Purpose vs Pleasure - Do you actually enjoy your sport?

This month my blog is all about the topic of enjoyment of sport... mainly due to the fact that so many of the clients who come to see me for help with improving their sporting performance all admit that they have 'lost the love' of whatever sport it is they play!

Does this sound familiar to you?

Many people can tell me what it was about golf, football, swimming, tennis, martial arts etc that they were drawn to when they first began to play / took up their sport. However over the years, the pressure of wanting to get better, improve and beat personal bests can sometimes end up overshadowing the very thing that attracted them to that sport in the first place. I call this the "purpose vs pleasure" effect, which basically means that for some people, their sport becomes ALL about a specific purpose (running faster, jumping higher, lowering handicap etc)

One example of this was a golfer who came to see me for help as he felt every round of golf was full of making mistakes and then "beating himself up over it". He spoke all about the endless lessons to improve his swing and the hours spent on the range or green practising his technique; to no avail. It was only when I asked him to tell me what it was he loved about golf that he was suddenly silent! This question alone made him realise his passion in life had become something he didn't really look forward to anymore as he knew each visit to the course would leave him feeling frustrated and depressed. When we began to speak about what it was that attracted him to the game in the first place, he was able to reconnect with these positive thoughts and feelings and, in a short time, was able to rekindle his enjoyment of each round - regardless of how he played. The extra bonus of course is that when he began to enjoy it again, he actually played much better!

I must of course stress at this point... there is NOTHING wrong with having a purpose in sport (whether you are an amateur or professional) and for a lot of people, they need a goal, motivator or purpose to get them out onto the field or pitch. The problems arise when this becomes the ONLY reason why someone does a sport. Like my golfing client, the purpose of reducing his handicap became so all encompassing that he forgot about the reasons why he started to play in the first place.

So if you are struggling with motivation or feel it has become "all work and no play", remind yourself about what it is about your sport that you actually love. You never know in the process you might actually let some of the pressure off which will actually help you perform better!

If you are interested in finding out more about how hypnosis could help YOU, please get in touch with Christy for a FREE telephone consultation on 01252 334377 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

What can hypnosis be used for?

I'm often asked by potential clients what hypnosis can be used to help with. This is actually quite a dififcult question to answer as there are so MANY situations in which hypnosis can be a wonderful form of therapy. There are of course, some situations where hypnosis may not be the most useful or effective way to deal with something, but in this blog I wanted to try to set out some kind of list of things where hypnosis is very likely to be at the very least, helpful and best case, perhaps help overcome completely.

Hypnosis is used in a variety of settings - from emergency rooms to dental offices. But what is the evidence in favour of using it? Clinical studies suggest that hypnosis may improve immune function, increase relaxation, decrease stress, and ease pain and feelings of anxiety. Hypnotherapy can also reduce the fear and anxiety that some people feel before medical or dental procedures. For example, studies show that dental patients who underwent hypnosis had a significantly higher threshold for pain than those who were not using hypnosis. Hypnosis may also improve recovery time and reduce anxiety and pain following surgery. Clinical trials on burn patients suggest that hypnosis decreases pain (enough to even replace pain medication in some cases) and speeds healing. Generally, clinical studies show that using hypnosis may reduce your need for medication, improve your mental and physical condition before an operation, and reduce the time it takes to recover

Visiting a hypnotherapist can also help you learn self regulation skills. For instance, someone with arthritis may learn to turn down pain like the volume on a radio. Hypnotherapy can also be used to help manage chronic illness as it can be used to enhance a sense of control, which is often lacking when someone has a chronic illness.

