Cognitive behavioural therapies are recognised by many clinicians as being the cutting edge Top

of therapy due to the wealth of empirical research carried out on them. Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH)… “a methodology integrating hypnosis with cognitive and behavioural approaches”. This effective and active-directive process is based on the philosophy that people are not “disturbed” by events but by the views they hold about those events. It aims to treat a variety of emotional and psychosomatic conditions. Though hypnosis is not a requirement of the therapy it can influence the effectiveness of the process. Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy is GOAL directed.

Clinical Hypnotherapy is the use of a hypnotic state to treat Top

a variety of psychological problems and psychologically-derived physical problems. Everyone can benefit from the effects of hypnotherapy as it acts to allow the mind to access its own resources and abilities. By doing so, we allow the mind to trigger healing or coping mechanisms as seen through EMDR therapy.

The hypnotic state is an altered state of consciousness which allows beneficial directions Top

to be given to our unconscious minds. In the hypnotic state, we are awake and aware. The day-dreaming state which we experience is a very apt description of a hypnotic ‘trance’. Our conscious faculties are suspended. Even when in a hypnotic state, we can still reject any of the suggestions made if they are not appropriate.

The Trance
(Jeff Warren New Scientist 22/29 December 2007)
“All kinds of everyday waking activities superficially plunge us into a trance – dancing in a nightclub, driving on the highway, reading an engrossing book. As with sleeping and dreaming, waking states are influenced by the rise and fall of alertness throughout the day. The trance is maximised by arousal: it is a species of intense focal attention, in which we become so absorbed in the central object or idea that peripheral concerns fall away, and we are moving through the world on autopilot. In other words, the trance may be the waking corollary of the normal REM dream. Yet the trance also contains something special: high suggestibility. This is why it is of interest to hypnotists. I was keen to be hypnotised but seemed low on susceptibility tests devised by researchers at Harvard and Stanford universities. In the right hands, however, I found my arm floating up and out of my control just like in the textbooks. Some people experience visual and auditory hallucinations, where they see a dog or smell a rose, for example. These hallucinations are an important manifestation of top-down dream processes seeping into the waking world…EEG: not consistent, sometimes theta waves”.

Hypnotherapy can help you to maximise your potential and use your inner resources Top

to effect beneficial change. It may be that your innate healing power can be stimulated. The situations where hypnotherapy can help include stress, anxiety, panic, phobias, unwanted habits and addictions (for example, smoking, overeating, excessive drinking), sleep problems, lack of confidence and low self-esteem, fear of examinations, sporting and artistic performance, public speaking, allergies and skin disorders, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), pain management, emotional problems and other physical manifestations of a psychological origin.

Not only is hypnotherapy safe, it is also approved by the UK’s leading professional medical body. Top

The BMA reviewed the practice of clinical hypnosis in 1955 and declared it an integrative practice, one that can be incorporated alongside standard medical disciplines. It endorsed the practice of hypnosis in medical school education. Since then it has become a valuable supplement (and, in some cases, a substitute) to conventional medical treatment. There are no harmful side-effects to our procedures. More information can be found on our hypnotherapy questions page.

Interested in the positive benefits of Herbal Medicine? Top

Euan MacLennan is a Medical Herbalist who works in NHS and private practices. He uses natural plant medicines to treat a wide variety of conditions, including those related to digestive problems, respiratory disorders and stress. Euan is also a lecturer in Clinical Medicine at various London universities and has published articles in peer-reviewed medical journals.

Herbal medicine is an ancient form of medicine and is now supported by a growing body of research. Whether you believe your complaint is simple or complex, Euan can offer gentle yet effective treatment to aid your recovery.

Should you wish to make an appointment with Euan, please contact him on 07799 212116.