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.
Thursday, 2 May 2013
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
Monday, 4 March 2013
Hypnotherapy in the news - Stars use hypnotherapy to overcome stage fright
According to website nme.com, celebrities have recently been turning to hypnotherapy in a bid to help them cure stage fright. Some of the biggest names in music have discovered that hypnotherapy can help them beat their demons and perform at their best.
One such celeb is award-winning singer Adele who is rumoured to have seen a hypnotherapist in Los Angeles to help her prepare for big events. She sang the James Bond theme 'Skyfall' at this year's Oscars in what could be classed as one of the biggest performances of her career. The star was said to have been suffering from sleepless nights and panic attacks due to her nerves over performing at the Academy Awards. She has spoken out about her stage fright in the past, claiming to have been sick before big performances.
41-year-old Dido is another singer who has admitted using hypnotherapy before to combat her fears. She said: "I went to hypnotherapy for stage fright years ago and it completely worked. I always get nervous, but it was getting to the point where it would mess with my singing."
She went on to say that there was a difference between getting nervous and having a meltdown. The hypnotherapy appears to have allowed her to distinguish between the two and ensures she can give the best performance possible.
Performing on stage in front of millions might seems worlds away from the daily challenges experienced by the likes of us mere mortals, however in reality, giving a presentation in front of our work colleagues or standing up to give a wedding speech can be just as daunting. If you would like to find out how hynotherapy could help YOU achieve your full potential, please email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call Christy on 01252 334377 for a free telephone consultation.
Friday, 22 February 2013
Personal reflections: "Red thoughts"
I've had a couple of fairly major injuries over the years from snowboarding (inlcuding a torn ACL and a dislocated elbow) and last week unfortunately I misjudged a jump in the board park, landing on my hand and damaging a ligament in my wrist. I am now 'proudly' sporting a plaster cast on my right arm and managing to see the lighter side of things, however I have to admit my thoughts were not so positive in the first 24 hours after it happened. I now want to take this opportunity to share some personal reflections and some of my own learnings of how to deal with injury or setback.
You would be forgiven for thinking that because I am well aware of the "theory" of psychology that I would have no trouble putting all the same things I help clients with, into practice myself. Unfortunately however it's not always as easy as that - this stuff takes practice! So there I was last week, being told that my arm would need to be put in a plaster cast and instantly my head was full of "red thoughts"...you may be familiar with how they go - "What an idiot I am to have fallen over! Now I've ruined the holiday" and "This will probably take ages to heal now, I'm so stupid".
What is the result of these "red thoughts"? Generally feelings of anger, frustration, muscle tension and hopelessness... none of which are helpful in any way! So why do we do this to ourselves? Moving beyond mistakes and recovering mentally is much more important than re-playing the mistake in your mind. It's like self punishment and some people believe if they feel bad enough they can somehow make up for the mistake. In reality, all this achieves is an increased focus on unhelpful images, which in turn makes you feel even worse.
So what is the alternative?! Something I'm now using more and more is a practice known as 'Mindfulness', which is essentially a tool to help build mental flexibility. Mindfulness has recently received increasing interest, especially in the world of sport and injury recovey and I've just finished reading a great book entitled "Mindfulness and Sports Psychology for Athletes" by Kristine Eiring and Colleen Hathaway which presents the "Three A's of The Mindfulness Solution - Aware, Accept and Action".
So what can you do when you find yourself beating yourself up or chastising yourself for a 'silly mistake'? Firstly be AWARE that this is happening. Be mindful of what you are saying to yourself, which can be done by taking a deep breath and observing your thoughts. The key here is don't fight them - this is unproductive! Next, ACCEPT that this is happening and not argue about it in your head. Accepting that you are having these thoughts helps to isolate them which is a key step to acceptance. Finally, take ACTION which involves stopping throwing your toys out of the pram and telling your mind an 'Action' step. Recognise you have a choice in changing your thoughts and reaslise that action gives you other options to feelings of hopelessness... Using this process you can move yourself from the unhelpful 'red thoughts' to more constructive 'green thoughts' which help you move forward.
