Tim Maude Hypnotherapy

Category: Hypnotherapy

  • How can Hypnotherapy help with Anxiety?

    How can Hypnotherapy help with Anxiety?

    Did you think that hypnotherapy only helps with things like quitting smoking or getting rid of phobias? … Think again … Hypnotherapy can help with all sorts of complex mental issues such as anxiety.

    Anxiety stems deep from within our subconscious in an automatic mechanism designed to help us keep our eye on danger. This is very useful when living in a dangerous world. It is an automatic reaction designed to keep us out of trouble. However, in a world that is relatively safe, anxiety can stop us leading the life we wish to lead.

    Hypnotherapy can help because it deals with processes that lie deep within our subconscious. These processes are the ones that happen automatically and so we have little or no conscious control over them.

    When I see a client, I spend the first half of the one-hour session simply talking about everyday life – what has been going on in their lives and what do they expect to do in the coming weeks. In doing this, I lead them into thinking about a positive future that they might have for themselves – one without anxiety where they can be calm and regain control.

    This means that in the second half of the session, where they go into a nice relaxing trance, their subconscious will turn to sorting out the issues that are causing them anxiety. They may not be aware of this happening as it is entirely at a subconscious level. The success of this process means that I usually see clients for between five and ten sessions before they reach a stage where they’re happy that they have their lives back in control again.

    I practice solution-focused hypnotherapy. This means that I ask my clients to focus on the solution to their anxiety rather than the problem that caused the anxiety in the first place. Many of my clients tell me about the things that have caused them stress and anxiety, but I am far more interested in hearing about how they want to be instead of being anxious.

    Hypnotherapy is not the only treatment for anxiety – there are other therapies available, as well as medication. Hypnotherapy is very effective. However, you need to find the right treatment for you.

    I work out of my clinic in Fleet, Hampshire – as well as online. If you would like to have a chat about your anxiety and what hypnotherapy might do for you, contact me and I will be happy to have a chat to help you decide what is the best path for you to take.

    Photo courtesy of Vivien Griffiths, Mental Health Foundation

  • How is Hypnotherapy Different from CBT?

    How is Hypnotherapy Different from CBT?

    If your doctor diagnoses you with some form of anxiety or depression, they will be likely either to prescribe medication or CBT – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. So how does hypnotherapy differ from CBT and why would you choose one or the other?

    Comparison of CBT and Hypnotherapy

    The following table summarises the key similarities and differences. There are different styles of hypnotherapy – I am comparing CBT with Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, which is what I practice.

    Cognitive Behavioural TherapyHypnotherapy (solution focused)
    Conditions treatedWide range of conditions involving unwanted thoughts, feelings or behaviours.Wide range of conditions involving unwanted thoughts, feelings or behaviours.
    What to expect in a sessionAnalysis of problem and causes
    Practical exercises concerning the issues    		Discussion life without problems
    Hypnosis
    Focus of approachProblem analysis
    Analytical approach    		Solution focused
    Subconscious-led
    Availability on NHSWithin 18 weeks according to NHS (but BMA say it can be more than a year to get treatment)Not available on NHS
    CostFree through NHS for limited number of sessions
    Costs for private practice vary    		Costs for private practice vary
    Scientific basisScientific studies have demonstrated effectivenessScientific studies have demonstrated effectiveness
    Comparison of CBT and Hypnotherapy

    Which is Better – Hypnotherapy or CBT?

    There are plenty of studies that compare the effectiveness of CBT versus Hypnotherapy. Generally speaking, these show that they are comparable in effectiveness. For example, a scientific study (reported in the Journal of Effective Disorders, 2021) compared Hypnotherapy with CBT, and concluded that hypnotherapy was not inferior to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) after six months of treatment.

    How to Choose

    In my experience, some people prefer the more analytical, problem-focused style of CBT, whereas others prefer the more subconscious-led, solution-focused style of solution-focused hypnotherapy.

