Many women are unable to conceive, even with IVF. Doctors may say that the couple are perfectly healthy and they can find no physical or medical reason for it. Sometimes people will be told ‘it’s in your mind’. And they are often right. Anyone who has undergone IVF has already been through enough. If it fails it can be devastating emotionally. Using hypnotherapy and NLP, Jo has helped clients to conceive where they had previously failed either naturally or with IVF.
Treatments
‘Wine hath drowned more men than the sea.’ – Thomas Fuller
Problems with alcohol often creep up over time. Sometimes problems with alcohol may happen quickly particularly when used to ‘manage’ painful life events.
As alcohol is widely acceptable within our society as a part of everyday life, it often only becomes a problem to the drinker (and less acceptable to society) when the drinker loses their control over alcohol. Often people don’t realise (or don’t admit to themselves) that there is a problem with alcohol until it’s such a big problem that it may seem too difficult to change. Problems with alcohol take various forms. It may be binge drinking – not knowing when to stop. It may be constant, habitual drinking – not stopping. It may be regular drinking – perhaps only drinking at home, or only at weekends/evenings. Whatever the drinking pattern, if the drinker has first admitted to themselves that they have a problem AND that they WANT to change, they will get, by far, the best benefits from any therapy.
Often there are underlying reasons why somebody has a problem with alcohol, such as trauma, grief or other negative emotions. The techniques used are tailored to suit each individual to help them to take back the control from alcohol and make some of the most important changes that they will ever make. As part of the ‘Control your Drinking’ and ‘Stop Drinking’ packages, we provide guidance and support to each individual to help them make lasting change.
‘Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die’– Buddha
Anger is natural and healthy emotion. People feel anger as a response to something that threatens them. It could be in response to an attack; feelings of being hurt, betrayed, deceived, lied to; feelings of frustration. When anger gets to be the ‘norm’ or becomes out of control, it becomes a problem. When people hold on to anger they hurt themselves. When people lash out with their anger they damage not only yourself but also those around them. It can devastate families, relationships, careers, friendships and just about everything it touches. Those who suffer with anger ‘issues’ may experience a variety of side effects including illnesses and insomnia.
There are a variety of causes for the angry behaviour and usually these are discovered during the sessions. The techniques used in the anger management sessions can help the sufferer to gain more control over their emotions and their behaviour, to become calmer, more rational, to discover new ways of doing things, to make important life changes to help them have a happier, more peaceful life.
‘The anoretic operates under the astounding illusion that she can escape the flesh, and, by association, the realm of emotions.’ – Marya Hornbacher
Anorexia is an emotional disorder which is often debilitating and can be fatal. Sufferers are often in denial about having a problem despite those around them regularly telling them they are too skinny, that they need to eat more. When someone comments or tries to help, the sufferer can often have negative reactions such as anger and frustration. They want to maintain the control. One thing that the sufferer can control is what they eat, or don’t eat. Feelings of control can give the sufferer a sense of comfort and over a period of time as those behaviours become more familiar, they become more ‘ingrained’, increasing the risk of more mental and physical problems.
As the mind struggles with eating the body struggles with functioning well due to the lack of nutrients. Short term problems include fatigue and muscle weakness, constipation, fainting and dizzy spells, bad circulation, often feeling cold, bloating, disruption to menstrual cycle, fine downy hair growing over face and body. More serious problems include failing eyesight, osteoporosis, fertility, heart problems including cardiac arrest.
Sufferers often have mixed emotions and are often reluctant to want to change. They have an ‘inner conflict’ – often wanting to get better but at the same time not wanting to eat, perhaps over exercising and having a terrible fear of gaining weight. Although there are several similar traits with each sufferer, each person is unique and their behaviours and beliefs will have developed through their own unique journey. As such, the sessions aim to understand these beliefs and behaviours and to agree and develop new and healthier ones.
As well as helping to change limiting beliefs, the sessions aim to help develop different strategies and habits and to create new, healthier eating and exercise habits.
If symptoms are noticed it is advisable to seek advice. Early treatment can speed up the recovery time.
