With the 'Royal birth' imminent towards the end of this month, the papers have recently been filled with stories about how Kate Middleton has been practicing hypnobirthing techniques to help her prepare for the birth of her child.
Despite the recent spark in interest, Hypnobirthing is actually nothing new and has been used by many celebrity Mum's in the past including Jessica Alba, Pamela Anderson and Cindy Crawford. Hypnobirthing should by no means be considered the latest celebrity trend however... women from all walks of life have been benefiting from using self-hypnosis to aid child-birth for many years. The NHS is now even funding research into how hypnobirthing could be used to help reduce the number of birthing complications and reduce the need for drugs.
The idea behind hypnobirthing is that women use
specific breathing exercises and visualisation techniques at different
stages of labour to relax the
body, helping to combat pain
and
lessening the need for an epidural. There are many options for Mum's to be and generally training involves either a home-study programme working from support materials or alternatively couples can attend classes or workshops together so that the Father can also be involved in the process. Anyone interested in considering using hypnobirthing should of course contact a professionally trained hypnotherapist for more personalised advice and support when considering birthing options.
Friday, 19 July 2013
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
French firemen testing hypnosis to help accident victims
Hypnosis has, for some time, had a less than favourable reputation which has mainly been borne out of the world of stage hypnotists getting people to do silly things on stage. In recent years however, hypnotherapy has become much more an accepted and respected form of intervention and even treatment in many different areas, including childbirth, smoking cessation and trauma recovery.
In France, the idea that Hypnotherapy can complement traditional first aid assistance is now being put to the test in the world of firefighting. At the Haguenau fire station in the Alsace region of France, 120 firemen have been trained in basic medical hypnosis which they can use to soothe someone trapped under rubble or in a car following an accident, or even a person suffering an asthma attack.
The basic idea is that while firefighters arriving on the scene of an accident get to work tending to the injured or cutting a victim free, those staff who have been trained in hypnosis establish a more personal link with the person and divert his attention away from the trauma of the scene.
The Haguenau fire station manager David Ernenwein says he is convinced that the method is useful. He says, "We have all noticed that when we hold someone's hand, things go better, even if we did not label it as 'hypnosis'. The first thing that we can do to help people is to calm them down, and this technique has given us the tools to be able to do that, to help people suffer less".
Whilst the firefighters have only received basic training in hypnosis so far, they have begun to be able to use simple hypnotic techniques so that instead of focusing on the person's pain, the emphasis is on his wellbeing. Typically the firefighters speak in a calm and measured voice and are careful to avoid any negative words.
Initial evaluations seem to be showing significant benefits and officials at the firefighters ministry are apparently "cautiously optimistic" about the Alsace experiment. Their results will be carefully monitored over the next 6 months - I personally look forward to reading the feedback!
For more information about hypnotherapy for trauma recovery, please email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
In France, the idea that Hypnotherapy can complement traditional first aid assistance is now being put to the test in the world of firefighting. At the Haguenau fire station in the Alsace region of France, 120 firemen have been trained in basic medical hypnosis which they can use to soothe someone trapped under rubble or in a car following an accident, or even a person suffering an asthma attack.
The basic idea is that while firefighters arriving on the scene of an accident get to work tending to the injured or cutting a victim free, those staff who have been trained in hypnosis establish a more personal link with the person and divert his attention away from the trauma of the scene.
The Haguenau fire station manager David Ernenwein says he is convinced that the method is useful. He says, "We have all noticed that when we hold someone's hand, things go better, even if we did not label it as 'hypnosis'. The first thing that we can do to help people is to calm them down, and this technique has given us the tools to be able to do that, to help people suffer less".
Whilst the firefighters have only received basic training in hypnosis so far, they have begun to be able to use simple hypnotic techniques so that instead of focusing on the person's pain, the emphasis is on his wellbeing. Typically the firefighters speak in a calm and measured voice and are careful to avoid any negative words.
Initial evaluations seem to be showing significant benefits and officials at the firefighters ministry are apparently "cautiously optimistic" about the Alsace experiment. Their results will be carefully monitored over the next 6 months - I personally look forward to reading the feedback!
For more information about hypnotherapy for trauma recovery, please email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Do you have a phobia? So does half of the UK!
The International Business Times has recently reported that around 50% of adults in the UK suffer from a phobia (read the full article by following this link: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/462131/20130428/phobia-week-morning-itv-nik-eva-speakman.htm) A survey was conducted by ITV and found that around a third are afraid of heights, one in seven afraid of flying and one in ten have a phobia of spiders.
