes and her research team discovered that women who had breast reduction surgery recovered far more quickly after undergoing hypnosis.

It is speculated that hypnosis alters the levels of certain chemicals found in the brain that influence the nervous system, hormone production, and the immune system. It appears that hypnosis affects how genes in cells express themselves, turning some functions on and others off. Studies using brain scans and other imaging technology are providing explanations as to how and why hypnosis works in helping the body heal itself.

Hypnotherapy uses relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, imagery, visualization and positive suggestions. Clients often say to me that they experience a feeling of peacefulness and euphoria yet are fully aware during a session. This is similar to what is experienced during meditation. As David Spiegel, director of the psychosocial treatment laboratory at Stanford University School of Medicine and coauthor of Trance & Treatment: Clinical Uses of Hypnosis (American Psychiatric Publishing) explains, there is "some overlap with meditation" however, "hypnosis focuses on the ability to do something for a specific purpose." And this is how hypnosis achieves its strength, by using positive statements and suggestions while a client is in a fully relaxed state. This enables the client to more easily focus on past problematic patterns or behaviors and it is this ability to more easily focus that results in the desired change. A sort of spring cleaning for the mind. Working from the inside out, releasing negative thoughts, perceptions and behaviors and replacing them with the positive thoughts and suggestions that the client desires.

It is this technique of focusing and strengthening willpower that is responsible for hypnotherapy's high success rate, particularly for clients who want to lose weight or quit smoking. A University of Connecticut review of six weigh-loss studies found that 70 percent of study participants rated hypnosis better than cognitive therapy alone.

Arreed Barabasz, director of the laboratory of hypnosis research at Washington State University in Pullman and coauthor of Hypnotherapeutic Techniques (Brunner-Routledge) agrees. The suggestions, however, must not emphasize what you are against, but rather stress the positive goals and imagery that you are seeking. For the client who wishes to quit smoking, positive suggestions about their body and visualizing their lungs becoming clear and free of smoke as well as instilling images of the client happy, healthy and smoke free are the types of suggestions that are most effective. When Barabasz tested this approach on 300 heavy smokers who had previously quit and relapsed, almost half stayed smoke-free 18 months after hypnotherapy - compared with 10 percent for the nicotine-replacement therapy alone.

Research has shown that cancer patients who receive hypnotherapy prior to or during chemotherapy sessions experience less nausea and vomiting than those going through chemotherapy without the aid of hypnosis.

The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, April 2000 discovered that hypnosis relieved pain in 75 percent of the people studied.

And this list goes on and on.

As more and more doctors and patients are beginning to recognize that mental states and emotional and physical well-being are connected, hypnosis continues to be used more frequently. Hypnosis can help you to take back control of your health and your life and once you have taken back control, then the real fun can start, realizing all the possibilities available to you, all the directions you can go and finally realizing that your life is a journey not just a destination. A journey that you can now control.

Linda Simmon, C.Ht.

What is Hypnotherapy

We often enter into a state of Hypnosis in our every day lives, drifting into normal sleep is entering a trance like state. Have you ever driven along the motorway thinking about some event in your life and then realised you have missed your exit?, this is because you had entered a trance like state. Clinical Hypnotherapy uses the sate of Hypnosis to help treat a wide variety of psychological and medical conditions. There are no harmful side effects and the benefits from it can be long lasting. Hypnosis is a highly receptive therapeutic learning state which the individual accesses in order to make positive changes. In a therapeutic setting this process is facilitated by the hypnotherapist. The naturally relaxed state of hypnosis allows individuals to make rapid enhancements to their lives through a process of learning appropriate new beliefs, breaking unwanted habits, changing negative behaviour patterns and overcoming learned limitations. In addition many individuals naturally experience an enhanced feeling of well being and a more positive outlook after each hypnotic experience.