Support is also available for families and loved ones often struggle with trying to cope with anorexic sufferers.
‘Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom’ – Søren Kierkegaard
Anxiety is perfectly normal when experiencing stressful circumstances. Anxiety becomes a problem when it is persistent or disproportionately high in relation to the particular situation. High anxiety is one of the most common problems within our society. Despite having better living conditions and having better access to medical help than our ancestors, there are increasing numbers of people of all ages suffering from anxiety and depression. If you or someone that you care about is suffering from anxiety, it is advisable to seek help as soon as possible.
In general, young people’s lives are improving. There are less young smokers and drug takers than in the generations before them. There has been a decrease in teenage pregnancy rates and in underage drinking. Despite these improvements the rate of depression among teenagers has spiralled by a whopping 70 per cent in 25 years. Hospitals have reported that the number of A&E admissions for children and young adults for psychiatric related conditions such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders had almost doubled in 7 years. The mental health issues are also getting more severe, particularly when not treated early.
As our world around us changes, we have to adapt, whatever those changes are. It could be changes in relationships, home life, work or school. It could be expecting too much of ourselves, perhaps pressure from others to achieve. As our world evolves, our challenges change. Advances in technology have given us the freedom to interact with the outside world at any time of day. Social media has often been at the centre of people’s anxiety and insecurities. As our brains are often constantly ‘switched on’ it can lead to over-thinking/over-analysing – which is extremely tiring and often unhelpful!
Treatments
Our sessions work with the individual to understand what they are doing in their minds to feel bad. Together we then work to find, agree and embed different, more helpful ways of thinking and doing things. No medication needed. Sounds too easy? Maybe it is easy – and the results are often completely life-changing!
‘All bad habits start slowly and gradually before you know you have the habit, the habit has you’ – Zig Ziglar
A bad habit is a negative behaviour that is repeated and can become hard to break. As you do it more often, the more familiar it becomes, the more automatic it becomes.
There is a long list of bad habits which include nail biting, bullying, moaning, skin picking, gossiping, smoking, swearing, playing with your hair and many more.
We work to help you to understand how you ‘do’ your habit and then to find and create a different way of doing things.
‘Bad memories will play the most often, but just because the memory comes up doesn’t mean you have to watch it. Change the channel.’ – Joel Osteen
We all have events in our lives that have impacted us, some negatively. Many have some events that were so negative that we keep on thinking about them. When people think about those bad memories again they can feel bad all over again! As if the first time wasn’t bad enough, some people go through it again and again and again, for years. Instead of enjoying their lives they focus on the bad stuff from the past! The good news is that this can easily change for the better. We can help you to move on from bad memories and start to get on with enjoying your life.
‘You gave me a forever within the numbered day, and I’m grateful.’ – John Green
Bereavement is the intense sorrow felt after the death of a close relative or friend. The time needed to process and come to terms with a loss will vary with individuals. It is a natural process and each person will experience their grief differently. For some people, time is enough to allow them to heal sufficiently to get on with their lives. Other people may find that they are unable to get past the period of intense grief, even after several years.
Sometimes people are ‘stuck’ with a bad memory, or negative feelings or thoughts (e.g. guilt).
If the bereaved is unable to get some normality back into their life, even after a long period of time (i.e. over a year), then coaching, NLP and hypnotherapy can help the sufferer to become ‘unstuck’, be able to think differently and to move on.
‘Wine hath drowned more men than the sea.’ – Thomas Fuller
Problems with alcohol often creep up over time. Sometimes problems with alcohol may happen quickly particularly when used to ‘manage’ painful life events.
As alcohol is widely acceptable within our society as a part of everyday life, it often only becomes a problem to the drinker (and less acceptable to society) when the drinker loses their control over alcohol. Often people don’t realise (or don’t admit to themselves) that there is a problem with alcohol until it’s such a big problem that it may seem too difficult to change. Problems with alcohol take various forms. It may be binge drinking – not knowing when to stop. It may be constant, habitual drinking – not stopping. It may be regular drinking – perhaps only drinking at home, or only at weekends/evenings. Whatever the drinking pattern, if the drinker has first admitted to themselves that they have a problem AND that they WANT to change, they will get, by far, the best benefits from any therapy.