I promised you a list, so here are a few other problems or conditions that may respond to hypnotherapy:

• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Tension headaches
• Alopecia areata
• Asthma
• Phobias
• Insomnia
• Addictions
• Bedwetting
• Fibromyalgia
• Phobias
• Pregnancy anxiety, labour pain and birth
• Skin disorders (such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema)
• Stress
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Cancer related pain
• Weight loss
• Eating disorders
• High blood pressure
• Indigestion (dyspepsia) 

Aside from these medical conditions, hypnotherapy is also hugely beneficial for people who are suffering from anxiety about giving presentations / public speaking, driving test nerves, to stop smoking and one area I particularly specialise in, enhancing sports performance.

If you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy could help you, please contact Christy for a free telephone consultation on 01252 334377 or email: Christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.

(This blog was inspired by and uses information presented in an article appearing in the Hypnotherapy Training International publication.)

Are you getting enough sleep?

Most of us know that skimping on sleep wears down your body in so many ways. The power of sleep should not be underestimated and if you are not getting enough sleep you will know that it can have a detrimental impact on your ability to concentrate, to learn new skills or at least complete a full a day in the office!

All this is bad enough without piiling on the results of a recent study published in Psychological Science which found that sleep deprivation is actually linked to false memories. Among the 193 people tested, those who got 5 or fewer hours of sleep for just ONE night were significantly more likely to say they'd seen a news video when actually they hadn't. The authors of this study also noted that false memories in the form of eyewitness misidentifications are thought to be the number one cause of wrongful convictions in the USA. Clearly the consequences of sleep deprivation are far reaching!

This study also discovered that students were more prone to the researchers' false suggestions when they hadn't slept more than 5 hours. The authors of the study suggest that this is due to the fact that sleep deprivation leads to problems encoding new information.

So if you are looking to embark on learning something new, to be able to give a reliable account of something that happened or even look after your own health at the very least, make sure you are getting at LEAST 5 hours of sleep every night.

If you have trouble getting to sleep or if you suffer with distrubed sleep in the night, having a course of hypnotherapy could help you improve both the quality and quantity of your sleep. Find out how by calling Christy on 07527 567245 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.

What is the difference between hypnosis and meditation?

I am often asked by prospective clients who have never experienced hypnosis before, "what is the difference between hypnosis and meditation?".

There is no simple answer to this question as there are actually many different types of meditation and so it is used for a variety of reasons, in the same way that hypnosis is used to help people in a number of ways.

Firstly, there are actually some similarities between hypnosis and meditation. They are both used very often for relaxation and both can reduce heart rate, blood pressure and the amount of stress hormones in the body. Another similarity is that both states involve brain waves changing from the alert state (beta waves) down to alpha brain waves, which indicate deep relaxation. Neither however take brain waves down to full delta brain waves, which is when we are asleep. Another similarity is that both hypnosis and mediatation also usually begin with some form of deep breathing and/or muscle relaxation exercise in order to relax the body and begin to quieten the mind.

The main difference between hypnosis and meditation is the outcome which is desired in many ways. Meditation is usually practiced with the intention of 'clearing' the mind completely from thought and the focus of meditation is the absence of any kind of stimulus. Hypnosis in contrast is usually focused on directing a person's thought toward a specific thing. So for example, when hypnosis is used to help people stop smoking, the focus will be on directing the person to think about all the bad consequences of smoking and/or how their life will be better as a non-smoker. Hypnosis can be used for general stress reduction/relaxation however even then, it will be more intentional and directive than meditation and involves accessing the unconscious part of the mind to bring forth certain bits of information that will be useful to the person in the present moment.

In summary, both hypnosis and meditation are excellent ways to access the mind's ability to overcome stress and be calm. However the difference is that meditation is generally used as a form of 'downtime' for the mind where it can be totally free from conscious thought, whereas hypnosis is used to change a specific behaviour pattern, whether it be over-eating, smoking or even having a phobic response to something. Hypnosis is therefore used more as a form of 'correction' or making a positive change in a person's life.

If you would like to find out how hypnotherapy might benefit you, please contact Christy for a free telephone consultation on 07527 576245 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

What to look for when choosing a Hypnotherapist

Searching for a hypnotherapist can be a daunting task, with so many to choose from on the internet, how do you decide who is going to be right for you?

