1. CBH has an enhancing effect: substantial research suggests improved outcomes when combining hypnosis with behavioural or cognitive behavioural approaches.
2. Adds leverage by producing profound behavioural, emotional, cognitive, and physiological changes – hypnosis is proved to shorten treatment time.
3. Some find cognitive behavioural therapy difficult. Inducing deep relaxation, central to some CBT treatments, is often difficult for clients and so hypnosis induces deeper relaxation faster.
4. Hypnosis can facilitate benign detachment, particularly useful for pain management.
5. Learning self-hypnosis makes it easier for clients to engage in cognitive distancing or cognitive diffusion in CBT.
6. Hypnosis increases client ability to engage in more vivid mental imagery and imaginal absorption.
7. Hypnosis is capable of shifting and enhancing emotional states.
8. Hypnotherapy has developed sophisticated methods of verbal and non-verbal suggestion which can potentially supplement the benefits of other therapeutic interventions; hypnotherapists have developed a vast set of techniques and interventions.
9. Training in autosuggestion and self-hypnosis gives clients flexible coping skills that can be applied in a wide variety of situations outside of the therapy room.
10. Providing recordings of hypnosis to be used between sessions to shorten treatment time and consolidates change promoting relapse prevention.
11. Hypnosis can be used to simply and powerfully review, repeat and reinforce the learning (psycho-education) occurring during the rest of therapy – as well as suggest and rehearse compliance with homework.
12. The typical treatment plan in CBT can be progressed in hypnosis – imagining the positive learning, compliance with the programme and experiencing the positive benefits of the treatment plan to increase hope and expectancy.
13. Hypnotherapy can be used early on to increase and maintain motivation for change through direct suggestion and imagery.
14. Hypnotherapy and learning self-hypnosis can lead to profound changes in self-efficacy as client’s discover the power of their own mind, attention, and imagination – clients develop improved self-talk, self-encouragement, self-praise, and self-acceptance.

Hypnosis is supported by peer-reviewed evidence based scientific research, over decades, both as an independent therapy and combined with CBT.  Hypnosis is a model of therapy recommended by NICE and the NHS.  As a practitioner, it is critical to me that I only use evidence-based therapeutic techniques. 

Hypnosis is often described by what it is not rather than what it is.  This is probably because of established myths regarding hypnosis that it is sleep or a mystical ‘trance.’  These misconceptions are associated with stage hypnotism that uses manipuation and illusions to convince their audience purely for comic and entertainment purposes.  This is not therapeutic hypnosis.

Imagine that you are so focused on a negative experience, worrying about it so much that you are unaware of things going on around you, it totally consumes your thoughts and head space – this can be described as a negative experience of hypnosis.  Using hypnosis and self-hypnosis I will guide you in a positive, healing way with you becoming so deeply relaxed it is possible for you to change your thoughts, behaviours, and emotions into positive ones, changing your entire outlook.

Using your imagination in hypnosis you can rehearse and challenge your responses to anxiety-provoking experiences and situations, freeing yourself from experiences of unnecessary fear and worry. 

In hypnosis you are in control, and you cannot be made to do anything that you do not want to do.

To put it simply, hypnosis is focused attention on a specific idea.

The GHR defines it as a state of mind, enhanced by (although not exclusively) mental and physical relaxation, in which our subconscious is able to communicate with our conscious mind.

Yes, Zeal Therapy provides a private and confidential service; subject only to ethical considerations in respect of serious harm to self or others, as required by the professional bodies, with which I am affiliated.  For more information on ethical guidelines click this link to the GHR code of professional ethics. 

Zeal Therapy also complies fully with General Data Protection Guidelines 2018.  This link GDPR 2018 provides more information. 

A copy of my privacy notice with respect to confidentiality, security, and personal data is provided, and discussed, at the start of any treatment pathway. 

After an initial discussion, usually by telephone, we will arrange an initial assessment of 90 minutes.  You can save a lot of time in this assessment by completing and returning the forms provided, prior to your assessment.  

Normal 1:1 sessions last 50 minutes, usually weekly.  The first session following the assessment is important in understanding whether cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy is suitable for you.  We will experiment with hypnotherapy and create an initial treatment plan.  Many people find their initial session therapeutic - unpacking the issues faced, exploring the relationship between thoughts, behaviours, emotions, and bodily sensations experienced in specific situations and/or life events.

Please note at this stage if CBH is not for you, Zeal Therapy may be able to signpost you to a more appropriate therapy for the problems faced.  

CBH typically falls between 4-8 sessions, a comparatively short therapy, depending on the nature and complexity of the issues faced.  We will review and agree, collaboratively, the number of sessions as therapy unfolds.

One of the reasons why CBH is short is that it requires the client to be proactive between sessions.  The more you put into practice of techniques and tools between the sessions, the more you will get out of therapy, and the more quickly you will observe progress.  Follow up sessions may be arranged post-therapy, but continued practice of tools and techniques post-therapy will render follow up potentially unnecessary. 

At the root of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and CBH is an understanding that the way we respond to experiences faced is based on our personal core beliefs and assumptions about the world, not the experience itself.  The outcome is in our cognitions (thoughts), behaviours and emotions (feelings) and these in turn cement our core beliefs and assumptions, often negatively. 

Cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy addresses cognitions, behaviours, and emotions in response to events and experiences; by altering these, it allows us to change outcomes more positively, often profoundly so.

By integrating hypnotherapy with CBT, we draw on your imagination through positive suggestion to readily replace the negative unwanted with positive emotions, thoughts and/or behaviours. 

Hypnotherapy helps achieve relaxation effectively and swiftly.  We cannot undo our past - CBH are practical solutions that deal with present events - CBH focus on the present not the past.  Beyond the initial consultation the work done is to leave the past negative experiences behind, focusing instead on changing thought and behavioural responses in the present.

For all treatments (other than Smoking Cessation) each session is £60 per session (the price is the same for the initial 90-minute session and subsequent 50-minute sessions).

Full time students cost per session is £45. 

Smoking Cessation is usually a two-session treatment, the total cost is £190.  I am currently offering this treatment at a discounted rate of £140.

Individual Auricular Acupuncture as an add-on to a session, at an additional cost of £30.  This will last an additional 45 minutes with a guided relaxation (which you are welcome to record and save on your phone during treatment). 

Group Auricular Acupuncture sessions (minimum 4 people, maximum 8) are offered at £12 per session.  The session will be 50 minutes including 5-point protocol with guided relaxation.