Often there are underlying reasons why somebody has a problem with alcohol, such as trauma, grief or other negative emotions. The techniques used are tailored to suit each individual to help them to take back the control from alcohol and make some of the most important changes that they will ever make. As part of the ‘Control your Drinking’ and ‘Stop Drinking’ packages, we provide guidance and support to each individual to help them make lasting change.
‘Stop trying to fill the emptiness inside with food’ – Unknown
Eating disorders come in many forms. Each form has a trigger and a perceived reward. Binge eating can be triggered by a variety of factors including dieting, emotional eating, being over hungry, habitual eating, boredom, habit, feelings of not being good enough, loneliness and many, many more. The unwanted behaviour is often trying to fulfil another part of life that is unsatisfied. Binge eaters (and over eaters) often do so as a substitute for that part of their life that is lacking. They try to fill the ‘emptiness inside’ with food. Once the binge-eating event has stopped, the part of their life that is unfulfilled remains unfulfilled and on top of that they feel worse for overeating often with negative emotions such as guilt. If the binge eating behaviour becomes a habit it often becomes an automated response and can become harder to break. We can help to recognise the triggers for those unwanted behaviours and to make the desired changes and to lead a healthier life with a normal relationship to food.
Breakups can be tough
Are you grieving over the end of a relationship? Are you in pain, always thinking about your ex? What are they doing? Who are they with? Do they ever think of me? What if…..
Is your future now unclear without them?
Love is an incredibly powerful force. To open our hearts to love we risk the possibility of pain. Whether a relationship is for one month or 40 years, each one has something to teach us.
Problems come when we get ‘stuck’ in the past and ignore the lessons.
Are you ready to get over it and move on? Coaching and hypnotherapy can help you to become unstuck an enjoy your life and plan a brighter future.
Contact Jo today to get started.
‘For me, the bulimia was about stuffing my emotions. So I stopped suppressing my feelings.’ – Cheryl James
As with all eating disorders, a number of different influences can lead to the development of bulimia. Bulimia can be an extremely distressing condition, often taking over the life of the sufferer. Bulimics often have a mixture of negative emotions relating to the disorder including shame and isolation.
We understand how this disorder can impact self-confidence and create terrible mood swings and depression.
Coaching, hypnotherapy and NLP can help by:
· changing your relationship with food
· improving self-confidence and self-esteem
· overcoming any issues/traumas that have led to the disorder
· finding different methods of coping with stress
· motivating you to be healthier
‘Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible’!’ – Audrey Hepburn
Cancer. It is so scary that the word itself can instil fear.
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer it is quite likely that, along with the physical effects of illness and treatment, they will also be experiencing a mixture of strong negative emotions: fear, anger, anxiety, tension and depression to name but a few.
These negative feelings are bad for our health even at the best of times. Negativity can create stress, deplete the brains ‘happiness’ chemicals, and even damage the immune system.
Recovering from cancer can be a tough enough experience and the sufferer can notice a benefit from reducing the negative feelings, manage their thoughts in a more helpful way.
‘Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.’ – Peter T. Mcintyre
The lack of confidence can often restrict people from reaching their true potential. It can stop people in their tracks. It becomes apparent in a variety of ways; from being scared to walk into a room full of strangers, fear of speaking to the opposite sex, some worry that everyone is looking at them and judging them, fear of doing something different. The problem with a lack of confidence is that it can often restrict our ability to really enjoy life.
People with a lack of confidence may get comfortable doing things a certain way and ‘getting by’. They may wish to say something in a meeting but are afraid to speak and are more comfortable just being quiet.
Improving your confidence, changing the way you are and the way you feel will require you to think and do things differently. Coaching can help you to make those changes – for good.
“When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are” ~ Donald Miller
Couples coaching is for those who are ready to make improvements in their relationships. When clients come to me they are often stuck in troubled relationship with no idea how to become unstuck, to change. I help to facilitate those changes.
