Some of you may be aware of the 'gastric hypnoband' - a technique used by many hypnotherapists for weight loss, where the individual wants to lose a substantial amount of weight, and has a BMI in excess of 30. This works by literally convincing the subject that they have had a real gastric band fitted, and so they are only able to eat tiny amounts of food. For those people who are clinically or morbidly obese, this represents a healthy, safe way to lose a large amount of weight, without resorting to actual surgery, which at best causes extreme discomfort, and at worst can even be fatal. It is also important to stress that during the hypnotherapy, the client is also helped to confront the psychological and emotional reasons for his overeating, which is not the case with actual bariatric surgery.
I have had many requests for this type of treatment, and up until now, this is not something I have offered. One of the reasons for my hesitation to offer this type of treatment was that it seemed to be somewhat of a gimmick, and possibly capitalising on the popularity and more widespread acceptance of actual gastric banding surgery. However, having spoken to a number of colleagues who are using this method to extremely good effect, I have now decided to offer gastric hypnobanding, and I will shortly be taking a course, which will qualify me to offer this treatment.
What has made me change my mind?
The cynical amongst you would say that I am now 'jumping on the band wagon.' I would reply that yes, I do have to make a living, and if most other hypnotherapists are now offering this treatment, then I have to be able to compete with them. However, it is not only this factor which has made me decide to go in this direction. The obesity crisis is a disturbing fact, and all around us we see people struggling with their weight, trying new diets, going to slimming clubs, taking diet pills, but this does not seem to be having any effect - in fact it only seems to be making things worse. Therefore if I can help somebody to shed weight in a healthy way, at the same time helping them to cope with the anxiety and the emotion that has made them big in the first place, then I feel that this is a worthy cause. Sometimes extreme health issues call for 'extreme' treatments and so to me, the gastric hypnoband option offers a much more healthy and natural alternative to painful and sometimes life-threatening surgery.
If you would like to chat to me about weight loss treatment, I would be pleased to see you for a free consultation - please call me on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk. I look forward to speaking to you soon!
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Monday, 20 June 2011
Mental massage
When a client comes to see me, I generally recommend a course of treatment lasting between 3 and 6 sessions, as I am of the opinion that therapy does not need to be lengthy to be effective. I do, however, have several clients that I see on a monthly basis, who feel that these regular hypnotherapy sessions are great for relaxation and general well-being.
It was interesting to read, therefore, that the comedian Jack Dee has admitted to having regular monthly hypnotherapy sessions, and he likens them to a 're-set' button on a computer, just having that time when you 'un-plug' and then power everything up again. He claims that these sessions have kept him free from depression and compares them to a sort of 'mental massage' which enable his brain to function healthily and his mood to be kept stable.
I really like this idea of the 'mental massage' - in an age when life is increasingly busy and complex and confusing, it is hugely beneficial to smooth out all those neurons and synapses, and enable them to have some 'down time' in order to get back to functioning at full speed again. In 2009 a study carried out at Hull University found that there were actual physical changes on brain scans carried out on hypnosis subjects, to the effect that the brain was 'primed' to absorb positive imagery and suggestion, or maybe to block pain, depending on the effect required.
All I can say is that many of my clients - even those who find it difficult to relax - really enjoy the hypnotherapy sessions, and tell me that they feel much more calm, relaxed and able to cope with stresses afterwards.
If you feel that you could do with a 'monthly mental massage' do contact me on 01449 780352 or 0871 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk. I look forward to hearing from you!
It was interesting to read, therefore, that the comedian Jack Dee has admitted to having regular monthly hypnotherapy sessions, and he likens them to a 're-set' button on a computer, just having that time when you 'un-plug' and then power everything up again. He claims that these sessions have kept him free from depression and compares them to a sort of 'mental massage' which enable his brain to function healthily and his mood to be kept stable.
I really like this idea of the 'mental massage' - in an age when life is increasingly busy and complex and confusing, it is hugely beneficial to smooth out all those neurons and synapses, and enable them to have some 'down time' in order to get back to functioning at full speed again. In 2009 a study carried out at Hull University found that there were actual physical changes on brain scans carried out on hypnosis subjects, to the effect that the brain was 'primed' to absorb positive imagery and suggestion, or maybe to block pain, depending on the effect required.
All I can say is that many of my clients - even those who find it difficult to relax - really enjoy the hypnotherapy sessions, and tell me that they feel much more calm, relaxed and able to cope with stresses afterwards.
If you feel that you could do with a 'monthly mental massage' do contact me on 01449 780352 or 0871 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk. I look forward to hearing from you!
Monday, 13 June 2011
The root to happiness
Have you noticed how you often build things up to be much worse than they actually turn out to be? I am guilty of this too, as last week I had to have dental treatment on a tooth that already had a very deep root filling in it already, so was already much more filling than tooth. During the days leading up to the treatment, I was having all sorts of depressing thoughts, most of which involved me having to have the tooth taken out. I am not actually frightened of the dentist, and don't mind going at all as our dentist is lovely, however I was really fearful of losing this tooth, and of the affect that this would have on my appearance and my confidence.
