Most people find hypnotherapy to be a very pleasant and powerful experience to help make deep and lasting changes.

• Q: What happens in a session and how long does it take?

  A: One-on-one hypnotherapy sessions take between 1 and 1.5 hours. The first part of the session will be an opportunity for you to discuss your issue and how the hypnotherapy can help you. The process of hypnosis will be explained, and you can ask any questions you wish.

  The rest of the session will be taken up with the hypnotherapy itself with ample time after that to give feedback, and discuss your experience if you wish.

• Q: How can clinical hypnotherapy help me?

  A: I can help you to find ways to feel more in charge of your life.

  How successful this is depends largely on your own motivation to change and consider alternatives. It is important that you take an active part in the sessions and that you think about and work on the issues discussed. Commitment is important and sometimes the profound benefits of therapy become apparent in the weeks and months after you have finished treatment. Most people can benefit from hypnosis. However nobody can be hypnotized against their will. How receptive you are can depend on a number of things; how comfortable you are with your practitioner, how motivated you are to make changes, how confident and calm you feel. Hypnotherapy will help with all of these matters.

• Q: How many sessions will I require?

  A: It is difficult to anticipate this in advance. Some issues can be resolved in as little as one session whilst others may take longer. Clients are only asked to book and pay for each session as it occurs rather than having to commit to a course of treatment.

• Q: How much does a session cost?

  A: A single session is £80. Anyone requiring more than one session gets a reduced rate per session.

• Q: Will I reveal my innermost secrets?

  A: Only if you want to. You can choose to reveal or conceal whatever you wish. If you have issues that you would rather keep confidential be assured that you can keep them so.

  Any information that you do choose to give is kept confidential between clinician and client. Only in extremely exceptional circumstances (such as where there is a risk of harm to you or to someone else), would information be disclosed, and this would always be with your knowledge.

  If you require reports or letters during your treatment it will be up to you how much is revealed and you are entitled to a copy of any letters written about you. If you have health insurance and are eligible for therapy, the insurers do not need to know the contents of your sessions, this remains confidential.

• Q: I be under the hypnotherapist's control?

  A: Absolutely not. Even in the deepest trances, clients remain in full control of their behaviour and cannot be compelled to do anything against their personal values. You will always be in control in a hypnotherapy session.

• Q: Will I be unconscious when I am hypnotised?

  A: No. Clients usually find the experience extremely relaxing and it is common for people to be fully aware of everything that takes place during trance. When in hypnosis, you can move around, the same way as you would during sleep, and it won't disturb you. If you wish to talk, you can do so. Most importantly, you will hear and remember everything that is important for you to remember.

• Q: What if I am too strong-willed to be hypnotised?

  A: Hypnosis is a co-operative state between client and therapist and no one can be 'forced' into trance. To benefit from hypnotherapy a client must be open to the possibility of change and work with the therapist.

I am a member of the Society of Brief Strategic hypnoTherapists; an independent non-profit professional body for registered Clinical Hypnotherapists. I am also registered with the General Hypnotherapy Register and subscribe to their code of ethics. The GHR was originally established following Department of Health guidelines that each separate Complementary & Alternative medical profession should have a single, central Register of Practitioners. The G.H.Rs primary purpose is to facilitate agreed standards within the profession and subsequently bring about voluntary self-regulation (VSR) - an officially recognised status - for the entire industry.