As many as 1 in 5 of us suffer from anxiety or depression (ONS, 2013).

Anxiety takes many forms.

Do you:

• Avoid or dread social situations, because you worry what other people may be thinking?
• Have a specific fear or phobia, which is causing you distress or difficulty?
• Suffer from panic attacks?
• Find your mind is filled with worry?
• Have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep?

If so, I can help.

Symptoms of anxiety include feelings of panic, fear or unease; a racing heart or palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, a tight feeling or “knot” in your chest.  You might notice you worry a lot, perhaps about one thing in particular, or maybe about all kinds of things.  You may even be worried about how much you worry!  Anxiety can also lead to trouble concentrating and sleeping.

Often, the fear of anxiety itself means you increasingly avoid situations which may cause it, making the problem worse and making your world feel smaller and even more scary.  I will work with you to identify the factors which fuel the vicious cycle of your anxiety.

I use a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), hypnotherapy, applied relaxation and mindfulness to help you break this cycle and overcome your anxiety.  CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) helps you understand and change the unhelpful patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that are the underlying cause of your anxiety.  Often, hypnosis or other relaxation techniques can provide immediate relief by helping you relax and I will teach you how to relax quickly when you need to.  I will help you learn the tools and techniques to manage your anxiety for yourself in the long-term, finding out what works for you, rather than taking a “one size fits all” approach.

I use an evidence-based approach, which means I keep up to date with the latest research and my approach is based on the best up to date evidence.  I’m registered with the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) and Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), and am a member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies and am bound to their stringent Codes of Ethics.

For some hints and tips on managing stress and anxiety, take a look at my blog:

5 ways to reduce stress

Spring clean your thinking

At best, panic attacks are deeply unpleasant. At worst, they can be terrifying. It can feel as if you losing your control of your body or your mind.  The fear of having another panic attack can start to rule your life.

Panic attacks take many forms.   Typically, they are sudden rushes of fear or discomfort.  You may shake, tremble, or sweat; have a pounding heart; feel breathless; feel as if you are going to be sick; feel dizzy, or as if you are going to faint; or feel as if your mind is racing, and even as if you might lose control of your mind or body.

Some of these symptoms can understandably be very scary, and it may feel as if something really bad is going to happen.

You may know what triggers your panic attacks, or it may feel as if they come out of the blue. Either way, the fear of having another panic attack can lead to further problems as you begin to avoid anything you think might trigger them.

But there is hope.

There is strong evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help with panic attacks.  We will work together to unpick the reasons behind your panic attacks.  We will identify and help you overcome specific fears or worries relating to your panic.  Most importantly, you will learn the skills to get back to doing the things you want to be doing.

Phobias can be crippling. Often, other people don't realise the impact a phobia has on your life.  It can feel like you are constantly on the look-out for danger, or adapting your plans so that you are less likely to have to face your fear.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy both have a long history of treating phobias and there's a huge amount of research that shows they can be extremely effective.

It may be that you think your fear is irrational ("I know the spider won't hurt me, but it still terrifies me..."). Or, you may feel your fear has a more rational basis.  Either way,  we will work together to understand and address your underlying fears and gradually and safely help you learn to re-evaluate them.  As a result, you will develop new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that will free you from the fear and anxiety that has been holding you back.

It can sometimes be useful to combine hypnotherapy with CBT.  The beauty of using hypnosis is that you can work through your fears in your imagination, a bit like a "virtual reality simulator", so you control the situation and see results quickly.   This might be particularly helpful if you have a fear like fear of flying, which can be hard to practice facing in real life.

Trouble falling or staying asleep is incredibly common and may affect as many as 1 in 3 people in the UK.

You may always have found it difficult to sleep, or problems may have started after a stressful period in your life. Regardless of how and when it started, insomnia can take on a life of its own and have a profound effect on your life.

I use cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) to help you understand and deal with the things maintaining your sleep problems. CBT-I includes practical steps to help improve your sleep, and we'll take a detailed look at your worries about sleep. Depending on the nature of your problem, we may also cover relaxation techniques and/or hypnosis to help you learn to get your body into a "sleep-ready state".

Evidence suggests that a cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is effective for treating insomnia (more so than medication) (Mitchell et al., 2012), and it is recommended as a first-line treatment for insomnia by the NHS.

Let's face it.  Modern life is stressful.  Stress is triggered by specific "stressors", and modern life is full of them - perhaps a problem at work, a demanding deadline, or juggling the demands of work and personal or family life.

A little stress can be useful to help us deal with the demands of life.  Think about giving a presentation or going to a job interview - if we were too relaxed, we might not perform at our best.  But all too often stress can tip over into being unhelpful and distressing.

Stress feels different for everyone, but common signs include problems sleeping, loss of appetite, headaches, muscle pain or tension and irritability.  It can be difficult to concentrate or think clearly, and even simple things can feel overwhelming.  Left unresolved, stress can lead to anxiety, depression and long-term physical health problems.