Out of the respondants of this survey, a scary seven percent said their phobia had actually cost them their job, with one in ten saying their relationships had been affected.
So if you are going through life thinking you are the only one with a phobia of something, don't worry - you are not alone!
Being able to get treatment for a phobia could therefore have a hugely positive impact on people's lives, potentially reducing these negatives impacts on both work and personal lives.
If you have a phobia, it may well be worth seeking out a good hypnotherapist in your area to help you overcome your fear. Suffer no longer!
If you have any questions about hypnotherapy for phobias, please email Christy for a no-obligation consultation or advice: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
Out of the respondants of this survey, a scary seven percent said their phobia had actually cost them their job, with one in ten saying their relationships had been affected.
So if you are going through life thinking you are the only one with a phobia of something, don't worry - you are not alone!
Being able to get treatment for a phobia could therefore have a hugely positive impact on people's lives, potentially reducing these negatives impacts on both work and personal lives.
If you have a phobia, it may well be worth seeking out a good hypnotherapist in your area to help you overcome your fear. Suffer no longer!
If you have any questions about hypnotherapy for phobias, please email Christy for a no-obligation consultation or advice: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Your posture could help improve your mood
It is a fairly well known fact that having good posture is very important to maintain a healthy body and that a bad posture can lead to physical problems later in life. But were you aware that a bad posture could also be having a negative effect of your mood and state of mental health?
Studies have even been conducted to find out how posture can actually impact your mood and results consistently show that how you hold your body can dramatically influence your 'happiness' levels. One example is of work conducted by Tal Shafir, Ph.D who is a specialist in dance movement therapy and neuroscience at the University of Haifa in Israel. He recently conducted some research into how movements can affect mood. He claims that, "When we make a gesture and the movements are related to a specific emotion, it can elicit or create that emotion in us". Shafir suggests dancing as good way to do this, or if you don't have music try jumping, skipping and other rhythmic movements.
Other studies have shown that postures such as slouching and walking with hunched shoulders send 'sad' signals to our brain. Whereas certain lighter happy movements can send 'happy' signals to our brain, brightening our mood.
So the next time you are standing talking to someone or perhaps out walking the dog, take a moment to notice your own posture. Are you slouching, leaning forward or staring at the ground? If so, try standing tall, hold your head up and look up to the sky and see how it makes you feel!
These techniques, combined with hypnotherapy, could be used to help improve your overall well being. If you are interested to find out more, please email Christy: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
Studies have even been conducted to find out how posture can actually impact your mood and results consistently show that how you hold your body can dramatically influence your 'happiness' levels. One example is of work conducted by Tal Shafir, Ph.D who is a specialist in dance movement therapy and neuroscience at the University of Haifa in Israel. He recently conducted some research into how movements can affect mood. He claims that, "When we make a gesture and the movements are related to a specific emotion, it can elicit or create that emotion in us". Shafir suggests dancing as good way to do this, or if you don't have music try jumping, skipping and other rhythmic movements.
Other studies have shown that postures such as slouching and walking with hunched shoulders send 'sad' signals to our brain. Whereas certain lighter happy movements can send 'happy' signals to our brain, brightening our mood.
So the next time you are standing talking to someone or perhaps out walking the dog, take a moment to notice your own posture. Are you slouching, leaning forward or staring at the ground? If so, try standing tall, hold your head up and look up to the sky and see how it makes you feel!
These techniques, combined with hypnotherapy, could be used to help improve your overall well being. If you are interested to find out more, please email Christy: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
Thursday, 2 May 2013
You are more beautiful than you think...
The inspiration behind this blog title actually came from an advert I recently saw on TV ... in the ad, a selection of women on the street were asked to name the part of their body they liked the most. Without exception, everyone of them really struggled to come up with something. Next they were asked to name a part of their friends body they liked the most and this time they were all instantly able to come up with something, ranging from eyes, skin, nose (and even bottom!).
I would now like you to ask yourself... could you name the part of your body you loved the most? If you were to ask a friend the same question, what would they say about you?
So what was this advert for? Well it was actually for Dove soap. For years, Dove have linked their products to increased self-esteem... no one is saying that soap is going to make you feel better about yourself but I think this particular advert raises an important question... why is most women find it so difficult to appreciate our own bodies and feel confident about what we have?
