I’m guessing you went into the job or career that you did to make a difference? You have worked hard to advance your career and enjoyed it but what you have done and how you have done it has changed over the years. Suddenly you have spent everyday doing things that no longer have the same meaning. What used to give you a high vibe now feels like a chore and you’ve fallen out of love with what used to feel good and right. The thought of doing the same for the rest of your working life might feel like a punishment and your head is swimming with ideas about how you could make money another way? My friend was in the same position as you a few years ago. Let’s call her Anne – she went into law to help people – to make a difference by bringing justice and support to those who were in need. Over time it took her further away from dealing day to day with her clients, combined with the overwhelming admin, she found herself questioning what she was doing. All her friends said – “just give it a few more years – you’ve worked so hard to get where you have. You can’t waste all that effort!” But she had a feeling that wouldn’t leave her. A feeling that said there is something more. Same as a client I spoke to last week – she got to the top of her tree but was stressed and unhappy. They both wanted to make the break and create something new where they: had control over their working hours helped others thrive made a difference to others earnt a salary that supported their family If you resonate with these guys – it could be that you have just outgrown what you do and that is a tough place to be when you have ‘worked so hard to get there.’ Having worked with many clients over the years who have made total career changes I can only say one thing. “The other side of where you are now is a place where you feel fulfilled and happy. You wake up in the morning with zest and ‘hey it’s a brand new day feeling.’ Work doesn’t feel like work, you love it and get such a buzz out of it. And…. …you make an impact on this world and the people you work with!” Is that transition easy – hell no! Any change where you are asked to go into the unknown and out of your comfort zone will create an inner battle. Self doubt – can I really do this? Can I really be that person? How do I change? What else can I do? But one thing I know for sure is that little voice that calls for a different sort of life is a deep inner one. It won’t shut up until you listen! Carrying on will cause a lack of alignment with what your
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Why every talking therapist should understand the power of hypnotic influence
If you are a talking therapist and getting good results, you’ll be using the power of trance states to help get those results – whether you realise it, or not. And if your business isn’t quite where you’d want it to be – learning what hypnosis is and how to do the basics could be the key to increasing your effectiveness. Many of your clients will have tried to change themselves and I’m sure you will often hear sentences like: ‘I’ve tried so hard to …………’ or ‘No matter how hard I try I can’t stop…………….’ Whether they want to be more confident, let go of toxic behaviours or stop worrying. They may have been successful for a short time but then slip back into old habits. The reason for this is largely because their energy has gone into consciously changing behaviour, when the driving force of our habits of feeling, thought and action are the patterns in their subconscious mind. That’s why you can’t TELL a client to change – we would all be out of business if change were as simple as telling yourself to be different!! Science has shown that the subconscious mind commands your everyday experience through the filter of your thoughts and beliefs. Your thoughts have the power to direct your life by causing patterns of brain activity that wire neurons together. And this creates the way that you feel – the glue that binds both good and unhelpful patterns. So, when someone wants to change, they find it hard to do it themselves because the problem is held and activated by patterns in the subconscious mind. Lasting change needs to be instinctive and automatic. All our patterns – healthy and unhealthy are instinctive. For instance, you don’t consciously decide to blush or feel anxious – it happens in a blink of an eye. You don’t see someone you love and think, right now l must make myself feel happy. It’s instinctive. If change is to be instinctive, a pattern in the subconscious mind needs to be updated. And it’s through trance state we access this place. Hypnosis and trance states activate the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) state Both involve a change in attention from multiple perspectives to a narrow focus of attention. We naturally go into a trance state when learning something, are captivated by something or someone, or if there is a potentially dangerous situation brewing. Both cause the brain to go into REM. And REM is where we access the subconscious mind! Trance states also enable us to learn new and access existing patterns in the mind. And here we have the key to a natural way to work with your client’s mind to create a new way of feeling, thinking and reacting. Great way to get to the emotions is through the imagination. Your mind doesn’t distinguish between what is real and what isn’t. So, cells react if it were really
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Overcome The Betwixmas Bah Humbug And Make The Most Of This Time!
