You may come to therapy with many questions and that is OK. Your therapy is there for you and it is important that you are comfortable with both your therapist and your therapy.
Below I have answered some of the questions I am most commonly asked. However if you still have questions or would like to discuss anything more please do not hesitate to contact me. Your initial consultation will also allow enough time for you to ask as many questions as you like.
What if I cannot be hypnotised?
Hypnosis is a natural, normal state that we go into and out of several times a day. It is that focused state of attention which, when you are engrossed in a television programme stops you from from noticing a conversation that is going on next to you. You are in a trance state when you are daydreaming, or when you are completely immersed in a piece of music. You may even be in one as you read this.
So hypnosis in a therapy setting is about utilising this state and learning how to go in and out of it. Of course there are different levels of hypnosis and some people will naturally go deeper than others. You might drift deeper on different days depending on what is right for you.
Hypnosis is not something you can do wrong, even the lightest trance is incredibly beneficial and most work can be done at this level. Often the more experience you have with hypnosis, the deeper you will go.
However it is important for a hypnotherapist to also be trained in psychotherapy in order to work with you in the most effective way possible. Whilst hypnotherapy in itself is often enough to make long lasting changes, additional skills in psychotherapy allow a more tailored approach and mean that work can be done in or out of trance.
To read more about hypnotherapy please click here
Will I be in control?
Yes. hypnotherapy is not the same as the stage hypnosis you may have seen on television. You will not do or say anything that you do not want to.
I abide by the ethical guidelines of the NSHP&M, CNHC and UKCP which mean that I only work in a way that has your best interests at the forefront. Hypnosis is not about the therapist controlling you, you have complete control at all times. You are able to move and to talk in hypnosis, and should you need to become alert at any point during the session you would do so quite naturally and easily.
How many sessions will I need?
The amount of sessions you will need will depend on your issue and your specific needs. I believe in providing the most cost effective and efficient therapy possible. I work in a solution-focused way which means that we will look to find solutions to your issue as quickly as possible rather than spending unnecessary time focused on the problem.
Is everything confidential?
Everything that you discuss within therapy is absolutely confidential from your first contact apart from a few specific circumstances which I outline below.
I abide by the ethcial framework of NSTT, CNHC and UKCP which require me to have regular supervision with an accredited supervisor, therefore in order to provide you with the best care, I may discuss your case with my supervisor.
There are some important exceptions where confidentiality must be breached and these are:
Having given examples of things that you can discuss with me, it’s important that you know that the law forbids our normal confidentiality if:
- I become aware of information which I either know or believe might help prevent another person carrying out an act of terrorism, or might help in bringing a terrorist to justice in the UK, or about specified activities related to money and property used to assist terrorist activities.
- If I observe physical signs that an act of female genital mutilation may have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18 or I am informed by a girl under the age of 18 that she has undergone an act of female genital mutilation.
- The police request information about the driver of a vehicle at the time of an offence it must be disclosed by me as failure to do so would constitute a criminal offence on my part.
- I become aware of drug trafficking or money laundering that may be required to be reported under the Drug Trafficking Act 1994, Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 or the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, if this happens, I may seek legal advice as to any statutory duty.
- I must disclose information that I am ordered to by a court or by a statutory request for access to personal data made under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
I may break our normal confidentiality if I become aware (or have good reason to suspect) that you have knowledge of:
- A past, present or future incident/situation that may be dangerous or harmful to you, another adult or a child and that is not known to the relevant authorities.
- Future or past criminal activity that has not been resolved in law. This means any criminal activity, of which the relevant authorities are either unaware or a case they know about which they consider not to be closed (provided you do not present information in therapy which would reasonably re-open the case). This does not include parking or traffic offences unless there is intent, by you or anyone else, to cause danger to yourself or others, or that it is deemed to be a serious offence. In such circumstances, I will work with you to see if we can work together to make appropriate disclosures. For our purposes a serious offence is:
‘Murder, manslaughter, rape, treason, kidnapping, child abuse or other cases where individuals have suffered serious harm or there is serious harm to the security of the state or to public order and crimes that involve substantial financial gain and loss.’
What happens if you become suddenly unavailable?
In in the rare circumstance that I would need to cancel an appointment I will always try and do so with at least 72 hours notice. However if I become suddenly unavailable and unable to contact you myself, my supervisor who is UKCP accredited and thus abides by their code of ethics, will be able to access your contact details in order to ensure future provision of care.
What is your policy on cancellations?
I understand that sometimes appointments need to be rearranged and I try to be as flexible as possible with my appointment times. I ask for a minimum of 24 hours notice for cancellations. Any cancellation made with less than 24 hours notice will be charged at the normal session rate of £60. This is to ensure appointments are available to other people who may also require them.
What is your policy on social media?
For my current social media policy please follow the link below
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