So how did I pull myself out of my hole of self pity and punishment? I've now worked through my own process of awarenesss, acceptance and creating action to build up more helpful green thoughts... such as "I am moving forward with recovery, I feel strong and positive and now looking forward to getting back into my training". And as a result will snowboarding become a thing of the past? Of course not, I'm already looking forward to getting back on the slopes!
If you have suffered an injury in your sport or any kind of setback and would like to find out more about the mindfulness process, please contact Christy on 01252 334377 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com
You would be forgiven for thinking that because I am well aware of the "theory" of psychology that I would have no trouble putting all the same things I help clients with, into practice myself. Unfortunately however it's not always as easy as that - this stuff takes practice! So there I was last week, being told that my arm would need to be put in a plaster cast and instantly my head was full of "red thoughts"...you may be familiar with how they go - "What an idiot I am to have fallen over! Now I've ruined the holiday" and "This will probably take ages to heal now, I'm so stupid".
What is the result of these "red thoughts"? Generally feelings of anger, frustration, muscle tension and hopelessness... none of which are helpful in any way! So why do we do this to ourselves? Moving beyond mistakes and recovering mentally is much more important than re-playing the mistake in your mind. It's like self punishment and some people believe if they feel bad enough they can somehow make up for the mistake. In reality, all this achieves is an increased focus on unhelpful images, which in turn makes you feel even worse.
So what is the alternative?! Something I'm now using more and more is a practice known as 'Mindfulness', which is essentially a tool to help build mental flexibility. Mindfulness has recently received increasing interest, especially in the world of sport and injury recovey and I've just finished reading a great book entitled "Mindfulness and Sports Psychology for Athletes" by Kristine Eiring and Colleen Hathaway which presents the "Three A's of The Mindfulness Solution - Aware, Accept and Action".
So what can you do when you find yourself beating yourself up or chastising yourself for a 'silly mistake'? Firstly be AWARE that this is happening. Be mindful of what you are saying to yourself, which can be done by taking a deep breath and observing your thoughts. The key here is don't fight them - this is unproductive! Next, ACCEPT that this is happening and not argue about it in your head. Accepting that you are having these thoughts helps to isolate them which is a key step to acceptance. Finally, take ACTION which involves stopping throwing your toys out of the pram and telling your mind an 'Action' step. Recognise you have a choice in changing your thoughts and reaslise that action gives you other options to feelings of hopelessness... Using this process you can move yourself from the unhelpful 'red thoughts' to more constructive 'green thoughts' which help you move forward.
So how did I pull myself out of my hole of self pity and punishment? I've now worked through my own process of awarenesss, acceptance and creating action to build up more helpful green thoughts... such as "I am moving forward with recovery, I feel strong and positive and now looking forward to getting back into my training". And as a result will snowboarding become a thing of the past? Of course not, I'm already looking forward to getting back on the slopes!
If you have suffered an injury in your sport or any kind of setback and would like to find out more about the mindfulness process, please contact Christy on 01252 334377 or email: christy@christyhypnotherapy.com
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Is Hypnotherapy for YOU?
Do you ever...
The purpose of hypnotherapy is to ultimately achieve relaxation and rejuvenate the body to reduce stress. Other benefits include helping to teach self-control and to replace unwanted habits with positive, more effective patterns of behaviour, whether that be to stop smoking or to behave in a more confident way. Hypnosis can also be used in conjunction with other techniques such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to quickly help people overcome specific fears and phobias or to refocus limiting beliefs and enable you to literally 'turn your life around'.
For a little more information about NLP please see here: http://www.christyhypnotherapy.com/hypnotherapy_questions.aspx#nlp
Hypnotherapy is a very natural experience and there is nothing whatsoever to be worried about or afraid of. No one apart from you has the power to change the way you think and feel - hypnotherapy can help you unleash your own ability to tap into the power of your own mind and make lasting positive changes to your life!
If you would like to find out how hypnotherapy might benefit you, please call Christy today for a free no-obligation chat on 01252 344377 or email christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
- Find yourself saying unhelpfully self-critical things to yourself?
- Have a tendency to focus on the negatives in your life?
- Wish you could learn to relax more easily and be less stressed?