When it came to the actual day of treatment, I needn't have worried at all, as my clever dentist managed to remove the bit of tooth, and did a lovely job of filling it, so I was very relieved to come away with my smile intact, even though I was £100 poorer. I felt so happy when I left - mind you, this might have been the anaesthetic, that I did a little skip when I came out - so, if anyone saw me in Stowmarket, they must have thought look at that bonkers woman with the lop-sided jaw, jumping into the air!
I have spoken before about celebrating little daily victories, and this is just the sort of thing that I mean. Those times when something turns out really well, or somebody we meet inspiring us, or even just a beautiful sky. The more that we can tune our own personal filter into noticing these types of situations, and more importantly being thankful for them, the more they tend to happen. Try it!
If you feel that you are finding it difficult to feel optimistic at the moment, hypnotherapy may help to lift your mood. Contact me on 01449 780352, or 0781 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.
When it came to the actual day of treatment, I needn't have worried at all, as my clever dentist managed to remove the bit of tooth, and did a lovely job of filling it, so I was very relieved to come away with my smile intact, even though I was £100 poorer. I felt so happy when I left - mind you, this might have been the anaesthetic, that I did a little skip when I came out - so, if anyone saw me in Stowmarket, they must have thought look at that bonkers woman with the lop-sided jaw, jumping into the air!
I have spoken before about celebrating little daily victories, and this is just the sort of thing that I mean. Those times when something turns out really well, or somebody we meet inspiring us, or even just a beautiful sky. The more that we can tune our own personal filter into noticing these types of situations, and more importantly being thankful for them, the more they tend to happen. Try it!
If you feel that you are finding it difficult to feel optimistic at the moment, hypnotherapy may help to lift your mood. Contact me on 01449 780352, or 0781 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Rogue trader?
I am delighted that the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) has recently endorsed the practice of hypnosis in being able to reduce stress and pain. Jacky Owens, the president of the RSM's Hypnosis Section, said "Conditions such as depression, pain and irritable bowel syndrome affect millions of people in the UK and at great cost to the NHS. But hypnosis can often work where other treatments have been unsuccessful". It is really pleasing that the mainstream seems to be waking up to the benefits of hypnosis, and not dismissing the therapy as mystical hocus-pocus, as may have been done in the past.
The RSM suggests that medical professionals should be offered training in hypnosis, in order to be able to use it as 'another tool in their treatment programme'. This is an excellent idea, however I am not sure that, in practice 'bite-size' hypnosis would really work. At present GPs are allotted 10 minutes per patient, and this would certainly not give enough time for a proper consultation, as well as conducting the hypnosis session. In my training and subsequently through experience, I have found that the longer one takes to induce a hypnotic trance, the more effective the subsequent suggestion therapy seems to be. Hypnotherapy's strength is in the way it allows the client time and stillness, in order to combat stresses and anxieties, which in my experience seem to be at the root of most presenting issues.
Ms Owens of the RSM warns that vulnerable people need to be protected from rogue practitioners, and this is absolutely true. I always advise people to check the qualifications and accreditation of their hypnotherapist, as there are a significant number who are not registered, and should not be practising at all.
However, we are not all rogues, and in the absence of medically-trained hypnotherapists, I believe that it is perfectly acceptable to seek treatment from a hypnotherapist who is properly trained and accredited to one of the main hypnotherapy associations. I am a member of the NCH (National Council for Hypnotherapy) and the GHR (General Hypnotherapy Register) - these are the two main hypnotherapy bodies in the UK, and they require you to have completed a Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma, in order to become a member. This entails practical training and assessment with an accredited training school, in my case this took place over 10 weekends. In addition to this I am a BA (Hons) graduate, and I am also constantly adding to my knowledge with CPD (continual professional development).
Therefore, whilst it is encouraging that the RSM are advocating the use of hypnotherapy, I also think that it is important that they accept that there a number of well-qualified, professional hypnotherapists in the field that they could feel confident in referring their patients to.
I would welcome comments to this blog - send me an email wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.
The RSM suggests that medical professionals should be offered training in hypnosis, in order to be able to use it as 'another tool in their treatment programme'. This is an excellent idea, however I am not sure that, in practice 'bite-size' hypnosis would really work. At present GPs are allotted 10 minutes per patient, and this would certainly not give enough time for a proper consultation, as well as conducting the hypnosis session. In my training and subsequently through experience, I have found that the longer one takes to induce a hypnotic trance, the more effective the subsequent suggestion therapy seems to be. Hypnotherapy's strength is in the way it allows the client time and stillness, in order to combat stresses and anxieties, which in my experience seem to be at the root of most presenting issues.
