tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47265092312290317182024-03-08T03:34:00.819-08:00Sarah Mortimer Hypnotherapy BlogBristol-based Hypnotherapist discusses all things hypnosis and hypnotherapySarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-48065015759175266502018-07-09T02:04:00.000-07:002018-07-09T02:04:02.301-07:00Moving, moving, moving...I have moved this blog over to my Bristol Hypnotherapy website so that everything is all in one place. You can find all the posts from here on there and all future posts of course. I will no longer be adding content to this one here at blogger.
So to continue reading my posts about hypnosis, hypnotherapy and mental health issues, head on over to <a href="https://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/blog/">Bristol Hypnotherapy blog</a>.Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-51642771204313515152018-06-27T01:16:00.000-07:002018-06-27T01:16:24.880-07:00The Limiting Beliefs that Keep You Worrying<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur-rY37qsfYEZu5gjuxHEvlWjwbXxmYFx383452U6RP76Jg_NnT1BGl3RaUXZ_XpF1MCQSFdp8L4dbC7DSy_K_6wfHxc7oGFOTedBSFlFf9QB4656pYVLKB3TnvRtLBnd3O5AGoHfLDI/s1600/woman-3351794_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur-rY37qsfYEZu5gjuxHEvlWjwbXxmYFx383452U6RP76Jg_NnT1BGl3RaUXZ_XpF1MCQSFdp8L4dbC7DSy_K_6wfHxc7oGFOTedBSFlFf9QB4656pYVLKB3TnvRtLBnd3O5AGoHfLDI/s200/woman-3351794_640.jpg" width="200" height="133" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="425" /></a></div>When you are in the midst of a problem, it seems reasonable that you would worry. You’re only human after all. A small amount of worry is ok when it is productive but when it starts to be all that you do, going over and over things, trying to solve the problem but not getting anywhere with it, it can become detrimental. In fact, it can keep you in the problem for longer.<br /><br />
Before we go any further, let’s look at what worrying is. The dictionary definition of <b>worrying is to feel or cause to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.</b><br /><br />
Our thoughts have a lot to answer for. They are, as the definition above states, what can cause us to feel anxious or troubled about something. Your thoughts are not innocuous, falling on deaf ears as you think them. Sure they are just words but they are words with power. You know all too well that your thoughts affect you in a number of different ways. They affect your emotions and behaviours but also impact you on a physiological level too. <br /><br />
I talk a lot about thoughts with my hypnotherapy clients, how they can be more aware of them, identify any thinking errors they might be having, disputing the negative thoughts and ultimately restructuring them into something more supportive and useful for them.<br /><br />
I have lost count of the times that clients tell me that worrying helps them. This is quite a commonly held belief among people with stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, holding this belief can be quite limiting. If you think worrying is helpful, then you’re going to want to keep doing it and then you’ll be stuck with the anxiety or stress for even longer. Here I am going to talk about some of the most commonly held beliefs about worrying.<br /><br />
<b>Worrying Helps to Prepare Me</b><br />
Anxious people often believe that worrying helps to prepare them for situations and events. I get that you want to be prepared for things. And thinking about upcoming situations can indeed be useful to ensure that you have everything in order. However, worrying about it all the time and thinking about all those what-ifs doesn’t help you be more prepared. Just think about all those times where something happened spontaneously and you were able to handle it. You weren’t able to worry about it beforehand because you didn’t know it was going to happen but everything turned out ok. There are so many ways that you can help prepare yourself both physically and mentally for something that doesn’t involve worry.<br /><br />
<b>Worrying Helps Prevent Bad Things from Happening</b><br />
Some people think that thinking the worst is a good thing because then when something bad happens, they aren’t surprised (and disappointed) by it. Other people with anxiety think that worrying actually helps prevent bad things from happening. Worrying can indeed make you decide not to do something, to avoid a situation. You might think that this is preventing something bad from happening but the avoidance behaviour reinforces your worries, making anxiety worse. This is when fears and phobias can start to form too. There are no guarantees in life and bad things do happen but there are many ways that you can build your resilience and be more in control so that if something does happen, you can cope effectively.<br /><br />
<b>Worrying Motivates Me</b><br />
There are some people with anxiety who believe that their worrying motivates them to do things. I kind of see their point in that when we have something in our life we don’t want, we can strive to move away from it. However we need to know where we’re heading too otherwise we can lose momentum. But wanting to move away from and towards something and being motivated to do that has a very different result to worrying about the situation you are in or the goal you have set yourself. Let’s say you had a goal to start exercising regular, perhaps do Couch to 5k, in order to get fit. If you worried about every aspect of the programme, what shoes to wear, where to run, who to run with, will you be able to even run for 1 minute, how long will it take for you to get to 5k, is that even possible or are you going to fail and just stay put on that couch. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t bother going for a run at all if I kept thinking all those things. I would not feel motivated. Realistic and measurable goals can help to motivate you, as can focusing on the benefits of whatever it is you want to do.<br /><br />
These are the most commonly held beliefs about worrying that I’ve come across over the years whilst seeing clients. However, there are more. Some people believe that <b>worrying shows that they are a caring person</b> and it becomes a part of their identity. They mistakenly believe that if they stop worrying, people will think that they no longer care about things. <br /><br />
A little like the belief above about how worrying helps you prepare for something, some believe that <b>worrying is an effective way to problem solve, that they are taking action to help them out of their problem.</b> But worrying is not the same as problem-solving and nor is it taking action. Sure there are some similar characteristics perhaps, looking at the pros and cons of something, and the positive and negative what-ifs. However, problem-solving tends to have a goal in mind and is more structured whereas worrying tends to be more chaotic and all over the place with no specific destination in mind. <br /><br />
And another belief is that <b>worrying protects you from negative emotions. </b>But this is so far from the truth. When you're worrying, how do you tend to feel? Not amazing I bet! You’re experiencing negative emotions as a result of the negative thoughts that you are having. They might be different emotions to the ones that you were trying to avoid but they are negative emotions nonetheless.<br /><br />
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Do you recognise any of these beliefs in yourself?</b> <br /><br />
If you are experiencing anxiety or stress, in order to break away from it, you need to be aware of whether you are holding any of these limiting beliefs about worrying and then recognise that <b>worrying gets you into far more trouble than you perhaps once thought.</b> And then it’s time to rethink those beliefs. What would be a more useful belief to have about what worrying does for you?<br /><br />
Just for a minute, think about something that happened recently that you worried about. And ask yourself these questions: What happened? Did the worrying really help you? Did it protect you? Prepare you? Motivate you? Prevent negative emotions or bad things happening? If you hadn’t worried about it, do you really think it would have been worse? Now imagine that you hadn’t worried about it, what do you think the most likely outcome would have been then? Would it have been better, worse or about the same as when you spent all that time and energy worrying?<br /><br />
It is very possible to gain all the perceived benefits that you get from worrying elsewhere. By learning a variety of ways to relax and destress, gain control over your emotions, build confidence and resilience you can become more prepared, motivated, and in control so that you no longer feel the need to worry.<br /><br />
<b>Related articles:</b><br />
<a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.com/2018/06/are-your-thoughts-setting-you-up-to-fail.html">Are Your Thoughts Setting You to Fail?</a><br />
<a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.com/2012/05/creating-pathway-for-positive-thinking.html">Creating a Pathway to Positive Thinking</a><br />
<a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.com/2012/05/combat-stress-think-happy-thoughts.html">Combat Stress; Think Happy Thoughts!</a>
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-48793429801034731042018-06-20T00:52:00.000-07:002018-06-20T00:53:41.264-07:00How Doing the Flying Trapeze Helped Me Move Out of My Comfort ZoneAre you holed up safely in your comfort zone at the moment? Perhaps you have been in a job role for years passing up the chance of promotion in case you don't get it (or worse that you do and you have to do a different job with a whole new set of responsibilities). Or perhaps you've recently moved to Bristol but are too scared to go out and meet people. Maybe you've holidayed in England for the last decade because catching a plane abroad feels daunting. We have all been guilty of sticking within our comfort zones in various aspects of our lives.<br /><br />
A comfort zone is defined as a situation where we feel safe or at ease. It is often a situation that we are very familiar with, that we've done many times before, hence it requires little effort.<br /><br />
So what happens when we go outside of our comfort zone? We face the unknown, we feel vulnerable and unsure, and as you'd expect, uncomfortable. You can see why we would want to remain in our comfort zones then can't you?<br /><br />
And when we feel stressed and anxious, our desire to remain within it is even more heightened.<br /><br />
A comfort zone is a very subjective thing. What feels comfortable to me may feel like your worst nightmare, and vice versa. Comfort zones are not static. They change over time as we develop as a person. It is good to know that we can expand our comfort zone, that it is changeable. But it only gets bigger if we push its boundaries. <br /><br />
This year, I set myself some goals both personally and for my hypnotherapy business. I knew these goals would mean that I would have to do things that would be outside of my comfort zone. I would be challenged by these goals, possibly feel vulnerable, nervous, and even a little anxious too (I'm only human!).<br /><br />
A few years back I went to see Invisible Circus put on a performance in an old warehouse in Bristol. There were lots of different circus acts performing amazing feats. One of the acts was a woman doing the flying trapeze. Just watching her do that made my stomach roll and my heart race. I said to my friend who was with me, how scary it must be up there that high, swinging about. I also added how awesome it would be too to be able to it - that if you could face that level of fear, you could do anything. I forgot all about it after that fabulous night. Until...<br /><br />
Back in January an ad popped up in my Facebook feed (FB does have its uses) for a flying trapeze experience at Circomedia. So after much deliberation, I booked myself on to it. <br /><br />
I arrived at the venue (which is an 18th century church) ready and raring to go. <br /><br />
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I admit that I was more than a little bit nervous. Perhaps I shouldn’t have watched Victor Frankenstein a few nights before which had a trapeze artist fall to the ground in a broken mess.<br /><br />
I didn’t really know what to expect so when we were taken through a warm up routine I started to wonder what I’d let myself in for. The instructors talked us through the safety aspects and the calls they would use so we would know what to do and when. Then it was time to get in to the harness and scale the ladder. I have to say, that this was the worst bit - climbing the ladder and then transferring from the ladder on to the platform which was less than a foot wide. My heart was going ten to the dozen. Standing on that platform, holding on to the trapeze bar with one hand, leaning forward held in place by my harness as I prepare to jump off the platform and catch the bar with my other hand was a very scary prospect. But I did it and I made my first swing. When I dropped to the net below and unhooked myself from the support wires, my legs were like jelly. The adrenaline was properly flowing now and I was more than a little giggly from the experience. I was ecstatic.<br /><br />
<b>“She flies through the air with the greatest of ease, the daring your woman on the flying trapeze”
<i></i></b><br /><br />
Next came a little training on the static trapeze, learning how to hook my legs up on to the bar, let go with my hands and hang upside down, then return to a normal swing with hands on the bar and legs hanging down. <br /><br />
And then I was ready to do it up in the air. Whilst it was more complicated what with having to follow instructions and get the timings right, I found it less scary than that first simple swing because my mind was occupied on exactly what I was doing. Then we took things up a notch again by introducing a back flip dismount. The first one I did, I landed face down on the net but I managed to do it the next couple of times I did it. And here's video proof of me doing the flying trapeze.<br /><br />
<iframe width="520" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fr72MHWK184" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />
It was a proud moment and I was so chuffed with myself. It was an amazing experience and I loved every minute of it. It wasn't easy and it was scary but I did it.<br /><br />
I came away from that experience thinking “If I can do that, I can do anything”. I remind myself of this now when I have to do something out of my comfort zone. And it really helps me. Like with the flying trapeze, when I’m working on my goals, I'm following a process, my own or other's instructions, and keeping focused on what it is I am doing and the desired end result. I know I'm supported and that I'm safe. After all, what's the worst that could happen?<br /><br />
It is all too easy to stay within our comfort zones under the pretence that it’s comfortable there. But is it really? I don’t think so. <b>Stepping out of our comfort zone isn’t actually any more uncomfortable than staying in it. It’s just a different kind of discomfort.</b> If we take the example of someone not wanting to go out to meet new people. Stepping out of their comfort zone might mean the possibility of rejection, embarrassment, vulnerability, shyness, etc. Whereas staying in their comfort zone means they potentially remain unhappy, lonely, bored, dissatisfied etc. Both bring negative emotions that make them feel uncomfortable. But I know which is the better option, step outside! Step outside your comfort zone. Push those boundaries.<br /><br />
Pushing yourself to better yourself, achieve goals, and face fears may momentarily cause discomfort but it brings long term comfort as you move closer to achieving what you want. It opens up a world of possibilities. It is where change happens. <b>So get comfortable with being uncomfortable!</b>
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-14216471384144478352018-06-11T01:55:00.000-07:002018-06-11T01:55:16.523-07:00Are Your Thoughts Setting You Up to Fail? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0U9jG0a9Ed-hI4-EUKEyAAhHrf5H4dt8S-8gw6jBrnmutWTWN3Q5Zw_QMM_57CUDXtkaePG6qZVLQGfBy6BJsCYgIvwbXfm5D5voO5k6fNu-Qi3afGJvxLeMT9RH72oYZcXqHsf9jGc/s1600/success-1123017_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0U9jG0a9Ed-hI4-EUKEyAAhHrf5H4dt8S-8gw6jBrnmutWTWN3Q5Zw_QMM_57CUDXtkaePG6qZVLQGfBy6BJsCYgIvwbXfm5D5voO5k6fNu-Qi3afGJvxLeMT9RH72oYZcXqHsf9jGc/s200/success-1123017_640.jpg" width="200" height="133" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="426" /></a></div>Have you ever worried about how you're going to feel when you do something for the first time, expecting that you can't do it, that you'll mess it up or that you'll be terrified doing it? And then when it comes to actually doing that thing, you were right? You couldn't do it, you messed up or you were terrified? I think we have all experienced this at some point in our lives. Often when we have this experience we feel justified in having the worries leading up to it. But what if those worries actually caused it all to go to pot in the first place?<br /><br />
<b><quote><I>"Our worries become self fulfilling prophecies, propelling us toward the very disaster they predict"</I></quote>~ Daniel Goleman</b><br /><br />
A self fulfilling prophecy is defined as a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behaviour.<br /><br />
In the psychology and hypnosis world, this is known as response expectancy, where basically you experience what you expect to experience. <br /><br />
<b><quote><I>"I don't believe it." ~ Luke | "That is why you fail."</I></quote> ~ Yoda</b><br /><br />
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If you truly believe in your heart that you cannot do something, then as Yoda said, you will fail. It's the perfect self fulfilling prophecy or dysfunctional response expectancy. <br /><br />
But it's not just about our expectations or beliefs determining if we succeed or fail at something. The expectations that we have in our lives can be a contributing cause of a number of psychological problems. However, they are also how we can over come them. And that is good news for us!<br /><br />
If you expect to feel anxious when you give a presentation at work, meet someone for the first time, or have a tooth removed, for example, then it is very likely that you will experience symptoms of anxiety to some degree. It also means that the next time these things come up, you might assume that you will have a repeat performance of last time. And that's exactly what happens. And now you're far beyond the point of your bog standard anxiety. Now you're anxious about being anxious. Perhaps you go over all the past experiences where it didn't go according to plan, continue to worry about all the worse case scenarios ahead of the situations, and even start to become fearful of these situations and avoid them if you can. Things get worse. And the cycle repeats. You can really see how a problem can develop, can't you? Dysfunctional response expectancies have been shown to partially cause and maintain anxiety (Reiss & McNally, 1985) and depression (Teasdale, 1985). <br /><br />
Changing these negative expectations are an important part of therapy (Kirsch, 1994) and helping to overcome issues such as anxiety, phobias and depression. <br /><br />
Here are a handful of ways that you can change your expectations so that you can have a different experience, one that is more positive:<br /><br />
1. <b>Build awareness of your thoughts.</b> We get used to what and how we are thinking. When we have no awareness at all, our thoughts can continue unchecked and this can be quite detrimental if our thoughts are negative. Quite often our thoughts can run away with themselves. I often find that just by talking about thoughts with my clients they start to become much more aware of them. I give my clients a postcard with the word “Think” on it for them to put up around their home or at work which acts as a prompt for them to just check in with what is going through their mind at that point. This starts to become a more familiar process to them then.<br />
