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Clinical Hypnotherapy So... how does Clinical Hypnotherapy work...
usually very well!
Lets say I want to give up smoking –
I KNOW I do, I am sick and tired of smoking, I know the health benefits if I do,
the money I will save, the energy I will feel….
but I keep lighting up and getting really annoyed
with myself and feel guilty every time I do!
There is a battle between the ‘wills’ of the conscious and unconscious mind.
You see, most of our problems are driven by our unconscious,
making these issues/problems difficult to change.
Clinical Hypnosis helps to make personal changes on any level by talking to the unconscious mind, which tends to have more say in what we do and how we behave than the conscious mind.
This helps the unconscious and conscious to come to happy agreements.
Once the unconscious engages in directing new behaviour,
the new behaviour is what we tend to get!
What one of my clients have said:
"I am in the very privileged position of working for lifesaving leukaemia charity, The Anthony Nolan Trust.
As a charity, some of our biggest and most successful events are our overseas challenges.
Having been extremely fortunate to be able to take part in various events in Morocco, Mexico
and trekking to Everest Base Camp, I was asked to go as the Anthony Nolan Rep
with a group of 15 hardy fundraisers to Mera Peak in the Himalayas.
For me this was a fantastic opportunity but it brought with it a huge amount of trepidation.
Mera Peak is the highest trekkable mountain in the Himalayas
and an attempt to summit the 6476m peak was not to be taken lightly.
I have always had a fear of heights
but have managed to avoid most situations that would get me shaking, feeling sick and close to passing out.
However, I knew that if I wanted to attempt Mera Peak then I was going to have to face my fear
and conquer it before I could even consider accepting the challenge of Charity Rep on this trip.
It's one thing for any of the participants to be frightened of what the day might bring,
but it would be quite wrong (in my mind) for the Rep to be quaking in her tent in the morning
because there might be a high bridge or mountainside pass to face that day.
Having met Stuart at Chill Out and had a chat about NLP and hypnotherapy,
I asked him if it would be possible to help me.
He very bravely took on the challenge of sorting my head out
(a far greater one than attempting a Himalayan Peak, many would say!),
and so it was that early summer 2006 saw me spending a couple of hours with Stuart at the David Marshal Lodge.
Initially Stuart asked me to explain my feelings and fears and to relate various incidents and experiences.
Then after about an hour of relaxation, closed eyes and trawling the depths of my mind,
I came round to a more fully 'awake' state of mind.
I never at any time felt as if I was not fully conscious
but I did feel as if my mind and body were in an extremely relaxed state -
I was always aware of what Stuart was saying though.
'Let's go for a walk' said Stuart, so off we went through the woodlands at the Lodge, then up towards the waterfall.
Before I knew it I was standing right at the top of a 50ft high waterfall, looking down to the ground below.
I was so excited! Everything looked so different from up here
and where before I would never allow myself to take in and appreciate my surroundings at this height,
now I was loving every minute and wondering what on earth the problem was before.
I continued my fitness training over the summer,
then perhaps 10 days before the trip in September I spent another hour with Stuart for a 'top up'.
Then it was time for the journey to begin.
First we had a coulple of days in Kathmandu, then it was time for the challenge to begin in earnest.
The first real test for my fear came on the day we were to fly in to the Himalayas.
Due to adverse weather conditions our guides decided to charter 3 helicopters to take our group in.
Pre NLP the thought of a helicopter anywhere, let alone the dramatic peaks of Nepal, would have filled me with dread.
This time, all I felt was excitement and a general feeling of appreciation of our situation - how fortunate we were!
Every day that followed brought a different challenge - we were trekking on a route which was far from well established.
We traversed high passes, crossed raging rivers, and walked across steep mountain sides which had been washed away in landslides.
At every single point where I would previously have felt literally sick with fear,
I simply thought back to the words Stuart had given me, or pressed the relevant pressure point,
and approached each obstacle with confidence.
People who knew me and had seen me on previous trips couldn't believe the difference in my approach and attitude.
Yes, it was exhausting, freezing and at times pretty hairy and yes, it was a massive challenge,
but never at any time did I feel any sense of fear, and heights (of which there were many!),
were simply never an issue.
I cannot speak highly enough of Stuart, and the effects of NLP.
I now firmly believe that nothing is impossible - the only restrictions we put on ourselves are within ourselves.
Release those fears and there is nothing you cannot achieve - I know!"
Lindsay Maccallum, Anthony Nolan Trust |