The Christmas decorations are beginning to look a bit tragic instead of magic, you feel stuffed and in need of some healthy food but then there’s chocolates and cheese to finish up and you haven’t got changed out of PJ’s for a few days. You can’t watch any more Star Wars, you’ll be sick if you are offered any more turkey and your energy levels are down. Yes, the days in-between Christmas and New Year, can be weird after a mad, busy December and Christmas Day (if you have children that extends to when they go back to school in my view!). However this can be a special time to take stock and prepare for New Year and the coming months. So here are 5 tips myself and my clients have found helpful this time of year. You will see that most of it involves taking sometime to do things for yourself. 1 Tune in to see if you need to move or rest Sometimes you will need to peel your backside off your couch and get moving and doing. Other times, if you are properly exhausted – taking time to rest and renew is what’s needed. Either way find your grove and what suits you just now. Sometimes a walk in nature and connecting with the great outdoors brings everyone a fabulous dose of chemicals making you feel more alive and clear. 2 Dump guilt and stop comparing Other people may be cracking on in the gym or full of New Year resolutions but for you to create your best life – you have to do what’s right for YOU. Remember – there is a difference between procrastination and avoiding doing something and genuinely needing to take time out. 3 Think like a farmer does! Now before you think I’m bonkers, let me explain! In order to get a good crop in 6 – 8 months time there has to be some thought put in to what the farmer wants to produce. Otherwise everything would be left to chance. This is the same for us, without some time to think you’re not orchestrating your life. So during this no mans land time use the natural cycle of the winter season to germinate some ideas of what you want to do in 2020. Dump the idea of goals and think more on what sort of experiences you want. I’m going to be sending more on this next week! 4 Declutter! To prepare for new things in your life, some of the old must go! So whether it’s just clearing out a draw or chucking that pile of old paperwork, get clearing! Decluttering can also mean clearing old habits and ways of thinking that stand in your way of your best self. Give me a call to talk this through if you think you could do with some help with this. 5 Take time out to get out
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What are boundaries and why are they essential for our happiness?
My client Saul had been out with his friends, after a couple of drinks he told me he was ready to head home. He was looking forward to a close friend’s wedding the next day and wanted to be on top form. Saul said: “It was about 9.00, I had a good laugh but hadn’t eaten and didn’t want to go on drinking and socialising, I’d had a good chat with a few mates and was ready to head home and as was starving hungry. A couple of mates started taking the piss out of me saying I was becoming boring. Don’t know what happened but I just laughed and went along just to avoid any more taunts. I got back at 2.00 in the morning and felt so rough at the wedding, didn’t enjoy it at all.” We have all been there haven’t we? Like Saul we don’t listen to what’s right for us and go along with something we don’t want to do just to please the crowd. Every now and then this isn’t going to do too much harm but if you constantly ignore what your inner self is saying, it’s a recipe for misery. That inner voice or feeling is communicating your boundaries. The word means a dividing line or ‘a line that marks the limits of an area.’ It’s this dividing line that acts as a frontier or cut off point for what you believe to be acceptable or right for you. Ignore those frontiers and you stop manifesting your true self, and are just a version of what others want you to be. Not expressing who you are creates on-going feelings of things aren’t right but you feel powerless to change the status quo. So why do we not express our boundaries and what is right for ourselves? Mostly it’s due to beliefs we hold and lack of confidence which leads to: Wanting to please others so as not to be left out or cause an argument. Feeling not good enough and that other peoples’ view of you is more important than your own. Your opinion doesn’t matter. Or when in a toxic relationship and have not been listened to and respected in the past so there is a sense of ‘it just isn’t worth the hassle.’ Doesn’t the above feel yuk? Those points speak of a life not fully lived and a person who is a version of what others want him to be. Not who he truly is. What are the advantages to communicating our boundaries? When you acknowledge your internal experiences and allow them to drive your actions and communication. This gives a great sense of empowerment and confidence. Other people know how to behave around you. You get to live in alignment and that feels so good. From what food you want to the development of a new romance – you feel empowered. Making a choice to be kind to yourself gives you a cosy blanket
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Thinking of becoming a hypnotherapist? The 4 stages of questions to ask before you take the step
