Q: What is the best way to find a reputable hypnotherapist?

A: Where possible, personal referral from someone who has received hypnotherapy treatment. Of course, not everyone knows someone in this situation in which case it is advisable to find a therapist who is a member of a professional body and therefore is bound to abide by their professional ethics and code of conduct. Many of the most reputable organisations are themselves regulated by the United Kingdom Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations (UKCHO), giving you the security of a second tier of regulation. Since January 2008, the UKCHO now lists the individual therapists as well as the organisations. If you visit the UKCHO website (see the links page), you can search using the therapists surname to see if their training and regulating body is recognised by the UKCHO. Until we have government legislation to regulate hypnotherapy, I feel this is the most effective way of checking the credentials of a therapist.

Q: Do you offer free consultations?

A: No, but your first session might go a little over time but you will not be charged for the additional time. Some hypnotherapists do offer free consultations, from what my clients who have attended these tell me, it seems many of these therapists have either just qualified and are desperate for new clients or are using the time to convince the client they need a large number of sessions and offer a discount if a long course of treatment is paid for in full in advance. I can understand the first of these examples but abhor the second as unethical.

Q: What does it feel like to be hypnotised?

A: Hypnosis is simply an altered state of consciousness during a pleasant relaxation. Everyone experiences altered states of consciousness every day. Examples of this would be reading a page of a book and then realising the words did not register as your attention had drifted. Driving along the motorway thinking about something else and then realising your junction is coming up having not noticed the amount of time or distance you travelled while you were thinking these things. Many people would describe the hypnotic state to be similar to pressing the snooze button on the alarm clock in the morning, becoming very dreamy but not actually asleep, while be aware of sounds such as the telephone, the postman calling etc.

Q: Is it true that only gullible people can be hypnotised?

A: No. In fact I personally find more intelligent people easier to work with. Anyone with a reasonable level of intelligence, concentration and imagination can be hypnotised.

Q: Can children be treated with hypnotherapy?

A: Yes. From the age of about six upwards as long as they have a good attention span and are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Q: Do you offer out of hours appointments?

A: Yes, until 8pm and some weekends. However, these are the most popular times and often book up well in advance.

Q: Do you offer home visits?

A: Only in exceptional circumstances eg: extreme cases of agoraphobia. The consulting room environment without distractions is far more suitable. If you feel a home visit is essential then please contact me to discuss the situation.

Q: How are you able to offer an unlimited time period on your smoking cessation guarantee scheme?

A: The guarantee period has gradually evolved based on my results. When I first qualified as a hypnotherapist, the period was only one month. With so few people requiring extra sessions, this was increased to three, six and then twelve months. Even with the twelve month guarantee, less than five per cent of smoking cessation clients required top up sessions. So, in March 2006 I felt confident in removing the time limit completely.