Ms Owens of the RSM warns that vulnerable people need to be protected from rogue practitioners, and this is absolutely true. I always advise people to check the qualifications and accreditation of their hypnotherapist, as there are a significant number who are not registered, and should not be practising at all.
However, we are not all rogues, and in the absence of medically-trained hypnotherapists, I believe that it is perfectly acceptable to seek treatment from a hypnotherapist who is properly trained and accredited to one of the main hypnotherapy associations. I am a member of the NCH (National Council for Hypnotherapy) and the GHR (General Hypnotherapy Register) - these are the two main hypnotherapy bodies in the UK, and they require you to have completed a Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma, in order to become a member. This entails practical training and assessment with an accredited training school, in my case this took place over 10 weekends. In addition to this I am a BA (Hons) graduate, and I am also constantly adding to my knowledge with CPD (continual professional development).
Therefore, whilst it is encouraging that the RSM are advocating the use of hypnotherapy, I also think that it is important that they accept that there a number of well-qualified, professional hypnotherapists in the field that they could feel confident in referring their patients to.
I would welcome comments to this blog - send me an email wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Skin deep
The other night Mr Chalk and I settled down to watch 'Bums, boobs and botox', a new documentary on Channel 4, a fly-on-the-wall show about the work of the cosmetic surgery performed by 'Transform'.
What amazed me was how this type of work is sold and promoted - on the one hand you saw a group of ladies sat round with nibbles and wine, watching a procedure being carried out, with all the gore and blood on show. Can you believe, however, that they took £21,000 that night? What happened to good old Avon or Body Shop parties? You then saw a shot of their 'call-centre' staff trying to persuade people to come along and have a consultation in order to find out what work needed doing. Presumably these sales staff are all medically trained?......
There are evidently some people who have such disfigurement, that it is ruining their lives, and surgery is the best option. However, with most of these people, they looked perfectly OK beforehand, and one cannot help wondering how much the clinic preys on their insecurities, and makes healthy profits from them. The media and the press quite evidently do not help, with their images of 'perfection' - teenagers are all too aware of this, and many neuroses develop in adolescence because of bullying from others, but also their perception of what constitutes a perfect body, and how image is so important.
What saddens me, is that with many of these people, they feel that their lives will only start once they have a certain procedure, but they then become addicted and they cannot stop having surgery. Obviously clinics such as 'Transform' are run on a profit-making basis, and the moral issues here are quite neatly brushed under the carpet.
I felt really sorry for the chap who had a hair transplant, and after nearly 2 months of what appeared to me a really painful, lengthy procedure, it just looked like a very sparse few rows of grass seed, not likely to become the luscious locks that he had dreamt of (and taken out a £5,000 loan to pay for).
I wonder if you have been thinking of having cosmetic surgery, but feel deep down that there is another way? Hypnotherapy and NLP can really boost confidence to such an extent that we become much less 'body-conscious', but able to see things from a different perspective. People often find that its not really all about image, but by feeling great from the inside, this can actually have an effect on the way we look too.
If you need a 'natural' boost, please call on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.
Take care.
What amazed me was how this type of work is sold and promoted - on the one hand you saw a group of ladies sat round with nibbles and wine, watching a procedure being carried out, with all the gore and blood on show. Can you believe, however, that they took £21,000 that night? What happened to good old Avon or Body Shop parties? You then saw a shot of their 'call-centre' staff trying to persuade people to come along and have a consultation in order to find out what work needed doing. Presumably these sales staff are all medically trained?......
There are evidently some people who have such disfigurement, that it is ruining their lives, and surgery is the best option. However, with most of these people, they looked perfectly OK beforehand, and one cannot help wondering how much the clinic preys on their insecurities, and makes healthy profits from them. The media and the press quite evidently do not help, with their images of 'perfection' - teenagers are all too aware of this, and many neuroses develop in adolescence because of bullying from others, but also their perception of what constitutes a perfect body, and how image is so important.
What saddens me, is that with many of these people, they feel that their lives will only start once they have a certain procedure, but they then become addicted and they cannot stop having surgery. Obviously clinics such as 'Transform' are run on a profit-making basis, and the moral issues here are quite neatly brushed under the carpet.
I felt really sorry for the chap who had a hair transplant, and after nearly 2 months of what appeared to me a really painful, lengthy procedure, it just looked like a very sparse few rows of grass seed, not likely to become the luscious locks that he had dreamt of (and taken out a £5,000 loan to pay for).
I wonder if you have been thinking of having cosmetic surgery, but feel deep down that there is another way? Hypnotherapy and NLP can really boost confidence to such an extent that we become much less 'body-conscious', but able to see things from a different perspective. People often find that its not really all about image, but by feeling great from the inside, this can actually have an effect on the way we look too.
If you need a 'natural' boost, please call on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.
Take care.
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