Rising to Success

November 9th, 2011

A family friend used to constantly complain about her lack of expertise at making desserts. She particularly loved sponge cakes but try as she might, whenever she tried to bake one, it always collapsed into a soggy mess.
She’s certainly not a ‘quitter’ and every now and then she would give it another go.

But after trying so hard for so long, she finally admitted defeat and gave up – “It’s just not something I’m any good at” was her mantra.

However, the other day she was flicking through a supermarket magazine and came across a headline which read, “Rising to Success – the ultimate sponge recipe!” She was about to turn the page when she noticed that there was actually something different about this particular recipe and, although anticipating the usual failure, found herself tempted to give it a go.

That afternoon, to her complete astonishment, there emerged from the oven (having risen beautifully) a golden sponge that was as tasty as the magazine article had promised. In that instance, her confidence came flooding back.
Her ‘facebook’ friends soon learned of her triumphant breakthrough!
Now she’s really proud of herself, and she can’t wait to bake the next one.

It reminded me how easy it is to accept situations in life where we come to believe that our problems are just ‘part of us’ – it’s just ‘my lot’ and that’s the way it’s always been and is always going to be.
Maybe not.

It could be that you’ve simply stuck with an ‘old recipe’ for too long, assuming that nothing will ever change, when in fact there is a solution out there and you just haven’t stumbled across it yet.

Remember that old saying – if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got!
Worth thinking about ….

A change is as good as a holiday – in fact, it’s better!

July 7th, 2011

“I know I shouldn’t be doing this, but I just can’t stop myself”.

“Yes I know how bad it is for me, but there’s a part of me that really enjoys it”.

I wonder if you can guess how many smokers (and others with problem habits) have repeated those words to me over the past eight years.

Or how many times a client with emotional problems has said, “I wish I didn’t feel like this, but it’s just the way I am. I’ll never change.”

There’s been quite a few!

Have you ever had that feeling that you’re trapped in a certain way of thinking or behaving– having tried ‘everything’ to change, but nothing works?

Well consider this.  Imagine building your own prison cell, locking yourself inside, and throwing the key out of the barred window.  Then banging on the door in frustration because you can’t get out.

Metaphorically we do that when we get ourselves trapped in a repetitive behaviour that we know is bad for us, and then keep trying to escape through that same locked door.  We waste precious time trying the same old things, looking for a way out, without success.

Why not just ask someone on the outside, preferably someone who understands how to unlock the door (an experienced therapist perhaps), for help?

It makes sense you might be thinking, but – “I’d love to try hypnotherapy, only I’m scared to give it a go.  I don’t know enough about it, I’ve never tried it, and what if I don’t like it?”

Well, that’s like never going on holiday to anywhere new, because you’ve never been there before.

Select your destination with care, ask questions, check out what other people say about it, and you could be on your way to a life-changing experience.

One Size Fits All!

March 31st, 2011

Bought any socks recently?  If you have, you may have noticed a subtle change in the way they are being sold.

Yesterday a US business analyst explained how the sock manufacturers and retailers are increasing their profits to the detriment of their customers.

Once upon a time, you could buy a sock to match the size of your foot.  That changed to socks being marketed to cover a range of sizes – e.g. 9-11.  Now even that range is being expanded.

The ‘size offerings’ are being enlarged so that manufacturers can make less variations.  This means that they can mass-produce more of the same size, the shops can hold less stock, and everyone makes more money.

Unfortunately most customers end up with ill-fitting socks.

One-size-fits-all doesn’t work well with socks, and it certainly doesn’t work well in therapy.

That is why I treat each client as an individual, whether it’s for Stop Smoking, overcoming fears and phobias, or dealing with emotional problems.

Yes – it’s a lot easier to treat people with a One Size Fits All approach, but the results are like those socks after a few washes – less than satisfactory.

Fasten Your Seatbelts

January 25th, 2011

I continue to be amazed at the scant attention the airline industry pays to the psychological wellbeing of its customers.

The language of the industry could have been designed to make relaxed passengers into anxious ones.

On Saturday I boarded an aircraft that was running late. Just prior to take-off, the Captain gave an excellent welcome aboard speech with one notable exception – he apologised for the late departure by explaining that the plane had suffered a technical problem which prevented it from operating safely.

How many nervous passengers felt an air of apprehension wondering what the problem was and had it really been fixed?

Think about this: We boarded the aircraft at a ‘terminal’, entered the ‘departure lounge’ our ‘final destination’ was London.

To cap it all we received a ‘last and final call’.

