It’s not all about clucking like a chicken…

I’ll be blogging about hypnotherapy and performance coaching news, developments, applications and research, as well as bringing you information and dispelling the myths and fallacies that surround my profession. In the years I have been a practicing hypnotherapist I have come across many views, opinions and fears regarding what I do for a living. Some clients want to see it as a magic wand which can solve all their problems for them, some worry about what could “go wrong” but most are receptive, motivated and intrigued by the process.

I see clients from all walks of life, and speaking to so many different people has shown me that most people have the same issues and the same problems. They all want the same thing; to feel in control of their behaviours, their choices and their feelings. Autonomy is vital for well being.

People don’t want to be in control, they need to feel in control.

Also, I have found that British people can embrace the process of therapy, be open and receptive to applying themselves to change. So many clients have said to me during the session “This is like therapy”. They had not made the connection before. By talking to a professional about their lives and their goals and their current issues they can feel more empowered, more in control. And that’s progress, even before they’ve been under hypnosis.

The stigma of ‘therapy’ is decreasing in the UK. I’m not sure we’ll ever reach the level of treatment that happens in the US, but there has been a cultural shift in the way people perceive a drive for personal improvement and development. The shift in people’s attitude to smoking is a prime example of how things have changed. Smoking has become stigmatised, marginalised and socially unacceptable. The vast majority of clients I see for Smoking Cessation therapy don’t even smoke inside their own homes any more, and that shift in attitude happened recently and rapidly, and it goes to highlight how things change. More on smoking next time.