Possibilities Unlimited
Hypnotherapy & CBT Brighton, Hove & Lewes

The first part of our sessions will include information gathering and an integrated counselling approach, to clarify the goals and set tasks to be completed.

The treatment modalities I use draw from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Integral Eye Movement Technique, Compassion Focused Therapy and traditional Psychotherapy.

The second part of the session will generally be followed by Hypnotherapy to create the changes you would like to make on a deep unconscious level.

I will often use a combination of the therapies listed below to support you in making the changes you want simply, quickly and effectively.

You are welcome to call or text on 07949 989986 or email info@possie.co.uk to book in your free 30 minute Hypnotherapy consultation or just for a quick chat

Information about the different Therapeutic Modalities

Hypnotherapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy CBT
Neuro-Linguistic Programming NLP
Integral Eye Movement Technique IEMT
Emotional Freedom Technique EFT
Solution Focused Brief Therapy SFBT
Motivational Interviewing MI
Human Givens
Psychotherapy

Hypnotherapy

Despite many misconceptions, hypnosis it is something that the client is always in control of. Hypnosis can only occur when the client is willing to go into a trance.

When you go into a trance you will recognize the experience because you have been in one many times before and you may be surprised to know that we all go into a slight trance many times throughout the day.

Have you ever driven a car and noticed that you do not remember part of the journey?

This is a kind of trance state

Have you been so absorbed by a book or story that it felt like you were actually there?

This is a kind of trance state

Do you ever focus so completely on a film or television program that you lose focus on other external noises in the environment?

This is the kind of trance state that advertisers use to make suggestions to you!
The fact that you do not purchase every product that is suggested for you to buy, proves that you are in control over how you chose to act on these suggestions.

Daydreaming can be another one of those wonderful trance states.

In Hypnosis, you can expect to experience:

• Deep relaxation
• Vivid use of your imagination
• Feeling connected with yourself
• Increased ability to focus your attention
• Tolerance and control over pain
• Slower breathing
• Being in the present moment
• Better sensory awareness
• Openness to the suggestions that will help you

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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy CBT

CBT is widely accepted as a clinically proven method which is effective with many issues including depression and anxiety based problems such as Health Anxiety, OCD, Panic Attacks, Phobias, Social Anxiety and PTSD.

A foundation of working using the CBT model is 'mapping out the problem'. This means to gain a shared understanding of how the problem 'works' before tackling it.

This mapping, or formulation, of the problem is one of the reasons that CBT has excelled in treating specific problems. Researchers have looked at how particular problems tend to operate in humans and designed specific treatment plans to help overcome them. However, the therapy should always be tailored to the individual. It certainly should not feel like the therapist is working from a booklet, which can be a common criticism of CBT

CBT focuses upon the link between our thoughts, feelings and actions with the principle that creating a transformation in one area will have a knock on affect in others.

As an approach it is meant to be relationally collaborative. This is to say that it's not the therapist always leading, or the client, but a nice to and fro between us so that we're working together.

The CBT method also employs relaxation techniques, goal setting tasks and commonly exploration of thinking styles.

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Neuro-Linguistic Programming NLP

NLP has many definitions some of which I will explain here.

Quite simply, Neuro-Linguistic Programming relates the fundamental dynamics between the mind (Neuro), language (Linguistics) and how their relationship affects our behaviours (Programming). The characteristic of ‘modelling’ defines NLP from other psychological interventions, which is a process of defining certain behaviours into a language so that we can replicate those behaviours.

This is why it is often called the study of excellence and is the most significant reason why it has transcended therapy and now influences coaching, business, advertising, and training among others. It has been used to replicate excellence in each of those fields. NLP, like other therapies, does have its own set of models and techniques. Some of these explore the way that we encode the world through our five senses and how when we change the way that we encode the, the world begins to take on new meanings and understandings.

Using these methods are a quick way that we can change our experience of hurt, stress, anxiety and trauma without even having to talk specifically about the issues that are causing the negative thoughts, beliefs or emotions. This is called working ‘content free’ other techniques work on managing our emotional states utilizing things such as, but not limited to; language, time distortion, skills, resources and imagination. It is also encompasses a set of powerful questioning techniques designed to help people achieve their goals quickly and effectively.

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Integral Eye Movement Technique IEMT

Our mind is constantly imprinting new information from the expreiences in our daily lives. Sometimes these imprints lead to undesired emotional states such as anxiety, guilt or shame. In other cases these may happen to be issues such as Panic Attacks or Phobia's.