Ultimately it will come down to who you like the look of and you may well end up going with your ‘gut instinct’, however the following pointers will help guide you in the right direction.

•  Professional Membership of a recognised association or society 

Any hypnotherapist who is running a full time professional practice should show they are a member of a professional body, such as the National Hypnotherapy and Counselling Society (HS and NCS), the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), the British Society for Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH) or the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH). When a hypnotherapist is registered with a body such as these, it means they adhere to a code of conduct and ethics. It also provides you the customer with a formal means of making a complaint should you need to and the relevant support. 

• Hypnotherapy Qualifications

You may find some hypnotherapists with a long list of letters after their name. Whilst this can look very impressive, be cautious that people are not just ‘padding’ their qualifications! Make sure any qualifications are RELEVANT to hypnotherapy. For example a BSc or MSc degree is all very well but it may not be anything to do with their therapy. In particular, look for either ‘DipHyp’ (Diploma in Hypnotherapy) or ‘HPD’ (Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma) as a minimum. Other relevant qualifications could include the letters; SportsHyp (Sports Hypnosis), NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), TFT (Thought Field Therapy). 

• Member of an Accredited Voluntary Register (AVR) scheme

Hypnotherapy is an unregulated industry so it does not have any formal professional standard applicable to training and qualification. The good news is that within the past 2 years, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) has created an Accredited Voluntary Register (AVR) scheme which accredits voluntary registers of people working in a variety of health and social care occupations, including Hypnotherapy.  

In order to be accredited, organisations that hold voluntary registers must prove that they meet the PSA’s demanding standards. This means the public can now choose to use people who are on a register that has been independently assessed and approved.  This provides assurance that the registers are well run and that they require their registrants to meet high standards of personal behaviour, technical competence and, where relevant, business practice. (Look out for this AVR logo)

• Evidence of Professional Insurance

A good hypnotherapist will be more than happy to provide details of their professional and public liability insurance including the details of the insurance company and policy number. This shows that the therapist is concerned and thoughtful about their practice and the clients they see and are willing to invest in their client's safety.

• Do they offer a niche or specific area of expertise?

Hypnotherapy is a very diverse form of therapy and can be very effective for wide variety of issues. Some hypnotherapists try to be all things to all people in order to market themselves as broadly as possible however. This does not make them a bad therapist, however a good therapist will often specialise in a just one or two areas which interest them in particular and which they may have additional qualifications. This means they are far more likely to have the knowledge and skills to help people in that area.

• Do they mention ‘stage hypnosis’ or hypnosis for entertainment purposes?

If you find a hypnotherapist who also offers stage hypnosis or does stage entertainment shows, my personal advice is be very cautious about going to see this person. Hypnosis done for therapeutic benefit and hypnosis done on a stage for entertainment are two completely different things. If someone has completed an online course in stage hypnosis, they will not necessarily have the relevant skills and knowledge to offer someone effective hypnotherapy for more serious issues such as trauma, anxiety and depression. Stage hypnosis is not governed by any code of ethics as the person is not obliged to act under the guidance of a professional organisation. Your own instinct should be your guide here and please be highly cautious.

• Look for testimonials

A really good hypnotherapist who regularly achieves successful results will naturally receive positive feedback and testimonials from happy clients. The hypnotherapist will naturally been keen to display this feedback to prospective clients, so take note of what other people say about a therapist on their website, social media etc, in particular what results they have achieved.

If you have any questions not covered here, please either email Christy or pick up the phone and I will be delighted to help in any way I can. I also offer a free, no-obligation, 20 minute telephone consultation to all. Email me: Christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call 07527 576245 

Do you suffer from the most common phobia in Britain? Don't look down...

According to the results of a new YouGov survey, it is the fear of heights (also known as acrophobia) which unnerve Brits the most, thereby consigning snakes (ophidophobia) and public speaking (glossophobia) into second and third respectively.

