. . . or just talking things through - clarify thoughts, understand some basic neuroscience, understand how you are and what to do

Zoom and telephone consultations also available

We are all different and it is important to choose the therapy that is right for you. I have been involved in coaching and counselling for many years in business and private practice - and added psychotherapy and solution focused hypnotherapy because I believe that choice of options offers the most help to the most people.

Solution focused hypnotherapy is a tried and tested blend of psychotherapy, neuroscience, relaxation and hypnotherapy. It incorporates effective elements of many of the talking therapies, counselling, psychology, *CBT, **NLP, mindfulness, visualisation and more.

(*Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, **Neuro Linguistic Programming)

Whatever our circumstances, several neuroscientists have concurred that our brain’s coping strategies like focus, like solutions, like something to work on. We are programmed in a future survival type of way. Some of our worst torments are when there is nothing we can do because the brain likes to work on what to do.

Many aspects of this work operate on changing the way we think in order to feel better and cope better, have more control and where required – more confidence, more motivation, better self-belief.

Solution focused work helps shift emphasis onto constructive, positive changes and encourage the mind away from limitations and negative thought to concentrate on desired outcomes. Teach yourself how to re-evaluate and make change.

Counselling, Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy, Relaxation - in Clevedon, Nailsea, Bristol (other locations by arrangement) plus Zoom and telephone consultations

About Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis is a state of focused attention. We go in and out of trance many times a day; whilst we are reading through papers, watching the tv, looking out of the window, having a cup of tea or coffee, sitting on the bus, listening to music, when we thought we were deep in thought – we do it all the time. At those times we just become unaware of everything else that is going on and we are in our own little world. In that state it is very easy for the brain to take in useful information. You have a sort of direct line to the subconscious so that your brain can take the information on board without all the noise and clutter of everyday life. When we are in that extremely focused state we have all the abilities of the conscious mind and more importantly the resources of the subconscious mind, joining forces to really take on board successful ideas and solutions. We can transform old patterns of thought and introduce new, more helpful patterns of thought and behaviour. The sensation for most hypnotherapy subjects is merely a rather nice feeling of daydream and relaxation, listening to some lovely words and music. Hypnotherapy helps tune out distracting brain activity and focus on specific suggestion and direction - and the outcomes you want.

All the goals and outcomes alluded to are agreed with you before hypnotherapy and at each appointment.

About Psychotherapy

The benefit of giving the opportunity to talk things through, creating a new way of looking at challenges, difficulties, problems, mental blocks - and help move towards solutions. Psychotherapy enables you to gain a better understanding of yourself and your own goals, values and aspirations. It can also develop skills for improving relationships and establish a better understanding of other people and different moods and behaviours. Psychotherapy helps people “to understand their feelings and what makes them feel positive, anxious, or depressed. This can equip them to cope with difficult situations in a more adaptive way". Medical News today, May 2017 Psychotherapy has evolved over many years from Freud and Yung and analysis, through many, many different schools of thought and trends, through cognitive, behavioural therapy and counselling – and we are now in the fortunate position to embrace the things that work best and all the latest findings from continual study and psychology.

About Relaxation

Pure luxury. Something that should come so naturally can become more difficult to achieve. Life tends to crush out many of those lovely moments that you can just relax. We can almost lose the ability to switch off. Treat yourself to 50-60 minutes of you-time. It is good for your health, your physical fitness and your mental fitness. Stop rushing, breathe. Have a personal re-set. Relaxation can be one of the healthiest things to incorporate into your everyday life.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Mind and other proponents of relaxation, relaxation can help and influence many health benefits: slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, steadying breathing, improving digestion, maintaining normal/stable blood sugar levels, reducing activity of stress hormones, increasing blood flow to major muscles, relaxing muscles, reducing muscle tension and chronic pain, restore energy and encourage a more positive sense of self.

Like so many things, we become better at relaxation the more we practise. A large study by Harvard Medical School concluded that those practising relaxation on a regular basis boosted their immune responses and developed healthier hormone levels. Go on, treat yourself.

Counselling, Coaching - and talking therapy

A chance to articulate problems, concerns, anxieties – real or imagined, present, past or future - and in doing so not only making the situation much clearer to understand but also very often seeing answers that just weren’t coming through. Sharing thoughts and problems with a trained professional. A safe space. Solutions and ways to deal with things so often come to mind when talking things through in a calm and structured way. It is how our brains like to work. Feedback and interaction help the brain process ideas. It enables you to get rid of unhelpful thoughts and hang-ups and create helpful thinking – and just simply feel better.

Counselling

Counselling is a safe and supportive space for you to work through challenges and problems, identifying and resolving any of the things which may present hang-ups or obstructions, physical and psychological. Counselling enables you to build the strength and confidence you need to overcome fears, blocks and emotions. Working with a counsellor helps you define good, sensible strategies and the abilities to cope. Your own safe, non-judgemental, professional support team.

Coaching

Coaching can be extremely beneficial at any stage of life. It is usually based on simplicity and clarity - but not always easy. Coaching will help you establish where you are in your general scheme of things, what important things you have achieved and your current positions in relation to your priorities, what you want to work on, planning and milestones - and importantly your overall objectives. Coaching will provide you with an experienced sounding board to discover, identify or clarify what it is you want to achieve and how best to do that. It is interesting, illuminating and coaching helps make sure it happens.

About Fiona

For as long as I can remember I have been interested and intrigued in health and performance. What makes us who we are and how we are?

I have worked privately and in business for over 20 years in management, communication, people and performance – working with individuals and teams as a consultant and practitioner.

In work and in our own personal lives, how we are affects everything we do. This led me to spend a great deal of time studying health, psychology and neuroscience and trying to appreciate more and more how we are affected by things, how we react to things and how we devise our best strategies.

Management training and NLP qualifications played a significant part in my work for many years and in 2017 I decided to reinforce that by studying the Hypnotherapy Diploma at the renowned Clifton Practice. I knew from my work that this provided excellent, up to date training in all aspects of practice and a true love of my life, neuroscience, how the brain works. There is very little we will ever encounter as fascinating as the human brain.

I have helped younger people who needed to develop their confidence for school and for interviews and make friends, with parents and business people to cope, adapt, achieve and succeed and with older people to maintain happiness and motivation and overcome setbacks and grief.

Previously I have been joint Managing Director of a successful business consultancy plc and had a long working career in construction and property teams, advertising teams, solicitors and accountants. My strongest interest was always in people and communication skills – what worked and what didn’t – and why. I passionately believe that health, mental and physical health, is key. I have also studied nutrition and anatomy and physiology to try and gain the greatest understanding. This is all maintained by rigorous, continuous professional development and supervision. I am a qualified clinical psychotherapist and hypnotherapist. The Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma (HPD) is considered the Gold Standard in hypnotherapy training. The HPD is nationally accredited by NCFE and benchmarked at Level 4 of Ofqual’s Qualification and Credit Framework. The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) is the UK regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners, set up with government support to protect the public. CNHC’s register has been approved as an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care and meets their rigorous standards. The public and those who commission the services of CNHC practitioners can choose with confidence. General Medical Council (GMC) guidance confirms that doctors are able to refer patients to practitioners on CNHC Accredited Registers. I have full professional insurance and enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service). I am accredited by NCH (National Council for Hypnotherapy) and AfSFH (Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy).

Fees

Initial appointments are 1½ hours
£55.00

Subsequent appointments are 1 hour
£55.00

Full fees are charged for appointments missed or appointments cancelled within 24 hours of time booked, unable to be filled