My Life and Hypnotherapy

Someone recently asked me when I first became interested in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. This meant that I had to make a bit of a confession: My first go at Hypnosis got me into trouble! I was about 10 years old at the time and interested in Medicine as a possible carreer. My father gave me a US Marine Corp Field Medic's hand book and right at the back of it was a very brief chapter on how to use a 'Braid' type of induction to help control pain, when you ran out of morphine. I read it and thought "I can do this". I went to school the next day, hypnotised 2 of my classmates during playtime and was sent to the Headmistress.

Life, as is said, then led me down different paths and I moved out of the world of Medicine and into the Police Service. But either I wasn't content with the move or the spirit of Braid was still whispering in my ear, so I took a career break, with support from my ever patient wife Peggy, and read for a degree in Psychology and Sociology. It was while I was at Leicester University that my interest in the 'talking therapies' was fully kindled.

During my degree course I had the experience of several forms of therapy (applying that is), e.g. CBT, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt Therapy. But I never felt comfortable with any of these and stuck with the 'Rogerian' based Person Centered Counselling that I learnt with the Student Coulselling Service - Nightline.

Then, as if the spirit of Braid was still working with me, having returned to my career in the Police I came across an advert for a course in Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy, in the Police magazine 'the Police Review'. I had a look at what was on offer and instantly felt at home with Hypnotherapy. The rest, as they say, is History. I joined the National Coulncil of Psychotherapists and then when the National Council for Hypnotherap seperated from that body moved into the NCH. I became active in the development of the Profession and became the Chairman of the NCH and Secretary of the UK Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations, helping bothe to achieve Members Co-operative status.

Throughout my career, as a Hypnotherapist, I have very much enjoyed developing my understanding of the Human Mind, my skill base as a Hypnotherapist and the standing of the profession. Probably the most pleasant part is the enabling of clients to overcome their issues and in ways that produce only pleasant side-effects.

Posted on April 11, 2009

---