Frequently Asked Asked Questions
and Terms and Conditions

There has been a lot of research conducted to discover what makes therapy work and consistently the findings show that the key factor is the relationship that develops between therapist and client. The other most important thing is that the therapist adapts to the client’s characteristics, culture and preferences.

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What happens during a hypnosis session?

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In the first session* we get to the root of your issue, identify what the triggers , secondary gains are, and what needs to be done to overcome.. Then in further sessions use Hypnosis to allow you to access your body's natural capacity to begin positive changes.

 

This may include for example if working with Anxiety :-

 

Break the cycle of those unnecessary daily thoughts and feelings which create anxiety.

 

Allow you to begin to feel healthier, have greater control over stress and worries in your life.

 

Create a new patten of behaviour / reactions / actions to stay calmer, be at your best for longer, and bounce back quicker than ever before.

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*Smoking is the only issue treated in one long session.

 

My commitment to you:

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All relationships are based on trust, and the therapeutic relationship is no different so I will always do my best to understand you and your issues without making any presumptions. Everyone is different and you are entitled to be you and to hold your views about the world. If I struggle to understand, I will ask. I will not judge you. This doesn’t mean that I condone “bad” behaviour, but it does mean that I will presume good intent. I will also be honest so that you will always know where you stand with me.

 

What you can talk about:

 

​It is common for clients to be worried about disclosing information, wondering if it is safe to do so. Some therapists ask lots of questions but I feel that is too intrusive so I offer you this list of some things (and there are others) which clients may have experienced and which can be discussed.

 

Abuse: domestic, sexual, physical or emotional, past or present

 

Self harm or suicidal thoughts/attempts guilty secrets

 

Problems with eating (eg binging or purging) Criminal convictions (see below for current criminal activity)

 

Disturbing thoughts or wishes

 

Sexual issues

 

Anything not listed below!

 

Requirements for disclosure

 

Having given examples of all the things that you can discuss with me, it’s important that you know that the law forbids our normal confidentiality in the following circumstances: I become aware, or have good reason to suspect, that you have knowledge of:

 

A past or future incident that may be dangerous or harmful to a child, you or another adult, and that is not known to the relevant authorities.

 

Future or past criminal activity that has not been resolved in law. This means any criminal activity, of which the relevant authorities are either unaware or a case they know about which they consider not to be closed (provided you do not present information in therapy which would reasonably re-open the case). This does not include parking or traffic offences unless there is intent, by you or anyone else, to cause danger to yourself or others, or that it is deemed to be a “serious offense”. For our purposes a serious offense is something for which you could be imprisoned and for which the sentence (not necessarily imprisonment) hasn’t yet been served.

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Having a notifiable disease – a list of which is on the website of the Health Protection Agency.

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​Guarantee

 

​Everyone is different and reacts differently to the therapy, but it does require equal work from both the therapist and the client.

 

​I believe that it is highly unethical to offer a guarantee as most of the top hypnotherapy organisations and associations disallow a practitioner to state they offer a guarantee. The only guarantees you can find are those when you purchase new items. It would be odd if a bottle of Paracetamol offered a guarantee that it would rid you of your headache, or if a lawyer offered you a guarantee that you would win a particular case. 

 

Weight Loss

 

An exact guaranteed loss can never be predicted as every client achieves a different level of loss due to their size(current weight), build(height), and other physical factors - muscle mass. 

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If you are 100% Committed to losing weight, changing your relationship with food/drink, installing new positive habits, learning a new food and drink framework, then I will be 100% committed to you, and Hypnosis the obvious opportunity for you to take.

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Smoking

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If you still enjoy smoking, then may be now isn't the time to stop, however if you are fed up with the smell, taste, and other issues connected with smoking then the time is probably correct for you.

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Regarding packages - These are non-refundable, as human behaviour can not be predicted/proved, however unused sessions can be used up to 2 months after purchase. 

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You should be very wary of any hypnotherapist that offers a guarantee!

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​But what you can be sure of is that I operate an extremely efficient and caring service. I have to undergo constant and continued professional development to make sure I stay up to date with all current trends and research.