    In my clinic, I either see people who have gone straight for the hypnotherapy, or I see people who have gone through the NHS route of CBT and found that it has not worked for them, and so are looking for something else. Note, that I do not see any of the people who have tried CBT and found it worked for them, so I cannot comment on how many of these there are.

    If you genuinely have no immediate preference, and you are able to go through the process of getting a referral from your doctor and waiting until your name comes up on the waiting list, then it will be cheaper for you to try CBT on the NHS first. If you cannot wait that long – and want immediate access to a therapist, then you need to find a private practitioner – either hypnotherapist or CBT.

    Finding a Private Practitioner

    The easiest way to find a private practitioner is to go onto Google and type in “Hypnotherapist near me” or “CBT near me”. Look for one with plenty of good reviews.

    Alternatively, if you want a hypnotherapist, you can contact me directly. I work in my clinic in Fleet, Hampshire, as well as working online.

    References

    Efficacy of hypnotherapy compared to cognitive behavioural therapy
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032721002032

    British Medical Association – The devastating cost of treatment delays
    https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/the-devastating-cost-of-treatment-delays

    Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

  • How to Choose a Hypnotherapist

    How to Choose a Hypnotherapist

    So you’ve decided you need professional help from a hypnotherapist. But there are a lot of them out there. So how do you choose? This is a simple guide to choosing a hypnotherapist.

    Find a Professional

    Make sure you find someone who is properly qualified by checking with the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH). You can be certain that all hypnotherapists registered with the NCH:

    • Have been properly trained
    • Continue training to develop their skills throughout their career
    • Have the proper qualifications
    • Are properly insured
    • Have signed up to a code of professional ethics and standards
    • Have a professional supervisor, who they meet regularly

    You can also get an idea of how much experience they have. More experienced members will have Accredited Membership and may have other qualifications such as being a hypnotherapy Supervisor.

    • Go to the “Find a Therapist” page of the NCH Website https://www.hypnotherapists.org.uk/therapist-finder/
    • Fill in the name of your town or city in the box labelled “Find near”
    • Under “Advanced” – find the “Grade” menu and choose “Accredited” (If you want a more experienced hypnotherapist)
    • Click on “Search>>”

    You can then browse hypnotherapists near you.

    Find Out What Other Clients Think

    It is useful to see what the hypnotherapists’ other clients think of them by looking at online reviews. The best way to read independent reviews is to look at their “Google My Business” entry. Reviews placed there will show both the good and the bad reviews as they have not been selected by the hypnotherapist.

    • In a Google search engine, search for “hypnotherapy near me”
    • Near the top of the results page, there will be a local map as well as a list showing the local hypnotherapists.
    • You can either select a hypnotherapist from the map, or from the list, and read the independent reviews.

    Check Out Their Website

    It’s always a good idea to have a good look through the hypnotherapist’s website. You will get a better idea of them, as well as getting a handle on their prices and logistical arrangements.

    Have a Chat

    Most hypnotherapists are quite happy to have a chat on the phone to answer any questions you might have. The website will normally tell you how to contact them. Ask for a 10 minute chat and see how your get on with them.

    And Finally …

    Of course the quick way to make sure you get a professional hypnotherapist with good reviews and the right attitude is to give me a call !! Be assured that I am an accredited member of the NCH, with lots of good reviews – but some of you will want to check that out for yourself.

    Check out my website and contact me if you have any questions.

    Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels

  • Can Hypnotherapy Help With Anxiety?

    Can Hypnotherapy Help With Anxiety?

    Most people will have experienced anxiety at some time in their lives. This takes the form of tension, worry, a feeling of dread, helplessness, fear, or one of many other symptoms. It is quite natural to have short periods when we are anxious in this way.

    The problem comes when we are anxious on most days for long periods of time, when it effects our lives so that we are no longer living the life we want to live. For some people, this level of anxiety builds up over a long time and they come to accept it as “normal”.

    There is nothing normal about having constant anxiety.

