Hypnotherapy can be so powerful for young people who have more recent experience of play and imaginative day dreaming than many adults. Sometimes they can be a bit wary of lying back in a chair and shutting their eyes but that’s fine; I offer a range of fidget toys and colouring which are both helpful in letting the mind relax.

My latest blog is a little different. I haven’t written this myself but have done a blog swap with Wend from ‘Wellness with Wend’. Wend is a solution focused hypnotherapist, massaged therapist and founder of ‘Wellness with Wend’ based in Bristol. Wend shares her thoughts on solution focused hypnotherapy.

Reframing can help you regain power of a situation. Often during difficult times you can feel powerless or out of control. However you do have a choice in how you react. Viktor Frankl, a holocaust survivor, wrote that ‘everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.’ This isn’t necessarily an easy thing to do but recognising the choice that you have can help you take back some control.

Would you like to start 2024 with a clear focus about your goals? My one-off clarity session could be a great way to review 2023 in a positive way and structure your thoughts for the New Year.

These sessions will combine hypnotherapy with a gentle solution focused coaching session and will last longer than my normal sessions at 75-90 minutes. They will also include written notes to help you take away maximum benefit.

Listening to a hypnotherapy audio can be very beneficial, especially during times of anxiety, stress and change.

Many people find it hard when the clocks change and the nights begin to draw in. Some people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder when their mood really dips, while others may miss the longer nights of summer. As we head towards November and you find this time of year difficult there are some things that you can do to support your mental health.

Did you know there are very different types of rest that replenish you in different ways? Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith whose book ‘Sacred Rest’ explores this concept has identified 7 different types of rest that you need to feel at your best.

Your brain is an amazing tool and the study of neuroscience leads to new findings all the time. A fascinating area is the study of of the reticular activating system, which acts as a filter of all the information and detail you are faced with at any one time.

When people hear the term ‘hypnotherapy’ they usually think of someone giving up smoking or overcoming a phobia and while hypnotherapy can be very helpful in these situations there are other benefits that you may not have considered.

Sleep hygiene has become a phrase of the moment as more and more studies illustrate the value of good quality, consistent sleep. But many people recognise that during times of stress or anxiety their sleep can be badly affected and this can result in a negative cycle. So how can you help yourself?

To build muscle or get stronger you may go to the gym. But this doesn’t happen overnight….to build the muscles you want you have to develop a programme, commit to going regularly to the gym and tweaking your programme when necessary. The same analogy applies to our mental health. To keep strong and well you can develop and commit to a toolkit of ideas and activities that support you in good times and bad.

People are often curious about who hypnotherapy can support and what age you need to be for it to be beneficial. The short answer is it can help you through many different life stages and difficulties.

When it comes to anxiety there is no magic wand that can make it all go away but if there is one tool that can be helpful to nearly everyone it is exercise. By exercise I don’t mean running a marathon or taking up triathlons….it can be as simple as getting out for a short walk.

Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death last week we are, as a country, going through a time of very significant change. The Queen has always been a backdrop to most of our lives; on our stamps, our coins, her speeches at Christmas and during Covid and the recent Jubilee celebrations. Alongside this we have a new Prime Minister which brings with it more change.

Personal changes

The biggest changes can be life shattering. The death of someone close to you is one of the toughest things you may experience. A relationship breakdown, diagnosis of an illness or a redundancy can also also be overwhelming.

But changes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and sometimes smaller changes can be disorientating and difficult to process.

No therapy is going to have a 100% success rate. It’s just not realistic. I can’t promise my clients the outcome they are seeking. But there are ways of maximising the potential for success.

Many people are unaware that there are a lot of different types of hypnotherapy available. When it comes to hypnotherapy it’s not one size fits all. There are different factors to take into account. It really depends what you’re seeking support with.

Anxiety is a natural human emotion. It has an important role in helping you assess risks and make choices. However problems come in when you spend more time feeling anxious; your worries can feel uncontrollable and the world can feel a very risky place.

If anxiety is taking over your mind and becoming your default mode and impacting on the way you lead your life then it is time to seek support or take action. It can be helpful to know how your anxiety is impacting on you. While anxieties can take on different forms the bottom line is that your anxiety is trying to keep you safe and protect you from a situation that is perceived as risky.