http://aecollegeofhypnosis.uk/, https://linktr.ee/adameason

Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis, Bournemouth (2025)

31/07/2025

Video: How the Prospect of Hypnosis (and Misunderstanding) In Boxing Instilled Fear!

One of my favourite boxers when I was young was Nigel Benn. In the 1990s he worked with Paul McKenna, who did not actually work with Benn on his boxing career, he provided support and assistance during a difficult period in his personal life. However, when it was suggested in the media that Nigel Benn was receiving help from McKenna who was the world's most famous hypnotist at the time, some people objected and suggested that this was somehow giving Benn an unfair advantage - it mainly shone a light on how little people knew about the reality of what hypnosis does and how it works.

31/07/2025

Latest Article - Why You Don’t Need to Be Exceptional: The Psychology of Letting Go of the Pressure to Stand Out.

When you work in fields such as mine and those related to it, saying "You Don’t Need to Be Exceptional" is seen as a crime by some. I've wanted to write about why we don't need to be exceptional for some time and today I've finally gotten around to it.

The Psychology of Letting Go of the Pressure to Stand Out - The Myth of Exceptionality

In our modern Western world where social media in particular constantly showcases the lives of high achievers, influencers, and prodigies of varying kinds, the pressure to be exceptional can feel overwhelming. So much self-improvement and personal development literature and themes seems to be focused upon a main goal of how to be exceptional. We are often encouraged to stand out, be the best, or leave a mark on the world. The message is clear: ordinary isn't enough.

Yet, paradoxically, striving to be exceptional can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and a diminished sense of self-worth. For me and I hope for some of you reading this, it can actually be comforting and liberating to be told: you don’t need to be exceptional to lead a deeply meaningful, satisfying, and valuable life.

Today I'm exploring the psychological science behind why chasing exceptionality can actually be harmful, and how embracing ordinariness can actually be one of the healthiest and most fulfilling choices you make.

Link to the full article is in the comments.

31/07/2025

Evidence based hypnosis meme of the week.

Many breast cancer patients and survivors experience pain and emotional stress related to their disease, its diagnostic procedures, or treatment. Hypnosis has long been used for the treatment of such symptoms.

The aim of this review was to systematically assess the effectiveness of hypnosis in women with breast cancer, breast cancer survivors, and in women undergoing diagnostic breast biopsy.

Databases were screened through February 2014 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of hypnosis in women with breast cancer or undergoing diagnostic breast biopsy.

Primary outcomes were pain, distress, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, and hot flashes.

Thirteen RCTs with 1357 patients were included. In women undergoing diagnostic breast biopsy, hypnosis positively influenced pain and distress; RCT on breast cancer surgery found effects of hypnosis on pain, distress, fatigue, and nausea. For women undergoing radiotherapy, hypnosis combined with cognitive–behavioural therapy improved distress and fatigue. RCTs on women with metastatic breast cancer found effects on pain and distress.

This systematic review found sparse but promising evidence for the effectiveness of hypnosis in breast cancer care. While more research is needed to underpin these results, hypnosis can be considered as an ancillary intervention in the management of breast cancer–related symptoms (Cramer et al., 2015).

Link to full PDF of study posted in my college Facebook group.

31/07/2025

Latest Video: Heavy Lifting - Conquering Your Mind Before The Weight!

When I teach how to employ cognitive sports psychology and sports applications of hypnotherapy, as well as looking at a wide range of evidence based applications and models, when talking about effective applications of cognitive approaches, I also refer to my own experiences and how even though I teach these topics, and have a great awareness of how to apply self-hypnosis in this environment, I have found automatic thoughts have still snuck their way into my reality and I have needed to work on them to update them and relish such scenarios rather than actually terrifying myself and weakening my own resolve!

23/07/2025

Latest article: How to Use Psychology to Feel More Energised

In my therapy room in my classroom, as a parent, within friendship groups, on social media, fatigue is a common complaint. Many people report feeling drained, sluggish, or mentally foggy even after getting enough sleep.

While physical health and rest are important when you want to feel more energised, our psychology plays a powerful and is often overlooked when it comes to boosting energy levels. Our thoughts, behaviours, and emotions significantly influence how energised we feel throughout the day.

Here today then, I'm sharing a range of evidence-based psychological strategies to help you feel more energised, more focused, and more motivated — all supported by scientific research, some of which form part of my clinical work, some which are better applied as a psychological life skill.

Link to full article is in the comments.

23/07/2025

Evidence based hypnosis meme of the week.

Chronic pain is a common and serious health problem in older patients. Treatment often includes non pharmacological approaches despite a relatively modest evidence base in this population. Hypnosis has been used in younger adults with positive results. The main objective of this study was to measure the feasibility and efficacy of hypnosis (including self hypnosis) in the management of chronic pain in older hospitalised patients.

A single center randomised controlled trial using a two arm parallel group design (hypnosis versus massage). Inclusion criteria were chronic pain for more than 3 months with impact on daily life activities. Brief pain inventory was completed.

