How many sessions will I need?
This very much depends on what you have got going on in your life and what you are coming to see me for. I will be able to give you a much better idea of this at the end of your Free no obligations initial consultation.
How does the hypnotherapy part work?
Scientists have found that we all go into trance naturally on average once every 7 minutes. You would have experienced this, it’s like a day dream. So, for example when you are traveling along a route you are familiar with you might zone out for a while and then think “goodness, I don’t remember going past Newton Abbot?!” This is because you have gone into a mini trance. When we are in trance our brain is working much harder than when we are consciously thinking of something since we are accessing the subconscious. You will have experienced the power of your subconscious mind working in this way through a mini trance….for example, if you are trying to think of the name of a famous person and you just can’t think of their name even though it’s on the tip of your tongue. It’s so frustrating! And then you forget about it….and a few minutes later it literally just pops into your head! This is because you have gone into a mini trance and your subconscious mind has provided you with the solution.
You are in complete control throughout the trance part of the session. Should you want to open your eye’s and sit up at any point, you can.
Can you make me do anything I don’t want to do?
No, I cannot make you do anything you don’t want to do. I deliver Solution Focused Hypnotherapy which is a clinical therapeutic process based on your goals and what you want to achieve. It is not any form of stage hypnotism and I do not use any direct suggestion other than that which you instruct me that you would like to achieve.
How much will it be?
Sessions are £60 for a 60-90 minuite session. The first session is an initial consultation, where you are able to share what you would like to achieve by coming to see me. Half of the session is spent gathering information and the second half is spent explaining why you are struggling the way you are and what can be done to help this. At the end of the initial consultation you can decide whether you would like to book a subsequent session. After the initial consultation sessions are £60 and usually last between 60-90 minutes. The number of sessions will depend on what you come to see me for and what you have going on in your life. I will be able to give you a better idea of the number of sessions needed at the end of the initial consultation.
However, the main influence over how many sessions you need will depend completely on you and how well you engage with the therapy. If you have our work at the forefront of your mind and you are actively engaging with building new behaviors and habits, then a phenomenal amount can be achieved in a very short space of time. I have had a client who had been clenching her teeth whilst she slept for 15 years, she had one session and because of her attitude and engagement she did not require further sessions. I have heard many therapists draw the comparison between what we do as Solution Focused Hypnotherapists and how a Personal Trainer might work. If you asked how long it will take me to lose a stone with a PT, it really depends on your commitment outside of the sessions, I can tell you what you need to know and how you can help yourself. What you do in between our sessions dictates the speed of your progress.
Will I need to talk about the past?
I am a Modern Psychotherapist and Solution Focused Hypnotherapist; therefore a lot of our time will be spent looking forward to how you want things to be rather than looking back at how they may have been in the past. Our mind can not tell the difference between thinking something and it actually happening so if we spend our time ruminating over periods of our lives which were traumatic, upsetting, frustrating or difficult then we take these feelings and behaviours forwards with us into the future. Of course, I will give you the opportunity to tell me anything that you feel is relevant to your therapy, I know that there is great value in feeling heard. However, our work together will be forward focused, looking at the way you would like your life to be. This was a new concept to me having had years of counselling and I found it so refreshing, effective and ultimately lifechanging.
Is it confidential?
As with all professionals anything you tell me is kept confidential unless I feel that you or someone else is at serious, imminent risk of harm. In this instance I will always discuss what I plan to do before sharing any of your information with a third party. It is extremely unlikely that I will ever need to break confidentiality and I will only do this if it is absolutely necessary.
How do I know that this is safe?
I am a qualified solution Focused Hypnotherapist and Modern Psychotherapist. I am a member of the National Board of Modern Psychotherapy and the Association of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and as such follow their strict guidelines which are there to ensure your safety. I undergo supervision on a regular basis, ensuring that my practice is up to date and that I am providing an outstanding service to my clients. I am insured through Holistic Insurance who also have strict guidelines which I adhere to in order to ensure the safety of my clients.
CPHT Plymouth is one of the few practices nationwide who conduct Session Outcome Research. This is in order to ensure that our clients continue to make the outstanding progress which we are renowned for and as a means of moderating our future practice and training. This research is important as we hope that at some stage there will be sufficient evidence for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy to be used and recognized as potentially the most effective therapeutic model currently available and as such we can help an increasing percentage of the population to overcome their difficulties and live to their full potential.