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2. <b>Monitor your thoughts.</b> Each day, write down any negative thoughts. Once you have an awareness of when you are thinking negatively about a situation or yourself you can start to do something about them.<br />
3. <b>Question your thoughts.</b> Where is the thought getting you? Is it contributing to/maintaining a self fulfilling prophecy?<br />
4. <b>Open up to the possibility of another outcome.</b> What if there was another outcome, one which is more positive, calm, and supportive in helping you to feel better about yourself and the situations you find yourself in? Think about whether there is another plausible outcome? How would you like things to be?<br />
5. <b>See the positive outcome as a real possibility.</b> How will focusing on how you would like things to be help you? Can these thoughts create a positive self fulfilling prophecy?<br />
6. <b>Visualise the positive outcome.</b> Spend some time visualising your self, believing that that positive outcome is a real possibility for you, imagine yourself accepting these new positive thoughts 100% and see this reality start to unfold in your mind.<br />
7. <b>Review your positive thoughts/goal daily.</b> Post your new thoughts and positive outcome up on the wall somewhere at home or perhaps on your phone so that you can read them each day to help reinforce this new way of thinking. <br /><br />
Now you have this new positive mindset in place, it's a matter of practice and repetition of thinking and imagining this to be your reality so that you can experience those very positive things you were expecting to happen in reality. Here, a positive cycle is then established. Slowly but surely you overcome that old problem. And you go from strength to strength, feeling calmer, more in control, and with a more positive mindset.<br /><br />
If you would like to find out more about hypnotherapy and how I help you to create positive expectations about your future situations (and you), check out my <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/">Bristol Hypnotherapy website</a>.<br /><br />
<b>Related articles:</b><br />
- <a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.com/2012/05/combat-stress-think-happy-thoughts.html">Combat Stress; Think Happy Thoughts!</a><br />
- <a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.com/2012/05/creating-pathway-for-positive-thinking.html">Creating a Pathway for Positive Thinking</a><br /><br />
<b>Citations:</b><br />
- Kirsch, I. (1994) Clinical Hypnosis as a Nondeceptive Placebo: Empirically Derived Techniques. The American journal of clinical hypnosis. 37, 95-106<br />
- Reiss, S. & McNally, R.J. (1985) The expectancy model of fear. In S. Reiss & R.R. Bootzin (Eds.), Theoretical issues in behaviour therapy (pp 107-121)<br />
- Teasdale, J.D. (1985) Psychological treatments for depression: How do they work? Behaviour Researech and Therapy. 23, 157-165<br />
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-56136107098926962272018-06-04T23:33:00.000-07:002018-06-04T23:33:38.579-07:00Paced Breathing & Other Breathing Techniques<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ihwjJCfxvegVON4nVYAD5lUQSufgOsijgATJGxnfRAfHIMiNVh9vhxdoKhxf50Ac-_cua1PUGrOTEM6kyvs85d8HNsQxJ3YbV3hxQlFI52gYmzuPkDvF8d395vBeWRDTWQfgYBYrnok/s1600/woman-570883_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ihwjJCfxvegVON4nVYAD5lUQSufgOsijgATJGxnfRAfHIMiNVh9vhxdoKhxf50Ac-_cua1PUGrOTEM6kyvs85d8HNsQxJ3YbV3hxQlFI52gYmzuPkDvF8d395vBeWRDTWQfgYBYrnok/s200/woman-570883_640.jpg" width="200" height="133" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="426" /></a></div>Breathing is important but I'm sure I didn't need to tell you that. It is automatic. Something that we just do without having to pay attention to it at a conscious level. It just carries on while we go about our day.<br /><br />
When we are calm and happy, our breathing is relaxed, measured and regular and supports us as it should. However, when we are stressed and anxious, it starts to change. It can become shallow, faster, irregular, and sometimes we can even hold our breath. In some people their breathing can become so out of control that they find themselves hyperventilating which can make them feel light headed and weak.<br />
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Whilst breathing is typically an automatic behaviour, it is something that we can also take conscious control of and make changes to. Changing our breathing has a physiological effect on the body which in turn can affect how we are feeling and thinking. This is because breathing techniques which involve regulating your breath, slowing it down, and making the breaths deeper trigger a relaxation response within our bodies. This relaxation response reduces the neurotransmitters in the brain which are associated with stress helping you to feel calmer.<br />
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Of course people who experience breathing irregularities when they are stressed or anxious will benefit greatly from taking control over their breathing but you don't have to be experiencing noticeable breathing irregularities to benefit from paced breathing or breathing exercises though. Typically, we only breath in a relaxed, measured way when it is safe to do so. So by consciously controlling our breathing, whether it is causing us a problem or not, it sends a nice clear message to our brain (and our body) that we are safe and that it is ok to relax.<br />
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I am going to talk about a couple of breathing techniques that I often recommend to my clients.<br />
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<b>1) Paced Breathing </b><br />
Paced breathing is a slow, deliberate deep breathing exercise which is sustained for a specific period of time. Typically we are aiming to take a total of 6 to 8 breaths per minute. Using paced breathing for 10-15 minutes each day can really have a positive affect on your levels of stress and anxiety. Paced breathing has been researched widely to examine its efficacy and it has been found to be beneficial for a wide variety of issues, both physical and psychological.<br /><br />
There are a number of ratios recommended for paced breathing. The most popular one is 7-11 breathing where you breathe in to the count of 7 and breathe out to the count of 11. Some people find this ratio a little tricky at first and reduce it a little, perhaps to 5-9, until they get used to taking longer breathes. Another popular one is 6-2-6-2 breathing where you breathe in to the count of 6, hold it for 2, breathe out to the count of 6, and hold it for 2. If you are in the habit of holding your breathe, I would recommend that you go for the 7-11 breathing technique as opposed to the 6-2-6-2 as the latter one could potentially reinforce your current habit of holding your breath.<br /><br />
There are lots of great apps out there that can really help guide you through paced breathing. They indicate when to breath in and for how long, when to hold your breath and for how long, and when to breath out and for how long. These apps can be useful when you first start out doing paced breathing so that you have the guidance but once you have become more familiar with it, you will be able to do it without the app which perhaps will make it a more flexible technique for you to use. I use the rather imaginatively named <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apps.paced.breathing&hl=en">Paced Breathing app</a> but there are many others to choose from. There is also a website called <a href="http://xhalr.com/">eXHALeR</a> which can guide you through paced breathing.<br />
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<b>2) Circular Breathing </b><br />
This is a new favourite technique of mine which I learnt at the UK Hypnosis Convention from hypnotist James Tripp. I would recommend closing your eyes to do this if you can as it allows you to focus more on what is happening. Become aware of your breathing. Notice your in breath and out breath. Notice that there is a peak to both breaths, with the in breath, just where it peaks before becoming the out breath and the out breath, just where it peaks before becoming the in breath. Notice those peaks and the sensations you experience at them. Then start to make your breathing circular. A constant flow so that there are no peaks. Soften the transition between breathing in and out so it feels smooth and constant.<br />
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<b>3) Heart Breathing </b><br />
This is another technique that I learnt at the UK Hypnosis Convention from hypnotherapist Melissa Tiers. Again, I would recommend closing your eyes for this one. Place your hand over your heart area. Focus your attention on where your hand meets your chest. Focus in on your heart. Notice it beating, any movement felt by your hand as it rests there. Then imagine that you can breath in and out through your heart. Take a few nice slow, deep breathes. Allow your breaths to be smooth, unforced and relaxed. Notice what it might look like and what it might feel like if you could breath in and out through your heart. Whilst you connect with that sensation, create a feeling of appreciation, of gratitude to boost your sense of general wellbeing. Think about what you are grateful for, appreciate in life and/or what has been good about your day. I like to do this at the end of the day as it puts me in a nice positive mood ready for bed.<br />
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<b>4) Hand Breathing </b><br />
This is quite similar to the previous technique in that we are assigning the ability to breath to another part of our body, this time the hands. Close your eyes and imagine that you can breath in through your fingertips. With the air, comes calmness. Imagine it spreading throughout your whole body. Imagine what it might feel like and what it might look like to breath in through your fingertips and have that calmness spread throughout your body. You might include colours and/or sensations to what you're imagining. Then, imagine that you can breath out through your feet. With the air, you breath out any stress or anything else that you wish to get rid of (negativity, fatigue, tension, unwanted habits etc.).<br />
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<b>5) Breathe in Calm </b><br />
I've already briefly covered this one in the previous technique but this can be done without closing your eyes or the need to visualise anything. Just suggest to yourself that with every breath you breathe in, you breathe in calm and for every breath out, you breathe out any stress, any tension, any anxiety and fatigue. Breathe in calm and breathe out stress. You might also like to tag on an affirmation such as "I feel calm" or "I am relaxing" or perhaps just "breathe in calm, breathe out stress" with each breathe.<br />
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These are just a handful of breathing techniques that I use with my clients but there are so many more out there. What's great about breathing techniques is that they are free, simple and everyone can do them. They really do make a difference. Let me know how you get on!Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-10266643278660409582018-05-21T03:48:00.000-07:002018-05-21T23:58:30.041-07:0010 Ways to Prepare a Positive Mindset for Flying <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kkxa9zlcZvj3EeXRF1czeI-kriOB9NcwxZSrOIpyfWpR8erRDdCpvDNMPPwSFtGIBvCjnmeAvbzXwgGcXq691COo-EhxZa9fGNFq-1hWQ5oJZmz11FxT2sxwXeM0NfhwoSIvEQXUaxU/s1600/plane-841441_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kkxa9zlcZvj3EeXRF1czeI-kriOB9NcwxZSrOIpyfWpR8erRDdCpvDNMPPwSFtGIBvCjnmeAvbzXwgGcXq691COo-EhxZa9fGNFq-1hWQ5oJZmz11FxT2sxwXeM0NfhwoSIvEQXUaxU/s200/plane-841441_640.jpg" width="200" height="133" data-original-width="640" data-original-height="425" /></a></div>
It’s starting to feel like summer now and we’re heading in to that time of year when people start to think about their upcoming holidays that they booked in the depths of winter. We seek sun (although as I type this it’s pretty hot and sunny here), adventure and time away from the stresses and strains of every day life. <br /><br />
Typically, once the holiday is booked, most people count down the days, so excited about their upcoming holiday but for others the time between booking that ticket and getting on the plane can be fraught with anxiety, negative thoughts and fear. And for some people just the thought of getting on a plane stops them from booking a holiday in the first place. Is this you?<br /><br />
<b>Fears and phobias of flying are very common and can really take the enjoyment out of holidays.</b> Flying phobias effect people in a number of ways and can range in severity from slight feelings of anxiety and discomfort to a full on panic attack and losing control of the situation. Some people decide not to holiday abroad in order to avoid flying and the anxiety and fear that accompanies it but this only reinforces the problem.<br /><br />
Here are 10 top tips to help you to <b>prepare the right mindset for flying</b> so that you can have a better experience of it:<br /><br />
<b>1. Imaginal exposure.</b> Spend some time imagining taking the flight. Not all the worse case scenarios nor your perfect flight but a more realistic representation of what happens. Imagine it as if you are actually there. It’s important that you are nicely relaxed while you do this. Notice the discomfort that you’re experiencing as you imagine it, how it plateaus and then starts to diminish the more you imagine the scenario.<br />
<b>2. Focus on how you would like things to be. </b>Typically when we are fearful of something, we tend to worry about every possible thing that could go wrong. I am certain that when you think about flying, you are thinking about the worse case scenarios. When we think in this way, we create unnecessary stress for ourselves and the anxiety builds which makes us think more negatively. We get trapped in a cycle of negative thinking. So be aware of the thoughts that you are having. Start thinking about how you would to think, feel and be in the lead up to and during the flight.<br />
<b>3. Share concerns with others.</b> Discuss your fear with your friends and family, especially those you are travelling with. Quite often, people keep their fears to themselves but this can make things a lot worse especially as you can start to worry about how you might appear to everyone around you and being “found out”. When people around you are aware of how you feel, they can support you through it.<br />
<b>4. Looking forward.</b> When you’re scared of flying, everything becomes about the flight. More often than not, the place you are visiting, the things you’re going to do, and all the fun that can ensue, is put aside. Readdress this balance by spending time thinking about where you’re staying, what you are looking forward to seeing and doing, the food and drink you want to sample, discovering things about a place you’ve never been before and learning about the culture. <br />
<b>5. Be prepared. </b>Do everything you can to minimise stress on the day of your flight. Ensure that you have packed your bags and have everything you need ready at least the day before you are due to travel. Have a relaxing bath and do other things to help you relax before getting a good night’s sleep. If you have time in the morning, have breakfast. Leave plenty of time to get to the airport so you don’t have to rush or worry about whether you’ll miss your flight or not. These are all simple things to support you physically and mentally, helping to take the load off for when you travel.<br />
<b>6. Avoid alcohol and caffeine.</b> Some people have a few drinks before or during a flight to give them a bit of Dutch courage, to help them through. This is a bad idea. Alcohol is a depressant and can lower your mood, make you more anxious, and reduce your ability to control your thoughts and feelings. Caffeine can make you feel jittery and more anxious so it’s best to avoid it before and during your flights.<br />
<b>7. Occupy your mind.</b> Some people are inclined to just sit and not do anything as they feel that they need to focus all their attention on not falling to pieces. Unfortunately this tends to have the opposite effect than intended. My advice is to do things to occupy your mind in order to reduce the introspection and rumination about the flight. So when you are waiting for your flight at the airport, browse the shops and duty free, go have something to eat or drink, and spend time chatting to the people you are travelling with (or anyone that will listen if you’re travelling alone). Make sure you take a book, magazine, phone and/or tablet with you so that you can entertain yourself during the flight. If you are going on a long haul flight then you will have the inflight entertainment as an option so spend some time browsing what’s on offer. If you have a relaxation audiotrack, make sure you have it loaded on your phone along with earphones so that you can listen to it.<br />
<b>8. Be present.</b> When we are worried about things, we can lose ourselves in our thoughts and all manner of crazy things can come up. By shifting your focus outwards, to your environment, you start to focus on what is actually happening rather than what you think is happening. Focus on your senses, what you can see, hear, taste, touch and smell. Focus on things that are positive and neutral though.<br />
<b>9. Relax.</b> Spend some time tuning in to your body and releasing any tension that you might have. A favourite technique of mine is tensing the muscles in your feet then relaxing them off, and systematically working your way up through the rest of the body. By tensing the muscles first, it makes it easier to relax the muscles afterwards.<br />
<b>10. Breathe.</b> Breathing techniques help to trigger the relaxation response. Even if your breathing is fine, they are excellent, simple tools that you can use to help you feel more in control. 7/11 breathing is a popular one, whereby you breath in to the count of 7 and out for the count of 11 but there are others too which you might find more suited to you.<br /><br />
These top tips can help you <b>feel more prepared and in control when you fly</b>. Hypnotherapy is also very effective at helping you to <b>change how you think and feel about flying</b>. When I work with flying phobia clients, we delve deeper in to the tips I’ve given above and explore other avenues too. I help you to identify negative thinking errors about the flight, and teach you how to dispute the thoughts and beliefs that you hold about flying and reconstruct them in to something more positive that brings down your anxiety and fear. Imaginal exposure and desensitisation forms a huge part of the work I do with clients. These techniques have been used in clinical practice for over 50 years to help people overcome anxiety and fear and have an incredible evidence base supporting them. I will also teach you methods of relaxing as well as how to control your feelings helping you to reduce those physical feelings typically associated with anxiety and stress such as heart palpitations, rapid breathing, and sweating, among others. <b>Flying phobias vary massively from person to person so I tailor my sessions specifically to you.</b> <br /><br />
<b>Hypnotherapy gives you the necessary tools for you to be able to board that plane, take off, be at altitude, experience turbulence and land in a calmer way where you are in control of how you think, feel and behave.</b> I'm not saying that you will go from having an intense fear of flying to absolutely loving it but hypnotherapy can help you to cope with it effectively so that you can enjoy your holiday more thoroughly.<br /><br />
If you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy can help a flying phobia, check out my <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/hypnotherapy_for_phobias.html">phobias page on my website</a>.<br /><br />
<b>Related Posts:</b><br />
