Author: Paul Hancocks – Journalist for the Daily Echo: 4th January 2009

BY THE time you read this I will no longer be a journalist. I will have ended my 22-year association with newspapers to concentrate on my parallel career as a hypnotherapist. Like thousands of other workers across the south, I picked up a redundancy cheque and my P45 in time for Christmas as the credit crunch continues to bite. The prospect fills me with a mixture of excitement and fear – after all, since 1986 I’ve enjoyed the financial security blanket of being a staff journalist.

During that time I’ve worked as a reporter in South Wales, Gloucestershire, the Isle of Wight and Hampshire. In 1990 I joined the-then Southern Evening Echo and in 1998 I swapped the pleasures of chasing around various parts of the south in all weathers to become a desk jockey, working as a subeditor in Redbridge.

That “blanket” is now gone. While I have more financial security than many, there’s no doubt that some economies will have to be made. Impulse buying will have to be rationed while other spending, such as the children’s swimming lessons, will have to be scrutinised even more carefully. On the plus side, my family reassures me that I’ll have much more time to spend on the various DIY jobs that I’ve neglected over the years, while it will be good to be able to see more of my wife and children.

I’ll be keeping myself busy, though, as I’ll have more time and energy to devote to my hypnotherapy business. I realised years ago that it’s wise to diversify and the spectre of redundancy is seldom that far away, no matter what industry you work in.

To that end I qualified as a hypnotherapist earlier this year and have been spending most of my free weekends since seeing a wide variety of clients, ranging from people suffering chronic pain to smokers wanting to quit the habit or others with debilitating phobias or anxieties. It’s been fascinating and rewarding to help people and it has some similarities with reporting, in that you’re interacting with the public, admittedly for different reasons.

Why did I choose hypnotherapy? I’ve always been interested in hypnotism and I was inspired to train for the profession after being treated for stress by a therapist after my father had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

I studied in Bristol at a place called the Clifton Practice, spending some 600 hours studying inside and outside the lecture room. During my training, scores of my friends, family members and others consented to being put into trance.

Sadly, my mother died suddenly just a few days before my qualification, severely testing my equilibrium as a therapist. That said, it enables me now to say with confidence to clients that inner harmony is ultimately determined not by what happens to clients, but by their reactions and thoughts surrounding those events. For example, there are plenty of examples of celebrities who appear to have it all but are still miserable, whereas I have encountered people who have surmounted huge challenges and been content.

For someone used to being on a salary, the logistics of being self-employed have also been a revelation. Filling in tax forms and deciding which professional associations to join have been part of the process.

My biggest stroke of luck, so far, has been to discover The Grove Natural Therapy Centre in Grosvenor Road, Southampton, where I rent a room. This has spared me the headache of either having to convert part of my house or trek far and wide for home visits. Cutting down on home visits also means I can treat more clients. Another bonus of being at The Grove is being able to mix with therapists from a wide range of disciplines.

Reactions to my new-found profession have ranged from approval to occasional suspicion and hostility. All I can say is that the major reason I trained as a hypnotherapist was because I wanted to help people, and in many cases I have. One thing’s for sure – anyone who works with the public, in whatever capacity, whether it be journalism or bus driving, has to develop a degree of mental toughness to be effective.

As for others facing redundancy the only advice I can give is to try to keep your spirits up, remember it’s the job that’s being lost – not you, and it can be a blessing in disguise – at least that’s what I’m aiming for.

Source: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4018022.I_had_my_mind_changed_when_I_picked_up_my_P45/

Posted on 1st April, 2009 by Karen Martin – National Council for Hypnotherapy website

There’s been a lot of guff written about happiness in recent times. On the one hand, you’ve got the positive thinking gurus peddling their often simplistic fast track to deep joy and on the other you’ve got the doom-mongers telling us we’re richer, healthier and unhappier than we’ve ever been.

Despite being somewhat cynical about the way happiness is regarded as the panacea for all ills, I confess to being part of the industry which promotes it as a life-affirming goal. Some see happiness as sentimental dream or fleeting fantasy. But I realise through my work as a hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner that it is possible to create a happy state of mind and spread a little of this magical ingredient.

What makes you happy is only relevant to you. A loving partnership and strong friendships are more highly prized than material things by most of us. It’s a given that happiness is not necessarily about millions in the bank, a yacht on the Med or any of those affluent trappings. Many are the tales of how lottery winners lose their friends, community, identity and even their loved ones over arguments about new found loot.

There’s no question, cash equals freedom of choice. More to the point, earning it equals a healthy sense of self worth which no trust fund kid will ever know (hence the less than life-enhancing addictions that often fill the gaps in their lives).

In a wealthy western culture, few of us go hungry or lack material goods. The poorest and most disadvantaged have access to housing, healthcare, education, the welfare state, iPods, mobiles and flat screen TVs.

What makes the starving happy is a good meal. It takes more than that to sate an emotionally starved but nutritionally nourished appetite. Whilst not life-threatening, such a condition undermines energy, motivation and focus, impairing the ability to set and achieve goals. High flyers in both primitive and technological societies often start out the hungriest and succeed simply because they try harder.

So it seems that the old fashioned Protestant principle of good old hard graft leads to a very secular kind of satisfaction. And being a bit peckish is no bad thing. It makes those little snacks in life so much more tasty. In this indulgent era of comfort and excess, those who make an effort and choose energy over inertia, those who curb their appetite enough to truly savour all that is plentiful and those who take the time to nurture their loved ones are the winners in the happiness stakes.

