Hypnotherapy is an effective way of removing unwanted habits, behaviour and responses and encouraging new patterns to be laid down which are more desirable or appropriate to you. These patterns are stored within our unconscious or subconscious thought which constitutes 90% of our mind, interestingly. Also within this part of the brain is the control centre for our breathing, regulating temperature, digesting our food, all functions which are completed for us automatically without thinking about it. Hypnosis is one of the few therapies that can actually bypass the conscious mind and connect with the unconscious to update desired changes.

Hypnotherapy is also solution focused which means that we agree a strategy and work towards achieving those goals within an agreed timescale. Rather than delving into problems of the past, hypnotherapy puts the spotlight on the present, and exploring the very real possibility of things going right from that day forward. The session will be adapted to your current situation so as to get the best possible results in as few sessions as possible. As a Solution Focused therapist, I am always mindful of the following principles which I think sums up excellently how I was trained and how I approach each client session.

An effective psychotherapist...

(As prepared by the ethical committee of the European Therapy Studies Institute, ETSI)

• Knows how to build rapport quickly with distressed people
• Understands depression and how to lift it
• Helps immediately with anxiety problems including trauma or fear related symptoms
• Is prepared to give advice if needed or asked for
• Will not use jargon or 'psychobabble' or tell you that counselling or psychotherapy has to be 'painful'
• Will not dwell unduly on the past
• Will be supportive when difficult feelings emerge, but will not encourage people to get emotional beyond the normal need to 'let go' of any bottled up feelings
• May assist you to develop your social skills so that your needs for affection, friendship, pleasure, intimacy, connection to the wider community etc. can be better fulfilled
• Will help you to draw and build on your own resources (which may prove greater than you thought)
• Will be considerate of the effects of counselling on the people close to you
• May teach you to relax deeply
• May help you think about your problems in new and more empowering ways
• Uses a wide range of techniques as appropriate
• May ask you to do things between sessions
• Will take as few sessions as possible
• Will increase your self confidence and independence and make sure you feel better after every consultation.