Things hypnosis is good for

Bereavement/Loss (bereavement can be the loss of anyone or anything)
People react differently to loss and hypnosis can help you to deal with it. By listening to you I can establish what it is you require and provide a space to experience it. Grief needs space to work itself out, so generally I would not suggest working with anyone until three months after the grief provoking event. If you feel you need help before this time is up we recommend you find an appropriate counsellor, possibly from the Rogerian school. Three or four sessions usually.

Blushing (Erythrophobia)
Hypnosis can help deal with the psychological causes of blushing as well as desensitising you to the situations in which it becomes a problem. Often this problem becomes a cycle where the fear of blushing can result in bringing the blushing on. Hypnosis can intervene and break this cycle. Usually takes two to four sessions for significant results.

Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)
A common enough problem, which can cause significant long-term problems to both teeth and jaw. The problem will most likely have been noted by your dentist, who will need to be consulted before any hypnosis takes place, to ensure he/she is confident there is no physical cause. Please have your dentist's details to hand before calling. This treatment usually takes around two to four sessions for significant improvement. As with all of our treatments I employ a range of techniques, from the cognitive-behavioural school, from Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), in addition to traditional hypnotherapeutic methods.

Bulimia Nervosa (also see Weight Control)
If you binge and then 'purge' after eating, by vomiting, use of laxatives or excessive exercise then it's possible you are bulimic. Sometimes this eating and purging will be a simple habit, which can be broken through hypnosis, with some people it may be be prompted by deeper psychological motivations. By combining therapeutic techniques to tackle psychological causes and breaking or changing old behaviours, satisfying changes can be made. Typically this takes four to five sessions, and it is strongly recommended that you consult with your GP before coming for hypnosis.

Confidence, Self Esteem and Assertiveness
There are many ways in which hypnosis can help you to become more confident, assertive and gain a greater self-esteem. Through mental rehearsal of 'difficult' situations, ego boosting techniques and other methods, it is possible to change old behaviours and thought patterns to more positive one. Assertiveness is the art of getting what you want without causing offence or harm to others; it is the balance between passivity and aggression. Becoming more popular every year, assertiveness training has been used to help sales staff, trainers, customer service staff, nurses, the police and many others, as well as being valuable in everyday life.

Creative Dreaming/ Creativity Enhancement/ Creative Problem Solving
For artists, engineers, performers, business people and just about anyone who uses creative thinking in their lives and work. Can be one off treatment or a series of sessions to build on each other.

Excessive Drinking (Not alcoholism)
If your looking to reduce or stop consuming alcohol for health, religious or other reasons, then hypnosis has been shown to help. The treatment uses various techniques which include teaching stress management, habit breaking (similar to the well known stop smoking approach) and sometimes aversion therapy. Hypnosis can help you make many of these lifestyle changes. Usually takes several sessions.

Headaches/Migraines
Once diagnosed as stress induced headaches, the underlying causes can be dealt with whilst teaching pain management techniques (see Pain Management for details). I will need to contact the diagnosing doctor. Two to four sessions is usual.

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
A common enough problem these days which causes discomfort to many. The symptom include stomach pains, irregular bowel discharge and can be very embarrassing for sufferers. Often this will be caused by psychological reasons and has been shown to respond very well to hypnosis. Please note that we will need to consult with your doctor so please have their details ready when calling. Two or three sessions for improvement is usual.

Insomnia (inability to sleep, waking up too early or fitful sleep)
Insomnia can have many causes, psychological and physical. Simple techniques like self hypnosis can make all the difference. I will also help deal with any deeper issues which are playing on your mind, be it conscious or unconscious. Insomnia can have physical causes and can be related to depression so please see your doctor before coming for hypnosis. The time this takes may vary significantly.

Motivation
For whatever purpose: success at your business, success in all and any endeavours no matter how small or grand, we can together help clarify goals and achieve them. We will discuss what you wish to achieve, the options for achieving goals and help to set those goals within hypnosis. I can also help you tackle any specific psychological problems which are getting in the way of your achievement.

Nail Biting (also includes biting around the fingers and adult thumb sucking)
A habit that starts as a normal childhood phase and carries into adulthood. Because this is a simple habit which rarely (if ever) has any deeper issues associated, it responds particularly well to traditional hypnosis. Simple habit breaking techniques combined with behaviour awareness enhancement can often produce effective results. This can take as little as one session, but usually takes two to three.

Nightmares
Nightmares can be sporadic or frequent. They may be prompted by current stress or by a deeper psychological issue. By teaching stress reducing techniques, tackling possible underlying causes and developing your ability to positively influence your dreaming we can help you to take control and sleep more soundly. Usually two or three sessions.

Nocturnal Enuresis (bedwetting)
Although normal in children up to the age of about three years, after this it can be indicative of infection (always see your doctor and have details to hand before contacting us) or have psychological causes. Treatment methods may vary but all can be of great benefit. Children can react wonderfully to hypnosis so treatments can be very effective. I insist that anyone under the age of eighteen years of age is accompanied by a parent or official guardian. I also work with adult sufferers and it is possible that adult sufferers may be referred.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCDs)
Obsessive repetitive behaviour patterns can take over your life. Sometimes these behaviours will be simple habits which can be broken through hypnosis, with other people they may be prompted by deeper psychological motivations. By combining therapeutic techniques to tackle psychological causes and breaking or changing old habits, satisfying changes can be made. Typically this takes four or five sessions, and it is strongly recommended that you consult with your GP before coming for hypnosis.