<a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/creating-pathway-for-positive-thinking.html">Creating a Pathway for Positive Thinking</a>
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-89487047231971496082018-05-03T02:52:00.000-07:002018-05-03T02:53:23.251-07:00Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Research - Part 2It is IBS Awareness month so I thought it would be an apt time to write a couple blog posts on Irritable Bowel Syndrome and how hypnotherapy can help with it. In the first post I talked about a number of research studies which have been conducted over the years which show the efficacy of hypnotherapy for IBS. I purposely left out the details of the research conducted at Manchester by Dr Whorrel et al. In this post, I will be talking about the approach used within this research. I utilise many of the methods outlined in the research with my clients and they have benefited greatly from it.<br /><br />
The researchers in Manchester have studied gut-directed hypnotherapy for many years now and it has shown some great results. It led to the inclusion of hypnotherapy in the NICE guidelines so that GPs and Consultants can now recommend IBS patients have hypnotherapy to help with their symptoms.<br /><br />
The rationale behind using hypnosis for IBS was to help participants learn mental skills and techniques to develop control over the physiological mechanisms influencing the gut that they are not normally under conscious control of. <br /><br />
In 2009, a German researcher called Karin Meissner gave eighteen healthy volunteers a placebo pill on three occasions together with different verbal suggestions depending on which pill they received. One group were given a placebo pill and were told <I>“This pill is a stimulant to your stomach. You will feel your stomach churning within the next 5 to 10 minutes, and this will reach a peak in about 15–20 minutes, at which time you may feel some heavy stomach contractions. Then it will wear off gradually, and be gone after 30–40 minutes”</I>; the second group were given a placebo pill and told <I>"This pill is a relaxant to your stomach. You will feel your stomach full and heavy within the next 5-10 minutes, and this will reach a peak in about 15-20 minutes, at which time you may feel bloated. Then it will wear off gradually, and be gone after 30–40 minutes“</I>; and the third group were given a pill and told <I>“This pill has no effect. We use it as a control, a mere sugar pill, to see the effects of just taking a pill on stomach activity. You won't feel anything.”</I> The research showed that those who took what they thought to be the “gastric stimulant”, experienced an increase in movement through the gut, while those who took what they were led to believe as the “gastric relaxant”, experienced slower movement through the gut. Although not directly studying hypnotherapy or IBS, this piece of research does illustrate the power of the mind and how it can be used to control the physiological mechanisms involved in digestion and gut motility and therefore help with the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.<br /><br />
One of the things I love about the Manchester approach is that they emphasise the importance that participants take an active involvement in the process. They are taught a variety of techniques that they develop by practising them daily over the course of the therapy (typically up to 12 sessions over a 3 month period). Gonsalkorale et al state that they <I>“emphasize that the person is becoming in control of the gut. This would seem to be a crucial part of our approach, since so many patients do feel out of control, and it has been shown in general that a sense of self-efficacy and an internal locus of control are vital in the success of any psychological intervention. It is generally our experience that a particularly passive, helpless patient does not do well. We also emphasize the importance of practice in order to develop these hypnotic skills, just as one would have to in learning a musical instrument, for example, and that it is not the therapist doing all the work.”</I><br /><br />
The sessions that the participants received focused on a number of techniques to help with stress reduction, a known trigger of IBS symptoms, in addition to confidence building so that they felt able to feel in control of their condition. More specific techniques aimed at controlling and normalizing how the gut is functioning were also taught to the participants, such as creating warmth in the hand which can then be used to sooth and comfort the stomach area as well as using imagery to regulate and control the flow of the gut. Participants also spent time mentally rehearsing themselves in situations that in the past they might have feared or avoided due to their IBS symptoms but now with normal gut function. Other aspects were looked at too depending on the individual.<br /><br />
The rate of progress for the participants differed as you would expect, but most reported some initial benefits after a few sessions and of course a more significant improvement throughout the course of therapy. <br /><br />
Participants of the gut-directed hypnosis at Manchester, as well as my own clients, have derived a considerable amount of benefit from learning these techniques. They have experienced improvements in their bowel symptoms of IBS, their mental wellbeing and quality of life. Hypnosis is not a cure for IBS and cannot guarantee that you will never have symptoms again but you can definitely achieve a good reduction in symptoms and gain more control over the condition and life generally.<br /><br />
I have seen a number of clients over the years who come to have hypnotherapy for their IBS thinking that it will miraculously get rid of their symptoms without them having to put any effort in to it at all, just like popping a pill. It doesn’t work like that unfortunately and as you can see above, the patients who benefit most from this approach are those which put in the time and effort to learning and practising the techniques taught to them during the process. Hypnotherapy can be a real game changer for those suffering from IBS if they choose to engage fully in the process.<br /><br />
If you are suffering with IBS in Bristol and would like to find out more about how Hypnotherapy can help you, please visit my dedicated <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/hypnotherapy_for_ibs.html">IBS webpage</a> on my website.<br /><br />
<b>Related Posts:</b>
<a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/hypnotherapy-for-irritable-bowel.html">Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Research - Part 1</a><br />
<a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/hypnotherapy-provides-support-for.html">Hypnotherapy Provides Support for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Sufferers</a><br /><br />
<b>References:</b>
- Gonsalkorale, W. M. (2006) Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy: The Manchester Approach for Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 54:1, 27-50<br />
- Gonsalkorale, W. M. & Whorwell, P. J. (2005) Hypnotherapy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 17:15–20<br />
- Gonsalkorale, W. M., Toner, B. B., Whorwell, P. J. (2004) Cognitive change in patients undergoing hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome. J Psychosom Res. Mar;56(3):271-8<br />
- Meissner, K. (2009) Effects of placebo interventions on gastric motility and general autonomic activity. Journal of psychosomatic research 66 (5), 391-398
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-90287933028622480562018-04-23T02:04:00.001-07:002018-04-23T02:09:08.173-07:00Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Research - Part 1It is IBS Awareness month so I thought it would be an apt time to write a couple blog posts on Irritable Bowel Syndrome and how hypnotherapy can help with it. In this first post I am going to talk about some of the research studies which have been conducted over the years showing the efficacy of hypnotherapy for IBS.<br /><br />
Here in the UK in Manchester, Peter Whorrell et al have been carrying out extensive research in to the efficacy of hypnotherapy in treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I have isolated this particular researcher as I feel that his research was a turning point in hypnosis gaining ground in the medical world in modern society and a step closer to it being actually recommended by GPs. The results of Whorrell’s studies enabled hypnotherapy to make it on to the NICE guidelines for treating IBS. The NICE guidelines are evidence based guidelines which all medical professionals must follow when treating patients. So for example, if a patient was to go see their GP about a digestive complaint and they were diagnosed with IBS, then the GP must follow the NICE guidelines as to what treatment to provide, refer or recommend to the patient. Often The Royal Society of Medicine opines that the NHS should make use of hypnotherapy more widely and it is my hope that it will start to features more on the NICE guidelines as a recommended therapy for various mental health issues and dealing with some physical conditions.<br /><br />
Below are just a handful of research studies that stood out for me and highlight how powerful our mind can be at helping with issues relating to our physiology as well as our mental health.<br /><br />
<b>“Symptoms Improved Significantly for Nine in Ten”</b><br />
Dr Roland Valori, editor of Frontline Gastroenterology and a Gastroenterologist at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, referred some of his patients for hypnotherapy. He said of the first one hundred of his patients treated with hypnotherapy, symptoms improved significantly for nine in ten. Dr Valori studied the first one hundred cases he referred for hypnotherapy and found that the symptoms stopped completely in four in ten cases with typical Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He says in a further five in ten cases patients reported feeling more in control of their symptoms and were therefore much less troubled by them. <br /><br />
<b>“Hypnotherapy Alleviated Symptoms in 40% of Those Affected by IBS”</b><br />
A recent Swedish paper, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, outlined 138 patients with IBS who received hypnotherapy treatment for one hour a week over twelve weeks. The research showed that hypnotherapy alleviated symptoms in forty per cent of those affected by the digestive condition. One of the researchers, Magnus Simrén, said <I>"The treatment involves the patient learning to control their symptoms through deep relaxation and individually adapted hypnotic suggestions. The idea is for the patient to then use this technique in their everyday life."</I><br /><br />
<b>“85% of Those Who Had Hypnosis Still Felt Benefits up to Seven Years Later”</b><br />
Another Swedish paper, published in Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, examined two hundred and eight patients who had previously received hypnotherapy. The research showed that 85 per cent of those who had been helped by hypnosis still felt the benefits of the treatment up to seven years later and that the majority still actively use the self-hypnosis techniques learnt in their everyday lives. The group also showed that the use of the healthcare system as a result of stomach and bowel symptoms had also reduced by seventy percent. The study concluded <I>“gut-directed hypnotherapy in refractory IBS is an effective treatment option with long-lasting effects”</I>.<br /><br />
<b>“Hypnotherapy is Effective in Improving Both Symptoms and Quality of Life”</b><br />
Impaired quality of life and psychological distress are common in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and may be associated with unhelpful thinking patterns. Hypnotherapy is effective in improving both symptoms and quality of life in patients with IBS, and this study was designed to determine whether this improvement is reflected in cognitive changes. Seventy eight IBS sufferers were assessed in this study. before and after having twelve sessions of hypnotherapy, they completed various questionnaires to assess their levels of anxiety, depression and other cognitive dysfunction. Hypnotherapy resulted in improvement of symptoms, quality of life and a reduction in anxiety and depression. IBS-related thinking also improved, so less negative thoughts about bowel function, symptoms, needing to use/find a bathroom etc.<br /><br />
This is just a few of the more recent research papers published but there are many more which provide further evidence for the efficacy of hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.<br /><br />
As a member of the Professional Hypnotherapy Network (PHN), I have access to the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. In this peer reviewed journal, a paper was published on the Manchester Approach (the work of Dr Whorell et al) to treating irritable bowel syndrome with hypnotherapy. I have been following a protocol very similar to this with my IBS clients and they have found it very useful. I have purposely not detailed that research in this post but will talk more about the approach used within the study in more detail in a future post.<br /><br />
If you are suffering with IBS in Bristol and would like to find out more about how Hypnotherapy can help you, please do get in touch. For more information, visit my <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/hypnotherapy_for_ibs.html">Hypnotherapy of IBS</a> page on my website.<br /><br />
<b>Related posts:</b><br />
<a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/hypnotherapy-provides-support-for.html">Hypnotherapy Provide Support for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Sufferers</a><br /><br />
<b>References:</b><br />
- Lindfors, P., Unge, P., Arvidsson, P., Nyhlin, H., Björnsson, E., Abrahamsson, H., Simrén, M. (2012) Effects of Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy on IBS in Different Clinical Settings—Results From Two Randomized, Controlled Trials. The American Journal of Gastroenterology 107, 276–285<br />
- Lindfors, P., Unge, P., Nyhlin, H., Ljótsson, B., Björnsson, E.S., Abrahamsson, H., Simrén, M. (2012) Long-term effects of hypnotherapy in patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 47(4):414-20] <br /><br />
Valori’s information came about as a result of an interview and as such I have not been able to find a paper that details the study he carried out. However, one paper he published does looking at the interactions between brain and gut and how it helps us to understand how hypnosis helps alleviate bowel symptoms. I include the reference to that paper below:<br />
- Valori, R. (1992) Small intestinal motility. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology vol 8, issue 2Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-23360985238865642492018-04-16T00:30:00.000-07:002018-04-16T00:30:15.966-07:00The Importance of Self-HypnosisWhen someone wants to get fit, they start exercising and train regularly. They notice an increase in their fitness, they increase their strength, their stamina, and muscle mass. Perhaps they even lose some weight. When they feel they are fit, they don't just stop going running or whatever sport it is they are doing. They keep at it otherwise they will lose the flexibility, strength and fitness that they have developed and worked hard for. Sure, they might not train as regularly perhaps but they do still train. We understand this when it comes to our physical health but quite often we do not apply it to our mental health in the same way. <br /><br />
Self hypnosis is an important part of the hypnotherapy process helping you to get so much more out of the sessions. But it's not just about keeping it going whilst you are seeing a hypnotherapist. Some people, once they have reached where they want to be, stop doing all of the techniques that were helping them as they feel “back to normal”. However, it is important that you keep utilising all that you have learned such as the breathing techniques, the progressive relaxation, the self hypnosis, as well as all the other things that make you feel good because they help to keep you mentally fit!<br /><br />
Self hypnosis doesn't have to just be used for the issue that you came to see me or another hypnotherapist about. The techniques can be adapted for use in all aspects of your life. It can help to prepare you for a driving test, giving a presentation, increasing motivation, improving your performance in sports or music, helping with exam or job interview nerves, and much more. The possibilities are endless.<br /><br />
This last year I have used self hypnosis a lot for myself and I have benefited greatly from it. I have used it to induce analgesia and anaesthesia in my hand which allowed me to have a surgical needle put through it without feeling any pain or discomfort. More recently I used it to help me change my perception of time, boost pharmaceutical anaesthetic and to distract my attention during an hour long root canal treatment. Self hypnosis continues to impress me each and every time I use it to the point where I am a staunch advocate of it now. I feel it is potentially the most important technique that I can offer my clients and is integral to the success of therapy. <br /><br />
Self hypnosis forms a major part of hypnotherapy and has many benefits including: <br />
<ul>
<li>Increasing your ability at hypnosis</li>
<li>Reinforcing the work we do together in sessions</li>
<li>Speeding up your progress in therapy</li>
<li>Building your level of self efficacy</li>
</ul><br />
Here I will discuss these benefits in a little more depth.<br /><br />
<b>Self hypnosis increases your ability at hypnosis</b><br />
We all know that practice makes perfect, that we get better the more we repeat something. This is the same for hypnosis too. It is a skill. One that you can learn, develop and expand upon. I would recommend practicing self hypnosis as often as possible. I always think that little and often is best as it helps you to stay focused and engaged. Interspersing it throughout your day helps to keep you “topped up” and helps to support the changes that you wish to make.<br /><br />
The Carleton Skills Training Programme as well as later hypnosis studies show us that hypnotisability (our ability to go in to hypnosis) increases the more we practice it and even more so when hypnosis has been explained thoroughly to us as well as what we are expected to experience during it. This is good news. As you practice hypnosis for yourself, you get better at it and you will then be able to benefit from both the self hypnosis as well as the sessions with a hypnotherapist so much more. <br /><br />
<b>Self hypnosis reinforces the work we do in sessions</b><br />
Many of the techniques used within hypnotherapy can benefit greatly from being repeated. Practicing the techniques at home for yourself helps to reinforce the new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that you are working towards. <br /><br />
<b>Self hypnosis speeds up your progress in therapy</b><br />
Typically you will only attend a hypnotherapy session once a week, sometimes bi-weekly, for just under an hour. There are 165 hours in a week so the other 164 hours of your week are over to you to support yourself in achieving your goals. There are many ways of doing this including being aware of your thoughts, understanding thinking errors and being able to dispute unhelpful, negative thoughts. You might practice some progressive relaxation or breathing techniques or perhaps engage in exercise to help boost the flow of Serotonin, the happy hormone. And of course, self hypnosis is an excellent way to ensure that you progress and help you to achieve your therapy goals. <br /><br />
<b>Self hypnosis builds your self efficacy</b><br />
