Hypnotherapy in Plymouth

Improve your life with hypnotherapy

I offer clinical hypnotherapy in Plymouth to help with a range of complaints from overcoming anxiety, improving sleep, conquering unwanted habits and learning to live well with long-term medical conditions.

What can hypnotherapy help with?

When I began my training as a hypnotherapist, I was naively unaware of the variety of problems that may be helped with hypnotherapy. I was surprised to learn that hypnotherapy can be used to help with most of the issues normally addressed by traditional ‘talking’ therapies, including anxiety and depression. Additionally, hypnotherapy is used to help with many medical conditions, such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In fact, hypnotherapy is endorsed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as an evidence-based therapy for the treatment of IBS.

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy

I practice a model of clinical hypnotherapy known as Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH). It’s a modern approach that integrates psychotherapy with neuroscience and hypnosis. The focus of therapy is on what you want to achieve rather than on analysing the problem. In this way, it’s a forward-looking therapy that helps you explore possibilities so that you can find the best solutions for you. The approach draws on neuroscience to help you gain an understanding of your experience and provide clues to possible ways forward. Hypnosis is a powerful tool that helps to consolidate the therapeutic process so that you can feel better as quickly as possible and with long-lasting results.

What to expect from your sessions

Some people believe that their problem can simply be hypnotised away but this is a misconception. Hypnosis can be very powerful but it is not magic! Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is a collaborative process. Change happens with commitment and effort from both parties.

Focusing on the positives

One of the great things about Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is that you don’t need to talk about painful memories or problems. Instead, we’ll focus on how you can move forward by:

How many sessions will you need?

For general therapy, most people need around 8 – 15 sessions. However, it’s difficult to say exactly how many you’ll need as each person is different; you may need less or more. We can talk about this at your first session.

If you’re looking to overcome a phobia, such as fear of flying, it’s likely that you’ll need between two to four sessions. Quitting smoking usually takes just one session.

What is hypnosis like?

The hypnotic state, or trance, is a natural, everyday occurrence for all of us. Have you ever travelled home and not remembered much about the journey? Or sat at the computer for five minutes and an hour has passed by? If so, you’ve been in a state of focused attention not dissimilar to the feeling of being hypnotised.

Hypnosis offers us a way to focus the mind so that we can learn faster and respond better to therapeutic suggestions. Most of my clients find that hypnosis is a pleasant experience, often accompanied by a sense of deep relaxation (although this isn’t necessary for hypnotherapy to be effective). Some have even described it as being like a ‘mind massage’. 

Does hypnotherapy really work?

I have witnessed clients make transformational changes with hypnotherapy – you can read some of their testimonials here. This anecdotal evidence is also backed up by a growing body of evidence from research trials supporting the efficacy of hypnotherapy for helping with a wide variety of conditions:

When shouldn’t you use hypnotherapy?

Always consult with your doctor before starting any complementary therapy. Your doctor will be able to advise you whether hypnotherapy is appropriate for you. Hypnotherapy may not be suitable for people diagnosed with the following conditions: