Beyond The Swinging Watch - Hypnosis and Psychology in Everyday Life

One blessing of lockdown would have been that Susan had a legitimate reason to avoid socialising. If she was honest,  deep down it felt good that she would not have to come up with excuses to avoid the next social event. Even knowing that she wasn’t going have to make small-talk during the lunch break at work, would allow her to relax a little bit. Her social anxiety was not a new thing. For as long as she could remember she felt uncomfortable meeting new people or being part of a group. ‘I feel like a fish out of water” she told me. “I feel awkward and if I do try and join in I worry that I will forget what I’m trying to say or stutter over my words.”  Like many people who suffer from social anxiety, it had taken her a long time book her appointment. She had kept a bookmark for my website in her phone for at least six months before she had found the courage to message me for an initial consultation. “I was glad that I could email you. I think if I could only book the appointm...

  Too often relaxation is seen as a luxury to indulge in when we have time. However, mental and physical relaxation can be the antidote for many of the negative effects of stress. Learning relaxation techniques and using them frequently can be effective in taking charge of many common stresses and worries experienced in everyday life. The more stressed we are the less able we are to cope and think positively. This can lead to people getting stuck in a cycle of negative thinking which prevents them from being able to achieve the things they want to. Hypnosis is an ideal way of benefiting from relaxation and encouraging a more positive attitude. Hypnosis is best described as focused relaxation. The deep relaxation, allows a person to be able to suggest a more positive way of thinking which can have a beneficial effect on their behaviour. While Hypnotherapy is often used to help people stop smoking or manage the anxiety associated with unwanted behaviours, it is particularly useful in...

Often when a client comes to see me with phobias, nervous twitches, depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, sexual problems, and the like, they already have some idea of what they THINK the therapy will entail.  Most people who consult me think that I am somehow going to hypnotise them and tell them they no longer stutter, are no longer afraid of spiders, or are no longer anxious, and that dealing with the presenting symptoms is all it takes. But…perhaps we should be asking the question: why do they have the problem in the first place? Different Types of Hypnotherapy You may be surprised to learn there are lots of different types of Hypnotherapy. You wouldn’t be alone if you thought ‘it’ was all the same, when in fact there are a number of different types of therapies that use hypnosis. Of course, they all have similarities but the approaches may be different depending on the problem and the therapist. When I first trained as a Hypnotherapist (nearly 20 years ago) I decide to spe...

  A survey by the Office of National Statistics reported that 39% of adults were experiencing high levels of anxiety since the COVID 19 Lockdown. This is particularly concerning when we consider that this is an increase from 19% from the end of 2019 Naturally, we would expect anxiety alongside the pressures of the environment. For some, it will be an understandable increase in worry and stress, while for others it may have triggered anxiety which can show itself in a number of symptoms, one of which is a panic attack. Anxiety: a disproportionate fear response. An overestimation of potential threat coupled with an underestimation of a perceived ability to cope.  Worry, Stress or Anxiety? Many people use the word anxiety interchangeably with panic, as well as worry and stress, which can lead to confusion. It is perfectly reasonable for a person to experience worry and stress, especially with the current circumstances. Worry and stress are a natural emotion that we all experien...

  What is your ‘go-to’ way to cope with stress? Perhaps you are someone who focuses on the problem itself. You might be someone who finds solace in focusing on the practical solutions to the situation. On the other hand, you may be someone who pays greater attention to dealing with the emotions created by stressful events. You might feel that dealing with emotions helps you see things in a clearer perspective. Perhaps you use both strategies? The research… Research (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984) has distinguished between two types of coping that we use when faced with stressful situations. We call then coping styles because each one has a particular focus on coping with stress. They are called problem-focused and emotion-focused coping.  Problem-Focused: Tackling the particular things that has been causing the stress. Often thought of as the practical solution. It asks the question: “What can be done practically to cope with the situation?” Emotion-Focused: Tackling the emotions...