HYPNOTHERAPY
WITH JOANNE FLATT

Hypnosis is a totally natural, relaxed and focused state of consciousness that you have probably experienced before when reading a book, watching a film or driving a familiar route.

Hypnosis calms the conscious mind - the part of you mind that controls the thoughts and actions that you are aware of. When the conscious mind is relaxed, the door to your subconscious mind opens- the part of the mind that stores your memories, beliefs and previous learning. Your subconscious controls your involuntarily functions and automatic reactions. It is always working in the background but you may not ordinarily be aware of it. In fact the subconscious mind is responsible for 90% of our behaviour, so it stands to reason if we want to make a change then this is the part of the mind we want to be working with!

Hypnotherapy is a talking therapy that uses hypnosis as a tool to explore your subconscious mind and make suggestions for positive change.

Some people describe hypnosis as just feeling really relaxed. Others experience really focussed attention.

In hypnosis you are still awake, you are aware of what is being said, you are in control of your own actions and you can open your eyes and come out of hypnosis whenever you want to.

I guide you into hypnosis using visualisation, hypnotic language and metaphors and once you are totally relaxed I make therapeutic suggestions for the changes you want to make. You are in control of what you want to achieve and you can focus your attention on the suggestions that are most beneficial to you and your goals.

I offer one-to-one, in-person (in Felsted, CM6) and online, hypnotherapy for:

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• Anxiety & stress

• Fears & phobias

• Low confidence & self-esteem

• Processing the past and enabling emotional healing

• Preparing for birth

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Hypnosis is safe, when delivered by a qualified hypnotherapist.

The suggestions I make are positive in nature and are linked to your personal goals.

You are in control of whether you choose to accept the suggestions I make.

Some people are surprised at how quickly they are able to relax into hypnosis and others require a little more time.

I have several different strategies to help guide you into hypnosis from longer more progressive relaxations to more rapid focussed attention techniques so we can find an approach that best suits you.

Relaxation is a skill that can be learnt over time so if you are open to the idea entering hypnosis, but you struggle to relax, then learning and practicing relaxation can form part of our therapy plan.

The short answer is no, you are always in control of your own actions. In hypnosis you are still aware of what is being suggested and you retain control of your own mind and actions. Your mind would reject any suggestions that are not in your benefit.

Hypnotherapy is suitable for people with subclinical issues. Common issues I work with include, but are not limited to: low self-esteem & confidence, anxiety, fear & phobia and perinatal emotional health.

If I feel hypnotherapy is not suitable for you, or that I am not the right therapist for you, I will endeavour to refer you to other more suitable services.

Hypnotherapy is not suitable if you have certain severe mental health or medical conditions, we can discuss this in more detail before committing to proceed. In these cases your GP will be best placed to help you.

If you need urgent mental health help please contact your local urgent mental health help line: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline.

If you are in crisis and need immediate, emergency help please call 999.

Initial session - Diagnostic Consultation

A course of hypnotherapy starts with a 50 minute diagnostic consultation.

In the diagnostic session we cover the following:

Diagnostic discussion - It may surprise you that you do not jump straight into hypnosis when you start a new course of hypnotherapy. In your first session you will get the chance to discuss, in detail, what has prompted you to seek hypnotherapy in the first place. This initial discussion helps me tailor and personalise your subsequent hypnotherapy sessions to best suit you and what you want to achieve.

Talking about hypnotherapy and hypnosis - There are lots if misconceptions and each therapist may use different approaches so in our first session we talk about what hypnotherapy is and isn't, what it might feel like and how it might help you in particular.

Experiencing hypnosis - Finally you get the chance to briefly experience hypnosis for yourself. For most this first experience will involve a full body relaxation that helps introduce you to what hypnosis might feel like and leaves you with a continued sense of calm which helps set you up to make the most out of your next sessions. This first taste of hypnosis also helps me, as the hypnotherapist, ascertain what kind of approach best suits you for future sessions.

Subsequent Hypnotherapy Sessions

Subsequent hypnotherapy sessions will start with a brief catch up and then I'll guide you into hypnosis using whichever method I believe will best suit your preferences. During hypnosis I will make positive suggestions for the changes you want to make. After hypnosis you may feel more positive, relaxed, motivated and perhaps even lighter. We will debrief on what suggestions we covered and discuss what bits worked well for you and anything you would like me to do differently next time. I may suggest some things that you can practise between sessions. You may notice very subtle changes at first, perhaps you'll notice a positive shift in how you feel, and we will build on this feeling as your hypnotherapy sessions progress.

If you have ever tried hypnotherapy before or listened to a hypnotherapy video online and not really connected with it, it could be because it wasn't really written specifically for you and your preferences. With one-to-one sessions you receive hypnotherapy personalised to you.

For example if you are someone who really enjoys daydreaming and can picture things really well in your head then we will use more visual imagery to see the changes you want to make. If you are someone that really connects with music and sound then we will work on what the more calm, happy and confident you would sound like. If you are someone that feels things in you gut we focus on how the positive future you might feel.

Your sessions are not cookie cut, each person's issues and goals are specific to them, so I pull in different elements from different therapeutic approaches to tailor your therapy plan specifically to you and what you want to achieve.

With one-to-one therapy we continuously evaluate what is and isn't working for you, so as your course of hypnotherapy progresses get closer and closer to your goal.

I offer hypnotherapy in Felsted, near Dunmow, Essex (easily accessible from Great Dunmow, Braintree, Chelmsford, Bishops Stortford, Thaxted and surrounding areas).

I also offer online therapy for those who live further afield or would like to work from the comfort of their own home.

Each session is 50 minutes long.

The number of sessions you might have is dependent on the nature of your issue and what you want to achieve. You might be looking for open-ended therapy, where we work together for as long as you feel is beneficial or you may want to work to a specific goal or timeframe. This is up to you. The Hypnotherapy element tends to be a brief form of therapy targeted toward a specific goal and counselling offers longer term support for a wider range of concerns or more ambiguous goals.

One-To-One Hypnotherapy

Please see fees

To book get in touch via my contact form here.