Coaching is different from counselling. You will be expected to make changes, to look at things from different perspectives and to try new ways of doing things.
To find out more contact Jo today .
‘Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.’ – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Depression comes in many forms. It is common to feel fed up and miserable from time to time, however sufferers of depression often experience intense and unshakeable sadness.
Emotional symptoms of depression may include:
Persistent feelings of
– sadness
– anxiety
– suicidal thoughts
– fatigue, lethargy and low energy levels
– reduced sex drive
– sleep problems such as insomnia and excessive sleeping and waking too early
– irritability, restlessness
– feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, guilt, pessimism, loneliness and isolation
– lack of interest in work or hobbies
– difficulties with relationships
– lack of motivation
Physical symptoms are often can be harder to link to depression may include:
– back pain
– headaches
– chest pains
– exhaustion and fatigue
– digestion issues
– constipation
– diarrhoea
– nausea
– weight gain or loss
– changes in appetite e.g. loss of appetite, binge eating
– dizziness
Whether the individual is fully aware or unsure of why they are depressed, the treatment for recovery will involve using the best techniques available to suit the client. These are often a combination of coaching, NLP and hypnotherapy.
‘The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.’ – Alice Walker
Drugs addicts usually don’t try a drug for the first time and think to themselves ‘let me try this because I’d like to be a drug addict’. The problem creeps up until you hand over your control to the drug. Users and addicts justify their actions saying things such as ‘at least I don’t drink’ or ‘’I only have one a day’ or ‘at least I don’t take this drug’. Heroin users have been known to justify their addiction saying ‘at least I don’t inject it.’ Yet. The addiction gets worse as the highs become harder to achieve so the quantity/frequency is increased. In some cases the highs are no longer achieved as the addict just uses to try to get out of the low.
The reasons for starting and becoming addicted vary. Whether it started off with recreational use or with ‘self-medicating’, the results are often similar. As addicts lose control it can have devastating affects not only their lives but the lives of their families and loved ones. Sadly many addicts are so hooked that they never want to stop.
Many addicts want to stop but don’t know how, they may think they cannot or they think that it is too hard. This is where hypnotherapy, coaching and NLP can help. When an addict wants to stop, when they are ready and willing to stop and they want treatment, the sessions can be extremely effective.
‘Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.’ – Walt Disney
Many people feel stressed when faced with sitting exams. Exam nerves just before an exam can be normal and often helpful as the adrenaline rush helps to focus the mind on getting the job done well.
Sometimes people can experience a sense of overwhelm or panic at exams. They may also feel the anxiety long before the exam itself. These intense feelings, particularly when experienced over a longer period can not only be unpleasant but can also affect the ability to focus and concentration often suffers.
The sessions are based on calming the mind, enabling the student to more easily recall information as well as feeling more comfortable about the whole process.
‘Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.’ – Mark Twain
The definition of fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm.
We are born with only two innate fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Every other fear is learned through experience or from others. Mostly those fears are helpful. Many of them keep us alive! When we experience fear our brain reacts with its fight, flight or freeze response.
Some of the fears however can be unhelpful and can put unnecessary limitations on a person’s life. A fear of public speaking can be extremely uncomfortable and limiting. A fear of going to the dentist can stop some sufferers from being able to eat!
A fear is different to a phobia. Fears are the emotional response to a real or perceived imminent threat. Phobias are anxiety disorders involving an excessive or disproportional reaction to the current situation. If someone is afraid of birds they may walk or run away if they see one. If someone has a bird phobia, often a picture of a bird or even just the word bird can be enough to trigger the excessive reactions.
Examples:
A client had a disproportional fear of heights and found it increasingly difficult go up or down stairs, even if his life depended on it.
A lady with a phobia of dogs jumped off of a train, leaving all her possessions behind, because a dog got on. (The dog was with its owner and on a lead). She had often panicked and ran into roads to avoid passing a dog on the pavement. If she had not had treatment she may have stopped going out altogether.
The fear of flying can stop some people from going on lovely holidays. They are limited to destinations which can be reached on land or sea.
Treating the problems early on is advised to avoid the reactions getting to the point where the life of the sufferer becomes restricted. We learn fears and phobias quickly and we can unlearn them quickly, often in just one session.
Fibromyalgia sufferers are often highly driven people who regularly push themselves to the limit, often more than mind and body can stand. The illness is quite often triggered from one of the following: trauma, serious illness, accident, vaccination or severe stress. Weeks after a reasonable recovery period, sufferers are left feeling fatigue and chronic pain which can continue for years or even for life. Lack of explanation and remedy can be frustrating and disheartening. Many Fibromyalgia sufferers have been helped (not cured) by Jo using the OldPain2Go® method. Click here to book a session with Jo, or here to find out if this method is right for you.
‘Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing for something.’ – Wilson Mizner
The number of people with gambling addictions has been growing rapidly. An NHS report showed that there may be as many as 593,000 in the UK with a gambling problem. The odds are that the actual number is even higher.
One of the major factors is use of the internet and apps to gamble. Gambling is now more accessible and easier to do, anytime, anywhere and at the touch of a button.
Gambling may start off small but can easily get out of control. Many of Jo’s clients had seen their lives devastated by a gambling addiction. They came to Jo when they had decided that they wanted to change but didn’t know how. Like so many other addicts, problem gamblers have lost control over their lives. They want to regain that control.
By using a combination of techniques, Jo has successfully helped thousands of clients to achieve the positive change that they desire.
‘Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.’ – William Shakespeare, Macbeth
Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something that was important to you. There are many reasons for grief including the death of someone you love (See also Bereavement) , the end of a relationship or the loss of a job.
The sadness and negative emotions experienced when grieving can seem overwhelming at times. This natural process is different for everyone and time will usually heal the griever sufficiently to enable them to get on with their lives.
There are many cases where, even after many years have passed, the griever is unable to get on with their life with much normality. Sometimes there is a good reason for it.
A lady in her 60’s had been suffering terribly with grief for over 5 years following the loss of her husband. They had been married for 40 years. She was unable to move on from her grief. She was ‘stuck’. The husband had not died. He had left her for another woman. In her eyes it was far worse. She said that it would have been easier for her to get over losing him if he had died.
With coaching, hypnotherapy and NLP the sufferer can begin to look at things differently, to overcome emotional obstacles and to find new and better ways of doing things.
Trichotillomania is a condition where the individual has an irresistible urge to pull out their own hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, underarms, face or other parts of the body often resulting in visible hair loss.
Some psychologists believe that Trichotillomania is a mental health problem. Theories suggest that a person pull their own hair out to relieve stress or anxiety and that it is similar to obsessive compulsive disorder.
As many trichotillomania sufferers pull their hair automatically and often unconsciously, hypnotherapy and NLP can help people to become more aware of their actions and also to change the ‘habit’.
‘O sleep, o gentle sleep,
Nature’s soft nurse, how have I frighted thee,
That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down
And steep my sense in forgetfulness?’
– William Shakespeare, Henry IV
Insomnia comes in many forms:
· Acute insomnia is normally short term and can be triggered by a life event, a sudden change in circumstances or surroundings, or bad news. This type of insomnia will normally pass in a short time.
· Chronic insomnia is long term (one month or more) where the sufferer cannot get off to sleep or has trouble staying asleep for 3 or more nights a week.
· Comorbid insomnia occurs along with other psychological symptoms (e.g. depression, anxiety) or medical illness/pain.
· Onset insomnia is difficulty falling asleep at night.
· Maintenance insomnia is where the sufferer wakes during the night and cannot get back to sleep
Sleep deprivation is said to be one of the most effective forms of torture. Lack of sleep over a long period can hinder chances of enjoying a productive and happy life. Worry is the most commonly ported reason for sleep problems. Our minds and bodies naturally need sleep to regenerate. Sometimes insomnia persists over many years. The long term effects of sleep loss have been linked to adverse health conditions including depression, anxiety disorder, obesity, heart attack and more.