Becoming a councillor, hypnotherapist or coach can be a dream for many people. A job where every working day you get to make a positive difference. Every day filled with meaning and even though you accompany people going through really tough times – you know that your work is helping to transform lives. Enormous job satisfaction self-employed. Being your own boss has many advantages. Flexible working hours, no one to make you redundant and the independence of developing your business to suit your skills and preferences. My name is Jill and I run a training school where we teach people the skills to become professional hypnotherapists. They learn what is needed to help clients experience a transformation to a full and happy life, free of the anxiety or issues that constrained their past. We get almost a 100% retention rate on our course. That’s because when the students were at the stage you are at now I asked the questions below. So, they became clear we if were the right fit or not for them. The only time people drop out is because of illness or a sudden change in personal circumstances. After having many conversations with prospective students I often asked them the same questions. So I share the same questions in the hope that they activate reflections that will help you clarify the best path for you. There are 4 stages of questions and research to help you make sure you make the best decisions for the most important person YOU! Stage 1: Foundation questions I am passionate about helping people achieve their dreams. However, when I talk to a someone looking to move into this career, it’s my job to make sure that their dream is really what they want. Sound weird? Yes, I know but I have seen people work really hard to achieve something they long for. A promotion, a bigger home or new relationship. Only to have the dawning realization that they have put their ladder up the wrong wall and the daily reality of the life they longed for didn’t bring the expected happiness. So these questions make you reflect on the end result and invite you to explore if it’s right for you. Stage 2: Design Questions to choose the best pathway for your training. One to suit your resources, and enable you to set up as a confident safe effective hypnotherapist. Stage 3: Build out These questions are to examine and prepare for the journey of building and consolidating your new skills. Stage 4: Moving in to the day job! The daily life of a hypnotherapist. And what you can do to stay on top of your game both for your clients and personally. If you like the idea getting some help to make the best decision, sign up here and I will give you immediate access to a FREE pdf of the 4 steps and 3 FREE videos of Have access to: a pdf
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5 Ways To Make Your Sure Your Brain Doesn’t Sabotage Your Efforts To Ditch Unwanted Habits
If you want to cast off old habits of anxiety, feeling not good enough, not exercising or anything that stops you moving forward. Then I’m guessing you will have tried to change and often not got the results you wanted. Whahhhh – frustrating or what? 92% of people who try to change don’t succeed No comfort I know but you have been in the 92% of people who make a decision to get up earlier or feel more confident in social situations but like so many people your efforts fall on stony ground. Hey, don’t despair because so many people have the same experience and now science may be able to explain why change can be hard to sustain. (And within this lays the secret to how change can be made easier) “But I just wanna know how it works for the 8%’ I can hear you and I got your back but check this out before the 5 brain rewiring tips at the bottom of the page. New research has shown no matter how much you want to change your habits; your brain may scupper your intentions of bettering yourself. Scientific research is showing the brain prioritizes short-term gain over long-term reward. This isn’t a new idea as in the late 1960s and early ’70s, Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel ran an experiment where he gave 4-year-olds the choice between one snack-treat right away or two in fifteen minutes. Years later, Mischel checked the adult participants in the so-called Marshmallow Test, to see how their lives had panned out. He found that those who had waited did better in life in all sorts of ways. Lasting relationships, better jobs and they scored higher on the ‘happiness’ scale. Similar experiments by psychologist George Ainslie, showed that even pigeons discounted the offer of large portions of grain in favour of smaller amounts they could get immediately. It might not surprise you to know that humans behave the same way. So when you turn off that alarm in favour of an extra half hour under the duvet rather than going for a run; your brain is favouring the immediate short-term reward rather than the long-term gain of a healthy fit energised self. Somehow, the link between the small action of going for a regular run becomes separated from the reason for doing it. Somehow both animal and humans are wired to bypass long term gain if there was an immediate reward. As humans we can use our cognition to change this natural selection process when we clearly identify with all the life changing opportunities and happiness the change in behaviour now will bring in the future. How hypnosis can hack this natural brain process to make sure the change you seek – you get? When you vividly imagine yourself in your preferred future and experience all the longed for changes as if they were happening now. You are hypnotising yourself! Your imagination tricks the brain to thinking it’s getting short term
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Why it’s important to get your clients’ focus on where they are heading. And 4 tips to on how to!