 Often thought of as one of the most common, arachnophobia - or the fear of spiders - only came in fourth place, followed by fears of small spaces (claustrophobia), mice (musophobia), needles (trypanophobia) and flying (pteromerhanophobia). 
Perhaps unsurprisingly, YouGov sought to detail the 13 most common fears - although ironically, fear of that number (triskaidekaphobia) didn't feature. Instead, the remainder was made up of crowds (agoraphobia), clowns (coulrophobia), the dark (nyctophobia), blood (hemophobia) and finally, dogs (cynophobia).

So if you have one of these phobias and it is affecting your life significantly, what can you do about it? One way to deal with a phobia is to avoid the thing you are scared of. That might be relatively easy if it's snakes, however most people come across a situation where they are 'high up' frequently - even if it's driving across a bridge. So rather than run away, consider trying hypnotherapy to help beat that fear. 

Hypnotherapy uses a variety of natural techniques to help you use the power of your imagination to reduce the panic associated with phobias and to dissociate you from the immediate "flight" (or run away) response. Most people feel they have no control whatsoever when faced with their phobia - after all we often don't get any warning it will happen - so hypnotherapy can help give you back a sense of control so you can deal with the fear calmly and more rationally.

For more information, please visit my website: http://www.christyhypnotherapy.com/howcanihelpyou.aspx or give me a call for a free consultation: 07527 576245.

Try hypnosis for a good night's sleep

If you have trouble sleeping at night, is your first thought to reach for the bottle of sleeping pills? If so, STOP! Hypnotherapy might be able to help instead providing a far more natural and long-lasting positive result.

A recent article published in 'The New Age' online magazine talked about the results of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Zurich which concluded that hypnosis can increase the quality of sleep, eliminating the need for medications. The effects of hypnosis on sleep have long been questioned by the medical community so this study opens up promising opportunities for improving the quality of sleep without drugs.

The study involved 70 healthy young women who were invited to the sleep laboratory at the Universtiy for a 90-minute midday nap. Whist there a test group listened to 13 minutes of pre-recorded hypnosis before sleeping, and the control group listened to neutral dialogue over loudspeakers.

 

The results showed that  most hypnotizable participants experienced an 80 percent increase in slow wave sleep. This sudy did limit the participants to women, due to their increased responsiveness to hypnosis on average, so it would also be interesting to conduct this study with men to see if the results are similar of course.

 

Whislt this is only one study conducted with a limited audience, the results show that there IS another option rather than turning to the drugs to help improve quality of sleep. Hypnotherapists world over have been using hypnosis for years to help people sleep better so it is wonderful that it is now being recognised formally and education is being enhanced. "The results may be of major importance for patients with sleep problems and for older adults," says psychologist and study leader Maren Cordi. "In contrast to many sleep-inducing drugs, hypnosis has no adverse side effects."

 

If you experience problems with your sleep, please call Christy today on 07527 576245 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com for more information and a no-obligation free telephone consultation.

Hypnotherapy - not just for phobias, smoking and weight loss!

I recently read an article in the Lancaster Guardian about how the power of Hypnosis helped a 30 year old girl recover from a devastating Cancer diagnosis. Fortunately for the girl (Suzanne), she was diagnosed early and managed to receive surgery to remove all traces of the cancer without the need for medication and further treatment. However it was only after her surgery however that Suzanne began to struggle emotionally as a result of the traumatic health scare. She lost all confidence in life which left her feeling depressed and finding it difficult to cope.

Fortunately she was referred to a local Cancer support group who offered her some hypnotherapy to help her cope better with what she'd been through. One of the best quotes from the article for me was Suzanne saying "Hypnotherapy is just like receiving an injection of positive thoughts". I love this as it shows how for her, the Hypnotherapy was obviously the positive injection she needed in her life which meant she was able to deal with everything that had happened to her.