At the beginning of this article I mentioned self-efficacy. This is a term which I only recently became aware of but it is one that will remain in my vocabulary forever more. Research has demonstrated the need for self efficacy in a person’s life in order for them to make changes and develop as a whole which makes it particularly important when it comes to therapy. Self-efficacy has been defined as “one's belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task”. When self efficacy is high, we are more able to tackle challenges and gain new experiences both of which are things that you will have done or are looking to do throughout the course of therapy and beyond. Self hypnosis and other self help techniques help to build self efficacy. When you believe in your ability to go in to hypnosis, you are far more likely to embrace it, increasing your level of collaboration in the process. Starting with the techniques early combined with the increased self efficacy, increases the likelihood that you will establish a good routine with these techniques and continue to use them throughout the course of therapy and thereafter and really develop a skill which can have a massive impact on your life. Not only do I require my clients to believe in their ability at hypnosis, but I want them to believe in their ability to overcome their problem and to make a change. As you know, you make many changes over the course of therapy and self efficacy helps you to do this. Self efficacy increases motivation and allows you to find change more manageable. I want all my clients to believe in their ability to “make it on their own” after they finish sessions with me. If you are equipped with self help tools when you complete your course of sessions with me, you will have greater self efficacy and will be more able to maintain the changes you have made.<br /><br />
So as you can see, there are many reasons why self hypnosis is an important part of therapy and a tool which can help you thereafter in many areas of your life. <br /><br />
If you would like a refresher on self hypnosis or would like to learn it for the first time face to face with a hypnotherapist, please do <a href="mailto:enquiries@bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk">get in touch</a>.Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-62557935473342321792018-01-12T06:44:00.001-08:002018-01-12T06:44:26.639-08:00The Beginner’s Mind for a Good Night’s Sleep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vYm0nVF9CJtFaC5g542cfHnksF_1fN2Sf5_jor6WwnPr_AqlzXUwHhAY6BPgxKz_pxoUVD6ZT55RuzFI5bbm_pa63HuSr0CJtsW_My1zVitON-jYZ2LLKfrkaKh1mhuy_FG1xqf2IuY/s1600/child_sleep_gray_415620_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vYm0nVF9CJtFaC5g542cfHnksF_1fN2Sf5_jor6WwnPr_AqlzXUwHhAY6BPgxKz_pxoUVD6ZT55RuzFI5bbm_pa63HuSr0CJtsW_My1zVitON-jYZ2LLKfrkaKh1mhuy_FG1xqf2IuY/s200/child_sleep_gray_415620_o.jpg" width="200" height="120" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="956" /></a></div>Do you think you would sleep better if you approached bedtime without assumptions or preconceptions of how quickly it will take to fall asleep, how much sleep you’ll get or how you’ll feel in the morning? How about if you were to see that night as a new night, in isolation and independent of the day you’ve just had or the previous night’s sleep? <br />
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<b>The “beginner’s mind” can help you view bedtime and sleep in a different way, helping to reduce the thoughts, worries and limiting beliefs you might hold about your sleeping ability, break out of unhelpful sleep routines, and allow for the possibility of a better night’s sleep. </b><br />
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Beginner’s mind is used within Mindfulness-Based Therapy and is a concept that comes from Zen Buddhism called <b><i>Shoshin</i></b> which means <i>“having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.”</i> <br />
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When I first trained as a hypnotherapist, I learnt an approach which was solution focused. I had spent time, energy, effort and money in learning and understanding that approach. I had beliefs, expectations and assumptions about it’s effectiveness and how it could be used with my clients. When I first started attending Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshops, I remember judging everything that was being discussed by my previous knowledge, experience and training. I found myself closing off to certain aspects of what was being taught and on occasions, instantly dismissing it as not being of any value to me or my clients because it did not fit in with my current approach. This mindset limited my ability to learn, make use of and benefit from the techniques which were being taught. It was detrimental to both my personal and professional development.<br />
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If instead, I had gone in to those training workshops with a beginner’s mind, I would have been more open to the teachings, learnt a thing or too and gained more from the experience as a whole. Over the years things changed and I became aware of the concept of beginner’s mind and I have been applying it to all of my trainings since and it really turned the tables on my learning.<br />
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You can see how consciously adopting the mindset of a beginner would be useful to someone learning a new subject or skill but not so obvious how it can help an insomniac. When someone has been experiencing insomnia for months or even years, their thoughts become preoccupied during the day about the quality of their previous night’s sleep and what that means for them as they go through their day, and whether they will have a repeat performance the following night. Some people start to become fearful of bedtime. Many spend time searching for ways to “cure” their insomnia. Their thoughts at night might echo those of the day in addition to the usual thoughts that run through their head which made dropping off to sleep a problem in the first place. In addition to these thoughts, people who struggle to sleep often hold a number of limiting beliefs about sleep and their ability to do it, such as the need to have 8 hours, that if they do not sleep sufficiently they will not be able to function effectively the next day and that the longer they are in bed the more chance they have at sleeping. Then we have the behaviours that they fall in to as a result of these thoughts and beliefs. They might remain in bed in the morning after they have woken up if they’ve had a poor night sleep, have a nap in the afternoon, or have an alcoholic drink to help drop off to sleep. The insomniac becomes very good at not sleeping, the master of their problem and can get set in their ways. Their thoughts, beliefs and behaviours surrounding sleep become fixed which reinforces and exacerbates the problem. Their approach to getting a good night sleep is no longer working for them and as such they would benefit from learning a new way of doing things. <b>Applying a beginner’s mind to their problem allows the insomniac to recognise where they might have developed unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and be open to trying something different.</b><br />
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<quote><b><i>“If you do what you’ve always done you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”</i></b> - Jessie Potter</quote><br />
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When a person cultivates a mind that is willing to see everything as if for the first time, they become open to learning new ways of doing things and changing how they think about their sleep problem, how they approach bedtime, how to relax, and they can start to make changes to the quality of their sleep. <br />
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We can use hypnotherapy to help with sleeping problems and there is an increasing body of evidence to support this. With hypnotherapy, we look at all aspects of a sleeping problem. During the sessions, we look at how insomnia presents for that person as well as how it affects their life as everyone is different. I teach my clients a wide variety of relaxation techniques to help reduce stress and anxiety. We look at the thoughts, ideas and beliefs that they hold about their sleeping pattern, the quality of sleep they get and how much they think they should be getting. I encourage them to be more aware of their thoughts during the day and teach them ways to address any negative thoughts they might have about sleep and life generally so that they do not continue to run through their mind at night. We cover general sleep hygiene to ensure that they are doing everything that they can to encourage an environment that is conducive to sleep and that supports their body in its natural ability to drift off to sleep. We also look at their sleep routine and help them to change any unhelpful aspects that might be causing a problem. In addition to this, I teach my clients self hypnosis among other techniques so that they can help themselves. A beginner's mind and hypnotherapy can help the insomniac sufferer gain better quality sleep. Of course, there are some medical conditions and medication that can affect sleep so it is important to seek advice from a GP to rule out any physical causes for the insomnia.<br />
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In addition to being open to new ways of thinking and behaving when it comes to sleep, <b>the principle of beginner’s mind can also be used to approach each night as an independent event.</b> Bringing a beginner’s mind to each night is something that I have found incredibly useful. <b>Each night is a new night</b> and is different to every other night you’ve had and every night you will have in the future. Every night is different. Just because you couldn’t fall asleep easily last night, doesn’t mean you will struggle to fall asleep tonight.<br />
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<quote><b><i>“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.”</i></b> - Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind</quote><br />
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We base everything on our previous experience. When we have had a problem with something we find it incredibly difficult to view it with objectivity. We lose perspective on the situation. Let’s use the example of an ex-smoker who hasn’t smoked for the last 10 years. They go out, have a drink and have a cigarette. Because they’ve had a problem with the habit in the past, they instantly assume they’ve failed, that they are now a smoker again and quite often continue to smoke. Whereas if someone who has never smoked goes out, has a drink and a cigarette, they can see it for what it is – they got drunk and had a cigarette. It’s an isolated incident. That one cigarette does not make them a smoker and they think nothing of it. We all have the occasional bad night's sleep but when we do not have a problem generally with sleep, we can see it as a one off and do not become anxious or worried about it.<br />
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<b>A poor night sleep last night does not mean a poor night’s sleep tonight.</b> Nor does it mean you are always going to be stuck with this problem. So treat each night as a single entity, an isolated incident. Avoid already “knowing” how you are going to sleep that night. Don’t let past experiences of bad night’s sleep influence your sleep tonight. Let go of those thoughts about how you couldn’t sleep last night and how tonight might compare to then or what it might mean for your day at work tomorrow. The past is the past and you cannot do anything about it. But you can change your experience of sleep tonight and in the future by viewing each night as a one off experience. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have the perfect night’s sleep straight away, but persevere with this way of seeing things and you’ll start to feel the benefit of it. <b>Approaching each evening with curiosity and an open mind allows for the possibility of a good night’s sleep, makes you more comfortable with not knowing what is going to happen (whether you’ll sleep or not and how that will effect you or not), and helps you to be more objective about your ability to sleep and the quality that you get.</b> <br />
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Seeing each night in isolation also allows you to avoid the temptation of making changes to your behaviour when it comes to sleep based upon contingencies from the day or previous night. (Ong, 2017) So for example, you might stay in bed in the morning after you’ve woken up after a poor night’s sleep. I know this is something that I have done many times over the years. It is a common strategy that people often employ when they’ve not slept well thinking that they might just be able to drop off and get some more sleep but it very rarely provides good quality sleep if any at all. Carrying out ineffective sleep related contingencies like this just compounds the problem. (Ong, Ulmer & Manber, 2012)<br />
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I’m not saying that applying a beginner’s mind to sleep is easy. I know that it is something that I struggled to do at first but it does get easier and you can really start to see things for what they are. I have also found that thinking in this way stops insomnia becoming a thing that you carry around with you, that you own, that becomes part of your identity. If you see each night separately, you’re just a person who has had lots of isolated incidences of not sleeping well but tonight could be different. So go, be open to the possibilities of sleep tonight.<br />
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If you are suffering with sleep problems in Bristol and would like to find out more about how Hypnotherapy can help you, please visit my <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/hypnotherapy_for_insomnia.html">dedicated Insomnia webpage</a> on my website.<br />
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<b>References:</b><br />
Ong, J.C., Ulmer, C.S., & Manber, R. (2012) Improving Sleep with Mindfulness and Acceptance: A Metacognitive Model of Insomnia. Behav. Res. Ther. Nov; 50(11): 651-660<br />
Ong, J.C. (2017) Mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia<br />
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<b>Related Articles:</b>
<a href="https://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/guided-visualisation-helps-reduce.html">Guided Visualisation Helps Reduce Nightmares</a><br />
<a href="https://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/rem-sleep-helps-process-negative.html">REM Sleep Helps Process Negative Thoughts and Memories</a><br /><br />
Photo Credit: by <a href="http://www.everystockphoto.com/photographer.php?photographer_id=566" title="view el7bara's profile on everystockphoto">el7bara</a>
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-55814611949986185192017-12-13T01:08:00.000-08:002017-12-13T06:40:11.813-08:00Skills Update and Bringing You up to SpeedAs mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been away from the blog for a while, 5 years in fact. Whilst I may have been absent from the blog, I have been very busy outside of it seeing clients, going on training courses and I’ve moved premises and home a few times too. So I thought I’d write a post to get you all up to speed on my skills and training updates as well as more logistical changes to my business.<br />
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Over the years, I have attended many Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminars and workshops linked to hypnosis and hypnotherapy in addition to more thorough training courses. Below I have listed the courses as well as briefly explaining a couple of the key points I took away from the training. I'll keep it as brief as possible but there were quite a few training courses so it still ends up being a reasonably lengthy post. So bear with me!<br />
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First off, I attended a seminar aimed at hypnotherapists working with (or would like to work with) children, run by <a href="http://www.cpht.co.uk/">Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training (CPHT)</a>. I really liked the flexibility of the approach we were taught. When working with adults, sessions are more structured but with children, their attention span isn’t as good which means things need to be made more bite size so they can understand and keep focused. I had only worked with a few young teenagers prior to the course but afterwards I saw a number of younger children. I have to say, personally, I prefer structure and I struggled with some of the children as they didn’t always do as they were told. I don’t have children myself and wasn’t that experienced in dealing with this. I have since decided not to work with children and so now if I get any enquiries, I refer them on to a colleague of mine who has experience working with them.<br />
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Then I attended the <a href="http://www.lcchinternational.co.uk/">London College of Clinical Hypnotherapy (LCCH)</a> where I learnt about treating insomnia and other sleep disorders. I found the seminar quite refreshing as it was clinical in its approach and provided me with lots of information about the stages of sleep, circadian rhythms, the brain chemistry involved in sleep and more besides. The main thing I took from this course were the research studies quoted to us about an insomniac’s perception of their quality of sleep, how long it takes to fall asleep and how long they’re awake for during the night versus the perception of someone who doesn’t have a problem with sleep. I highlight these studies to my clients who have sleeping problems and they find it helpful to see how their perception of reality isn’t actually what is happening for them and helps them to focus less on the quantitative measures of sleep.<br />
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Later I went on a free NLP Level 1 course with <a href="http://www.free-nlp.co.uk/">NLP Excellence</a> and I was so intrigued by the subject that I later trained with them to achieve my NLP Practitioner Diploma. A number of the techniques I was already familiar with from my original hypnotherapy training, such as the swish pattern and the fast phobia cure. Whilst I was familiar with them, I didn’t fully understand the reasoning behind why the techniques were done the way they were. The NLP training gave me that understanding but also really enhanced the techniques. After this course I found I had a lot more success with those two techniques specifically. I also really liked learning about the language patterns within the Milton Model as it was all new to me. It gave me more of an understanding about the wording used in scripts that appear in books. <br />
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As an add on to my NLP course, I received a free coaching course with the same company. Coaching was never an avenue I wanted to pursue but I went along anyway. I did enjoy the course and I learnt a few interesting tools that on occasions I use with my clients. The aim with the free course was to get you hooked so that you would want to do the second part which you would then have to pay for. I chose not to pursue it because coaching didn’t feel very “me”.<br />
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I was then recommended by a number of my peers, to train with an Australian Hypnotherapist and GP, <a href="https://robmcneilly.simplero.com/">Rob McNeilly</a>, who had trained with Milton Erickson. So I attended a two day seminar that he ran here in the UK on Ericksonian indirect suggestion. He was a lovely man and I really liked his simple approach to hypnotherapy. Both Ericksonian hypnotherapy and NLP have become increasingly complex over the years in their efforts to simplify things for people. It can be incredibly frustrating. But despite being an Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, Rob works very simply with his clients. McNeilly has a really nice definition of hypnosis, which I know James Tripp referred to at the recent UK Hypnosis Convention. He defines hypnosis as “an experience of focused attention, leading to increased absorption in that experience, and which is agreed upon by operator and subject to be hypnosis”. I also really liked how he focused people on their current experience as well as getting people to recall things that make them happy to induce and deepen hypnosis. He showed us how to help people solve aspects of their problems by identifying what they like doing and their strengths within that activity and applying them to the problem situation. <br />