Getting help for insomnia can greatly improve your enjoyment of life. Imagine how it would feel to wake refreshed each morning? How would it feel to have more energy? The treatment will be tailored to best fit the client. The sessions will include working with the client to help them to relax, to think and to do things differently, to overcome obstacles and to provide practical suggestions for improving sleep quality.
IBS sufferers often have somewhat restricted lives. Symptoms include stomach pain, bloating, flatulence, indigestion, heartburn diarrhoea and constipation. These symptoms can have a serious negative impact on the enjoyment of life.
Although the exact cause of IBS is unknown, diet and over-activity of the digestive system are thought to be key causes. New thinking suggest that anxiety and stress may be an even bigger factor.
Conventional treatments for the condition are not always successful.
Hypnotherapy has been extremely useful for helping sufferers to relax and to better manage stress and anxiety. The sessions can help to reduce the symptoms and to improve the quality of life.
Note: As IBS is considered a medical condition please seek medical advice prior to booking an appointment.
‘Loneliness is never more cruel than when it is felt in close propinquity with someone who has ceased to communicate.’ – Germaine Greer
Loneliness is commonly regarded as a negative emotion and it means different things to different people at different times. It is a sadness which can occur when one has no friends or company, or when they feel isolated. Being alone does not necessarily lead to feelings of loneliness. Equally, someone can feel lonely even when they are in company.
Feeling lonely can happen at any age and for a variety of reasons including: the break-up of a relationship, bereavement, depression, social anxiety, shyness, single parenthood, moving to a new area.
Coaching, hypnotherapy and NLP can help to address underlying issues (e.g. lack of confidence, social anxiety), build social and communication skills and look at different ways to change such as meeting people and building friendships.
The nail-biting habit is often one that is tricky to break on your own. Sometimes people nibble when they are nervous, chew when they’re challenged and bite when they’re bored. Often nail biters don’t notice they are doing it. It has become such a familiar habit that it is automatic.
If you’ve had enough of nail-biting get in touch. Nail-biting clients typically break their habit in one hypnotherapy session with Jo.
‘The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.’ – Walt Disney
There are many reasons that we can lack motivation. It can be that the task is boring, or it seems too difficult, or that it is such a big task that you feel overwhelmed or don’t know where to start. Depression can even cause a lack of interest and motivation. Whatever the reason, coaching, NLP and/or hypnotherapy can help to get you thinking differently, to form a plan of action and to actually enjoy getting things done.
‘Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional’ – Buddhist proverb
In medical terms pain is regarded as a symptom of an underlying condition.
Acute pain is short term usually associated with an injury or short term illness, for which your doctor will provide treatment advice.
Chronic (long-term) pain can be the result of a medical conditional. There may be instances when the cause is not known making it more difficult to treat.
There is also emotional and psychological pain. This can be as debilitating as physical pain.
Whatever the type of pain, you should always seek advice from your doctor prior to looking at alternatives such as hypnotherapy.
Sufferers of chronic pain can understandably experience many negative thoughts and emotions including anxiety, depression and anger. They may also struggle to sleep well further exacerbating the discomfort.
Hypnotherapy and NLP has helped many clients to: improve chronic pain management with various relaxation techniques; reduce insomnia; change associated negative thoughts; reduce stress; generally cope better.
Psychological and emotional pain – Sometimes doctors are unable to find the cause of pain and then tell the patient ‘it’s all in your mind’. The phrase can sometimes make a patient feel even worse particularly if all they have not been offered any alternative help. If all the tests have been done by the doctors and there is no apparent medical reason for pain, it is worth exploring alternative treatments for the pain. If it is psychological or emotional, hypnotherapy and NLP can often make a big difference.
Fibromyalgia sufferers are often highly driven people who regularly push themselves to the limit, often more than mind and body can stand. The illness is quite often triggered from one of the following: trauma, serious illness, accident, vaccination or severe stress. Weeks after a reasonable recovery period, sufferers are left feeling fatigue and chronic pain which can continue for years or even for life. Lack of explanation and remedy can be frustrating and disheartening. Many Fibromyalgia sufferers have been helped (not cured) by Jo using the OldPain2Go® method. Click here to book a session with Jo, or here to find out if this method is right for you.