This may be a little misleading for some people though as unfortunately Hypnotherapy is no injection or tablet you can take to make all your ailments or issues disappear! Many a time I've had clients contact me wanting a "quick fix" as medication has't worked or they've tried "everything else".

I wanted to quote this story as it shows how Hypnotherapy can have many other positive uses outside of the 'usual' issues people normally associate with having hypnosis, such as to stop smoking, lose weight or overcome a phobia. This is not about curing Cancer... unfortunately there is no 100% definitive cure as yet. However many people who are struggling with something in their life might not even consider having Hypnotherapy... either because they think they are not "bad enough" or that they "should be able to cope on their own".

I would like to reassure ANYONE who would like to change something in their life for the better to consider trying Hypnotherapy. You never know what it might be able to do for you! Why not call me today on 01252 334377 for a free 15 minute no-obligation consultation to see if Hypnotherapy could help you. Or email me at christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.

To read the full story about Suzanne and her experiences, click here: http://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/local/how-the-power-of-hypnosis-helped-local-girl-recover-from-a-devastating-cancer-diagnosis-1-6491490

The 60th Anniversary of the 4 minute mile. What could belief do for you?

60 years ago on the 6th May 1954, Sir Roger Bannister was the first man alive to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. At the time Roger, who was a medical student and physiologist, broke through the 'cement wall' which, until then, most people believed was physically impossible.

But what is even more amazing than this historical sporting achievement in itself is that in the 18 months following Roger's new record, another 45 other people went on to do the same! So until this day 60 years ago, no one believed it was possible to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. And because no one believed it was possible, no one had done it. Once it had been shown that it was possible, people naturally started to believe that they also could do the same. Once they believed it was possible, it became possible!

 Today, running a mile in less than 4 minutes is something a great many athletes achieve on a regular basis. It's become a much more 'achieveable' thing for many people to do. This is just one example of how belief changed people's perceptions of something, literally overnight. There are of course many other examples of this, but the most important thing for us all to realise is that "belief" can have such a huge impact on our lives.

Think now about whether there are any beliefs you hold about yourself (or your ability to do something) which are actually holding you back and stopping you from achieving what you are truly capable of. If something comes to mind, think about how what you would do if you knew without fail, that it was possible - all you have to do is give it a go? I'm sure Roger did not know 100% for sure that we was capable of running the mile in 3 minutes and 54 seconds, but he tried anyway.

Henry Ford is famous for saying "whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right". Challenge your beliefs today!

For more information on how hypnotherapy can help you challenge your beliefs, contact Christy on 01252 334377 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

Hypnotherapy in the news: Jennifer Saunders has hypnotherapy to overcome procrastination

Jennifer Saunders, known by many as "Eddie" in the TV show Absolutely Fabulous starring alongside Joanna Lumley, has recently announced that she will be writing a fillm script to take the well known television show to the big screen. She admits however that she's suffered with terrible procrastination and was struggling to focus whilst trying to write the film script.

In an attempt to help, she decided to seek help from a hypnotherapist to overcome her procrastination. Revealing for the first time the extent of the struggle she has faced in writing the script, first mooted in 2011, she said: “I am actually having treatment, hypnotherapy, for procrastination. What my hypnotist said was to get rid of the backpack of negativity.”

This is by no means an isolated account of hypnosis being used to help overcome procrastination. Over the years I have had a number of clients come to see me either complaining of a lack of focus in their life or a feeling of "just not being able to get things done". There may be a number of reasons WHY people find it hard to do something in their life - it could be the result of a busy family life, work stress etc - however I find a lot of the time it is mainly down to a fear or anxiety about doing something in case they don't succeed or are rejected.

The great part about having hypnotherapy to overcome procrastination is that it can get right to the crux of these fears and replace them with positive suggestions and motivational visualisations for success. I also find it helpful to do pre-recorded CD's or MP3's for many of my clients which allows them to continue the positve effects of the hypnosis in between sessions. Over a short period of time, this helps the person get rid of that backpack of negativity as Jennifer describes, so they can just get on and do it!