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Whilst I enjoyed the CPD seminars I had attended up to this point, I was finding it increasingly difficult to find ones that interested me that also took a different approach to the ones I’d been attending for a few years which just regurgitated the same old information. I had been on the mailing list of <a href="http://www.adam-eason.com/">Adam Eason</a>’s for a number of years and always enjoyed reading about his approach to hypnotherapy. I decided to attend his two day seminars on rapid inductions and hypnotic phenomenon and the science of self hypnosis. These two days blew my mind in more ways than one. I knew that hypnosis was a powerful tool but I hadn’t realised quite how powerful until these seminars. During these two days, I learnt how to hypnotise myself (and another person, although not at the same time) to get a pen stuck in my hand and my hand stuck to my leg; create arm and eyelid catalepsy; create arm heaviness and levitation; and elicit name amnesia and glove anaesthesia in my hand. The most amazing of all was the glove anaesthesia. I used self hypnosis to create analgesia and anaesthesia in my hand and forearm and then had a surgical needle stuck through my arm and I did not feel a thing. It really boosted my confidence in my ability at hypnosis and as a hypnotherapist. I thought to myself, if I could create analgesia and anaesthesia in my arm to the point where I had no pain when a needle was placed through my arm, then I could help people to help themselves overcome the problems they are having in their lives. Many schools wrongly think that hypnotic phenomenon is outdated and as such do not teach it but personally I think that all hypnotherapists should be taught this as it really gave me a better understanding of hypnosis and what can be achieved with it. <br />
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I came away from this course excited and wanting more so I signed myself up to the Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma that Adam runs. Whilst I had the qualification already, I knew from the syllabus that there was a lot of information that I didn’t get from my original training and that is what I desired. This is without a doubt the best decision I have ever made in my career as a hypnotherapist. It really solidified my understanding of the subject, filled in many of the gaps in my knowledge and boosted my confidence in being a hypnotherapist. The course was very robust with a wide syllabus. One of the things I liked about the course was how the evidence for and/or critique against a technique would be presented so that we had a full understanding of what it could and couldn’t do and any cautions that must be taken when using it. I liked that we weren’t told “this is what you have to do” but instead it was left to us to make our own judgements based on the information provided and choose the techniques and approach that we individually wanted to use to fit who we are as well as the clients we are working with. This was good for me as I had previously been working in a very set way that felt quite restrictive and that I felt had a limit to its effectiveness. It was amazing being offered a choice at how I worked and being given the tools to allow that to happen. Another key point I learnt was how important it is to set expectations with clients as to what hypnosis and hypnotherapy is (and what it isn’t) and how it can help them with their issues. Expectation is everything and can really sway how the client experiences hypnosis as well as the effectiveness of the therapy. I could go on all day about what I learnt from this course and the changes I have made to how I work as a result of it but I’ll leave it there for now.<br />
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Earlier this year, I went to a day workshop on dealing with intrusive thoughts and inner critical voices. The guy who ran the workshop was from Nigeria and told us about his life growing up there and how he ended up coming to the UK and now runs a training company – a real rags to riches story. I found him very inspirational to listen to and it made me realise how easy my life had been. The subject matter was very interesting and the exercises we worked through were really useful to me personally. I went in with a beginner’s mindset, something that I was taught on my previous training, and opened myself up to everything that was being explained. There were quite a number of things that didn’t sit well with how I work. Previously, I might have just shut down and stopped listening but now I find it so much easier to stay engaged, listen to everything, digest it and then afterwards I can draw out what I found useful and beneficial and highlight anything that I need to look in to further. That mindset allowed me to get more out of this CPD workshop than I might have done otherwise.<br />
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And finally, I attended the <a href="http://ukhypnosisconvention.co.uk/">UK Hypnosis Convention</a> which I mentioned briefly above. It is the first convention/conference I’ve been to on hypnosis. It was such a great experience getting to see some of the big names in the world of hypnosis and hypnotherapy such as Anthony and Freddy Jacquin, James Tripp, Adam Eason, Melissa Tiers, Gary Turner, James Brown, and Sean Michael Andrews, to name just a few. Such a wide variety of topics were discussed and it felt good to be fully immersed in all things hypnosis – it made me realise how much I knew and at the same time, how much I still had to learn. I’m already really looking forward to next year’s convention.<br />
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So that’s it for skills and training although a few other things have happened which are noteworthy too.
I moved my hypnotherapy practice from The Healing Rooms on Gloucester Road to <a href="https://www.blogger.com/theharboursidepractice.co.uk/">The Harbourside Practice </a>in Redcliffe. I commute in to Bristol for work and I was finding it increasingly difficult to get up Gloucester Road without getting stuck in traffic so I decided to seek more convenient premises which were within close walking distance of Temple Meads train station. The Harbourside Practice ticked the box. It is very central to the city with good transport links and parking facilities and as it is on a side road, it means that it is pretty quiet with very few cars going by. It also has a waiting room for my clients to wait if they arrive early for their appointment and they can even let themselves in with a door code. All the rooms are double doored too which not only reduces noise but it also ensures client confidentiality. All in all, I’m very pleased with the move.<br />
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This academic year, I also became a teaching assistant on the Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma at the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/aecollegeofhypnosis.uk/">Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis</a>. My role as teaching assistant, along with the other assistants, is to help support the lecturer, Adam Eason, and the students in and out of class. We are three months in to the course and I have been thoroughly enjoying working with the lovely bunch of students.<br />
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I have been practising as a hypnotherapist in Bristol for quite some time now and for all that time I have been a member of the hypnotherapy governing body, <a href="https://www.hypnotherapists.org.uk/">National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH)</a>. This year, I was awarded accreditation by them for my length of practising as a therapist in addition to my knowledge and experience. <br />
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I realise this post is a little bitty, or at least it feels that way to me. I think I am a little out of practice writing articles so hopefully I’ll fall back in to it now I’ve started up again. I will no doubt explore some of the topics I have briefly mentioned here in future posts as I feel some of them warrant a more thorough explanation.<br />
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So that’s it, all the changes with me and my business in a nutshell. And we’re all up to date now. Thanks for reading!Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-4325564641354765052017-12-07T05:52:00.000-08:002017-12-13T02:20:56.355-08:00I'm Back...This is just a quick post to say that I'm back! It has been nearly 5 years since I last posted on here. I have been AWOL for all this time but I am back now. I don't really have any reason or excuse other than I lost my interest for blogging and I had other things I wanted to pursue, such as additional hypnotherapy training. <br />
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So much has happened in the last 5 years and much has changed from where I work to how I work and much more besides. I will talk about some of the changes to the way I work as well as my thoughts on hypnosis over the next few months as well as giving a rundown of what I've been up to instead of writing this blog.<br />
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Please accept my apologies for my absence and I hope to make it up to you by providing you with some interesting and informative articles over the coming months.Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-48187377070412075982013-01-10T03:46:00.000-08:002013-01-10T03:46:15.180-08:002012 in Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PVt4Vja9cOF4gzAdSSQHfYS0pV71waFWoFkLw36i4FYooY_U7W026TDorp9_FYYPzoDDkBZk2IJwA-udQxBKv9y1jdsKS540uNd3SMmz7BeTV76l9Wr_0mbvr74H1Uat3-0Ln_3i0jY/s1600/book_books_pages_265007_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PVt4Vja9cOF4gzAdSSQHfYS0pV71waFWoFkLw36i4FYooY_U7W026TDorp9_FYYPzoDDkBZk2IJwA-udQxBKv9y1jdsKS540uNd3SMmz7BeTV76l9Wr_0mbvr74H1Uat3-0Ln_3i0jY/s200/book_books_pages_265007_l.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Happy New Year to everyone! It's that time of year again for me to give a rundown of what books I read the previous year and what I found helpful.<br /><br />
2012 was a very productive year for me, book reading wise. Not only did I read numerous books linked with hypnotherapy and mental health but I also read 23 fiction books for my own enjoyment.<br /><br />
In addition to books, I regularly read magazines, journals, blogs and websites which all relate to neuroscience, mental health, psychology and hypnotherapy. 2012 was also very good for television programmes to do with mental health, in particular depression, OCD and Trichotillomania.<br /><br />
Below is a list of books that I read and found helpful in 2012.<br /><br />
Hypnotherapy Books
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1899836977/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1899836977&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">The Deep Trance Training Manual: v.1: Vol 1 by Igor Ledochowski</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1899836977" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0393301354/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0393301354&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">My Voice Will Go with You: Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erikson By Sidney Rosen</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0393301354" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/039370095X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=039370095X&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors By D. Corydon Hammond</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=039370095X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1444137263/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1444137263&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">Teach Yourself Hypnosis, for a Better Life By Tig Calvert</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1444137263" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470683678/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0470683678&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">The Handbook of Contemporary Clinical Hypnosis: Theory and Practice By Ann Williamson, Jacky Owens, Les Brann</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0470683678" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845903919/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1845903919&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">More Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy By Lynda Hudson</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1845903919" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul><br />
Childrens Books
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0778744280/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0778744280&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">Astounding Nervous System: How Does My Brain Work? (Slim Goodbody's Body Buddies) By John Burstein</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0778744280" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0340903171/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0340903171&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">The Huge Bag of Worries By Virginia Ironside, Frank Rodgers</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0340903171" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241003008/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0241003008&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0241003008" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1575421534/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1575421534&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">What to Do When You're Scared and Worried: A Guide for Kids By James Crist</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1575421534" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul><br />
Specific Conditions Books
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/074595278X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=074595278X&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">Eating Disorders: The Path to Recovery By Kate Middleton</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=074595278X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1899398465/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1899398465&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">Freedom from Addiction: The Secret Behind Successful Addiction Busting (Human Givens Approach) By Joe Griffin</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1899398465" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0195336054/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0195336054&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">Trichotillomania: Workbook: An ACT-enhanced Behavior Therapy Approach (Treatments That Work) By Douglas Woods, Michael Twohig</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0195336054" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul><br />
Self Help Books
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0091819563/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0091819563&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">Chicken Soup For The Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0091819563" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul><br />
Business Books
<br />
<ul>
<li>Marketing for Hypnotherapists (eBook) by Nick Brunger</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1599184419/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1599184419&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords 3/E: How to Access 100 Million People in 10 Minutes (Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Guides) By Perry Marshall, Bryan Todd</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1599184419" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1857885023/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1857885023&linkCode=as2&tag=balaholiblog-21">Get to the Top on Google: Tips and Techniques to Get Your Site to the Top of Google and Stay There By David Viney</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1857885023" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul>
<br />
All of the books were very interesting and I have incorporated much of the information and techniques I have learnt from them to my initial consultations and hypnotherapy sessions. <br /><br />
I particularly liked the book by Tig Calvert - Teach Yourself Hypnosis, for a Better Life, as it had some great explainations in it about the brain and self hypnosis. The book is aimed at the general public and explains how to benefit from guided visualisation and self hypnosis. <br /><br />
Another firm favourite of mine was the book on Addiction by Joe Griffin. He writes a series of books and I have found the ones I've read so far very easy to follow and contain some great research and anecdotes - I have added three more of his books to my "To Read" pile for 2013.<br /><br />
As you can see, I read several Childrens books this year which is a first for me. This was because I attended a course back in the Summer on working with Children and I needed some simple explanations on how the brain works, how we create anxiety and what hypnotherapy is so that I could compile a child-friendly initial consultation.<br /><br />
I also read the quarterly journals from the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) and the AfSFH's Journal Hypnotherapy Today. <br /><br />
Previous Years Books:
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/2011-in-books.html">2011 in Books</a></li>
</ul>
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-77682302719213464822013-01-10T03:25:00.000-08:002013-01-10T03:25:31.051-08:00Hypnotherapy Can Help You Make New Year’s Resolutions that Last<b>How long do your New Year’s resolutions last?</b> As a Hypnotherapist, I often notice an increase in enquiries during March and April when people’s commitment to New Year’s resolutions has worn off. Many turn to Hypnotherapy to help them lose weight, give up smoking or achieve other important goals.<br /><br />
Part of the problem is that <b>people tend to focus on external outcomes without addressing what’s going on inside</b>. Weight management is a classic case in point. Some people think that once they lose weight they will be happy. They struggle with various diets and lose heart when the weight piles on again. The chances are, they are struggling with internal issues that need to be dealt with before they can take control of other aspects of their lives, such as their relationship with food, stress, work, money or family. <br /><br />
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy helps people to regain control by helping them to <b>focus on how they want things to be – their preferred future, rather than focusing on the problems</b>. The therapy uses Solution Focused questioning techniques designed to help clients develop a clear vision of how they want to be.<br /><br />
Typically if I ask a client to tell me how they want to be, they will give me a list of what they don’t want – "I don’t want to be overweight, out of breath when I walk, staying indoors because I’m not confident going out". It’s my job to help them describe what they do want instead – "full of energy, feeling healthy, slim and confident". The difference is profound. Hypnosis helps to reinforce the positive image the client has developed. <br /><br />
It’s wonderful to see the transformation people can make to the quality of their lives, once they stop focusing on problems and direct all their energy towards thinking positively instead. And the great thing is that, because the client has addressed their internal thought processes, <b>the changes are usually long-lasting</b>. Unlike typical New Year’s resolutions.