If you’re a nervous flyer, or simply can’t face taking a flight, hypnotherapy might be the answer you’re looking for.

Hypno Critical

January 8th, 2011

After a fairly hectic day I settled down to watch Stephen Fry’s television show QI yesterday evening.

Stephen’s a very knowledgeable and clever individual, and the show is usually an enjoyable mixture of entertainment and information.

Last night he decided to focus on hypnosis, and whilst some of the programme was reasonably intelligent and informative, he just couldn’t resist putting the boot in when he had the opportunity.

To be fair, by its very nature, hypnosis is an easy target because of the mystique and confusion that surrounds it.

It doesn’t help that there are some unscrupulous people out there intent on making a buck under the guise of being Hypnotherapy training schools and offering bogus qualifications to anyone prepared to pay.

Yes, they exist. There are bogus doctors out there who are harming not healing, but that wouldn’t stop me going to my local GP or consultant when I need their help.

I wonder how many ‘professionals’ there are in the business world whose CVs wouldn’t stand close scrutiny either!

And there was a certain irony listening to Stephen (who I believe has benefited from quite a lot of psychological help himself) taking a cheap swipe at a therapy which has helped so many people recover from the sort of psychological distress that he experienced, and restored them to good health.

A little ‘hypno-critical’ don’t you think?

Why Hypnotherapy?

January 6th, 2011

Just before Xmas, a journalist asked me why I was so passionate about Hypnotherapy.
It’s funny but when you’re totally immersed in a particular speciality, it all seems so self-evident that you seldom consider the obvious question – why am I so passionate about what I’m doing?

After a few moments of reflection, I offered her this explanation.

Imagine that you discovered a special kind of therapy which helps people to overcome anxiety, defuse stress, increase confidence, improve concentration, and boost their self-esteem, wouldn’t you be excited about it?

Suppose that same therapy enabled someone to eliminate bad habits, remove irrational fears and phobias, and improve their physical and mental health, wouldn’t that be a fantastic line of work to be involved in?

And what if that particular therapy could improve a person’s mental approach to sport, enhance their creative ability, and if they were a professional musician, calm their nerves during a performance – how brilliant would that be?

How about if it could help someone realise their true potential in their work, their personal life, their communications and their relationships with others – wouldn’t that be amazing?

“Oh”, she replied, “so it’s not just about ‘stop smoking’ then?”

Stepping into 2011

January 5th, 2011

It’s always an exciting time stepping forward into a new year, isn’t it?

The shortest day has been and gone, and although winter is still baring its teeth, spring beckons and the holiday websites are being studiously trawled in eager anticipation of sunny days ahead.

One thing is for sure – it’ll be an interesting year for Great Britain plc.
It’s a case of ‘fasten your seat belts’, hang on tight, and get ready for a bumpy ride.

With VAT hikes and budget cuts the order of the day, now’s a great time for smokers to ditch those fags and start filling those lungs with some healthy fresh air (which up to now seems to have escaped the attentions of the tax man).

And nervous flyers might wish to banish those fears once and for all before the holiday season arrives.

If you’ve made some New Year resolutions, now is a good time to review them to ensure that they’re not too ambitious.

The key to making successful changes in your life is to focus on small ‘do-able’ steps, not giant strides.

The reason so many well-intentioned resolutions founder is not because they weren’t intrinsically good, but simply because they were too big.

Remember – a journey starts with a single step.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

Ups and Downs

November 5th, 2010

A 60s pop song called Spinning Wheel has a catchy chorus that sings “what goes up – must come down, spinning wheel – got to go round”.
It’s not a particularly original idea – Sir Isaac Newton noticed the phenomenon a few centuries back – but it’s a lyric that comes to mind as the news media grind their daily way through real-life stories of the painful impact of government cutbacks.

There’s nothing too miserable they won’t shine a spotlight on. They delight in spreading misery far and wide.

Bad news sells! Good news is as popular as a banker’s bonus.

According to the populist media, it’s only a matter of time before the entire country grinds to a halt, with deserted streets covered in potholes the size of Chilean mineshafts, the population cowering in their negative-equity homes watching black and white television broadcasts of Strictly Come Dancing celebrities obliged to beg on the streets.

It’s time for a reboot. The good news starts here!

We can make better use of our newspapers by wrapping our potato peelings in them instead of reading their downbeat messages, or we can scrunch them up to light a fire.
While we’re about it, unplug the TV, delete news radio from the dial, and let’s start running our own brains for a change.

Yes, times are hard but that’s a perfect opportunity for everyone to pull together.