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Also note that I reserve the right to record sessions where it is deemed appropriate

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 Code of ethics

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I am fully accredited member of the Professional Hypnotherapist Practitioner Society. I subscribes to their codes of ethics as well as the code of ethics of the National Society of Hypnosis, Psychotherapy and Mindfulness

 

Confidentiality 

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It’s important that you know that the law may forbid our normal confidentiality in the following circumstances:

• If I become aware, or have good reason to suspect, that you have knowledge of:

• A past or future incident/situation that may be dangerous or harmful to a child, you or another adult, and that is not known to the relevant authorities.

• Future or past criminal activity that has not been resolved in law. This means any criminal activity, of which the relevant authorities are either unaware or a case they know about which they consider not to be closed (provided you do not present information in therapy which would reasonably re-open the case). This does not include parking or traffic offences unless there is intent, by you or anyone else, to cause danger to yourself or others, or that it is deemed to be a “serious offence”. For our purposes a serious offence is something for which you could be imprisoned and for which the sentence (not necessarily imprisonment) hasn’t yet been served

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In these circumstances I will work with you to see if we can work together to make appropriate disclosures.

It is also compulsory to report terrorism, potential radicalisation, money laundering and female genital mutilation to the appropriate authorities.

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Other than as required by law, I will routinely discuss your case with my supervisor (in order to ensure that you get the best service), my supervisor will have access to your details if I am suddenly unavailable (to contact you and offer you ongoing care) and I may talk or write to your GP (but I will not give any personal details beyond what you are working on).

 

Also note that I reserve the right to record sessions where it is deemed appropriate

 

Anti-discrimination policy

I am strongly committed to anti-discrimination. I value difference and diversity and do not discriminate on the grounds of age, gender and gender identity, sexual preference or orientation, marital/partnership status, religion, race, colour, national origin, disability, heritage or political belief.

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Cancellation and missed session policy

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If for any reason you are unable to attend your appointment please let me know as soon as possible. The required notice for cancellation is twenty four hours. Where there is less notice of cancellation or if you do not attend your appointment you will be charged the full fee. In certain circumstances, the charging of the full fee can be waived at the discretion of Your Positive Change Hypnosis. With adequate advanced notice, where possible, you will be offered an alternative appointment.

 

You will be given as much advance notice as possible in terms of the holidays or needing to cancel your appointment for any other reason

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Social media policy

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With regard to the use of social media. If you, as a client, have questions about any aspect please do ask. As the world of social media is constantly changing this policy is likely to be updated regularly and the latest version will always be available in my terms and conditions.

 

Friending

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I do not accept friend or contact requests from former or current clients on my personal Facebook page as this can not only compromise your confidentiality (eg if another of my friends saw that you were a friend they may wonder how we know each other) but would also blur the boundary of the therapeutic relationship. I do have a practice Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/yourpositivechange which you can sign up to to read my daily posts.

 

Following

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I tweet on a daily basis as a business. If you are interested in my posts on therapeutic subjects feel free to follow me. I will not follow you on Twitter as this can cause confusion around the purpose of this: would it be part of your therapy or would I just be being curious?

Interacting

Please do not use public ways of contact (eg @replies or tagging) again because of the potential for this to compromise your confidentiality. You may use Facebook messenger or text to discuss appointment times or other logistics but not therapeutic issues.

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Use of search engines

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I do not Google my clients as a matter of course, but may very occasionally in a time of crisis. For example, if you had failed to attend a session and I was concerned for your safety I may try to find out about you this way. If I did so, I would tell you about it the next time we met.

 

Business review sites

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You may find my name on business review sites but I have not asked to be on these. Businesses do not get a choice! Clients are free to post whatever they choose and due to confidentiality I cannot comment on anything that is posted. Indeed anyone (including a competitor) can post anything so it is advisable to be aware that reviews (good or bad) may not be representative of the views of real clients.

 

It is considered unethical by PHPS body to publish testimonials and so you will not find any testimonials coming from me although it is always nice to receive private messages from clients who have completed their therapy. Facebook reviews I have no control over.