After some more research, I came across an article in the online advertising magazine "Adweek", which reported that Dove hired a criminal sketch artist to draw 2 sketches of a selection of women - the first sketch was based on the woman's description of herself and the second was based on a description provided by a stranger the woman has just met. As you can guess, the differences between the two images were vast! You can read the full article and watch a video of this by following this link: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/dove-hires-criminal-sketch-artist-draw-women-they-see-themselves-and-others-see-them-148613.
I found it extremely touching to see the women's reactions when they were presented with the two sketches of themselves and it was clear some of the women were truly shocked that a stranger could see so many positive and attractive features which they had totally ignored or even worse, turned into negative features.
It would seem that we are all able to appreciate positive parts of someone else, however we find it much harder to appreciate our own bodies. Is this just most women not wanting to appear overconfident? Or that is it somehow 'fashionable' to put yourself down? Perhaps these things might be true, however low self esteem about one's appearance can affect anyone and can sometimes lead to terrible consequences, including depression and eating disorders.
So can hypnotherapy help you realise that you are more beatiful than you think? The answer is 'yes' and in a number of ways. If weight is an issue, there is nothing wrong with having goals and hypnotherapy can help you strive towards becoming a better version of yourself. At the same time, hypnotherapy can help you to overcome any limiting beliefs about yourself so you can appreciate what you actually already have.
If you have any questions, please contact Christy today on christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
I would now like you to ask yourself... could you name the part of your body you loved the most? If you were to ask a friend the same question, what would they say about you?
So what was this advert for? Well it was actually for Dove soap. For years, Dove have linked their products to increased self-esteem... no one is saying that soap is going to make you feel better about yourself but I think this particular advert raises an important question... why is most women find it so difficult to appreciate our own bodies and feel confident about what we have?
After some more research, I came across an article in the online advertising magazine "Adweek", which reported that Dove hired a criminal sketch artist to draw 2 sketches of a selection of women - the first sketch was based on the woman's description of herself and the second was based on a description provided by a stranger the woman has just met. As you can guess, the differences between the two images were vast! You can read the full article and watch a video of this by following this link: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/dove-hires-criminal-sketch-artist-draw-women-they-see-themselves-and-others-see-them-148613.
I found it extremely touching to see the women's reactions when they were presented with the two sketches of themselves and it was clear some of the women were truly shocked that a stranger could see so many positive and attractive features which they had totally ignored or even worse, turned into negative features.
It would seem that we are all able to appreciate positive parts of someone else, however we find it much harder to appreciate our own bodies. Is this just most women not wanting to appear overconfident? Or that is it somehow 'fashionable' to put yourself down? Perhaps these things might be true, however low self esteem about one's appearance can affect anyone and can sometimes lead to terrible consequences, including depression and eating disorders.
So can hypnotherapy help you realise that you are more beatiful than you think? The answer is 'yes' and in a number of ways. If weight is an issue, there is nothing wrong with having goals and hypnotherapy can help you strive towards becoming a better version of yourself. At the same time, hypnotherapy can help you to overcome any limiting beliefs about yourself so you can appreciate what you actually already have.
If you have any questions, please contact Christy today on christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Hypnotherapy in the news: Rosario Dawson converted to hypnotherapy after starring in 'Trance'
The Independent News paper recently published an article all about the experiences of actress Rosario Dawson as she prepared for her role as a hypnotherapist in Danny Boyle's latest film, "Trance".
Personally I think Rosario was very sensible to go to see a hypnotherapist herself before she began the filming so she was able to develop her role in the film based on her own experiences. Despite the fact that hypnosis is becoming a far more familiar and accepted form of therapy, there are still many misconceptions about exactly what hypnosis does (and indeed does not) do.
It was fascinating to read in the article that Danny Boyle said he had not tried hypnotherapy himself as he thinks (and I quote), "Directors are control freaks and I don't think they ever relax enough to be a useful subject for a hypnotist". I've actually had many new clients come to see me saying the same thing... many people who class themselves as 'control freaks' think they may not be good at being hypnotised as they do not like to be out of control and cannot relax. I then happily explain to them that in fact the contrary is true... people who like to be in control are actually very good at hypnosis as they are usually very self-aware people and therefore have a fantastic ability to tap into the power of their own mind. Good 'hypnotisability' generally involves having a good imagination, being able to focus on something very specifically and also being aware of your own thoughts and emotions. If Danny Boyle knew that, perhaps he would have given it a go!
You can view the full article by following this link: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/rosario-dawson-converted-to-hypnotherapy-after-starring-in-trance-8541723.html?origin=internalSearch
So if you are a 'control freak' yourself and would like to find out how hypnotherapy might be able to help you move forward in an area of your own life, please email Christy at christy@christyhypnotherapy.com for a free consultation.
