Achieving your goals

We all set ourselves goals every now and then, but often we find ourselves running out of steam or losing that inspiration which first prompted us to work to improve something in our lives. The conscious mind and the unconscious mind are not working in exactly the same direction and somehow we find ourselves missing the mark in some way. Hypnotherapy can help us to bring the power of the unconscious mind into play and when both the conscious mind and the unconscious mind are working together they are immensely powerful. No longer are we sending ourselves mixed messages. When we can see the goal we want clearly, with both parts of the mind focused on this, provided it is a realistic undertaking, our subconscious mind is constantly working towards this aim. We will identify opportunities much more clearly and be able to see the steps we need to take. With high motivation and the necessary work, success can become reality. As we work towards the goal, and recognize our positive progress, self-confidence soars. The path to achievement can be a really enjoyable one, and hypnotherapy can enhance the journey to that success.

Addictions

Where the nature of the addiction is medical, we strongly advise that you should talk to your GP. Hypnosis and Solution Focused therapy can be a positive complementary therapy to support recovery alongside medical treatment .

We can become addicted to all sorts of things, and subsequently find that instead of relieving a problem, this addiction has now become a problem in itself. Hypnotherapy can be used to help you understand just what is happening, and help you free yourself .

Alcohol and Substance Abuse

If this is a true addiction, instead of action to avoid addiction before it starts,we would expect clients to have consulted their GP. It is possible to change one's habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Medical and complementary therapy combined help to maintain positive results (Yapco).

There comes a time when these are getting in the way of achieving the sort of life you aspire to. Time perhaps to take stock and decide just what you really want out of life and find the means to achieve a better lifestyle which gives you the confidence, self-respect and fun which you deserve. Hypnotherapy has been used successfully to help many people get control and lead a more meaningful and successful life. We will help you work towards and achieve that using solution focused hypnotherapy.

Childbirth

Let's be clear. Pregnancy and childbirth are not an illness. They are a natural part of life and one of nature's small miracles. This can be a very fulfilling and positive part of life, but for some it can be an anxious one for some. When we are stressed, our perception of pain is increased. When we are calm and in control, we can deal with birth contractions in a different way. Hypnotherapy can also help to ease the way. So congratulations. I you are expecting a baby, you are potentially heading for a truly wonderful and happy event Giving birth for the first time is taking a step into the unknown. Birth should be a positive experience. Hypnotherapy can help to maximise feelings of well-being, and therefore increase the likelihood of the mother feeling calm and in control throughout the birthing process and beyond, as well as during pregnancy. The reduction of stress and therefore the reduction of stress hormones is beneficial for both mother and child. Couples who work together on preparing for the birth can feel closer than ever. Since many modern men now choose to be present and supporting their partner at the birth, the whole family can experience a positive and wonderful event together. When you are well prepared, you can meet each part of the birth feeling more calm and confident and more in control. Birth can be such a special and exciting experience. Enjoy this special time. When the mother is calm and in control, the whole process is easier. Breastfeeding is usually much easier when the mother feels calm and confident, and babies respond positively to the maternal feelings of calm satisfaction too.

Enhancing Childbirth and beyond.

At the Damon Barlow Practice, we know how important the emotional well-being of all the new family to be is. We help you to prepare for the birth whether you are the expectant Dad or Mum or birthing partner, and encourage mothers-to- be to bring their partners with them. We help you to overcome any fears or nervousness you may have surrounding the birth so that you can fully experience and enjoy the wonder of this special process. Hypnotherapy can help you to develop confidence knowing that you will be able to give birth whilst feeling calm, confident and in control whilst still being able to work with and respond appropriately to the medical team assigned to your care. Birth partners and fathers can also learn how to support the mother during labour and can also benefit by fully understanding how important their role can be.

Sheila Damon is shortly going to introduce a Self-Hypnosis for birthing class for mothers -to-be and their partners/birthing partners in cooperation with another solution focused hypnotherapy practitioner, Jessica Driscoll.

These are due to start in January 2012.
Please contact us for more information.

Confidence

It can be natural to find our confidence wavering or our self esteem dropping when we have been subjected to stress. Sometimes it can be triggered by a traumatic event, and sometimes it occurs after prolonged periods of stress. Our focus turns towards what we consider are our weaknesses, and we often imagine them to be far greater than they are. If we consider ourselves in this poor light, it's not surprising our expectations about ourselves are low. Hypnosis can help us to recognize and utilize our strengths- some of which we have probably overlooked completely. We can build up our confidence and start to have a more balanced view of ourselves and our situation. Each small step towards our positive goals can be built upon and the conscious and the unconscious mind can be harnessed to help us work towards a much better and happier life where we feel confident and happy.