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-66337614535682684112012-12-04T03:29:00.000-08:002012-12-04T03:29:25.684-08:00Reducing Christmas Stress with Hypnotherapy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUTiq8xdv4DxFeMqt5nedQpEudfIPRBhF-Kfm9sMjy7q-cG7-3UOQNN5DIaIvdXrP2sIUJ811x2iGKuvLeEV7NBvZiFRX2IuYEurJY62yRzAGYruNfmmUXsXc3jayn8X39oogaKWIBo4/s1600/christmas_christmas_tree_227809_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="132" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUTiq8xdv4DxFeMqt5nedQpEudfIPRBhF-Kfm9sMjy7q-cG7-3UOQNN5DIaIvdXrP2sIUJ811x2iGKuvLeEV7NBvZiFRX2IuYEurJY62yRzAGYruNfmmUXsXc3jayn8X39oogaKWIBo4/s200/christmas_christmas_tree_227809_l.jpg" /></a></div>As the winter holiday season approaches, I thought it might be a good time to highlight how hypnotherapy can help those who might be anticipating a less than happy Christmas or holiday season.<br /><br />
<b>Depression and anxiety are on the increase in the UK</b>, with more than 12 million people going to see their GP with some form of mental health issue each year- and many more struggling on without any form of help. For some people, the festive season exacerbates their existing symptoms, and for others, depression and anxiety are quite specific to this time of year, approaching it with dread rather than excitement. When everyone else seems to be getting ready for a merry time with their loved ones, for some people this time of year only worsens their feelings of isolation, depression and loneliness, and for others, the struggle to cope with the pressures associated with having a great time, managing finances, family and all of the associated stressors creates a tremendous feeling of anxiety.<br /><br />
<b>What sorts of things cause this “Holiday Stress”? </b>Well, it depends - these feelings are all individual, and of course what makes one person sad, anxious or depressed may not affect another person at all.<br /><br />
<b>Typical sources of holiday stress can include </b>trying to balance all the demands of family with shopping and the social engagements, unrealistic expectations, financial worries and sometimes bereavement - this can be a very difficult time of year. Sometimes the pressure of being with people (often family) that you would not choose to be with can lead to relationship tension. There’s been a lot of talk in recent times of environmental factors too and <a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/how-hypnotherapy-can-help-seasonal.html">Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD</a>).<br /><br />
So it’s not a great time for those who feel depressed or anxious. <b>Symptoms can range from </b>increased headaches, excessive drinking, comfort eating, insomnia, trouble concentrating, to mood swings, fatigue, tearfulness – while everyone around seems so happy. <b>So what can be done to help?</b><br /><br />
<b>Hypnotherapy can help by overcoming negative thinking styles.</b> Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) uses practical, modern and well-researched strategies to help make significant, positive changes in your life in a relatively short period of time.
We focus on what you want to achieve rather than on the problem(s) that prompted you to seek change. The approach focuses on the present and future and not on the past. This enables you to identify possible solutions for yourself and work towards them. <b>Hypnosis itself reduces anxiety and this is done very simply through relaxation and visualisation</b>, allowing you to focus on the positive aspects of your life that encourages a shift in perspective.<br /><br />
I am enthusiastic about how hypnotherapy helps clients at this time of year. I have been able to help many people to deal with holiday sadness, depression and anxiety. It is such a powerful and truly positive technique as I am able to work with what the client wants to happen rather than focus on negatives. <b>It’s great to know that I can work with people to proactively help them have a happier festive period.</b>
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-61739224187426821712012-09-13T02:27:00.000-07:002013-07-11T09:34:15.233-07:00Stop Smoking with Hypnotherapy in Stoptober<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIo6rBbBH_xdTnhm6TFJdJH1RIYOr_SIk8WALBRcQNVEtCEsxcz_Wfaz5weyXabZPxFps9LmA2pS2pgrgG4GsSc67jhDhevJrpLS1C6_EQnfY4yNTQEvUxuXhNzYaJ_9pxJPaA_omNCQ/s1600/stop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIo6rBbBH_xdTnhm6TFJdJH1RIYOr_SIk8WALBRcQNVEtCEsxcz_Wfaz5weyXabZPxFps9LmA2pS2pgrgG4GsSc67jhDhevJrpLS1C6_EQnfY4yNTQEvUxuXhNzYaJ_9pxJPaA_omNCQ/s200/stop.jpg" /></a></div>
The government have launched a campaign called <b>Stoptober</b>, which runs throughout October 2012, urging smokers across England to stop smoking for 28 days.<br><br>
<b>Research has shown that people who manage to stop smoking for that length of time are five times more likely not to start again.</b><br><br>
Research has also shown that when you give up smoking at the same time as a loved one: a friend, a spouse, a sibling; then there is a greater chance that you will give up with ease and stay smoke free.<br><br>
<b>So why not take part in Stoptober this year and give up smoking for good!</b><br><br>
<b>Hypnosis is the most effective way of giving up smoking</b>, according to the largest ever scientific comparison of ways of breaking the habit.(1) The research, carried out at the University of Iowa, was a meta-analysis which combined the results of more than 600 studies, with a total of nearly 72,000 people. The results included 48 studies of hypnosis covering 6000 smokers, and was published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. The study clearly showed that people were six times more likely to quit smoking with a single session of hypnotherapy and remain non-smokers over 12 months after the session, compared to those who used nicotine replacement therapy.<br><br>
A typical hypnotherapy session for smoking cessation lasts between 90 minutes and 2 hours. During this time a consultation is carried out detailing your smoking and general lifestyle habits. How we create anxiety and stress will also be covered as well as a recap on the dangers of smoking and the health improvements which you will benefit from once you've stopped smoking. The consultation is followed by hypnosis which will firstly get you in a nice relaxed state using guided visualisation, metaphors and stories followed by clear language about stopping smoking which will help you kick the habit for good. It is possible for you to stop smoking in just one hypnotherapy session.<br><br>
<b>Clinical Hypnotherapist Sarah Mortimer, is offering a reduction of the cost of Smoking Cessation Hypnotherapy sessions during the Stoptober campaign.</b><br><br>
<b>Save £20 - Only £100 </b>for an individual stop smoking hypnotherapy session during October 2012.<br><br>
You can save even more by booking at the same time as a loved one - <b>Save £50 - Only £190 </b>during Stoptober. Bookings must be made at the same time and paid for together. Sessions are on an individual basis.<br><br>
For more details on how <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/Stop_Smoking_With_Hypnotherapy.html">hypnotherapy can help you give up smoking</a><br><br>
More information on <a href="http://smokefree.nhs.uk/Stoptober/">Stoptober</a><br><br>
<b>Reference:</b><br>
(1) Schmidt, F.L. & Viswesvaran, C. (1992). A Meta-Analytic Comparison of the Effectiveness of Smoking-Cessation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77 (4), 554-561<br><br>
Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com22Bristol, UK51.454513 -2.5879151.375358 -2.7458385 51.533668 -2.4299815tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-86760953683943956452012-06-25T03:49:00.000-07:002018-01-19T03:02:56.560-08:00Guided Visualisation Helps Reduce Nightmares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiJ0XGvHW-tWXAVKrz2rG4-aPluM7x-hfNS6u9YI_CT1ChYvH5Zj-mrAQo626E1MhfCEHM-YivxoIZi3FmeAJ2aEesnQF7wPXFVGwP3jsjh1NEfQyvADExnRbwqs0o_O1IUAj2YBip9Q/s1600/nightmare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiJ0XGvHW-tWXAVKrz2rG4-aPluM7x-hfNS6u9YI_CT1ChYvH5Zj-mrAQo626E1MhfCEHM-YivxoIZi3FmeAJ2aEesnQF7wPXFVGwP3jsjh1NEfQyvADExnRbwqs0o_O1IUAj2YBip9Q/s200/nightmare.jpg" width="200" height="150" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="675" /></a></div>As children, we all probably experienced what we would call nightmares at some point, perhaps about the boogie man or some other monster that lived under our bed or in the closet.<br /><br />
When I was a child, I often had bad dreams and I found myself in bed at night repeating to myself in my head the mantra <b>“I’m going to have a dream”</b>. Now as a qualified hypnotherapist, I can see that what I was doing was very solution focused and I was in fact performing self-hypnosis! By focusing on what I wanted, rather than what I didn’t want, meant that I didn’t get anxious about going to bed and having bad dreams and so found it easier to get off to sleep, but it also seemed to reduce the frequency of them.<br /><br />
Now these nightmares that we experience as children are different to those experienced by someone who has been through a trauma such as war veterans or rape victims, but either way the same techniques can be used to help <b>change how these bad dreams affect us in our waking life and also reduce the severity and frequency of them</b>.<br /><br />
We make use of the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, where we commonly have dreams and/or nightmares, to process our day and other unresolved issues. <i>"We take our problems to sleep and we work through them during the night,"</i> says Rosalind Cartwright, Professor of Neuroscience at Rush University Medical Center. Our worries and concerns are processed and moved from the primitive part of the brain, where they are an emotional memory, to the intellectual part of the brain where they become a narrative memory. What this means is that the emotion has been stripped from the memory and you have a better control over it – you can think about it when you want to rather than it randomly popping up in your head when you don’t want it to. You can still recall that it wasn’t a pleasant experience but it no longer triggers the same emotional response as it once did and you are able to rationalise what happened. <b>But nightmares interrupt this process.</b> Often, nightmares will wake us up before the emotion or issue is resolved, so it remains in the primitive part of the brain and causes the nightmare to repeat again in the future, which may explain why we have recurring dreams.<br /><br />
When we have a high level of stress hormones in the brain, the hippocampus, which is responsible for memories among other things, cannot perform its job as well as it should and cannot process the memories and unresolved issues effectively, causing nightmares and also flashbacks in those who have suffered a trauma. Because these memories and other issues have not been processed properly, they do not go away and continue to be a source of anxiety and stress. Guided visualisation not only helps to reframe these nightmares and flashbacks but helps to reduce your anxiety and stress levels and gets the brain producing serotonin more effectively boosting your mood. Once your anxiety and stress levels have been reduced, the brain can start to process the memories and the flashbacks and nightmares will disappear.<br /><br />
Dr Shelby Freedman Harris, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Montefiore Medical Center uses guided visualisation with her patients to assist with their debilitating nightmares. Patients <b>use guided visualisation to transform their nightmare into a more positive context and have it become a different dream. By training the mind during the day using guided visualisation, the nightmare becomes less debilitating for them.</b> One of Dr. Harris’ patients had recurring nightmares of being surrounded by sharks and she reframed the nightmare by imagining they were dolphins instead. Another patient who had nightmares of being chased reframed the pursuer into chocolate and ate him. The latter example just shows that what you visualise doesn’t have to be in the realms of reality – be creative; making it as entertaining and funny as you like.<br /><br />
We can often feel out of control when suffering from regular nightmares, but using this technique helps give you control over your nightmares rather than them having control over you.<br /><br />
A similar guided visualisation was used in a study of 168 women who had been the victims of rape and were experiencing recurring nightmares.(1) The study showed that the women who had used guided visualisation, or Imagery-Rehearsal Therapy (IMR), to reframe their nightmares, had fewer nightmares and of less intensity compared to the control group. The study concluded that <i>“Imagery Rehearsal Therapy is a brief, well-tolerated treatment that appears to decrease chronic nightmares, improve sleep quality, and decrease PTSD symptom severity.” </i><br /><br />
Guided Visualisation has also been successfully used with children with night terrors and war veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, to help reduce nightmares.<br /><br />
I use guided visualisation with my hypnotherapy clients to reduce their stress and anxiety levels, help them to focus on how they want things to be, and help put them back in control of their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.<br /><br />
REM sleep, the stage of sleep in which we commonly dream, has been found to help ease painful memories and you can read more about this in a previous blog post – <a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/rem-sleep-helps-process-negative.html">REM Sleep Helps Process Negative Thoughts and Memories</a> <br /><br />
Find out more about how <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/Hypnotherapy_For_PTSD.html ">hypnotherapy can help Post Traumatic Stress Disorder</a> (PTSD)<br /><br />
Find out more about how <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/hypnotherapy_for_insomnia.html">hypnotherapy can help with Insomnia</a> <br /><br />
<b>References:</b><br />
(1) Krakow B, Hollifield M, Johnston L, et al. <a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?volume=286&issue=5&page=537
">Imagery rehearsal therapy for chronic nightmares in sexual assault survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder a randomized controlled trial</a>. JAMA. 2001;286(5):537-545.Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-23715086159507003812012-06-14T01:58:00.000-07:002013-07-11T09:36:14.184-07:00Overcome Your Fear of Needles on World Blood Donor Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioT9FxfBqReP7vzymEE_MXE9ZD9QWCBl4_74JSetqDuvE84dI2fR1sb6F6HrdS4xg5cGHL6QhrrH4uk1ctWsh-qf6vyDnHx0paCxFaQwVNHEPSUMf66UL2fJGSTS1MI7U-T2PdUJQTxG8/s1600/Photoxpress_1893785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="133" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioT9FxfBqReP7vzymEE_MXE9ZD9QWCBl4_74JSetqDuvE84dI2fR1sb6F6HrdS4xg5cGHL6QhrrH4uk1ctWsh-qf6vyDnHx0paCxFaQwVNHEPSUMf66UL2fJGSTS1MI7U-T2PdUJQTxG8/s200/Photoxpress_1893785.jpg" /></a>
World Blood Donor Day is being marked today, 14th June 2012. The theme of this year’s campaign, <b>“Every blood donor is a hero”</b> focuses on the idea that every one of us can become a hero by giving blood.<br><br>
<b>Unfortunately, fear can stop us being the hero that we want to be.</b> Phobia of needles, blood and all things medical is more common than you think and these phobias can have a big impact on our lives.<br><br>
Now I know giving blood is voluntary so for those with a fear of needles, they simply avoid the process. However at some point in our lives we will need necessary medical intervention such as blood tests and vaccinations which we can’t “opt out” of. Again, some people may avoid these essential procedures because of their fears, putting themselves at risk of ill health, while others go ahead with it although feeling very scared and anxious. But there is another option - <b>Ditch the fear!</b><br><br>