You can download a pre-recorded MP3 from my 'Downloads' page specifically designed to help overcome procrastination, including a 1 minute free preview to give you an idea of what it's like. If you would like to arrange a one-to-one consultation with Christy, please email christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call 07527 576245.

Discovering Your 'A' Game

The following post has been inspired by the work of Kristine Eiring and Colleen Hathaway, who are authors of the book 'Mindfulness and Sport Psychology for Athletes'. The 3 A's model and imagery has been reproduced with kind permission from the authors.

Over the past few years of working with athletes, I've come across so many cases where the person feels they've either "lost control" of their emotions when they play their sport or that they find themselves overthinking their emotions and dwelling on mistakes. Many athletes now recognise that the mental aspects of sport are just as important as physical training however most do not apply the same amount of time to enhancing their mental skills, as they do their body! The end result of this is that even though the person knows they have the technical ability to perform their sport, they feel as though their brain is letting them down.

One technique which I've found extremely helpful for many of my clients is the concept of mindfulness. Mindfulness is essentially about being in the moment and allowing thoughts to come and go without judgement. To explain this to clients I often refer my clients to the book 'Mindfulness and Sport Psychology for Athletes' written by Kris Eiring and Colleen Hathaway who are both athletes themselves and who devote their work helping athletes perform at their best.

In their book, the authors present the concept of the 3 A's…  Awareness, Acceptance and Action. They represent this concept in the following infographic:

Essentially this simple yet effective model helps teach an athlete the 3 key steps to understanding and achieving mindfulness, which can in turn help them to feel more in control of their emotions, meaning they will be much less likely to 'lose it' at the vital moment in the game or race. The fact is negative thoughts happen to us all - even the most talented and ‘mentally tough’ performer. The key it turns out, is how you deal with these thoughts… the action you decide to take. Rather than be at the mercy of your emotions, you can give yourself the permission to observe these without judgement, let go and move on to the next point, putt or goal.

To find out more from Kris and Colleen, they publish a huge array of interesting articles and advice for athletes on their website http://www.psychologyofsport.net/

  

If you would like to find out how you can learn mindfulness with the aid of hypnosis, please contact Christy christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call 07527 576245 for a free telephone consultation.

The secret of happy people

The secret is... You are already happy!

Picture the sunshine, always shining bright and radiant. You know the sun is there but the trouble is we don't always see it! This is also true of our happiness which actually already exists within us. Happiness is innate, we are born happy; it's in our DNA.

Look at new born babies - ok they get upset now and again... But when their needs are met (they are fed, watered, clean and safe) then they return to a gurgling state of joy and contentment! As adults we do actually instinctively know what happiness is, we know what it feels like and we don't have to figure it out. But when the many turbulances of life arrive, bringing conflict, pain and heartbreak, we become disconnnected from our happiness, just like a forgotten memory. We then convince ourselves we've forgotten how to be happy.

To remind yourself all you need to do is find a photograph of yourself looking happy or even just remember a time in your life when you were really happy. Imagine you can look into the eyes of that happy person and see the happiness that exists as a powerful reminder of your inner happiness which has always been there. You have the ability to be happy anytime you wish!

Using hypnotherapy can be a wonderful way to rediscover your inner happiness by using the power of your imagination, combined with positive suggestions which are absorbed by your unconscious mind. You should expect to feel happier after just one session, with more significant improvements after another two or three. Contact Christy now at christy@christyhypnotherapy.com for a free telephone consultation.

Inspiration for this article taken from the 'Happiness Project' which is a training project that offer an annual programme of public events. Happiness NOW is the name of their 8-week flagship course.

What is an accredited voluntary register (AVR) and what does it mean for someone looking for Hypnotherapy?

If you’re looking for a therapist, you should now only choose one on an Accredited Voluntary Register approved by the Professional Standards Authority.