Example: A 15 year old girl, who had been extremely fit and healthy, found herself suddenly being hardly able to walk. It would take her 30 minutes to walk 15 feet. After several tests and being given the medical ‘all clear’, she was told that it was all in her head, and it was. It transpired that she had suffered a minor muscle pain after exercising and was worried about the possible cause of the pain. After Googling the symptoms, she arrived at a (false) self- diagnosis (which had said that continuing to walk would cause permanent damage). When she woke in the morning she struggled to walk. This continued for months.
Example: A woman had excruciating pains in her chest and she had trouble breathing. She went to A&E believing that she was having a heart attack and was going to die. After all the tests were done and she was given the all clear she was told it was all in her head. It turns out that the pains began very shortly after her husband left her for another woman. The pains that she felt were real yet didn’t show up on a cardiogram or other medical test. The pains were heartbreak.
Hypnotherapy and NLP can help those suffering with psychological and/or emotional pain and the positive transformation often begins very quickly.
Our bodies are naturally programmed to respond to fear. Panic attacks are the body’s exaggerated response to danger, anxiety or stress. They usually happen suddenly and peak within minutes. Normally they last between five and twenty minutes.
Panic attacks come in various forms and are incredibly scary. Often the person having the panic attack may feel as if they are going to die.
Symptoms may include: difficulty breathing, sweating, shivering, nausea, trembling, racing/pounding heart, dizziness, feeling like you’re choking and chest or stomach pains.
There is an increased awareness of panic attacks particularly since celebrities such as Ellie Goulding and Oprah Winfrey have opened up about their own experiences.
Panic attacks often follow unmanaged stress or anxiety. Using hypnotherapy, NLP and other tools to help deal with anxiety, stressful situations, thoughts and triggers for the panic attacks, you can regain more control of your life.
‘The sharpest minds often ruin their lives by overthinking the next step, while the dull win the race with eyes closed.’ – Bethany Brookbank
Overthinking can literally stop people getting on with their lives. Often the crowded thoughts are unhelpful as many who overthink can imagine all the bad outcomes and scenarios. Others fail to make decisions as there are too many possible outcomes. Some may want a perfect solution, sometimes before they start something. When the mind gets too ‘noisy’ for long periods of time, people can find it exhausting. They can become tired, irritable and sometimes unproductive. It can often lead to depression and illnesses including eczema, insomnia, IBS, anxiety and many others.
Although we all need to think, to survive, to solve problems and to get things done, the way that we think is important. Being able to really relax is also key.
Jo can help you to look at things in a different way, teach you how to calm your mind and focus on what is important.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder which often develops after witnessing or experiencing distressing incidents or after prolonged traumatic experiences. Previously it was reported mainly in cases of people who have been involved in war however PTSD can affect anyone. Incidents which may lead to PTSD include witnessing or experiencing serious accidents, abuse, assaults, natural disasters, war or violence.
The symptoms of PTSD can include nightmares, uncomfortable flashbacks, distressing memories, feelings of stress and anxiety, anger, irritability and sleep disorders.
Hypnotherapy, NLP and EMDR (rapid eye movement therapy) are known to be helpful for treating those suffering with PTSD often with noticeable results after the first session.
‘The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.’ – George Jessel
Glossophobia is the word for the fear of public speaking. Whether it is addressing an audience of five or five thousand the feelings can be the same. Symptoms can include sweating, dryness of the mouth, trembling, nausea, pounding/racing heart. Often those with the fear pf public speaking will do everything in their power to avoid the situation altogether. The fear, fed by negative thoughts on an unconscious level, is irrational and illogical.
Coaching, hypnotherapy and NLP techniques are used to help you to change your experience of public speaking to be more calm, confident and even exciting!
