Answers to your frequently asked questions

How does your approach work?

I am qualified in many modalities which mostly sit under positive psychology (coaching, psychology, neuroscience, mindfulness, energy psychology (EFT), cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy and NLP).  Because of all my trainings I can provide a fusion of techniques and strategies that will benefit my clients and their areas of focus.  From the start I will work with you on your bespoke plan of action connected with the individual package you decide to choose.  Everything will be made clear through each step of the process, empowering you to take control of your life now.  I find that so many clients have held so much in for so long that even from the discovery call to our first session things start to change in a positive and empowering way.

Where are you based if I wanted to see you face to face
and who do you work with?

I am based in Poole in Dorset and I can see clients face to face there at my consulting rooms and also in London at my practice near Liverpool Street.  A lot of my clients live all over the world so skype/zoom/facetime works very well too. I work with so many different clients wanting to make positive change.  I also work with all ages from five years upwards.

Which package should I choose?

This really depends on what area of change you want to work on.  All my packages are bespoke and tailored for my individual clients. There are no quick solutions however with my professional expertise we can progress in a timely way for you.  We can also discuss this in more detail during our free 30 minute discovery call.  Often it can be helpful to see change in a few clear steps and to help you focus.  It maybe you have a specific situation you want to address, an area of your life or transformation within many areas of life.

What is positive psychology?

Positive Psychology is the ‘scientific study of what makes life most worth living.’ – Peterson 2008.

I use an adaptation of the Perma Model for Wellbeing (Seligman 2011) with a focus on Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Achievement and Health. In Positive Psychology we focus on the strengths of individuals to live a wonderful life.  With many of the trainings I have loved all sit within this area eg. mindfulness, coaching and so much more.

What is Emotional Freedom Technique/Energy Psychology – How does it work?

It is a powerful method to remove blockages and re-connect and re-energise to move forward with energy, power and so much more.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a meridian therapy, often called emotional acupuncture.  Where we tap on the meridian energy points to clear, improve and increase the flow of energy.  

We will start with defining the problem you want to look at and begin with a self-estimate of discomfort on a scale from 0-10. We will then learn the basic EFT recipe – the set up and the sequence of tapping. In the session you will be taught the EFT formula which you will be able to use at home whenever you need it.

EFT can help with many things including:

• Coping with stress
• Reduce anxiety and fatigue
• Improve confidence and self esteem
• Improve health and well being

EFT offers great healing benefits.
― Deepak Chopra

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a state of heightened suggestibility, or hyper-suggestability.  Where you are mentally awake and usually aware of everything that is said or done.  Hypnosis is a mental skill whereby as a client you will learn to control your mental processes.  Hypnosis is good at inducing deep relaxation and modifying our beliefs to ‘I can’!  It is a special way of using various naturally-occurring psychological and physiological states.

Why combine hypnotherapy and CBT?

A general additive effect when combining hypnosis with behavioural or cognitive approaches. Hypnosis can also facilitate benign detachment eg. from pain.

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for:

• Anxiety
• Confidence
• Low self esteem
• Stress
• Social anxiety
• panic attacks

In summary hypnotherapy will look at the root cause of this low self esteem and confidence and then look at using suggestion and other techniques to change thinking, ultimately improving confidence and self esteem to be able to flourish in your life.

What are some of the critical success factors
for a successful therapeutic relationship? 

As Araaz (1982) stated an effective therapeutic relationship is all about TEAM (trust, expectation, attitudes and motivation.  A client coming with an open mind to change helps, being an active participant in the tasks and the follow up work all support the process.  I also like Bordin’s (1979) insight into the three key areas or components that make up the therapeutic relationship and these are the: bond of trust between therapist and client, agreement on both therapy goals and tasks.

What is hypnotic skills training? 

By training clients to understand their role in hypnosis the more it is possible to increase hypnotic responsiveness.  By providing clients with a set of life skills eg. self hypnosis they use them in the session, between sessions and after the sessions have concluded so in essence becoming their own therapist.

What is the General Hypnotherapy Register(GHR) code of ethics
and why is it relevant to your practice of hypnotherapy?

As someone who has worked as an educationalist and a professional for various membership organizations this document is important in terms of my own professional practice and providing a framework of obligations some which cross over into the other organizations I am member of eg. coaching.  In terms of CPD I believe that continuing to undertake CPD in various forms is essential and I do this through supervision, reading and attending relevant training and networking events.  Confidentiality is at the heart of everything I do and it is at the heart of the client/therapist relationship.

What is self hypnosis?  

By adopting a skills training approach the clients is taking a proactive approach and this is integral to the cognitive behavioural model.  By using self hypnosis it improves what we are doing and also improves us as a client and therapist.  It can take a simple form of induction deepener and awakening routine to support the work going on in the actual sessions and is a learnable skill.

What is hypnodieting?

Hypnodieting is based on a concept of mindfulness that recognizes thought and the thinking process as the route of behavior, and therefore also the route to change.  A ‘given’ in this approach is the understanding (and the acceptance) of the idea that:  ‘We do what we do, we believe what we believe, and we feel what we feel, because of the way that we think’.  Without a change in thinking, there can be no change in belief.  And without change in belief, there can be no change in behavior.

This programme is designed to help establish new and more helpful thinking models in my clients, which can lead clients to establish healthier beliefs upon which they can build new patterns of behavior.

It is very different from the ‘usual’ weight –loss methods.  With Hypnodieting we look closely at the existing relationship that you have with food and then address the issues that might prevent you from losing weight and keeping it off.  We use a variety of techniques from mindfulness to hypnotherapy.