See www.hypnotherapykent.co.uk for information about hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner Karen Martin. She is a confidence and weight control specialist who is also in great demand in Tunbridge Wells, Kent and surrounding areas by sufferers of conditions including anxiety, addictions and phobias. A member of The National Council for Hypnotherapy, she has also trained in CBT.

Source: https://www.hypnotherapists.org.uk/872/the-secret-of-happiness/

Trevor Wales – 12th February 2017

Why undertake hypnotherapy training? A career as a hypnotherapist can be very rewarding….. to know that you are making a positive difference to people’s lives. Sometimes it can be challenging with many twists and turns along the way, but, those challenges are often the most satisfying…..to know that you have helped another along the path of life.

Sometimes you may feel elated, because there is a real sense of satisfaction and joy in knowing that you have helped someone change the course of their lives, sometimes you may full feel full of energy and excitement, and sometimes you may be challenged and have to go that extra mile. The hours can be long, or just a few a week, but you set your own goals and agenda and you can make it whatever you want it to be.

As long as you have good integrity, good intentions and people’s best interests at heart, your sincerity will always shine out for those who find the time to see what you are about and the ones who need your help,……the ones who you can help complete the jigsaw, or help to put the pieces of their life back together…… or simply move forwards to meet their personal goals, they will seek you out. They will find you.

If you want a new career in a highly rewarding field, get in touch and find out how our Cornwall hypnotherapy training, based in Truro, can help you achieve this with a Professional Diploma in Hypnotherapy.

Posted in Psychology Today. Author: Elizabeth Lombardo Ph.D. – Posted Jan 18, 2017

There is a sense for many that confidence is like a magic pill. When you take that prescription, you will feel better—about yourself, your abilities, your life.

Here’s the deal: The way you view yourself is central to every interaction you have—with other people, with every experience, even within your own head. And yet, it is not so much about quantity—having more confidence—as it is about quality.

What do I mean by that?

When you look at how you view yourself—your self-worth—there are really two ways to do it, conditionally and unconditionally.

Conditional self-worth refers to believing in yourself if, as in, “I will feel good about myself if…:

… I lose weight.”
… I feel superior to others.”
… others agree with me.”
… I make a certain amount of money.”
… I win and others lose.”

There is a sense that “I am OK if” these external events take place. But without the external praise, agreement, or deference, you do not feel good about yourself.

A dichotomous perspective is present, as in “me versus them,” “Either I am better or you are better,” “If I win, you lose, and if you win, then I lose.” With conditional self-worth comes a lot of comparisons. And egos are rather fragile. Any “feedback” you hear (how you could do better at work, a partner asking you to do things differently, a friend sharing her ideas about your wardrobe) is interpreted as a personal attack.

Research has shown that the more time someone spends on Facebook, the more likely one is to feel down. Why? In my clinical judgment, I would say the answer is conditional self-worth. Facebook users look at others’ posts featuring seemingly perfect families, vacations, pets, homes, and lives, and feel as though they fall short, that they are “less than” others.

Does that sound familiar? How much do you base how you view yourself on other people’s accomplishments, reactions, or what society “says” is good?

And, if you were honest with yourself, how helpful do you find that? If you are like most people, you feel a consistent need to be better, do more, get more accolades—and never feel fully satisfied. It can be exhausting.

Conditional self-worth is at near-epidemic proportions in our culture. The growing frequency of bullying is a great example, whether in person or online. Putting someone else down is an attempt to feel better about yourself. And while it may help temporarily, it does nothing to boost true confidence in a healthy and helpful way.

When you base your self-worth on conditions, you are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, stress, relationship problems, health issues, difficulties at work, and a host of other issues.

In contrast, unconditional self-worth occurs when you believe in yourself independent of others. This does not make you a narcissist. In fact, narcissism is based on conditional self-worth, because narcissists are constantly comparing themselves to others and trying to make sure they are better.

Instead, unconditional self-worth refers to believing in yourself not because of external events, but rather because of who you are on the inside. It is based on focusing on those values, strengths, and core characteristics most important to you.

When you live from a place of unconditional self-worth, you are at greater peace with yourself and others. Rather than comparing yourself to others to see where you rank, you are comfortable in your own skin. You can be truly happy for others’ successes without feeling they are better than you. You can hear and accept feedback without taking it as a personal attack. You have the mindset, “I am good, and I can keep getting better.” You also don’t personalize other people’s reactions.

A great example of the difference between conditional and unconditional self-worth can be seen in incidents of road rage. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 80 percent of U.S. drivers admit to having expressed anger, aggression, or road rage at least once in the previous year.

Why? One reason has to do with conditional self-worth: When someone with conditional self-worth is cut off on the road, there is a personalization, a sense that, “He did that to me because he is being disrespectful to me.” That interpretation causes a jab to the ego, resulting in anger or hurt.

In contrast, someone with unconditional self-worth who has a car cut in front of him will not personalize the other person’s driving. Sure, it might be seen as unsafe, but not as a personal attack.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/better-perfect/201701/how-can-i-be-more-confident?utm_source=FacebookPost&utm_medium=FBPost&utm_campaign=FBPost

Welcome to The Cornwall School of Hypnotherapy. This is our first post! We will share interesting articles here, as well as updates regarding the school. Things are beginning to move quickly forward with getting the school up and running, so bookmark us and we will keep you posted!