Obstetrics (painless child-birth)
The use of hypnosis in child birth can reduce, or even eliminate the need for drug induced anaesthesia. This is a long term treatment which should begin at the beginning of the first trimester, working closely with both parents and the midwife. I will give direct pain reduction for problems as they emerge through the pregnancy and teach the birthing partner what they need to know to help with pain reduction when the time comes. In addition to this I will teach relaxation methods for everyday use throughout the pregnancy which can benefit both the mother and child.

Pain Management (for all sorts of pain, whatever the cause may be)
Pain is just an intense conscious sense and all the senses are highly responsive to hypnosis, so as a result hypnosis has been used for hundreds of years to control and cope with pain. Please note that total remission of pain is both unlikely and potentially dangerous so even in the most successful treatment, a small 'signal pain' will be left. Pain has a job to do in warning you and should only with care be totally removed. Also note that I require the explicit permission of your doctor before proceeding, so have their details ready when calling.

Panic Disorders/Panic Attacks
A surprisingly common problem, it has both psychological causes and physiological symptoms, both of which can be tackled through hypnosis. Typically takes three or four sessions.

Performance Anxiety (exam stress, public speaking, driving test nerves etc.)
We all encounter situations which worry us: examinations, tests and public speaking, to name a few common examples. The stress we feel is a perfectly normal reaction to a situation, it is our body's way of preparing us for this situation. There is usually a release of adrenaline, which allows the body and brain to work more effectively. From time to time however these reactions are inappropriate to the situation or too strong, This is where hypnosis can help. Through the use of visualisations, suggestions and your own undiscovered inner resources, we can help you to use the stress energy to enhance your performance without it becoming a problem, keeping the good energy and losing the bad stress. Usually two or more sessions are needed. If you are finding that you are consistently and repeatedly avoiding situations and this is having a negative effect upon your life then you may wish to look at Phobias.

Performance Enhancement (sports, sales, management skills etc.)
Taking your knowledge, and the knowledge of your coach/mentor or manager we can help you work on the areas you are weakest in and boost your potential. Using techniques of motivation, visualisation and habit breaking I can help make those vital changes that push your performance to the new level. If you're unsure what you need to change, we can help you to be aware of the unconscious elements of your performance which may be limiting you from achieving your best performance all of the time. As little as one session may be required to see improvements.

Phobias
If you've suffered from fear of something which leads to avoidance of it then you could benefit from a phobia treatment. The treatment is gentle and does not force you to face your fear until you are ready and we aim only for the goals you set. The average treatment takes between two and four sessions, although it can take longer, and has been known to work in a single session. I primarily use techniques based in the cognitive-behavioural school of psychotherapy, we also employ techniques from Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) in addition to traditional hypnotherapeutic methods.

Problem Solving (also see Creative Dreaming )
Hypnosis can help with solving all sorts of problems, be they engineering problems, personal problems, intellectual problems, whatever type of problem you may wish to solve. I can also teach the skills which may help with problem solving in the future.

Psychogenic Infertility (Male and Female)
Stress can effect the body on all levels. Once this has been diagnosed by your doctor or specialist it becomes appropriate to contact us. As with many conditions I might need to contact the diagnosing doctor so please have their details to hand. Such conditions may be the product of recent stress or deeper psychological causes. Either way, a programme which combines stress reduction techniques, desensitising to specific situations and deals with underlying causes can be put together. Treatment duration may vary.

Psychological Dystonia (includes Twitches, Tics, Writer's cramps, Torticollis (head twitches) and Blesharospasm (eyelid twitches))
Hypnosis can help relax muscles, help deal with any possible underlying causes and tackle the condition in other ways. We might need to contact your doctor about this prior to any hypnosis. Expect a minimum of three sessions and quite possibly more, depending on severity and level of improvement you are aiming for.

Psycho Sexual Disorders (premature Ejaculation, Pschogenic Impotence, Fridity, Anorgasmia, Vaginismus)
Many sexual problems have psychological causes. Hypnosis can help deal with the underlying causes or tackle the problems directly, whatever is appropriate to the individual. I might have to contact your doctor before progressing. Treatment lengths vary from condition to condition.

Stop smoking
A single session treatment which can break the habit now and forever. A number of different techniques can be employed to suit the individual: Traditional Habit Breaking, Aversion, Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and others. Whatever your motivation is, we have a technique that can help. As hypnosis works best with motivated people we suggest that you consider hard how ready you are to give up, what your reasons for giving up are and what you will do with all the extra time and money. If you have reservations about giving up you should discuss this further or see this page.

Stress Management
A growing problem in the modern age. Learning a few simple techniques could allow you to take charge of this state, keeping the good stress and losing the bad. Basic stress management skills take just one session and can be built on from there. If it is a specific event which is prompting your stress then we can also work with that. The techniques involved include teaching self-hypnosis, teaching progressive relaxation and desensitising to specific stress inducing situations.

Weight Control
A long-term therapy, with two or three sessions in the first month to get you started and then ongoing support at intervals you see fit. I will teach you the skills to help you control your eating, to enjoy healthier foods and help find the time and motivation to exercise. As with all good weight control techniques I will not only want to give you the ability to attain your target weight, I also aim to give you the skills to maintain that weight. If you 'purge' after eating by vomiting, use of laxatives or excessive exercise then you may wish to consult Bulimia Nervosa.