Using precise Eye Movement techniques, and aspects of updating the identity that may be affected, IEMT helps us to resolve the negative emotions that have been causing issues in a quick, efficient appraoch.

While the memory of certain instances may not always be positive, the emotional arousal that imprints had caused will be neutralised.

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Emotional Freedom Technique EFT

To be honest, though I'm trained in EFT I never actually use it! Some people do get very good results with it so I hear, and others find it a bit odd, but I would need more training and experience in it to become skillful at using it.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy SFBT

SFBT consists of a simple, yet poweful questioning style that has a certain 'feel good' factor and when done well, clients will often leave the session with a sense of their strengths and resources with which to overcome the issue.

Unlike traditional Psychotherapeutic techniques, SFBT is not focused on the past, but how we can create a better future in the present.

When we have something to look forward to, it is much easier to be happy for example, if someone doesn;t like their job, but has a holiday coming up, they are much more likely to be happy, even if they're at work. The analogy of going on holiday helps to explain the precept that our present is dictated by the future that we see before us.

Another one of my favourite ways to explain this technique is getting a puncture on a bike. It doesn't serve us to go back to the place where we got a puncture and see whether it is glass, a thorn or a nail. The answer is simply to get a puncture repair kit, or buy a new inner tube.

It seems logical that if we have a problem we should focus on it in order to resolve it. However when we concentrate on our problems we just have the tendency to create more problems. Rather than focus on the problem, it can really pay to put your energies instead to the Solution.

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Motivational Interviewing MI

Motivational Interviewing was found to be very successful in supporting clients in stopping smoking. It has since been recognised and adopted by the NHS, but also can be used with other addictions or indeed, any change that we wish to make.

The aim of Motivational Interviewing to help to reduce resistance to change and increase motivation by helping to resolve ambivalence. An example of ambivalence is saying things like "I'm two minds about that", or "on one hand I feel like X, but on the other I want Y".

MI is underpinned with a strong set of principles called the 'Spirit of MI'. One of these states the counsellor is responsible for any resistance in the client as a result of something they have done, and should therefore adopt a new approach. This is a big step forward from traditional psychotherapy, which has tended to label the client's as 'resistant'

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Human Givens

The Human Givens represent the innate emotional needs of all humans regardless of nationality, race or culture. The theory underpinning this model is that when these needs are not being met, it causes us emotional distress such as anxiety, depression, feelings of worthlessness etc. Therefore I assess any areas where needs are appear to be unmet and support my clients in resolving this.

Quite often, the problem simply disappears once we are happily fulfilling our emotional needs

Our fundamental emotional needs consist of:

• Security — safe territory and an environment which allows us to develop fully
• Attention (to give and receive it) — a form of nutrition
• Sense of autonomy and control — having volition to make responsible choices
• Being emotionally connected to others
• Feeling part of a wider community
• Friendship, intimacy — to know that at least one other person accepts us totally for who we are, “warts 'n' all”
• Privacy — opportunity to reflect and consolidate experience
• Sense of status within social groupings
• Sense of competence and achievement
• Meaning and purpose — which come from being stretched in what we do and think

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Psychotherapy

Most people gather from my website that I aim to support people in quick yet lasting transformation. I do believe that as therapists, from a point of ethics, we should all aim for this with all our clients.

However, not all my clients wish to have Brief Therapy and choose the more explorative and insightful aspect of Psychotherapy. This has the benefit of forming a relationship over a period of time and creating more of a bond between client and therapist. I never enforce Psychotherapy on my clients and always let them make that choice, because they have found me to be someone that they would like to work with on a longer term basis.

The Psychotherapy that I offer will be at a more relaxed pace than that of the Brief Therapy, there will be less of an objective to attain results because the building of the realtionship, being understood and having the ability to understand certain aspects of one's life will be the results that come from this style of therapy.

I consider eight sessions and under to be Brief Therapy and any longer is getting into the realms of Psychotherapy. Unlike the Brief Therapy, which has a very defined focus of the results that let you know that the sessions have been successful, Psychotherapy may have an undetermined sense of ending initially and will start drawing to a close when the client feels that they have gained what they wanted to from the sessions. I do endeavour to ensure that dependency does not occur by exploring ending early on and supporting the Self Efficacy of my clients.

I do still use the other Therpeutic methods outlined on this page, including Hypnotherapy with the Psychotherapy that I offer but if you simply prefer the more counselling aspect of the Therapy I will adapt the sessions to suit your requirements.

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