    So if you feel that tension, the worry, the dread of the day to come – you might want to consider doing something about it. There are lots of things you can do for yourself to ease it off. However, if you need help in getting your life back together, just bear in mind that hypnotherapy can be very effective.

    Hypnotherapy is not magic. I cannot simply snap my fingers and make my clients change. In fact, hypnotherapy cannot make anyone do anything. But it can encourage your subconscious mind to choose a path that can lead you to be more like your normal self, and more in control of your life.

    I have seen hundreds of people with anxiety in one form or another over the years. Typically, I see them for between five and ten weekly sessions before they have got their lives back together and feel normal again.

    Hypnotherapy can be extremely effective at combating anxiety.

    So if you happen to be wondering “Can hypnotherapy help with my anxiety?”, you can type in “Tim Maude Hypnotherapy” into Google or Google Maps . Click on the review tab and read the Google reviews that tell you what my clients think of me. Then give me a call or use the contact form on my website and we can arrange to have a chat.

  • Hypnotherapy: The Less-Known Way to Relieve Anxiety Without Pills

    Hypnotherapy: The Less-Known Way to Relieve Anxiety Without Pills

    I wish I had known years ago what hypnotherapy can do to calm anxiety. I have had times in my life when I have woken up in the morning dreading what the day was going to bring without realising that there is a solution. Thankfully for me, those times are long gone and I now wake up looking forward to each day ahead.

    I see clients each week who tell me that they have chosen to come to me because they don’t want to get onto the treadmill of taking pills to keep their anxiety under control. Other clients come to me who have been on medication for so long that they don’t really remember what they are taking it for.

    Now, I am not scorning anti-anxiety medication. If it helps you, then you should definitely take it. For many people taking pills is the best way to keep the anxiety at bay. However, if your anxiety disrupts your life too much and don’t want to take the medication route, then you need to look for something else.

    Prescribed Anti-Anxiety Medication

    Doctors will normally prescribe one of the following as a medication for anxiety:

    • Antidepressants (SSRIs or SRNIs) – antidepressants are long-term drugs used for helping relieve the symptoms of both anxiety and depression
    • Anti-epilepsy drugs – Pregabalin is an anti-epilepsy drug that also helps with anxiety
    • Sedatives – Benzodiazepines are sedatives that can be used over short periods in times of high anxiety
    • Beta-blockers – more commonly used for heart problems, but can also stem the amount of adrenaline that is produced in high stress conditions

    Non-Prescription Anti-Anxiety Medication

    If you Google “Anti-anxiety medication”, you will be offered a whole host of over-the-counter remedies. I have no idea if any of them work – but if you find one that works for you, then go with it.

    You may also find that you are offered psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms), sometimes called “micro-dosing”. In the UK these are illegal, being classified as a class A drug.

    Hypnotherapy as an Alternative

    If you don’t want to take medication or you cannot cope with the side-effects, you can choose a form of therapy to help not only relieve the symptoms, but also get rid of the underlying causes. Hypnotherapy is highly effective at getting anxiety under control and allowing you to get your life back together again.

    Note that it is not a case of Either Hypnotherapy or Medication – it is quite safe to have hypnotherapy session while taking the medication at the same time.

    Warning – if you are on prescribed medication for anxiety, do not stop taking them without consulting your doctor first. Some anti-anxiety medication can have serious side-effects if you come off them suddenly.

    Case Study: Hypnotherapy versus Anxiety

    John ran a small building company. He took on small building projects with a handful of employees helping him do the work. John came to see me because he would wake up in the mornings dreading the day ahead. He couldn’t sleep well, waking up in the middle of the night and worrying about whether he had done anything wrong on the building site – so he couldn’t get back to sleep again.

    In his first session, John started to explain to me what he thought had brought about the anxiety (a recent bereavement of a close friend). Although I listened carefully to his ideas, I did not ask him to tell me any more. I am not interested in where the problem came from, I am only interested in how he wanted to change.

    We started exploring how his life could be without the anxiety, along with regular hypnosis to reinforce the changes that his subconscious mind was making. After eight sessions, he was waking up after a good night’s sleep and eager to start the day.