Our brain has the ability to learn when new things are dangerous. Unfortunately, our brain can sometimes learn that some things are dangerous to us when they are not. <b>The good news is that in addition to being able to learn that something is dangerous, we can also unlearn it, which is where hypnotherapy comes in.</b><br><br>
Hypnotherapy first off works to reduce general anxiety levels in a person. When we feel more stressed and anxious, our fears are heightened so this reduction of general anxiety is necessary to help get rid of the phobia for good. Hypnotherapy then addresses the current templates that are stored on how to react to needles, blood or whatever the phobia is. <b>Our brain will always refer to previous patterns of behaviour in any given situation.</b> So for example, if you reacted to a blood test in an anxious way last time you had one, then your brain will encourage you to do the same again. With hypnosis, we create a new template for your brain to refer back to which is much more helpful to you, allowing you to deal with the situation calmly. You’re never going to “love” needles or blood – that isn’t the point; but you will be able to be in control of the situation and feel calm and relaxed. <br><br>
Find out more information on <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/Hypnotherapy_For_Phobias.html">how hypnotherapy can help you overcome phobias and fears</a>.<br><br>
Read about how <a href="http://bristolhypnotherapy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/how-hypnosis-allowed-me-to-give-blood.html">I overcome my phobia of needles</a>, allowing me to give blood.Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-55880398576224755902012-05-31T00:27:00.000-07:002013-07-11T09:36:43.534-07:00Stop Smoking with Hypnotherapy on World No Tobacco Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdDhQS0HR1aQt42J4lnL-DB_q6h_ad_Rq8X1WL098vXiLn7zl0W1_WPBR9j6bq0cmMZq7NVFqRj8EcBzevcGaywXSJBBHuycmjZAC3S9nDbza2x-A-WTGhxGJ-280-9jgZUpl561IREI/s1600/freeman-cancer-health-1114121-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdDhQS0HR1aQt42J4lnL-DB_q6h_ad_Rq8X1WL098vXiLn7zl0W1_WPBR9j6bq0cmMZq7NVFqRj8EcBzevcGaywXSJBBHuycmjZAC3S9nDbza2x-A-WTGhxGJ-280-9jgZUpl561IREI/s200/freeman-cancer-health-1114121-l.jpg" /></a></div>On 31st May every year, the world observes <b>World No Tobacco Day </b>which is promoted by the World Health Organization. The objective of observing World No Tobacco Day is to reduce tobacco consumption which can lead to deadly diseases like cancer and early death.<br><br>
<b>If you are thinking about quitting smoking</b>, then the World No Tobacco day 2012 is a great time to break the chain and get healthy.<br><br>
There are many ways of stopping smoking; you only have to watch the adverts on the TV to see all the different patches, gum, and inhalers available which help to curb the cravings when giving up smoking. However, this only addresses the physical nature of the addiction. Researchers have shown that 90% of the addiction to smoking is psychological and so it is important to address this aspect to ensure you give up for good. This is why Hypnotherapy can be so effective at helping you quit smoking.<br><br>
<b>The habit of smoking is a subconscious response</b> and many people find it a difficult habit to kick. <b>You may consciously want to give up smoking but unless your subconscious mind is onboard then this is unlikely to happen.</b> This is where Hypnotherapy comes in!<br><br>
During hypnosis, your subconscious listens to and takes onboard the suggestions being made about giving up the smoking habit, the dangers of smoking, and how much better your life and health will be once you give up. Once your subconscious is aware of what you want at a conscious level it goes "all in" helping you to achieve your goal of quitting smoking. Hypnosis also helps to break the associations that you may have with smoking, such as having a cigarette with a cup of coffee, after a meal, with a pint etc, as well as helping to reduce your stress and anxiety levels which can often be a trigger for lighting up a cigarette!<br><br>
<b>Hypnosis is the most effective way of giving up smoking, according to the largest ever scientific comparison of ways of breaking the habit.</b>(1) The research, carried out at the University of Iowa, was a meta-analysis which combined the results of more than 600 studies, with a total of nearly 72,000 people. The results included 48 studies of hypnosis covering 6000 smokers, and was published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. <b>The study clearly showed that people were six times more likely to quit smoking with a single session of hypnotherapy and remain non-smokers over 12 months after the session, compared to those who used nicotine replacement therapy.</b><br><br>
<b><i>"Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same!"</i></b><br><br>
It is worth bearing in mind though that your subsconscious cannot be told to do something it doesn't want to do, so it's important that you do REALLY want to give up when you seek hypnotherapy for stopping smoking.<br><br>
A typical hypnotherapy session for smoking cessation lasts between 90 minutes and 2 hours. During this time a consultation is carried out detailing your smoking and general lifestyle habits. How we create anxiety and stress will also be covered as well as a recap on the dangers of smoking and the health improvements which you will benefit from once you've stopped smoking. The consultation is followed by hypnosis which will firstly get you in a nice relaxed state using guided visualisation, metaphors and stories followed by clear language about stopping smoking which will help you kick the habit for good. <b>It is possible for you to stop smoking in just one hypnotherapy session. </b><br><br>
<b>Reference:</b><br>
(1) Schmidt, F.L. & Viswesvaran, C. (1992). A Meta-Analytic Comparison of the Effectiveness of Smoking-Cessation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77 (4), 554-561.<br><br>
Find out more about <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/Stop_Smoking_With_Hypnotherapy.html">Hypnotherapy for Stopping Smoking</a>Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-90937595242160402982012-05-24T05:04:00.000-07:002012-05-25T01:06:42.247-07:00Creating a Pathway for Positive Thinking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax-M0m7N1_rIcxz-o33h71ojFtsuQMjpN9PV0CcVbBO07I0AOddnorNS_0-rIEu5jS2NWDGxGxy3jbfb-COR-oToVkXbi5mzQATkCPpJjUvVbrhZyoxj_rqCuCKScGMMKLNF3uXAYRzE/s1600/field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="149" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax-M0m7N1_rIcxz-o33h71ojFtsuQMjpN9PV0CcVbBO07I0AOddnorNS_0-rIEu5jS2NWDGxGxy3jbfb-COR-oToVkXbi5mzQATkCPpJjUvVbrhZyoxj_rqCuCKScGMMKLNF3uXAYRzE/s200/field.jpg" /></a></div><b><i>"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost</i></b><br><br>
Throughout our lifetimes, there are bound to be times when we have negative thoughts. It's quite normal and in fact our brain is setup to think this way for our self preservation. Back in cave man times, if we had encountered a sabre tooth tiger we wouldn't have thought <i>"It's probably eaten, I'll just carry on collecting these berries"</i>; we would have quite rightly thought <i>"It's going to eat me; Run!"</i>. So when we are faced with a dangerous situation, or a situation which our brain perceives to be a danger to us, it will always see things from the worst possible perspective in order to keep us alive.<br><br>
Unfortunately, when we suffer with stress and anxiety, our brain can think we are constantly in danger and as a result encourages us to think in that same negative way. <b>The more we think in a negative way, the more our brain encourages us to continue that line of thought and we then become trapped in a cycle of negative thinking.</b><br><br>
In order to break this cycle, we need to train our minds to think in a more positive way! You may well ask <i>"how do you train your mind to think in a positive manner?"</i><br><br>
Well, I like to think of our mind as if it were a field in the countryside. When I was a child, there were fields and woods near my house. My family would often go over their in the summertime for walks. Generally, we would follow the paths which had been worn down and made by others who had walked there. These paths were easy to follow because the ground was even and there was more space to walk, but they weren't always the quickest or most interesting routes to take. The overgrown path, or even where there was no path at all, was very difficult to navigate and although they might be more interesting and quicker to take, we very rarely did; we just stuck to the paths that we had taken many times before - the paths that we were used to!<br><br>
On occassions, I would tackle my way through one of these overgrown paths through the fields and woods only to come out the otherside covered in scrapes, bruises, and nettle stings for my efforts. This often deterred me from doing it again! Now if I had carried on walking that overgrown, more difficult path, it would soon have become easier to walk along: the path would have become worn down, flatter and wider and I would have got less and less minor injuries each time. Until one day, it would have become a solid path; THE path to take, and the other, less efficient path would no longer be needed and would start to become overgrown, until eventually nobody would have even known there had been one there.<br><br>
Our minds are very much like that field. Over time, the paths through the field that we walk down the most often become the ones that we are most prone to take.<b> We are creatures of habit and our mind soon learns to take the paths which are most often used.</b> In effect, we are choosing a well worn path in our brains. Our brains learn that this is the right path, whether or not it is the best path to take. <b>This is how habits are formed</b>, whether they are negative ones such as negative thinking, smoking, biting our nails, or comfort eating; or positive ones such as positive thinking, exercise, healthy eating, or relaxation.<br><br>
We need to show our brains that the right path to take is that of positie thinking and the way we do this is by consciously starting to think positively. To start with this can be difficult and those negative thoughts, niggles and worries will often crop up still. But the more we consciously think positively, being aware of our thought processes and changing our line of thought when those negative thoughts do crop up, our brain realises that this is the right path to take until thinking positively becomes easy, more natural, and becomes a part of who we are. <b>Positive thinking can become a habit for you!</b><br><br>
<b>We only form a new path by walking down it frequently - So best get walking!</b>Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-530065172698583912012-05-18T03:44:00.001-07:002012-05-30T01:52:42.032-07:00Three Good Things About Your Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignp4C-euNPblLuc4rthfjqWkWa1aIi0bHQqhax0oAyDUjxsGCMqpC63N3qx2pGDOXTtMOnXQgRZjy2C8PCw010Sr5mKpotE9g6dOKVrnFKspN3SjqMSXFWplbxSrSEL6g7DAHt9IOjPA/s1600/208420_6834980996_719080996_381105_7956_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignp4C-euNPblLuc4rthfjqWkWa1aIi0bHQqhax0oAyDUjxsGCMqpC63N3qx2pGDOXTtMOnXQgRZjy2C8PCw010Sr5mKpotE9g6dOKVrnFKspN3SjqMSXFWplbxSrSEL6g7DAHt9IOjPA/s200/208420_6834980996_719080996_381105_7956_n.jpg" /></a></div>This is a great little exercise which I give to my hypnotherapy clients to do between sessions.<br><br>
<strong>Every night, perhaps at the end of your working day or before you go to bed, reflect over your day.</strong> But <strong>DON’T</strong> dwell on the negatives! We’re only interested in the positives in this exercise!<br><br>
This simple exercise can be broken down in to three steps as follows:<br><br>
<strong>1. Think of three things that went well for you during the day.</strong> On some days, it may be more difficult to find three positive things that have happened but on these days it is especially important to do the exercise – you just might have to think outside the box a little more to come up with your three things – they can be big or small and <strong>THERE IS NO WRONG ANSWER!</strong><br><br>
<strong>2. Write them down.</strong> This is important as it helps you to focus on the events and also gives you something to refer back to, to see how good your week has been on the whole.<br><br>
<strong>3. For each good thing, reflect on what part you played at making this good thing happen.</strong> This is another important part of the exercise as it contributes to your sense of perceived control and helps to boost your self-esteem and self-belief. Your role in some of these events may not always seem obvious to you, for example if your good thing was that the sunset was amazing today, you might think "what did you have to do with it?" Well, you noticed that it was a nice sunset so write that down!<br><br>
<strong>This exercise is a positive psychology technique</strong> which has been tested by researchers, showing substantial results (1). This study showed <strong>increased happiness and decreased depressive symptoms for up to six months</strong> in their participants. This does not mean that after six months the effects had worn off but simply that the participants were not followed beyond this point.<br><br>
This increased happiness and decreased depressive symptoms comes about because <strong>this technique trains your brain to think in a more positive way and gives you more perspective, helping to change those thought processes for good</strong> – so that you become a more naturally positive person.<br><br>
<strong>References:</strong><br>
(1) <a href="www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/articleseligman.pdf">Positive Psychology Progress</a>: Empirical Validation of Interventions, Seligman ME, Steen TA, Park N, Peterson C. American Psychologist. 2005 Jul-Aug ;60(5):410-21.Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-54821941666293934012012-05-11T12:01:00.000-07:002012-05-11T12:01:39.426-07:002011 in Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJs1BaML8KCORamLPDSfrwg3VHALs1dK7txnW9n1T7IWyULQrYEiPRPqvHIJUYPqUT1vfOcLFYbAUpuWvlSCPRpgrj8-FgMJVKx3lQ8_xuUWkuHCix-GqhVEnYAcSWi3OHdV5boAD_NA/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJs1BaML8KCORamLPDSfrwg3VHALs1dK7txnW9n1T7IWyULQrYEiPRPqvHIJUYPqUT1vfOcLFYbAUpuWvlSCPRpgrj8-FgMJVKx3lQ8_xuUWkuHCix-GqhVEnYAcSWi3OHdV5boAD_NA/s200/books.jpg" /></a></div>I know this is a little late in the year to be writing about the previous year, but then I thought; It's never too late!<br><br>
I regularly read magazines, journals, books and websites relating to hypnotherapy, mental health and neuroscience. This helps to enhance my skills and knowledge in hypnotherapy, broadens my knowledge of mental health as a whole, and keeps me in touch with current practices.<br><br>
Below is a list of books that I read and found helpful in 2011.<br><br>
Hypnotherapy Books:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/041593544X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=041593544X">Hypnosis in Clinical Practice: Steps for Mastering Hypnotherapy</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=041593544X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845900316/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1845900316">The Weight, Hypnotherapy and YOU Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1845900316" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/190442421X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=190442421X">Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy: The Complete Works</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=190442421X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0471471674/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0471471674">101 Healing Stories for Kids and Teens: Using Metaphors in Therapy</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0471471674" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul>