Clients may have never thought of life without their problems. Jackie looked puzzled as I asked her a few questions about her future….. ‘What will life be like without that old anxiety? ‘errrr, well……………..I’m not sure.’ ‘Take time to let the part of you that does know have a say’ Silence……… ‘I guess I will be able to enjoy life more’ Ok, so we had take off but I asked a few more questions to get more detail. ‘What are the main things you will notice that are different?’ ‘Take me through a day when you can go to work and feel calm.’ Jackie suddenly seemed to connect with her future and was able to start to describe in great detail how different life would be. She described a variety of positive emotions and how they would enable her to act differently. Jackie said she would have choices and more freedom to do the things she used to love. I noticed a warm glow flowing over her face, a smile crept in and her eyes began to look glazed as she fully engaged in that future. The physical changes I noticed were the result of Jackie’s neurochemistry adapting and reacting to her present thoughts. She was literally reprogramming her brain to expect and experience this future. After a few more minutes of building and building this future scenario, I asked her to let her eyes close and then used her words and the information I had gathered to take Jackie into a deep trance. In that time her inner world became real and her brain made new connections as if that future were happening in that very moment. It won’t come as any surprise that after one session Jackie felt a profound shift in the way she felt on a day-to-day basis. Most clients who choose to see you – want change like Jackie did. By the time a person sits in front of you, they will have made a decision that they don’t want life to continue as it is. Whether it’s getting over the loss of a significant relationship, trauma, illness or just have gotten tired with the old habits. They are tired of the predictable reactions that bring uncomfortable feelings and limit their life choices Your clients will focus on moving away from a problem, and may not have thought about a future without the problem. Tony Robbins wrote: “All human behaviour revolves around the urge gain pleasure or avoid pain. You pull away from a lighted match in order to avoid the pain of burning your hand. You sit and watch a beautiful sunset because you get pleasure from the glorious celestial show as day glides into night.” At first our clients will be largely in the ‘pulling away’ mode and it’s our job to help create the subconscious blueprints that naturally motivate them towards a preferred future. To create a different life experience, the process of change is made so much easier if a person knows what they are moving towards. As a therapist I have
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Phantom Limb Pain: Hypnosis helps decrease pain by helping the brain adjust to the new territory
The diagnosis of phantom limb pain did nothing to lessen the agonising shock-like sensations that Diane felt in the area where her leg used to be. Unable to sleep peacefully and on a cocktail of strong drugs she was exhausted when she first came to see me. As she related the horror of the accident and subsequent amputation, it was her extraordinary optimism and sense of humour that radiated through. Her determination to survive was evident from the beginning. After a motorbike accident in Bali, an island in Indonesia, no one would take her to hospital because of the belief that blood carries bad spirits. A hefty bribe ensured that she got there but there were only minutes to spare. Over the following two weeks gangrene set in and the limb was amputated. Five months on, the phantom limb pain was made barely tolerable by the drugs, though in Bali she had experienced profound relief through acupuncture. Back in the UK, her indomitable strength and open mind led her to explore more acupuncture and hypnosis. Phantom limb pain is common in amputees Diane’s symptoms were not unusual. Phantom limb pain is more commonly associated with lower limb loss through surgery or trauma, but has been reported after the loss of a breast, ear, testicle and even organs that have been surgically removed. Sensations are commonly described as shooting, cramping, burning or stabbing pains and these should be distinguished from stump pain that is local to the site of amputation. This is commonly caused by neuromas that grow in response to the nerve endings reaching out to try to find the other side of the cut. What causes phantom limb pain? No one could tell Diane what caused her phantom limb pain but there are several medical lines of thought Peripheral nerve dysfunction Spinal cord dysfunction The brain having to adjust its feedback system as its territory changes. It is the latter that seems to hold the key to understanding why hypnosis can help phantom limb pain sufferers. The area of the brain that is responsible for a limb may receive information from other areas after amputation. This is called cortical remapping. And it may go some way to explain why suffers feel increased phantom limb sensation from touching part of the face. For in the brain, the regions are very close. Maps of the body are in the brain Dr Ramachandran looked at a possible mapping of the body on the brain. His book Phantoms in the Brain describes how different areas of the body are governed by different parts of the brain. In this book, Ramachandran also describes a mirror box which reflects the remaining hand making the other hand appear still present. This reliably reduced phantom limb pain in hand amputees, indicating that the visual pathway was enough to convince the brain that its territory was undisturbed. Hypnosis to reshape the brain’s instinctive behaviour after loosing a limb If our brains are hard wired to expect a hand on
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I Meditated For 30 Days And Saw A Profound Shift In My Life – Create A Wave Of Change In Your Life Starting Today.