Depression

Depression is a very debilitating condition. We feel drained of energy and often drained of motivation. Sometimes decision making at all becomes too much effort. It's no joke and most people have been affected to a greater or lesser extent at least once in their lives. Research has shown that the long term prognosis is more favourable for individuals who not only seek medical help and take anti-depressant medication but who also use talking therapy including hypnotherapy which works with both the conscious and the unconscious mind. In this way, the physical and emotional effects can be treated, and individuals who have suffered from depression work supported by the power of both the conscious and the unconscious to develop strategies and rid themselves of undermining negative thoughts and feelings and to maximise the long term recovery and diminish the possibility of a recurrence when the medication is withdrawn. Hypnosis is effective in helping people to beat depression and get back to living fulfilling lives again.

Exam/Test Nerves

It isn't unusual to feel a little nervous prior to taking exams, but for some people their exam nerves can actually affect how well they can study, retain information, and perform during the exam. Whether it's written or oral, hypnotherapy can be used not only to reduce stress levels and build confidence, but it can help people to raise their performance and show their true potential. Don't let nerves hold you back . Allow yourself to change those self-defeating patterns and give yourself the chance to achieve more.

If you are clinically depressed, please consult your doctor too.

Fear of Public Speaking

Many successful people still find their confidence deserts them when it comes to speaking in front of any kind of "audience". It can spoil many occasions which should bring enjoyment. However, hypnotherapy has helped many sufferers overcome their fears and feel the satisfaction of knowing that they have spoken well in front of others and been applauded for the wit and wisdom they display.

IBS

Stress is known to exacerbate IBS. Once a medical diagnosis has been made, Hypnotherapy designed to reduce stress levels has proved itself helpful in managing and sometimes eliminating this condition.

Imporving Yourself

Performance and skills can be improved by the judicious use of hypnotherapy techniques. Top sportsmen have been using hypnotic trance to help them achieve the standards and perfect the skills they need. Even musicians have found benefit from using hypnosis. Of course it can also be used by business executives to develop and improve their techniques and to build their confidence and motivation to go for and achieve goals to which they aspire, and to enjoy doing it.

Low Self-Esteem

Sometimes we are our own worst critics and we underestimate our strengths and overestimate our weaknesses. Hypnotherapy can help you to home in on your strengths and build and improve them. As you do this, you will notice that your confidence and self-esteem grows. Each small successful step opens up more and more positive possibilities. As you learn to allow yourself to feel the satisfaction you deserve for the achievements you make, life happiness and self-esteem improves. You may well surprise yourself to see how well you can do and how far you progress.

Relaxation

When we are not living life in the right way for our needs, it's natural to feel irritated, anxious, or just plain exhausted. Hypnosis can help us utilize the power of the subconscious mind to find solutions which will enable us to feel calm, poised ,relaxed and in control. To be aware of what we want and how we want to live and to work without irritation and discomfort towards our goals. To feel that our life is worth living and has meaning.

Concentration

We all know what it's like to lose concentration, and it's not always a problem unless our situation demands it at the time. When you are facing a deadline of some type and know you need to perform at your best, it's a real problem if you find it hard to maintain the necessary concentration. The more stressed we become, the less our intellectual, problem solving conscious part of the brain is in control. The primitive parts which are designed to protect us in some ways (Fight or flight mechanism) takes over. Unfortunately, while it was adequate for early man, our situations are usually more complex, and we still need to think and plan clearly. Instead we get distracted and often think repeatedly of worst case scenarios to our situation, which just makes it worse. When we work with hypnosis, it helps us to get back to our calm centre where we can deal appropriately with our situation, relax and allow our reasonable thinking to get control. We can access a calm and relaxed confidence and, because we are calm and in control of those run-away thoughts, we can get our concentration focused on the areas we want it to be in order to achieve.

Nail Biting

Nail Biting is commonly caused by stress. It is closely akin to the sucking the thumb comfort behaviour, and we may believe that it does comfort and calm. This is however, a myth. When we are very young, putting something in the mouth or thumb sucking produces a feeling of comfort, or is a method of a very young child exploring the world around him since the mouth is very sensitive. However, as the child grows, this reflex no longer has the same effect. For the older child or the adult, putting our fingers in our mouth sends messages to the unconscious that suggests that we are fearful. The recognition of this fear behaviour triggers the stress response and the release of all the stress chemicals. Nail biting actually makes us feel worse, along with our embarrassment at unsightly nails. HHypnotherapy can help the conscious and the unconscious parts of the mind to work together to achieve the sort of nails that we want. Having gained those good looking nails, enjoy the good feelings this brings.