‘The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.’ – George Jessel
Glossophobia is the word for the fear of public speaking. Whether it is addressing an audience of five or five thousand the feelings can be the same. Symptoms can include sweating, dryness of the mouth, trembling, nausea, pounding/racing heart. Often those with the fear pf public speaking will do everything in their power to avoid the situation altogether. The fear, fed by negative thoughts on an unconscious level, is irrational and illogical.
Coaching, hypnotherapy and NLP techniques are used to help you to change your experience of public speaking to be more comfortable and even pleasant.
‘Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.’ – Carl Jung
Whether you are struggling to relate well with your partner, relatives, friends, colleagues, strangers or every person who you interact with, coaching is and extremely effective way to make changes.
Just as each person is unique, so is each relationship which will therefore have is own set of challenges. Coaching can help families, couples, singles and professionals to become ‘unstuck’ in their relationships, to improve communications and deal with past issues. It can help you to focus on what is important in your relationship in the present and in the future.
Although preferred it is not always necessary for both/all involved parties to participate in the coaching. Often just coaching one party is enough to make changes.
People with low self-esteem have a negative view of themselves, perhaps disliking or even hating themselves. They believe that they are not good enough. Their regular self-criticism, often at an unconscious level, will perpetuate the problem. If this continues for a long time it may lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
Jo has helped countless clients who previously had low self-esteem to turn their lives around.
Whatever the cause, everyone has the right to feel good about themselves. If you or someone you care about is suffering from low self-esteem contact Jo for a free 15 minute phone consultation.
Whether it’s feeling anxious, recovering from bad experiences or making improvements, whatever the sport, coaching, hypnotherapy and NLP can help you. Often sportsmen and sportswomen have the technique and the physical and technical ability and yet don’t do well, particularly under pressure.
Sports performance coaching can help you to relax, focus and mentally prepare yourself. You will also be taught techniques to use whenever you need them.
Despite being fully aware just how bad smoking is for your health, smokers would rather continue to smoke than to consider stopping. It often seems too hard for them to stop. Even if they are coughing and spluttering every day they convince themselves that there is some benefit. I once met a lady who calmly accepted that her leg needed to be amputated because of Buerger’s disease (caused by smoking) but then got extremely angry when told by her doctors to consider stopping smoking!
Hypnotherapy is an excellent method for helping people to stop smoking or vaping, usually in just one session.
‘Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there’.’ – Eckhart Tolle
Definition of stress: ‘A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.’
Stress is a normal part of lives and at certain levels stress is healthy for short periods of time. The natural adrenaline can help to motivate us, to help us think and act more quickly and to drive us to get things done.
When experienced over long periods of time, stress can be quite damaging to health. The adrenaline created by the stress is no longer useful and can have several different adverse effects which can include: disrupted sleep, becoming disorganised or unproductive, irritability, tearfulness, feelings tension, anger, changes to appetite, minor ailments and colds, upset digestive system, stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation.
Over the longer term, constant states of stress can contribute to: problems with the heart and blood vessels, mental health issues, adverse impacts on personal and professional life, depression, weakened immune system, reduced sex drive, erectile dysfunction and disruption to the menstrual cycle.
Doctors may prescribe medication to relieve the symptoms of stress. Coaching, hypnotherapy and NLP helps by changing the behaviours, helping you to start to think feel more relaxed and more confident in circumstances which would have caused you feelings of stress in the past.
‘Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.’ – Elizabeth Berg
Weight loss is often achieved through dieting, rigorous exercise, wonder tablets, gastric bands, calorie counting or a combination. Here’s the thing – diets don’t work! They are hard to maintain and often, once the target weight has been achieved, the weight creeps back on. The way to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight is to make healthy, easily sustainable life changes. Jo can help you to do that.
Sometimes there is a psychological reason for over-eating. If you are serious about wanting to be thin, Jo can help you to focus your mind on becoming slim, deal with any emotional aspects and help you to make better food choices. Both coaching and hypnotherapy are excellent tools to help you to be thin.
The Treatment List contains many but by no means all of the areas which can be helped. Feel free to contact me directly if you have a problem that is not listed here.
Call: 07539 611 481
Email: jo@theimprovedyou.com