During a day of working with clients, I observed the familiar sight of my clients breathing becoming deeper. Tension dissolving, smiles and the minimal facial expressions conveying the changes happening in their brains. Over the next few days I received three emails detailing the profound life changes that those clients had experienced from hypnosis. Old, unhelpful ways of viewing the world – GONE. They wrote of feeling increased vitality, motivation and ‘a sense of ease in daily life.’ By the third email a thought suddenly occurred to me ‘I could do with some of that!’ I was ok but having had a bug my energy was down and I was finding my focus and creativity not as sharp. I used to do meditation mosts days but had stopped a few months ago. So, I made a promise to myself – ‘I am going to invest some time in me and use my skills to be the best I can be!’ So I started doing 15 minutes meditation a day – sometimes listening to a guided visualisation and other times just doing my own structured meditation which naturally developed by about the 10th day. After 48 days I feel amazing, my energy and motivation to start exercising again have rocketed. Going for a run early in the morning and yoga now come easy but the most miraculous part of this new practice is what I have manifested into my life. Can’t go into detail as it is private to me (for the moment) but it is nothing short of a miracle and is life changing. So what else have I noticed? I have noticed how my intuition is so sharp, how creative ideas and solutions randomly occur and above all – an abiding sense of calm over some important decisions I have had to make. Want some of this too? Are you prepared to make an investment? An investment of 15 minutes time for you every day for 30 days. Sound easy? That’s what I thought! First few days were great then I found any excuse not to take that time – and you will too but I had made an absolute promise to myself and so couldn’t go back on my word, so I carried on and the more I did the more wonderful things unfolded. My gift to you is to share the meditation I have created and use every day. Join our Facebook page to post your comments and see the daily posts I will make to encourage you. Start today and live a bigger life.
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11 Tips for Happy Long Term Relationships
Following last week’s blog on the 2 keys to lasting relationships. Here are 11 tips that cultivate an environment of KINDNESS and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT between couples. The longevity elixir for relationships! Pepper your relationship with lots of ‘turn towards bids’. Gottman found that long staying couples had more turn towards bids. Here is an example – when their partner makes a comment about something that on the surface isn’t that significant – like ‘hey look at that colourful little bird on the feeder.’ It suggests that what has been experienced or observed is important to the individual, so its therefore important to get that statement acknowledged by their partner.This can be done via their partner looking up from their present activity and saying ‘ahh’ or any other small comment that just acknowledges and appreciates their words. Active constructive responses. One step better than this was discovered by researcher Shelley Gable and her colleagues. They observed that how partners respond to good news from their loved ones is an indicator of a relationship will last or not.For example if a husband came home and said he had been offered a promotion if his wife was busy reading she would disengage from the book and make a comment like ‘well done;’ but the engagement would carry on. The wife might continue the dialogue and ask what were the first steps he needed to take.Couples who did lots of active, constructive responding like this were shown to have better relationship quality and increased intimacy. Take regular time out to catch up on what is happening in each other’s lives. A busy daily routine can sabotage engagement and closeness so plan in time together – coffee breaks, date nights, a walk, turning the TV off – anything that just gives you opportunity to talk. Pay interest in what is happening in your partner’s life. John Gottman calls this a ‘love map’ and said expressed how important it was to get to know who your partner’s friends are and what is happening in their lives outside of your relationship and the time you spend with them. Another important reason for catch up time. Be generous about your partner’s intentions. Don’t sweat the small stuff – so if your partner is late home, don’t sit there seething and winding yourself up into a lather but generate lots of reasons why this might have happened. Couples who stay together show understanding rather than jumping to a negative conclusion and thinking badly of their partner. Let go of the need to be right. A need to have the upper hand all the time and the last word can force couples to have petty arguments so try and let this go to reduce any chances of conflict or pettiness. Not taking every action you don’t like personally. So if your partner forgets to bring home the milk you asked them to pick up – don’t think they have done it to make you cross or not listened to you. They simply could
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