OCD

Hypnosis and CBT have been used has been used successfully to help many people to rid themselves of compulsive and obsessive thoughts and actions. The suffering which results from OCD is worth getting rid of to allow a happier life free from the restrictions this can impose.

Panic Attacks

Panic Attacks occur as a result of stress. We find a certain amount of stress can galvanise us into taking action, and some people find they seem to function better as a deadline approaches. However sometimes we find that life keeps on bombarding us with one stressful situation after another until we feel that we really are dealing with more than our fair share. Finally, we reach overload, and the symptoms of stress manifest. One of these is panic attacks. Hypnosis can help us deal more easily and efficiently with life's events, and also reduce stress levels. Then we can feel confident and poised and able to deal and respond appropriately and effortlessly with what at one time may have been stressful situations.

Fear/Phobias

If you suffer from a phobia, you may be surprised to hear that you are not alone. As many as 1 in 3 people may experience some form of phobic reaction. It can cause difficulties ranging from inconvenience because of avoidance tactics needed to deal with it, to real misery as the phobia takes away so much freedom and really restricts people in their everyday lives. Fear of travel, particularly by plane (aerophobia) is very common; fear of spiders (arachnophobia) is a problem for a number of people, but there are many more and each, in its way restricts peoples' lives. Hypnotherapy is a powerful method of eliminating the fear and allowing an individual to be free of that emotional reaction to the source of the phobia. This allows the client to lead a life free from the restriction previously experienced. A therapist using hypnosis can usually help a client to free themselves from the phobic reaction after the initial consultation and three more sessions. (Unless work on other issues is also required by the client). Think of it- for many people, a phobia could be eliminated after just 4 sessions.

Sleep Problems

Most people can recall having sleep problems and the odd night of disturbed sleep can be fairly easily coped with. Sometimes the disturbed pattern of sleep can happen more often and it can take its toll. Disturbed sleep frequently indicates that we are under more stress than is comfortable for us. When we sleep, part of the night is spent in what is commonly called REM sleep. It's the body's way of releasing and processing the day to day stresses we encounter. Our real difficulties start when the body realises that we are trying to use excessive REM sleep and in order to stop us becoming exhausted, it wakes us up.

Hypnosis can work for you in a similar way as REM sleep to allow the reduction of stress levels and facilitate the necessary process of release. AND it doesn't require the same expenditure of energy, so you aren't exhausted. In fact, after a hypnotherapy session, you can feel energized and enthusiastic.

Stress and Anxiety

There's no doubt about it when we say that modern life and modern lifestyles are stressful. A normal amount of stress can be dealt with fairly easily. We usually bounce back after a good night's sleep. But have you noticed that sometimes it's just one thing after another that raises our stress levels. When we get overloaded by one stressful incident after another, it isn't surprising that we become stressed and anxious. By use of hypnotic trance, a therapist can help their client to return back to the relaxed and happy state which they want to achieve. When we are relaxed, we function much better, and cope much better with life situations.

Stress can affect us in many ways, such as:-

• Nail biting
• Sleep problems (Too much or too little or disturbed sleep patterns)
• Irritability
• Loss of concentration
• Loss of confidence or low self esteem
• Panic attacks.
• Feeling unable to cope
• Many other conditions ranging from eczema and IBS to OCD and ME are exacerbated by stress.

Stress reduction through hypnotherapy can be very effective in alleviating or effecting noticeable improvements in these conditions. Meditation can be useful in maintaining a calmer state. Feel free to discuss your difficulties with us. Our initial consultations are free and in confidence.

Weight Problems

Weight problems Overweight / Anorexia Nervosa It's easy to put weight on, particularly if life has been stressful. Then, the weight itself can cause problems and erode self-esteem. However, Hypnosis can help you to find the resolve and motivation to tackle life's problem areas and achieve success. It can be done in a way which will enable you to change patterns in your life which no longer serve a positive purpose. You can become more of the person you want to be, and who you truly are - confident, feeling good, and happier with your shape too. Sometimes it isn't the excess of weight which is the problem, but the reverse. Hypnotherapy can complement medical intervention to help you overcome this distressing condition reducing the stress and helping you to feel good about yourself and your life as you improve your self-esteem and feel more comfortable and confident, and in control.