    At our last session, he asked me if he could come back if the symptoms returned, and of course I agreed. That was three years ago, and I haven’t heard from him since.

    (Of course, names and other details of this case study have been changed to ensure anonymity.)

    And Finally

    If you think you might like to explore hypnotherapy as an alternative or to run alongside your anti-anxiety medication, you can contact me and I will be happy to have a chat. I run my hypnotherapy clinic in Fleet, Hampshire, and also work online.

    References

    Anti-anxiety medications
    https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/treatment/

    https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/sleeping-pills-and-minor-tranquillisers/anti-anxiety-medication

    Photo by Alex Green on Pexels

  • Busting the Hollywood Hype: Unveiling the Truth About Hypnosis

    Busting the Hollywood Hype: Unveiling the Truth About Hypnosis

    Hypnosis has been portrayed in countless movies, TV programmes and stage shows as a mysterious and almost magical process, where people are clucking like chickens or revealing their deepest secrets under the power of a swinging pocket watch. Derren Brown appears to make people do extraordinary things just by talking to them.

    But how much of this is really true? Can a hypnotherapist simply snap their fingers and all your problems are gone? Can a hypnotherapist make you cluck like a chicken? (Spoiler alert … the answer to these questions is an emphatic “NO”.)

    Myth #1: Hypnosis is mind control

    Hollywood loves the idea of hypnotists controlling people’s minds and making them do whatever they want. However, in reality, hypnosis is not about control. It is a state of deep relaxation and focused attention that allows people to become more suggestible to positive suggestions. People under hypnosis are still in control of their own actions and cannot be forced to do anything they don’t want to do.

    Myth #2: Some people cannot by hypnotised

    In reality, everyone is susceptible to hypnosis to some degree. Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and deep relaxation that we all experience from time to time, such as when we get lost in a book or daydream. While some people may be more easily hypnotised than others, susceptibility is not a fixed trait. With the right approach and an open mind, anyone can experience the benefits of hypnosis.

    Myth #3: Hypnosis can change you instantly

    The myth of the instantaneous cure is a persistent one, often perpetuated by media portrayals of hypnosis as a magic trick that can solve any problem in a single session. While hypnosis can be a powerful tool for positive change, it’s important to remember that it’s not a magic bullet. Lasting change often requires multiple sessions, commitment, and effort from both the client and the hypnotherapist.

    Think of it like building a new habit. Just as it takes time and practice to solidify a new behaviour, so too does it take time and repeated exposure to positive suggestions to rewire your subconscious mind and create lasting change. The good news is that hypnosis can help you make those changes more effectively by increasing your motivation, focus, and receptivity to positive suggestions.

    So, what is hypnosis really?

    Hypnosis is a natural state of mind that we all experience from time to time. When you’re daydreaming, watching a movie that completely absorbs you, or even getting lost in a good book, you’re in a hypnotic state. Hypnotherapists use techniques to help people enter this state more deeply and focus their attention on positive suggestions.

    What’s the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy?

    Hypnosis and hypnotherapy, while often mentioned in the same breath, are distinct concepts. Imagine hypnosis as a relaxed state of mind. In this state, your focus narrows, and you become more receptive to suggestion. Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, is the therapeutic application of hypnosis to address specific issues. It’s like using the state of focused attention created by hypnosis as a tool to help you get back in control of yourself.

    What problems is hypnotherapy good for?

    Hypnotherapy can help in any situation where you appear not to be in full control of your thoughts, feelings or actions. This includes:

    • Anxiety and stress
    • Sleep problems
    • Depression
    • Lack of confidence
    • Addictions (smoking, vaping, chocolate etc etc)
    • Unwanted “bad” habits
    • Phobias

    How do I find out more?

    Check out the rest of my website and contact me. I run my hypnotherapy clinic in Fleet, Hampshire as well as online. I will be happy to have a short chat on the phone and answer any questions you might have.

    Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay