Latest Hypnotherapy News

Do you have a problem in controlling your weight? Are you always on a diet? Do you eat for emotional reasons? It's an easy trap to fall into. We believe there is a way out of this trap. Your brain is a learning machine and if you continue to do what you have always done it is likely that you will continue to get the same results. If you want to find out How to think yourself thin you can contact thespencepractice today and book a free initial consultation or you can visit The Feel Good Show at Brighton Racecourse on Saturday 6 th October and attend Andrew Spence's one hour workshop where you will learn 10 things you must do to lose weight and keep it off permanently.

The workshop is FREE and starts at 4 pm. Places are limited so make sure you contact us now to reserve your place. Freedom could be just a phone call away. Call 01273 509793 now!

Meet us at the Feelgood show on Saturday 6 th and Sunday 7 th October at Brighton Racecourse. Experience the best in Alternative and Holistic lifestyles including workshops, demos, live music, creative childrens area, wellbeing zone and feel good market.

The show features some of the UK's top workshop leaders such as Lynne Franks and The Barefoot Doctor and includes a workshop by our own Andrew Spence on how to lose weight without dieting. This workshop is free and more details about what's included will be posted on this site soon.

For more information about the show visit www.starcommunities.com.

DO YOU SUFFER FROM THE WINTER BLUES?

As we approach the end of summer ("what summer?" I hear you cry!) are you actually looking forward to Autumn, followed by the winter months or do you suffer from something called SAD (seasonal affective disorder) resulting in feeling depressed in winter? Many people choose to leave these shores for a sunnier climate all year round. Personally, I would miss the changing seasons and actually enjoy the unpredictability of the British Weather.

SAD is a type of winter depression which affects an estimated half a million people in Britain every winter between September and April, in particular during December, January and February. It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. For many people SAD is a seriously disabling illness, preventing you from functioining normally without continuous medical treatment. For some of you it is a mild but debilitating condition, causing discomfort but not severe suffering, sometimes referred to as 'winter blues'.

Change can be something you fear or you can embrace it. If you have suffered from the ‘winter blues’ for many years maybe it is time for a change. Part of the reason you suffer may be due to your expectation, you anticipate that you will feel sad and so you do. I know someone who started to dread the long nights and short days from the 21st June (longest day) onwards because he had felt depressed for the previous 5 winters. With my help he learnt to challenge that belief so that he could look forward to winter and enjoy it.

So how do you go about making those changes?

Ten tips:

• Decide on your goal. ie. How do you want to feel in winter?
• Think about what you like about the winter and have enjoyed in the past, (however trivial) perhaps sitting in front of a warm fire on a cold night, the Christmas festivities or watching winter sports like football for example.
• Make a plan to do more of the activities listed above.
• Ensure a steady supply of ‘feel-good chemicals’ by being active and releasing beta-endorphins into the body. Boost your levels of serotonin by eating protein and complex carbohydrates.
• Eat healthy nutritious food little and often to ensure optimum blood sugar levels.
• Avoid over-indulging in alcohol, nicotine and caffeine.
• Challenge your old negative thoughts, feelings and emotions and replace them with positive thoughts, feelings and emotions.
• Learn to talk to yourself in a positive manner and be an optimist.
• Believe that change is possible.
• Work towards achieving a healthy life/work balance.

If you need help to make these changes contact thespencepractice today and find out how we can help you.

Just over 1 month to go before pubs and workplaces become smoke free zones. As we said in our last blog this will create an opportunity for you smokers to stop. In fact some of you only smoke in social situations anyway, so unless you are happy to smoke outside the pub whilst your non-smoking friends will be inside in the warmth this could be the time to end your habit for good.

Many of you will be undecided about whether or not to stop smoking. The internal conflict between the rational part of your brain and the emotional part continues. To help you make that decision EasyStop has produced an informative CD called 'Make Your Mind Up' which deals with the myths and illusions around smoking and 'giving up'. It does not preach to you about how bad smoking is for you and everyone else around you, that's because you already know this.

We are smoking cessation experts and we understand the psychological, behavioural and emotional issues surrounding tobacco smoking because we have been helping thousands of smokers to stop since 1996. The CD has not been designed to help you stop (although this sometimes happens) but to get you into a position where you decide to stop smoking or to carry on smoking. Once you are in that situation you can then decide which is the most appropriate method to achieve it. If you decide that EasyStop is your preferred option you will find a voucher for £50 off the cost of the EasyStop programme enclosed with it.

Organisations are snapping up this CD in order to help their employees as they see it as an effective Step 1 in the stopping process.

If you would like a copy of this CD before it's available in the shops or on-line send a cheque for £12.99 (includes £3 p&p) to thespencepractice at 22 Elizabeth Avenue, Hove, BN3 6WG and provide your name, telephone number, email and home address. Please make the cheque payable to A Spence.

The CD makes a great gift for any smoker in your life that you care about!

Is the 1st July 2007 more evidence of the so called 'nanny state' or is it in fact a great opportunity to help more smokers quit an extremely destructive habit? We think it is both.

The ban on smoking in enclosed public places comes into effect in England on 1st July and has already been implemented in Scotland. Ireland and Wales.

The National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence have recommended that employers allow their smoking employees time off work (up to 14 hours) to attend NHS stop smoking services which are available during work hours only. It is understandable that organisations will be reluctant to allow staff up to 14 hours off work over a 6 week period to attend NHS stop smoking support groups with no guarantee of success.

If you or your organisation want a quicker and more effective approach, 2 hours over a 7 day period followed by a 12 month guaranteed support programme, which can be achieved outside of normal working hours without Nicotine replacement therapy you really should contact thespencepractice now to find out how.

If you are looking for something different to do this weekend and want a fresh start to the New Year or you are looking for some inspiration you might find it at the Lewes 'WellBeing Fest' this weekend (13th & 14th January) at The Corn Exchange (Town Hall) & Assembly Rooms, Lewes.

You can experience the best in Alternative & Holistic Lifestyles! Live music, free workshops, talks, demonstrations, organic food and a Children's area. For more information visit their web site.

Andrew Spence, from the Brighton & Hove Hypnotherapy practice, will be promoting the EasyStop stop smoking method and providing smokers with a free 'lung age' test. On Saturday morning at 10.30 he will be providing smokers with a free talk called 'Making your mind up'. If you would like to speak to Andrew about any other problems he will be pleased to answer any of your questions at the EasyStop stand.

Seasons greetings from everyone at the Brighton & Hove Hypnotherapy practice and EasyStop stop smoking centres. We are closed over the festive period and will be open for business on 2nd January.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift.

If you suffer from Agoraphobia you may have seen a TV programme on Channel 4 this week called 'House of Agoraphobics' and witnessed what was billed as 'a ground breaking treatment'. I'm not sure what was 'ground breaking' about it. A combination of Cognitive behaviour therapy and exposure is hardly new. The results appeared mixed and there was no follow-up months after treatment, so we don't know how effective it was.

When you ask someone to jump in at the 'deep end' of a swimming pool before they have learnt how to swim one of two things tend to happen. You panic and become traumatised and never want to go swimming again (This happened to me in my childhood and i developed a fear of going out of my depth) or your survival mechanism 'kicks in' in a positive way because you expect to float to the service naturally.

In my opinion, the 2 main elements missing from the treatment were a lack of attention to the emotional part of the brain, which in all 3 cases appeared to have been traumatised many years ago. All of the therapy appeared to be directed towards the rational part of the brain which was constantly being challenged by the therapists. I believe that their rational brain knew that their thoughts were irrational. Unfortunately the emotional part of the brain was overriding the rational part. Another key element missing was a structured strategy for coping/dealing with panic-attacks. There are some simple and easy to learn techniques that can turn anxiety and panic into a more relaxed state.

If you want to know more about how we can help Agoraphobics or any kind of phobia call 01273 509793 now.

The Government has now announced 'D' day for the ban on smoking in public places which is 1 July 2007.

For non smokers who enjoy a drink in the pub it means a smoke free atmosphere and a healthier environment for staff working in the leisure industry. For smokers it means staying at home, smoking outside the pub or perhaps deciding to quit and join the ranks of non smokers.

Since the government originally announced there was to be a smoking ban there has been a noticeable drop in the number of people seeking help from smoking cessation services. We believe that many smokers have decided to 'put off' stopping smoking until just before the ban comes into force. This is what happened in Scotland earlier this year. The ban was introduced in March and in the 3 months prior the number of people seeking help doubled.

So if you are considering quitting next year and you need help you might want to consider taking the plunge in the first 3 months of 2007 in order to avoid joining a waiting list!

Beer mats linking smoking with the deadly radioactivity that killed the former Russian spy, have been condemned as "appalling bad taste".

The harsh words come from a Newton Abbot publican who was delivered a batch of the anti-smoking mats with the question on the front: "What is polonium?" The answer to be found on the reverse is: "A radioactive chemical found in nuclear power stations and in cigarette smoke."Polonium 210 is also the substance strongly suspected of poisoning Alexander Litvinenko, the ex Russian security officer, in London. It is 250 billion times deadlier than cyanide.

Kevin O'Connor, of the Swan Inn in Highweek Street, was stunned at the mats.
"It is really insensitive to say the least when polonium appears to have been used to kill this poor man.
"My customers were equally shocked, and the mats went straight into the bin.
"I realise they must have been produced some months ago, but releasing them at such a time seems really crass. This could backfire badly on the anti-smoking campaign."

The Where There's Smoke There's Poison beer mats were produced by Cancer Research UK, with funding from the Department of Health.

Simon Clark, director of the smokers' lobby group Forest, declared: "Cancer Research has shot itself in the foot. The timing of this campaign is not just offensive, it's in appalling bad taste.

"I'm amazed nobody thought better of it, and pulled the plug.

"I'm sure most smokers will take the warning with a pinch of salt, but if Cancer Research is prepared to resort to this level of scare-mongering, some people may question whether it's a charity worth supporting.

"How much lower are they going to go before they understand enough is enough?"

Professor Alex Markham, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "We apologise for any distress caused by the campaign.

"Polonium 210 is one of the chemicals featured to raise awareness of the 69 known cancer causing chemicals found in cigarette smoke.

"Our Smoke is Poison campaign was planned many months ago. Tens of thousands of people in the UK die every year as a result of smoking.

"Our campaign is designed to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, and save some of those many lives."

Ken Huggins - Director / Company Secretary
EasyStop (UK) Ltd

Historically, we are always 'rushed off our feet' in January and February when people are trying to effect change through enforcing New Year resolutions. On the other hand, December is the quietest month of the year when everyone seems focused on preparing for the festive season.

So, in an attempt to reverse this trend and avoid 'putting our feet up' and our minds in neutral during December we have decided to entice some of you smokers to bring forward your New Year resolution by stopping smoking in December. In fact we will give you a present of £75 in addition to the massive savings you will be making over a lifetime of not smoking. To benefit from this £75 price reduction you must book by the 8 December and attend both sessions of therapy by the end of December. You can also make further savings by bringing a friend or colleague with you.

For full details of this special offer call 01273 509793 now!

Are you concerned about the way you look and the image you portray? At last week's Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce meeting the subject of the presentation was 'what to wear'. Nobody has ever praised me on my dress sense and if I wear something that doesn't look right my wife or one of my teenage children soon put me right. So I thought I would get some help from the 'so called' experts on 'what to wear' which included Gresham Blake who has a reputation for 'suiting and booting' celebrities.

One of the speakers claimed that, unconsciously, we make a judgement about someone within seconds of meeting them, based primarily on what we see, in fact over 90 % is based on what we see. On meeting someone your fight/flight response is on alert so that if what you see is a potential threat you can run away. Unconsciously, you are taking note of sex, age, race & build.

Colour is also very important and can say a lot about a person or their business and therefore matching colours with skin colour, personality types and types of business are very important factors to consider. For example, someone working in PR might be advised to avoid wearing drab colours and dress with a certain flamboyance. Some advice for anyone attending a job interview, is to spend some time observing people leaving the office prior to your interview to see what most people are wearing. You can then match that type of clothing when attending the interview.

This is just one of many ways to help develop rapport with the person you are communicating with. It is often stated that communication is based on 55% of what you see, 35 % of what you hear and 10 % of what you say.
Matching and mirroring is one of the key communication skills taught in NLP training. The principle being that if you match and/or mirror the person you are communicating with. IE you mirror their body language, tone of voice and the words they use, you will have a much better chance of being in 'rapport' with them.

Mirroring is often something you do unconsciously. Observe peoples body language and you will notice that those people who are enjoying each others company are likely to be mirroring each others body language.

If you want advice on what to wear you might be better off contacting 'Trinny and Susannah' or Gresham Blake but if you want help and advice on how to develop rapport and improve your communication skills we may be able to help you.

Join us at the Feel Good Festival at Hove Town Hall, Hove on Sunday 12 November. We will be promoting the EasyStop stop smoking programme and providing smokers with free 'Lung Age' testing, which provides a smoker with the predicted age of their lungs.

You don't have to be a smoker to come along and chat to us. You will be able to meet Andrew Spence , principal therapist at the Brighton & Hove hypnotherapy practice, in person and ask questions about any of the conditions we treat at the centre. For more information about whats on at the Festival visit http://www.starcommunities.com/newsletter.htmWe have a few complimentary tickets available and will give them to the first 6 callers on 01273 509793.

I have passed Roedean School on many occasions when driving along the Brighton coast road over the last 35 years. On Friday of last week it was different because i was driving to Roedean School for a business meeting with the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce. Although unusual, it was a great setting for a business breakfast meeting with a sea view.

The guest speaker was Susanne Barthelmes from a company called 'all sorted'. She is a professional organiser which means that she helps people who work in a chaotic, disorganised manner to improve their organisation and administration.

Being more organised means less time wasted, increased productivity and less stress. Most business people agree that technology has made life easier but the downside is that because of email we are constantly being bombarded with information. Whereas our post is only delivered once a day email can be constant throughout the day if we allow it to be. Constant checking of emails results in less time to deal with the priority tasks. If the priority tasks are not dealt with the backlog of administration and filing will increase leading to more stress .

Stress impacts on people and organisations in different ways but generally the outcome of too much stress is a negative one. It is Stress Awareness day today so maybe today would be a good day to review how well you are coping with the stressors in your life. You could visit the life cycle page of this website to assess your level of satisfaction with your life or if you are suffering from the negative effects of stress you can contact us at the Brighton & Hove hypnotherapy practice to find out how we can help you.

A few days ago i attended a business to business exhibition at the Brighton centre. The keynote speaker (top of the bill) was Doug Richards, successful entrepreneur and one of the panel of dragons in the first series of Dragons Den shown on BBC 2.

His talk was both informative and amusing. One of his early motivators for succeeding in business (after an initial failure) was revenge. When asked about how much of his business decision making was down to intuition as opposed to hard facts and number crunching he revealed that his emotions played a large part in the process. In fact, when considering investing in an entrepreneur's idea he was more interested in the person than the product.

Earlier in the day a marketing expert reminded us all of the emotional aspect to buying and how the advertisers used peoples emotions to their advantage when selling. I didn't expect to come away from business seminars thinking about the power of our emotions. However it did remind me of the increasing importance being attached to 'emotional intelligence' within the business sector and just how powerful our emotions can be.

One of the most disabling negative emotions is fear/anxiety which prevents many of our clients from achieving their goals. Even though someone with a spider phobia knows, rationally, that a spider won't hurt them their emotional brain overrides the rational brain and so they scream and run away. The vast majority of smokers know and accept that smoking is harming them but their emotional brain often overrides the rational brain and provides them with a series of excuses for carrying on smoking. It is often the fear of failure and the fear of not being able to cope without nicotine that prevents the smoker from stopping.

To give you an idea as to how strong your emotional intelligence is take this emotional intelligence test. If you want to become more emotionally intelligent and release negative emotions contact the Brighton & Hove Hypnotherapy practice.

This is a question we get asked a lot and you will notice that there is no mention of success rates for helping people to stop smoking on this website - or in any of our promotional literature. This is because we don't know precisely and so any figures on smoking cessation would have to be an estimate.

Definition of a Non-Smoker ...
The NHS gold standard for evidence of success is that the ex-smoker must have been continuously abstinent for a minimum of 1 year (continuously abstinent means that he or she must not have had a relapse in that time, not even a single puff) and you can't just take the person's word for it. It must be verified, for example, with a carbon monoxide breath test or a blood test! It also states that you must count any people that you can't get hold of after a year, as a failure. Asking people to have their blood tested is totally impractical and suggests that we are not prepared to take their word for it. A carbon monoxide breath test at 12 months will not prove that the person hasn't taken a single puff of a cigarette in the previous 12 months.

Personal Definition of Non-Smoking Success ...
The definition of success is a variable. For example, last year i helped a 30-per-day smoker who subsequently became a social smoker, which means that some days she doesn't smoke at all but will smoke when she is in the pub. She claimed the treatment to be a success but i didn't.

Our Follow-up Treatments
We will continue to follow-up and support our clients at 1 month, 3 months and 12 months after treatment so that we have a good idea as to how we are doing even if we can't publish those figures. Some therapists quote success rates as high as 95% or even 97%. Beware of anyone quoting success rates in their promotional material and if you are tempted by their claims ask them to verify how they came to that figure and what determines a success.