Personally I think Rosario was very sensible to go to see a hypnotherapist herself before she began the filming so she was able to develop her role in the film based on her own experiences. Despite the fact that hypnosis is becoming a far more familiar and accepted form of therapy, there are still many misconceptions about exactly what hypnosis does (and indeed does not) do.
It was fascinating to read in the article that Danny Boyle said he had not tried hypnotherapy himself as he thinks (and I quote), "Directors are control freaks and I don't think they ever relax enough to be a useful subject for a hypnotist". I've actually had many new clients come to see me saying the same thing... many people who class themselves as 'control freaks' think they may not be good at being hypnotised as they do not like to be out of control and cannot relax. I then happily explain to them that in fact the contrary is true... people who like to be in control are actually very good at hypnosis as they are usually very self-aware people and therefore have a fantastic ability to tap into the power of their own mind. Good 'hypnotisability' generally involves having a good imagination, being able to focus on something very specifically and also being aware of your own thoughts and emotions. If Danny Boyle knew that, perhaps he would have given it a go!
You can view the full article by following this link: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/rosario-dawson-converted-to-hypnotherapy-after-starring-in-trance-8541723.html?origin=internalSearch
So if you are a 'control freak' yourself and would like to find out how hypnotherapy might be able to help you move forward in an area of your own life, please email Christy at christy@christyhypnotherapy.com for a free consultation.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Seeing things in a different light
Have you ever experienced something which caused you to see a situation in a totally different light? As we go through life, we experience the world and our interactions with others based on previous experiences and conditioning... in other words we build up our own "map of the world" which we use to guide ourselves around. However these maps are not reality and other people will have their own "maps" which they use to guide them; and sometimes these can differ drastically to our own.
To illustrate this, I'd like to quote a short story which was originally told by Frank Kock in Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute:
Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvrers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow."
"Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out.
Lookout replied "Steady captain," which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with it.
The captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees."
Back came a signal, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees."
The captain said, "Send, I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees."
"I'm a seaman second class," came the reply. "You had better change course 20 degrees."
By that time the captain was furious. He spat out, "Send, I'm a battleship, Change course 20 degrees."
Back came the flashing light, "I'm a lighthouse."
We changed course.
The shift in understanding (known as a "paradigm shift") experience by this captain - and by us as we read this account - puts the situation in a totally different light. We can see in this story how the captains reality is superceded by his limited perception - with potentially disasterous consequences! Have you ever had an experience where you knew your reality to be true and then something happened which showed you the actual (objective) reality of that situation? This objective reality of the lighthouse is as critical for us to understand in our daily lives as it was for the captain in the fog.
This is by no means a quick and easy task for anyone. There are no rights and wrongs. The most important thing is to understand what paradigms make up the lens through which YOU see the world and to gain more of an understanding about how your own experiences throughout your life can dramatically shape your world. And remember there are many lighthouses out there!
If you would like to gain a better understanding of your own thoughts, emotions and behaviour patterns, hypnotherapy might be just what you are looking for. Please call Christy for a telephone consultation on 01252 334377 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com
To illustrate this, I'd like to quote a short story which was originally told by Frank Kock in Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute:
Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvrers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow."
"Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out.
Lookout replied "Steady captain," which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with it.
The captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees."
Back came a signal, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees."
The captain said, "Send, I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees."
"I'm a seaman second class," came the reply. "You had better change course 20 degrees."
By that time the captain was furious. He spat out, "Send, I'm a battleship, Change course 20 degrees."
Back came the flashing light, "I'm a lighthouse."
We changed course.
The shift in understanding (known as a "paradigm shift") experience by this captain - and by us as we read this account - puts the situation in a totally different light. We can see in this story how the captains reality is superceded by his limited perception - with potentially disasterous consequences! Have you ever had an experience where you knew your reality to be true and then something happened which showed you the actual (objective) reality of that situation? This objective reality of the lighthouse is as critical for us to understand in our daily lives as it was for the captain in the fog.
This is by no means a quick and easy task for anyone. There are no rights and wrongs. The most important thing is to understand what paradigms make up the lens through which YOU see the world and to gain more of an understanding about how your own experiences throughout your life can dramatically shape your world. And remember there are many lighthouses out there!
If you would like to gain a better understanding of your own thoughts, emotions and behaviour patterns, hypnotherapy might be just what you are looking for. Please call Christy for a telephone consultation on 01252 334377 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com
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