Pain intensity decreased significantly in both groups after each session. Average pain measured by the brief pain index sustained a greater decrease in the hypnosis group compared to the massage group during the hospitalisation. This was confirmed by the measure of intensity of the pain before each session that decreased only in the hypnosis group over time. Depression scores improved significantly over the time only in the hypnosis group.

Authors conclude that hypnosis represents a safe and valuable tool in chronic pain management of hospitalised older patients.

Link to full PDF of study posted in my college Facebook group.

15/07/2025

Latest article: Science-Backed Ways to Overcome Emotional Eating

Exploring how to overcome emotional eating is a topic covered and discussed in my recently recorded Hypnotic Body Mastery Programme. I wanted to write about it today as it is something I'm addressing personally too;

I'm discussing how to overcome emotional eating — this is whereby we use food to soothe, suppress, or escape unpleasant emotions and it is a widespread psychological challenge that many people face. It often presents as a compelling urge to consume comfort foods, typically high in sugar, fat, or salt, even when we're not physically hungry.

While the occasional indulgence in a slice of cake or a bag of crisps may seem harmless, consistent emotional eating can lead to unhealthy weight gain, increased risk of chronic disease, low self-esteem, and an unhelpful cycle of guilt and shame.

I'm going to briefly explore the psychological roots of emotional eating, the science behind comfort food cravings, and then offer up a bunch of evidence-based strategies you can use to break the cycle, reclaim your health, and feel more in control of your emotional wellbeing.

Link to full article is in the comments.

15/07/2025

Evidence based hypnosis meme of the week.

This meta-analysis quantifies the effectiveness of hypnosis in treating anxiety.

Included studies were required to utilise a between- subjects or mixed-model design in which a hypnosis intervention was compared with a control condition in alleviating the symptoms of anxiety. Of 399 records screened, 15 studies incorporating 17 trials of hypnosis met the inclusion criteria.

At the end of active treatment, 17 trials produced a mean weighted effect size of 0.79 (p ≤ .001), indicating the average participant receiving hypnosis reduced anxiety more than about 79% of control participants. At the longest follow-up, seven trials yielded a mean weighted effect size of 0.99 (p ≤ .001), demonstrating the average participant treated with hypnosis improved more than about 84% of control participants.

Hypnosis was more effective in reducing anxiety when combined with other psychological interventions than when used as a stand-alone treatment.

Link to full PDF of study posted in my college Facebook group.

11/07/2025

Within my college's hypnotherapy practitioner diploma course, we cover a range of modalities and do our best to be neuroscience informed - a short while ago, we discussed using self-awareness and mindfulness to recognise automacity of negative thoughts and as we bear witness to those thoughts we learn to recondition the brain in a range of ways, often when hypnotised, and update the negative thoughts and feelings accordingly.

-awareness

10/07/2025

How to Feel More Comfortable in Your Own Skin

Feeling comfortable in your own skin is something that raised it's head a fair few times on my recent body mastery course and caused some focus away from perfection towards acceptance, self-compassion, and the ability to be at ease with who you are. For many people, however, being comfortable in your own skin can be a challenging thing to achieve and maintain, especially in a world filled with social comparison, idealised images, and perfectionistic standards that can all pull at the way we perceive ourselves.

The good news is that psychological research offers some hope in this department. Being more comfortable in your own skin is not just a feel-good concept; it has measurable benefits on mental health, resilience, and overall life satisfaction. In this article, we explore 15 science-based strategies that can help you feel genuinely more comfortable in your own skin, and I wanted to share that here today.

Link to full article is in the comments.

09/07/2025

Evidence based hypnosis meme of the week.

A 2022 study assessed the impact of hypnosis and self-hypnosis on disinhibition of eating in adults with obesity and high food impulsivity levels, compared with standard nutritional education.

The control and hypnosis groups received the same standard nutrition education in 8 workshops. In the hypnosis group, subjects had 8 sessions of hypnosis combined with training in self-hypnosis.

At 8 month follow-up, disinhibition scores were significantly lower in the hypnosis group (67.7% of adults in the hypnosis group had normalized their disinhibition compared with 11.1% in control group). Differences for weight, BMI and susceptibility to hunger also favoured the hypnosis group.

Authors conclude that in the management of adults with obesity and a high disinhibition score, hypnosis and self-hypnosis can significantly improve the deep mechanisms of eating behaviours and seem to have a beneficial effect on weight loss.

(Delestre et al., 2022).

Link to full PDF of study posted in my college Facebook group.

01/07/2025

How to Be More Hopeful: Strategies to Build Hope and Boost Mental Well-Being

How and why would we want to be more hopeful? If you've ever been in class with me, you'll know I refer to the concept of hope often, and usually tie it in with Star Wars quotes on the topic. Hope is more than just wishful thinking. It’s a scientifically studied psychological resource that plays a powerful role in resilience, emotional well-being, and overall life satisfaction. In a world that often feels uncertain or challenging, cultivating hope is not just helpful — it can be essential.

In this article, I detail the science of hope and offer up a range of research supported strategies to be more hopeful.

Link to full article is in the comments.

Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis

31/07/2025

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