An Accredited Voluntary Register is the result of a new scheme set up by the Department of Health, and administered by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) who are an independent body, accountable to Parliament. The Authority oversees statutory registers such as the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council.

As a Professional Member of the National Hypnotherapy Society (HS)  I am able to display the Accredited Voluntary Register quality mark, a sign that I belong to a register which meets the Professional Standards Authority  robust standards. (logo)

What this means for you, as a member of the public, is that you have the option of seeking a therapist on a register that has been vetted and approved. All hypnotherapists should now therefore belong to an AVR as clients will increasingly become aware of the scheme and will wish to choose the added public safeguards of seeing a therapist on such a register.

Having been vetted, I have demonstrated my personal commitment to meeting high professional standards, to enhancing safety and delivering a better service and as such have been approved to join the National Hypnotherapy Society's accredited voluntary register.

The fact that I am a registrant on the Hypnotherapy Society Accredited Voluntary Register, should offer you peace of mind and enhanced protection as a client and you can be sure that the service you receive from me will be of a high standard.

For more information about the AVR scheme an d how it affects you, please use the following links:

National Hypnotherapy Society: http://www.nationalhypnotherapysociety.org/our-regulated-status/looking-for-therapy/

Professional Standard Authority: http://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/voluntary-registers

NB: It must be stressed that I am not personally accredited by the Professional Standards Authority; it is the voluntary register, held by the Society that is accredited (the HS). Equally, no treatment or service I provide is endorsed by either the Professional Standards Authority or by the Government.

Christy on Natural Health Radio - new show 'Change Your Own Mind' - Friday 18th April at 11am

Regular listeners to my show 'Christy Hypnotherapy' which is aired on Natural Health Radio every other Friday, will from this week onwards, be hearing me under the new name of 'Change Your Own Mind'. The reason for changing the name is to reflect the wide variety of content which now goes out on my show. Whilst I still talk about hypnotherapy related topics, I have also had the pleasure of doing interviews with a wide range of people over the past few months, including therapists, sports people, business people and book authors.

I also wanted my show to be a resource for people to listen to to hear about all sorts of ways in which you can "change your own mind" for the better! All the wonderful people I get to speak with are all related in some way to helping people get the most out of life, by improving your physcial and mental health.

So this name change is not about being indecisive in changing your mind, quite the opposite in fact! It represents a choice you have to change the way you are currently thinking which is causing you to feel negative about yourself or your life and instead to lead a more happy, productive and healthy life.

On Friday 18th, I will speaking with the fabulous Tone Tellefson-Hughes from the Luck's Yard Chiropractic Clinic in Milford and then I will be joined by the lovely Andrea Detchon who is the 'Joy Scientist'.

Listen live at 11am on Friday to find out more!
http://naturalhealthradio.co.uk

"How to Tame your Tiger" - words from motivational speaker, Jim Lawless

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending a convention where they had a guest speaker named Jim Lawless. Personally I'd not come across Jim before however anyone involved in either Horse Racing or the Freediving world would definitely know him. These might sound like two completely unrelated sports however Jim Lawless proves that if you are able to 'Tame your Tiger', anything is possible!

I won't go into detail about Jim's story (you can Google him to read about his interesting career so far) however the most important thing is that Jim started out as someone who made a normal living with a relatively normal day job. Once day someone challenged him to an unusual bet which involved him going from an overweight and unfit man in his thirties who'd never ridden a horse in his life, to becoming a televised jockey in 12 months. He won the bet!

In his talk, Jim described how at first, his 'inner tiger' roared to him about how this was an impossible task, one which someone like him could never achieve and that he was bonkers to try. But by challenging himself to overcome these obstacles (both physical AND mental) Jim showed just what is possible when you put your mind to it. He decided to capture how he did this in a set of rules which he describes as "how to tame the tiger". In 2010 he went on to use this "Taming Tigers" approach to become Britain's deepest Freediver.

