Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of a counselling and hypnotherapy sessions are outlined on the Delivery Options page.   I am currently open to offering a reduced rate for students or those on low income (with evidence)..  Please contact me for more information on pricing.

A typical session lasts for 50 minutes.  However, we might negotiate this to be longer or shorter depending on your needs and preferences.

You are fully in control of your hypnosis level.  Often the level of depth will depend on how trusting and comfortable you feel at the time.  It is common for the level of depth to be more like relaxing with your eyes closed the first couple times but 

I consider myself quite a moral person with ZERO interest in 'taking over' people's free will, aspiring to be Derren Brown or making people cluck like chickens etc.  I have used hypnosis with many different people (quite a few new to hypnosis) and have been hypnotized myself. I have never seen or experienced anything negative..

For the exceptional case where someone was highly suggestible and went deeper into hypnosis, that person was harder to rouse out of hypnosis.  I had to repeat the ending so it took about 30 seconds longer..  As for myself, I have fallen asleep during a hypnosis audio, but there is always an ending where the hypnotist revives you out of the hypnotic state so this woke me up.  (And, or course, I awoke feeling *awesome* and well rested.).   

NO!  I cannot  (and would want to!) control you or take away your free will. The best way I can describe being a good hypnotic state is to compare it to that feeling you have where you are just on the verge of falling asleep. You are aware you're in bed and feel yourself starting to drift off.  If someone came into the room to speak to you, you'd be aware of this and hear what they're saying, but also feel quite relaxed and the words somewhat wash over you.

Having been in hypnosis myself, I can say that when I heard a suggestion that didn't suit me, I was able to think to myself "no, I don't think I'll do that one. I hope the next one's better....'  (and it was).   You are awake enough to still decide 

Counselling:

Although I have training in psychodynamic and system approaches, I am not currently offering therapy solely within these therapy approaches.  I do not feel I've had enough therapy hours in these approaches to offer therapy solely within these approaches.  

I do not offer psychoanalysis.  

However, I will draw upon these at times and integrate approaches if this is better for the clients. Sometimes their personality, difficulty or our planned intervention isn't working as effectively and a technique from another therapy approach may be more helpful with this specific client for their specific issue.  For example, I've found drawing upon Solution-Focused Therapy techniques  (a systemic approach) has been helpful to integrate a CBT with specific clients for specific reasons.  However, we didn't entirely stop doing CBT sessions and switch into  Solution-Focused Therapy.  I introduced the new intervention over a couple CBT sessions, we evaluated if it was working better, and continued accordingly (often CBT requests drawing upon different interventions and techniques).

Hypnotherapy

I do not offer hypnotherapy for the following:  

• Past life regression
• Recovering past memories (another form of regression)
• Smoking cessation (aka stop smoking)
• Directly addressing fertility issues

Whilst it might be interesting to offer some of these, I lack training in delivering hypnotherapy for these specific issues,    

The hypnotherapy I DO offer is more for anxiety (relaxation), mood-related difficulties (low energy) and, related issues like improving self-confidence, phobias etc.  My hypnotherapy technique are versions of visualisation and imagery techniques I've repeatedly and routinely used with CBT clients in the NHS, but I've added the hypnotic induction, deepener and emerging techniques that facilitate the 'hypnotic focus' state that increases receptivity.  

First, it doesn't fit my values or personal philosophy to build myself or my name into becoming 'a brand'..  I am me.  I love what I do, but I am not my business.

More importantly, I wanted my business name to  convey that I am a solution-oriented counsellor.  Most clients see therapists as they have some difficulty in need of some form of resolution.  

For some, the solution to someone wanting to vent about their family relationships may be as 'simple' as actively listening and providing emotional support to help process things. For others, the solution may be to work through unresolved issues and require solutions (i.e. planning therapeutic interventions) to help cope, accept or change something within the client's control.  There are many possible solutions to help resolve issues.

For me, counselling has a clear aim (whatever that is), we both know what it is and we agree, together, on therapeutic solutions towards meeting that aim.  

So it's important to me to focus on 'Solutions'.  I want both of us to know what we'll do together will be helpful to you.