- Wish you could be more confident in your work or social situations?
- Say to yourself… "If there was one thing I could change about my life, it would it be …."?
- Want to be able to overcome anxieties or phobias, such as public speaking or a fear of spiders, heights etc?
- Find yourself procrastinating and wish you could be more motivated?
- Wish you could stop smoking but feel you've tried everything?
- Wish you could be a more balanced and happier person?
The purpose of hypnotherapy is to ultimately achieve relaxation and rejuvenate the body to reduce stress. Other benefits include helping to teach self-control and to replace unwanted habits with positive, more effective patterns of behaviour, whether that be to stop smoking or to behave in a more confident way. Hypnosis can also be used in conjunction with other techniques such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to quickly help people overcome specific fears and phobias or to refocus limiting beliefs and enable you to literally 'turn your life around'.
For a little more information about NLP please see here: http://www.christyhypnotherapy.com/hypnotherapy_questions.aspx#nlp
Hypnotherapy is a very natural experience and there is nothing whatsoever to be worried about or afraid of. No one apart from you has the power to change the way you think and feel - hypnotherapy can help you unleash your own ability to tap into the power of your own mind and make lasting positive changes to your life!
If you would like to find out how hypnotherapy might benefit you, please call Christy today for a free no-obligation chat on 01252 344377 or email christy@christyhypnotherapy.com.
Friday, 25 January 2013
How to do Self-Hypnosis
Many people have their first (or only) exposure to hypnosis through stage hypnotists or Hollywood productions and from this; they understandably form the impression that hypnosis is something bizarre or even dangerous. In these arenas, hypnosis is portrayed as a scary form of mind control where the 'victim' gives up control of their mind and is therefore vulnerable or worse, gullible. If this was correct in any way then I would have no interest in hypnosis at all... the majority of clients who come to me are wanting help to establish more control over their lives in some way... never have I been asked to help someone lose control of themselves!
A few years ago I discovered hypnotherapy as a result of wanting to learn how to do 'self-hypnosis' as a way to help myself overcome stress and improve my sporting performance. I see self-hypnosis as a tool available to everyone for making changes in your life. Most people who want hypnotherapy choose to see a professional hypnotherapist to be 'guided' through the process, however with a little practice, self-hypnosis can be something available to practically everyone... it is just a matter of finding the right technique for the individual. It could even be said that in fact all hypnosis is really self-hypnosis... even when working with a hypnotherapist who is guiding and developing the hypnotic state, you are always in control. It is YOUR hypnosis.
So, self-hypnosis is a skill which can be learned, just like riding a bike. It is a skill which nearly all of us can do naturally and with practice, can become a route to you making very specific, positive and lasting changes to your life. You'll wonder how you lived without it!
If you would like to find out whether self-hypnosis is something which might benefit you, please contact Christy at christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call 01252 334377.
Christy Hypnotherapy is now pleased to offer a "Teach yourself hypnosis" course consisting of 4 training sessions (over a period of 4 weeks) plus a pre-recorded CD for just £275.
A few years ago I discovered hypnotherapy as a result of wanting to learn how to do 'self-hypnosis' as a way to help myself overcome stress and improve my sporting performance. I see self-hypnosis as a tool available to everyone for making changes in your life. Most people who want hypnotherapy choose to see a professional hypnotherapist to be 'guided' through the process, however with a little practice, self-hypnosis can be something available to practically everyone... it is just a matter of finding the right technique for the individual. It could even be said that in fact all hypnosis is really self-hypnosis... even when working with a hypnotherapist who is guiding and developing the hypnotic state, you are always in control. It is YOUR hypnosis.
So, self-hypnosis is a skill which can be learned, just like riding a bike. It is a skill which nearly all of us can do naturally and with practice, can become a route to you making very specific, positive and lasting changes to your life. You'll wonder how you lived without it!
If you would like to find out whether self-hypnosis is something which might benefit you, please contact Christy at christy@christyhypnotherapy.com or call 01252 334377.
Christy Hypnotherapy is now pleased to offer a "Teach yourself hypnosis" course consisting of 4 training sessions (over a period of 4 weeks) plus a pre-recorded CD for just £275.
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