A season for everything

One of the things that has struck me over the years is how seasonal the requests for support are.

Some things are obvious - Spider fears in September, exam worries in May. Yet there are others where the link is less overt. December is always a busy month, but while you get a smattering of fear of elves and chronic pain flaring up with the cooling weather, the most common request is to do with speaking up. Advocating for ourselves is something that some people find easy, but there are a number of reasons (many of them cultural, some to do with past experiences) that make it hard for some people to. The impending holidays are often a catalyst for change, with clients feeling that the time has come to say what they need to. Sometimes this is as simple as wanting to spend some time at home with the children and their new toys rather than being expected to meet everyone else’s wants and needs.

There is no reason to wait; finding your voice is for life, not just for Christmas.

5 (and a bit!) long years

I’ve been helping some newbie hypnotherapists set up their businesses recently, and so revisiting what I used to do in the early days. I read back over my old blogs, and realised that I stopped doing them in March 2020, when the whole world stood still. In part, I suspect this was because I got out of the habit. And in part, because since then I’ve not had to do anything to promote Mind Yourself. It has ticked along nicely with referrals, and clients coming back to resolve something new that has presented itself.

But blogging was a good discipline, and one that helped me to reflect on the work I was doing and to help people to understand the incredible reach of hypnotherapy. So, good habits start again here!

Free hypnotherapy download for health anxiety

Increasingly I’m taking enquiries from people asking if I can help with their fears around infectious diseases, and concern for the health of themselves and family. Some are asking if I can work over Skype- the answer to both questions is yes.
But fear seems to be spreading faster than the virus, and I suspect that social media isn’t helping. Panic is not just confined to buying, and people are starting to really struggle with their emotional health. It shouldn’t only be those that can afford to book a session with me that get some help.
I have recorded a free* download, a self hypnosis recording that can be listened to in the comfort of your home.
It of course makes no claims to keep you safe from the virus itself, but it will help you to stay calm and in control while the storyline unfolds. Don’t use it in place of medical advice, or hand washing, but do enjoy the calming relief it brings to your mind. Feel free to share with others that might benefit from it too, I’m quite happy for love and kindness to go viral.

*when I say ‘free’ I mean it. You will be asked for your email address and contact details, but if you tick the ‘no thanks’ box you’ll not hear from me again

New Year, same you

I find the ‘New Year, New You’ narrative really problematic. The reality is that nothing changes at the stroke of midnight; unless you think of yourself as a latter day Cinderella. We can resolve to set ourselves new goals, just as we can any other day. But goals and resolutions on their own are more likely to turn into something else to beat yourself up about in a few weeks time.
Change is absolutely doable though, with a proper plan and change of thinking. And sometimes, the thinking runs very deep. I don’t mind admitting, this year I’ve finally got to grips with my relationship with food (and lost a fair few stone.) But the work I had to do to achieve that included addressing my own value, my own values, and a few skeletons. I couldn’t have done it without clinical hypnotherapy, but it didn’t take many sessions.
Whatever change you want to make, to stop a habit, beat an addiction, overcome a fear, reduce anxiety or change a mindset, it’s likely that hypnotherapy will give you the lasting change you are hoping for.
Everyone is welcome to a free (totally no pressure) 20 minute consultation to see how hypnotherapy can help you, and whether I’m the right person to work with. So get in touch, whenever is right for you.

““Jeni was very welcoming & put me at ease straight away. I left my first session feeling like a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders & I can’t believe the change in myself as the weeks have passed.””

— K O

Still Stammer-free

When I chose this image for my website I really deliberated. I was trying to convey stammer, stutter, and other speech issues, but couldn’t decide if the child looked angry or not. Frustrated, maybe? Or perhaps singing at the top of his voice. 

I have worked with a few people on finding their voice, most recently a 10 year old boy with a pronounced stammer, and confidence issues. He came for a free 15 minute chat (it went on longer but not because of the stammer, we just got nattering) and then booked in for a session in half term. 

He left that session speaking fluently to me in English and to his Mum in his first language. Mum called this morning, and told me that two weeks on he still hadn’t stammered, and was full of confidence. 

What an absolute dream, to be able to do a job where you’re a part of the change that people want to see in their life. Of course he did the hard work, the biggest step being to find the confidence to come and see me. 

Make me whole again

Not a tribute to Atomic Kitten, but a request that I have heard time and time again in recent weeks. Whether the client was seeing me to deal with an overbearing Dad, grief, phobia, or addiction... 4 in a row said they wanted to feel whole again.

The language is so familiar. I wonder how many of us feel like we are “in bits”, “torn in two”, “living a half life” or “just not as we were.” 

Why not drop me a line and let me know what’s making you feel diminished, and we can see how we can make you whole again.  

What’s holding you back (literally, in this case.)

I had a client this week who has been suffering from Dartitis for a number of years. Similar to ‘The Jipps’ in golf, the player stutters after aiming the dart, and can’t release it. Famous players have struggled with it in professional games, Berry Van Peer and Eric Bristow among them. My client, a serious amateur with success in national competitions, wanted to be back on form. And quickly. 

As with any first visit, getting the story right is key. Dartitis can be based in performance anxiety. Or a previous game gone wrong that’s looming in the mind. Or, underpinned by a trauma, a guilt or an unknown cause.

Whatever is stopping the arrows from flying, or whatever is holding you back, it can be tackled through a chat with the subconscious  mind. My client was winning games two days after his first visit. As much as I’d like to see him again, I doubt I will. 

Seasonal cheer for IBS sufferers

I don’t mind admitting, when I trained as a hypnotherapist I was sceptical about its use on physical symptoms. I’m a very rational person and I knew I would never sell treatments that I didn’t believe in. But time and time again I have seen clients overcome the symptoms of chronic conditions. And the research backs up the use of clinical hypnosis for a great number of conditions. 

Treatment for IBS is well established through hypnosis, although recent studies have elevated it above medical education approaches. A study published this week from the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands said that group hypnosis sessions were more than twice as effective as education programmes in relieving the symptoms to IBS. 

The study used simple suggestions over a year long programme. Current training in clinical hypnosis suggests a more direct, faster approach is even more effective. 

The best bit of advice given to me to get over my scepticism about physical applications for hypnosis was “if stress makes the condition worse, why can’t the opposite of stress make it better?”

Contact me if you would like to discuss IBS treatment, or any other condition.  

Hypnosis is twice as effective as traditional education methods in tackling IBS