I wanted to share my thoughts on Jim's talk as the most poignant rule for me was to "re-write your rulebook and challenge it hourly". Jim asked the audience a question, which was "are you writing the story of your life or are you letting someone else do it?". Personally this struck a chord with me and I would guess that there are many other people out there who feel like someone else is holding the pen which writes the story of your life. If you feel this way, I would encourage you to first recognise this and then to do something about taking back control to begin writing your own story - and make it a blockbuster!

Hypnotherapy can help YOU take back control over your life story by helping you let go of limiting beliefs and understanding what makes you tick. Get in touch today for a free telephone consultation: 07527 576245 or email chirsty@christyhypnotherapy.com.

Radio interview with Bernardo Moya from 'The Best You' and NLP Life - Friday 4th April

On Friday 4th April at 11am on Natural Health Radio I'm delighted to have the opportunity to be interviewing firstly, Bernardo Moya who is CEO, Publisher & Editor of the Best You magazine and the company 'NLP Life'. Bernardo is an author, speaker, businessman and Entrepeneur. He manages the largest NLP Training company in the UK and Europe, and promotes seminars for Richard Bandler, Paul McKenna and John La Valle through a business call NLP Life: www.nlplifetraining.com

He is also editor of The Best You Magazine and Best you Internet portal which is dedicated to life enhancing, self empowerment content and seminars. To read this magazine online go to: http://thebestyoumagazine.co/

Bernardo will be talking about how discovered NLP and how he uses it to be the 'best him'! We will also talk about the meteoric rise in the popularity of NLP over the past few years and why so many people are talking about it and using it to improve their lives.

I will also be speaking again with Tim from the Massage Hut. This week Tim will be talking all about how deep tissue massage can help people with Frozen Shoulder.

Listen live here: http://bit.ly/1fCBXx8 It's going to be a great show!

National No Smoking Day - 12th March

Today is National No Smoking Day!

  

No Smoking Day is a yearly event to get smokers who want to quit started on the path to quitting for good.

  

The aim of the campaign is for people to quit on No Smoking Day - even if it's just for that day - to prove to themselves that it is possible, and kickstart their desire to quit, and stay quit.

The British Heart Foundation say: "Whether you're someone who's quit smoking and wants to inspire others, a healthcare professional or addiction specialist, an office worker, a school teacher, part of the armed forces or the prison service, we need you to help us make No Smoking Day a roaring success".

Find out more on the British Heart Foundation No Smoking Day website here. 

If you are reading this thinking, "yes I want to stop but I'm not sure whether I can do it" or "I've been a smoker for such a long time, I just don't know if it's possible for me to quit" then consider having hypnotherapy to help you quit for good. Hypnotherapy is a great way to work with the power of your own mind to turn a habit around.

So pick up the phone and call me on 01252 334377 or email me at Christy@christyhypnotherapy.com for a free telephone consultation.

Hypnotherapy Workshop - Saturday 8th March

On Saturday 8th March I am delighted to announce that I will be giving a FREE workshop on Hypnotherapy at the Wellness Day event. During this workshop I will be talking discussing what hypnotherapy is (and isn't!) and dispelling some of the myths and misconceptions about hypnosis. I will also be doing a short demonstration, so if you've ever wondered what it's like to experience hypnotherapy, please come along!

If you have any questions you would like to ask about hypnotherapy before you come along on Saturday, please feel free to email me: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com

This Wellness Day is a fantastic event which has been held in Guildford for the past few years and has now grown to include over 40 stalls, with demonstrations of a wide range of therapies including Massage, Kinesiology, Bowen, Reflexology, Homeopathy and even Magnetic Jewelry. Throughout the day you will be able to meet and talk to a wide range of therapists, sample some healthy food in the cafe and even experience taster sessions.

This event is open to members of the public and entry is just £2 per person. For more information, please go to: http://www.gwch.org.uk/index.php?page=27