<br>Solution Focused Books:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0415162068/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0415162068">Counselling: The Skills of Finding Solutions to Problems</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0415162068" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845900405/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1845900405">The Miracle Question: Answer It and Change Your Life</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1845900405" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul>
<br>Books About the Brain:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0349112967/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0349112967">A User's Guide To The Brain</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0349112967" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0452295548/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0452295548">My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0452295548" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul>
<br>Weight Management Books:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0399534660/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0399534660">It's Not about Food: End Your Obsession with Food and Weight</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0399534660" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/059306092X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=059306092X">I Can Make You Thin</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=059306092X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844030121/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1844030121">Think Yourself Trim</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1844030121" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul>
<br>Books on Other Specific Issues:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1848503253/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1848503253">Love Not Smoking: Do Something Different</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1848503253" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0745953190/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0745953190">Self Harm: The Path to Recovery</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0745953190" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1849010722/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1849010722">Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1849010722" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0593055381/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0593055381">I Can Make You Sleep</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0593055381" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul>
<br>Other Books:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1899398317/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1899398317">Human Givens: A New Approach to Emotional Health and Clear Thinking</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1899398317" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1899836489/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1899836489">Warriors, Settlers & Nomads: Discovering Who We Are and What We Can Be</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=1899836489" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0857081292/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=balaholiblog-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0857081292">S.U.M.O. (shut Up, Move On): The Straight Talking Guide to Creating and Enjoying a Brilliant Life</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=balaholiblog-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0857081292" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></li>
</ul>
<br>I also read the quarterly journals from the <a href="http://www.hypnotherapists.org.uk/">National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH)</a> and the <a href="http://www.afsfh.co.uk/">AfSFH</a>'s Journal Hypnotherapy Today.<br><br>
I found all of these very helpful and have incorporated many techniques and ideas I learnt from the books in to my hypnotherapy sessions and consultation process.<br><br>
I like to read books on common conditions such as the self harm book listed above so that I can fully understand these issues which clients may come to see me for.<br><br>
I don’t think I have a favourite book from 2011; they were all enjoyable and helpful in different ways. Lets hope the books I read this year are as good as these were.<br><br>
I did buy several other books last year that I didn't get round to reading so they've been added to my 2012 "to read" list and you'll be able to find out which ones they were when I write my "2012 in Books" blog post next year!Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-26497196907851450812012-05-03T03:38:00.000-07:002018-06-10T23:45:11.265-07:00Combat Stress; Think Happy Thoughts!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwEkSzBe30ff8FXG6vrJIleBkj61HwZYIrz_H6P7UGJk-pqqTad8mjMOIaxYMhe_wmix4b8wlLgus13RXvDt9sSPeB5O5ZJ-YC-41JDrSAFv19tAzFc4IB4PWmOGaxneoZV1nZzIcjLJU/s1600/poitive+thinking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwEkSzBe30ff8FXG6vrJIleBkj61HwZYIrz_H6P7UGJk-pqqTad8mjMOIaxYMhe_wmix4b8wlLgus13RXvDt9sSPeB5O5ZJ-YC-41JDrSAFv19tAzFc4IB4PWmOGaxneoZV1nZzIcjLJU/s200/poitive+thinking.jpg" width="200" height="112" data-original-width="200" data-original-height="112" /></a></div>
As Mental Health Awareness Week is approaching at the end of the month (21 - 28 May 2012), I thought I would write a post to highlight how <strong>hypnotherapy can help you cope with stress by generating positive images of the future</strong>.<br /><br />
A recent survey shows that <strong>3 million people in the UK suffer with an anxiety disorder</strong>. The good news is that recent research into the relationship between what we think and how we feel could help you <strong>think yourself happier</strong>.<br /><br />
It seems that <strong>worrying thoughts and imagining unpleasant situations can produce physical stress in the body</strong>. A study in 2007 found that performing guided imagery of moderately unpleasant situations results in physical responses such as accelerated heart rate, faster breathing and sweating.(1) It seems that imagining unpleasant events can activate the brain’s fear network and result in an activation of the sympathetic nervous system.(2)<br /><br />
If we ever needed proof that worrying is not good for us, well here it is! Just by imagining these unpleasant situations, it triggers the "fight or flight" response as if it were actually happening to you at that precise moment, resulting in all those unpleasant physical sensations which are associated with anxiety.<br /><br />
<strong>The good news is that the converse also seems to be true; imagining positive events can make us feel better.</strong> A large part of my role as a hypnotherapist is helping clients imagine their preferred future, how they want things to be rather than how they don't want them to be, which as well as helping them feel happier, also enables them to make the changes necessary to make that future become a reality.<br /><br />
The validity of this approach would seem to be supported by research which demonstrates that the benefit of generating images about positive future outcomes may not be limited to mood but extend to subsequent behaviour.(3)<br /><br />
I use Solution Focused techniques in combination with hypnotherapy to help my clients replace unhelpful, negative thinking patterns with more beneficial thought processes. By thinking more positively, their anxiety levels reduce enabling them to cope better with life’s challenges.<br /><br />
So there you have it! To combat stress; think happy thoughts!<br /><br />
For more <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/">information on Hypnotherapy in Bristol</a><br /><br />
<strong>References:</strong><br />
(1) Sebastiani L, D’Alessandro L, Menicucci D, Ghelarducci B & Santarcangelo E L (2007), Role of relaxation and specific suggestions in hypnotic emotional numbing, International journal of psychophysiology, Vol.63 pp.125-132<br />
(2) Kosslyn S M, Ganis G & Thompson W L (2001), Neural foundations of imagery, Nature Reviews: Neuroscience, Vol.2 pp.635-642<br />
(3) Pictet A, Coughtrey A E, Matthews A, Holmes E A (2011), Fishing for happiness: The effects of generating positive imagery on mood and behaviour, Behaviour research and therapy, Vol.49 issue 12 pp.885-891Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-37715606490819735362011-11-27T08:11:00.000-08:002013-07-11T09:40:31.692-07:00REM Sleep Helps Process Negative Thoughts and Memories<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3lqHYHGMLVb5UGEOpTzpyjd86UmS6AZugzHVyaWjZhCOFF4At_dZBL6fjTvYYJckIpVKIfevBvuVedY1TKqNq_6mwJ002B8l4h42bKh5fja4aDs3V9o0MLeSZhYFqr1HhjR_znb8oA0/s1600/bucket.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3lqHYHGMLVb5UGEOpTzpyjd86UmS6AZugzHVyaWjZhCOFF4At_dZBL6fjTvYYJckIpVKIfevBvuVedY1TKqNq_6mwJ002B8l4h42bKh5fja4aDs3V9o0MLeSZhYFqr1HhjR_znb8oA0/s200/bucket.jpg" border="0" alt="Stress Bucket holds our Negative Thoughts and Memories"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679709586272975442" /></a>When we think negatively about events and situations in our lives, these negative thoughts and memories are accumulated and stored by our brain. I like to think of these negative thoughts and memories as being stored in a stress bucket. This stress bucket fills up with our daily negative experiences and thoughts which contribute to stress; these things can be small things like being late for work or not being able to find a parking space, or large things like losing your job or a relationship breakdown. They all add up and our head can get rather crowded by these unwanted thoughts and memories! <br /><br />If you are a fan of Harry Potter, you might recall the ‘pensieve’ that Dumbledore uses. When he has too many thoughts and memories in his head, he siphons the excess thoughts into the basin using his wand. He says that "it becomes easier to spot patterns and links" in the memories when they're collected in the “pensieve”. In reality, REM sleep, or Rapid Eye Movement, is our equivalent of this “pensieve”.<br /><br />At night, we enter in to REM sleep; the stage of sleep where we dream. During this stage of sleep, we re-run the events of our day and anything that might be in our stress buckets, either in clear exactly as it happened or metaphorically. These thoughts are then moved from the primitive part of the brain, where they are an emotional memory, to the intellectual part of the brain where they become a narrative memory. What this means is that the emotion has been stripped from the memory and you have a better control over it – you can think about it when you want to rather than it randomly popping up in your head when you don’t want it to. You can still recall that is wasn’t a pleasant experience but it no longer triggers the same emotional response as it once did and you are able to rationalise what happened.<br /><br />I am sure that you are already familiar with how REM works, even without realising. Let’s say someone says something to you at work that upsets you. You go to bed that night and during your REM sleep your brain enters in to the process of emptying your stress bucket, changing those memories from emotional to narrative. So when you awaken in the morning, you may well have forgotten about what the person said, or you might not but you will definitely have more perspective on the event and be able to see the bigger picture, like with the “pensieve”.<br /><br />Recently, BBC News Health reported that dreaming ‘eases painful memories’. Using MRI scans, Scientists were able to shed more light on how the brain deals with the memory of traumatic events and other negative, unpleasant experiences. The research carried out at The University of California showed that after a period of REM sleep, there was less activity in the areas of the brain linked to emotion (the amygdala) but instead, the part of the brain linked to rational thought (the prefrontal cortex) was more active. <br /><br />In addition to emptying our stress bucket, during REM sleep there is a decrease in the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, a chemical transmitted by the brain associated with stress. <br /><br />So as you can see, REM sleep is pivotal at helping to keep our stress levels down and emptying out those thoughts and memories which are no longer useful for us anymore. It is also of great advantage to those suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).<br /><br />When our stress buckets are full to capacity or even overflowing, it makes sense that our brain would want to partake in more REM sleep to empty it. Unfortunately, this is not possible as the REM stage of sleep is restricted to approximately 20% of our sleeping patterns. So if our stress bucket is full, we never completely empty our buckets during our sleep and wake up still feeling stressed and affected by those unprocessed memories.<br /><br />But there is good news! Hypnotherapy mimics REM sleep, helping to trigger a reduction in stress hormones and allowing your brain to process those painful memories and empty that stress bucket. Another great advantage of the hypnosis-induced REM state is that it doesn’t eat in to the 20% REM allowance of your sleep pattern – so you can go for a hypnotherapy session, listen to a hypnosis CD before you go to bed then still have your full 20% allowance of REM sleep, helping to process all those negative memories and thoughts and empty your stress bucket quickly and effectively. <br /><br />Read the BBC News Health article <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15862384" title="BBC Article on how REM sleep helps process painful memories">Dreaming ‘eases painful memories’</a><br />Read The University of California Berkeley article <a href="http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/11/23/dream-sleep/" title="University of California Article on how REM sleep processes negative thoughts and memories">Dream sleep takes sting out of painful memories</a><br /><br />Read more about <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/Bristol_Hypnotherapy.html" title="Hypnotherapy in Bristol with Sarah Mortimer">what Hypnotherapy is</a> and <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/Hypnotherapy_Appointments.html" title="what to expect from a hypnotherapy session in Bristol with Sarah Mortimer">what to expect from a hypnotherapy session</a> <br /><br />Read more on <a href="http://www.bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk/Hypnotherapy_For_PTSD.html" title="Bristol Hypnotherapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Sarah Mortimer Hypnotherapy">how hypnotherapy can help Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)</a>Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4726509231229031718.post-44438759081328011232011-11-15T03:55:00.000-08:002018-06-20T03:16:17.234-07:00BBC Radio Bristol InterviewClick on the video below to hear me talking with Dr Phil Hammond on BBC Radio Bristol Saturday Surgery about Seasonal Affective Disorder and Hypnotherapy.<br /><br /><iframe width="500" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hcgbFiRYlmo" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>Sarah Mortimerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648804866146173914noreply@blogger.com0