If you feel overwhelmed by stress, you are not alone.  A recent survey (Mental Health Foundation, May ’18) found that three in every four people in the UK have been so stressed in the last year that they have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.

The good news is that there are lots of ways to reduce stress. This can include anything from learning to manage multiple demands and re-evaluate our worries, to learning how to "hack" our natural relaxation response (which counters the "fight or flight" of stress). I am passionate about prioritising our mental and physical wellbeing and believe that learning how to manage the stress of modern life is crucial. My aim is to help you build your resilience to stress.

I use a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), applied relaxation, hypnotherapy, and mindfulness-based techniques to help you manage stress and build your resilience.  Hypnotherapy and relaxation techniques allow you  to relax quickly and naturally, bringing immediate relief.  CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) can help you identify and change the unhelpful thinking patterns which contribute to stress.  Mindfulness can increase your focus and help you learn to step back from unhelpful thinking.

I will help you learn the tools and techniques to reduce and manage stress for yourself in the long-term, finding out what works for you, rather than taking a “one size fits all” approach.

I use an evidence-based approach, which means I keep up to date with the latest research and my approach is based on the best up to date evidence.  I’m registered with the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) and Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), and am a member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), and am bound to their stringent Codes of Ethics.

For some hints and tips on managing stress and anxiety, take a look at my blog:

5 ways to reduce stress

Spring clean your thinking

Avoid stress this Christmas

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and/or hypnotherapy are very effective at helping to boost confidence - whether it be general self-esteem, confidence at work, public speaking or social situations.  I will work with you to understand your goals and deal with the fears, underlying beliefs and behaviours that are holding you back.

A lack of confidence in social situations is very common and can have a big impact on your life.  People often believe that others will judge them negatively, and this belief can lead to anxiety. In turn, this anxiety can cause unwanted behaviour such as sweating, blushing, stammering or "clamming up" and not knowing what to say.  Cognitive behavioural therapy can help you understand and overcome these underlying fears and beliefs, allowing you to enjoy social situations and giving you the confidence to just be yourself.

Do you bite your nails?  Pull your hair?  Or even stutter or have a nervous tic? 

If you have a habit you want to stop, please get in touch!  I love working on habit breaking because I love seeing my clients experience such quick and powerful results. 

It’s often said that “habits are a powerful thing”. This is true – but it also means that installing new counter-habits can be just as powerful and can effectively stop bad habits in their tracks.

I offer a two hour session based on proven techniques with a strong success rate. Research has shown that the technique I use leads to an average reduction in habit frequency of 90% after just one week(Nunn & Azrin, 1977), rising to  99.5% after 6 months (Chambliss et al, 1998).  

Whilst most of us know that smoking has a negative impact on our health, it can be very difficult to kick the habit.

Research analysing several different hypnotherapy studies has shown that, on average, smokers are over five times more likely to break the habit with hypnosis than by willpower alone. Hypnotherapy in general is also proven to be more than twice as effective as nicotine gum.

If you really want to stop smoking, one treatment session could be all you need. I offer a 2.5 hour session and, should you need it, a free follow-up session within 3 months. I use a variety of techniques to help you become a non-smoker, addressing the underlying reasons smoking has become a habit for you.

Please contact me to find out more.

I use a combination of hypnosis, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness to help you deal with your problems. Read more about hypnotherapy, CBT and mindfulness.

I use a combination of CBT and hypnotherapy, which is proven to be quicker and more effective than CBT alone

My approach incorporates techniques based on the latest scientific evidence

My goal is to help you develop the tools to help yourself - not become tied into a long-term therapy programme

I work with you to develop a treatment plan that works for you and your lifestyle

My approach incorporates techniques based on the latest scientific evidence

I am accredited by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), am a member of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), and am bound by their Codes of Ethics

Finding someone you feel comfortable working with is the most important thing.  Please contact me for a free, no strings 15 minute phone consultation to find out how I can help

I'm a fully qualified cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist, with a background in psychology.

I am passionate about prioritising our mental and physical well-being and providing people with the tools and skills to help them help themselves. My aim is that you become your own therapist, not reliant on me.

I'm a specialist in relaxation, resilience and stress management. I worked for over 15 years in corporate business, so I understand first hand the pressures of a fast-paced, pressure-filled environment and the difficulties of juggling this with family life.

I have an evidence-based philosophy, which means I believe you have the right to treatment which is based on sound scientific research. This means I keep up to date with the latest scientific research and my approach is based on the best up to date evidence.

I'm registered with with the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and Register for Evidence-based Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy (REBHP) and am bound to their stringent Codes of Ethics.

It’s really important that you work with someone you feel comfortable with, so please feel free to call me for a chat so you can get a feel for how I could help (or, if you prefer, send me a message).

To find out more about whether cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy could help you, I offer a free, no-strings 15 minute telephone consultation.

31 Old London Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6ND

26 Kingston Road, New Malden, Surrey KT3 3LS