If the council can’t afford to run the local library, maybe we can run it ourselves?
If money’s short, maybe we can exchange/barter our skills and time with someone else in the local community.
Instead of waiting for the government to ‘encourage’ us to be public spirited, we can think for ourselves and just get on with it.

Dropping a coin in a charity collection box shows that we care, but there’s more we can do.
We’re intrinsically social animals. We enjoy helping our fellow human beings. And when we do, we gain the added bonus of boosting our own self-esteem.

“What goes down – must come up”.
Before long the economy will recover, but while we’re waiting, we’ve got a great opportunity.

An opportunity to revive our natural charitable social instincts, hovering just beneath the surface, and release them into action!

Now that’s worth singing about!

The ‘famous’ red spot

July 23rd, 2010

The sporting world was buzzing with excitement this week when a virtually unknown golfer won the biggest prize in professional golf – The Open Championship!

Louis Oosthuizen, a young South African golfer, defied expert predictions and held his nerve for four consective days to emerge victorious at the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. Oosthuizen eventually won by one of the biggest margins in the history of the Championship!

So – how did he do it?

It appears that the unsung hero was sports psychologist Karl Morris.

He was asked by Oosthuizen’s management to work with the young sportman a month before the Championship and teach him how to control his concentration on the golf course to get the best out of his game.
The psychologist employed hypnosis to enable Oosthuizen to switch his concentration on and off as he toiled through the stresses and strains of competing with the world’s greatest golfers in the worst weather that Scotland could throw at them.

Louis was encouraged to relax, smile and joke as he walked around the course.

Then as he prepared to play a shot, he was to lock into a focused state (commonly known as ‘getting into the zone’) to produce the best result possible.

And to trigger that state, he painted a red dot on his glove. As he looked down at this hands, the red dot would activate the trigger in his mind, enabling him to block out any distractions and execute the perfect golf shot.

The effect astounded everyone. The results were truly amazing and he won by a country mile!

Now club golfers across the country are busy painting red dots on their golf gloves in the hope of emulating Osthuizen’s stunning performance.

Sadly, most are unaware that without the help of a professional psychologist or hypnotherapist to set up the anchoring and triggering process, nothing particularly wonderful will occur.

The young South African’s success is really no surprise to me.

Hypnosis was credited with the early success of the young Tiger Woods who learned how to move in and out of ‘the zone’ at will.

Once again the sporting world has witnessed the power of hypnosis to produce amazing results.

No flying in volcano ash

April 19th, 2010

A common problem that gets my phone ringing is ‘fear of flying’. It’s must be so frustrating to be unable to fly away on holiday or on business, and it’s a condition that afflicts people from all walks of life.

At the moment, with the Icelandic volcano erupting, there is not much flying going on.

Although I am a very infrequent viewer of the TV channel National Geographic, about a week ago I found myself in front of the television riveted by the re-enactment of a major incident that nearly caused the destruction of a British Airways flight from the UK to Australia in 1982.

Flying at night across the ocean, the 747 became engulfed in a ‘St Elmo’s fire’ lightshow, which would have been amazingly entertaining if it hadn’t also been life-threatening.  The flight crew were initially bemused by the firework display but couldn’t understand why it was not showing up on their radar.  They couldn’t work out what was causing this phenomena and understandably became more alarmed as the passenger cabin began to fill with acrid smoke and the engines cut out one by one.

The plane had effectively become a very large glider as captain and crew struggled to control their emotions and work professionally through the required procedure to re-start the engines.  Around 50 attempts later, with the plane steadily losing altitude and disaster imminent, the engines suddenly fired up.

They eventually managed to land the plane safely at Jakarta airport and the crew were quite rightly hailed as heroes for remaining so calm and professional throughout the incident.

So what happened to that plane?  What produced the firework display, sand-blasted all the paintwork and logos off the aircraft, and turned the windscreen into frosted glass?

Well, they had flown into a cloud of volcanic ash.

And that was the moment that the airline industry learned a salutory lesson about the danger posed by volcanoes.

Today I listened on the radio to the frustration of airline passengers demanding to know why the airports remained closed when there is scarcely a cloud in the sky which is a beautiful shade of blue.  They accused the authorities of over-reacting.

The reason why the airports are closed is because the airline authorities put safety first.  It’s dangerous up there at the moment!  We should be grateful that they always err on the side of caution!

So when the phone rings in my office with another enquiry about my ‘fear of flying’ treatment, I can with clear conscience offer the caller the opportunity to learn how to be relaxed and to really enjoy the safest form of transport available in our modern world.