Alex Severn Integrated Therapist

Alex Severn Integrated Therapist I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist and BWRT practitioner specialising in emotion based issues But, do we have to believe everything that we are told?

A new frame on an old picture Clients that come to see me at my therapy practice often talk about their weaknesses. I might ask them “how did you come to identify this as a weakness?” After a few moments of looking at me with confusion, the answer is often that other people have told them this is a weakness. Do we really have to think of personality traits as “good or “bad”? When we look at traits that we consider weaknesses, if we stop for a moment and look at them closely, are they actually our strengths as well? I feel that many ‘weaknesses’ can be seen as strengths, just as many ‘strengths’ can be seen as a weakness ..It just depends on the situation or the perceiver (whether the perceiver is you or someone else). In the therapy business we call this ‘Reframing’. If somebody views ‘stubborn’ as a weakness. Are you not unshakable, resolute, and persistent? Can ‘clingy’ be viewed by one partner as claustrophobic and by another partner as loving, affectionate and caring? Can rebellious often be viewed as someone expressing a different viewpoint and being independent? Maybe outspoken is honest? In an interview, Al Pacino was asked ‘what are your weaknesses?’ He replied ‘My weaknesses... I wish I could come up with something. I'd probably have the same pause if you asked me what my strengths are. Maybe they're the same thing.’

Such a great listen!
14/12/2024

Such a great listen!

Phobias are characterised by intense and irrational fears of an object or situation which pose no real threat and often develop from childhood experiences.   These three, real-life, case studies, illustrate this perfectly:   Frog Phobia S had a phobia of frogs so severe that when her daughter prod...

To all my clients past and present, you know who you are!!
21/09/2024

To all my clients past and present, you know who you are!!

A client came to see me with a debilitating situation, he hadn’t slept soundly for 3 years. He was on the point of absol...
12/06/2024

A client came to see me with a debilitating situation, he hadn’t slept soundly for 3 years. He was on the point of absolute exhaustion and was finding his day to day activities so difficult as he could barely function.

He spoke of absolute terror of going to bed each night due to the elusive dreams he was experiencing. They felt so real he wasn’t sure if he was being haunted or whether they were in fact dreams.

We talked in depth about his family history and life growing up. There were several things that came to mind that may have in part been the cause of his terror but as I do with almost all of my clients I talked to him about secrets.

We all have secrets, they lie in the darkest part of our mind they are the sort of thing we keep heavily guarded in our subconscious mind because to lay ourselves bare to judgement is to make ourselves vulnerable and our powerful subconscious mind’s number one job is to keep us from harm and so guilt, shame and embarrassment are emotions that are incredibly destructive as they are kept under lock and key so tightly.

I asked the client if he thought he might have such a thing maybe back from childhood days and I assured him he would not have to tell me about it but just know that he had such a secret. His face darkened and he confirmed there was indeed such a thing and there was absolutely no way he was going to talk about it as it was to his mind truly awful.

Using the technique of BWRT we got to work on this secret. Confirmation that he was holding an image of this guilty secret firmly in his mind was all I required of him to divulge.
We got halfway through when suddenly he jumped up explosively and started shouting in a foreign tongue repeating the same phrase over and over and over and then burst out laughing. I gave him a few moments to compose himself and then asked him if he minded translating what he had previously said. He said ‘it wasn’t my fault, it wasn’t my fault, I’ve just remembered.’ He was laughing so much and then he said I must tell you and then proceeded to tell me all about the secret he had harboured for so many years.

At the end of the session he said ‘that’s it, it’s gone I know I am fixed now’. I checked in with him a few days later just to make sure all was fine and he reported he was feeling much better and sleeping soundly.

The power that guilt, shame and embarrassment have on the psyche never cease to amaze me how these emotions can tear down a person. So often this ugly trio of emotions are misplaced, out of date and over exaggerated and letting go of them can be life changing as it was for this chap.

Having rebooted my computer this morning I took the opportunity to reboot myself with a coffee in the sunshine
10/06/2024

Having rebooted my computer this morning I took the opportunity to reboot myself with a coffee in the sunshine

Unplug > Reboot > Reboot Your Life With BWRT 💪
https://www.bwrt.org

This article about how Amelia Mandeville-Marinaro reaches out to her family to help support her with her emetophobia is ...
08/06/2024

This article about how Amelia Mandeville-Marinaro reaches out to her family to help support her with her emetophobia is heart warming to see the patience and kindness of her family. Emetophobia left untreated can spiral which can lead to a life of avoidance and isolation.

This author went viral after she shared screenshots from her family chat, showing the family’s reactions to her emetophobia-evoked concerns.

The worried well! what a great term and one that will resonate with many. I see many clients with health anxiety and h...
05/06/2024

The worried well! what a great term and one that will resonate with many. I see many clients with health anxiety and help them to regain the balance to achieve 'conscious wellness'. The article below caught my eye as it talks about the hundreds of well meaning health apps and health watches which inadvertently can add to the worry of health.

As we know more about our bodies, from wearable tech to data feedback, so our health anxiety increases. So is it better not to know?

Anxiety stopping you from enjoying life and avoiding social situations?Did you know that anxiety can also spur us on, to...
05/06/2024

Anxiety stopping you from enjoying life and avoiding social situations?

Did you know that anxiety can also spur us on, to acknowledge and weigh up risk and motivate us to problem solving.

The majority of us experience anxiety from time to time in our lives, without it we could bluster from one disaster to another with no prior warning.

It can be the emergency breaks to avoiding danger and help us to navigate a safer route with intention and focus.

Anxiety is fear spread thinly, at the right time it helps avert us from danger but remaining stuck in a cycle of fear can leave you feeling tired, unable to sleep and catastrophising with racing thoughts. The physical symptoms can leave you feeling nauseous and jittery.

Things that help:

1. Acknowledge what you are feeling in your body and mind

2. Get curious as to why you are feeling like this

3. What small thing can you do right now to take positive action

4. Feed your body with good wholesome food

5. Try some gentle exercise to run off some of the cortisol and rebalance your hormones.

6. Reach out to friends and family particularly when you feel you don’t want to. It’s not the advice or even the empathy that will help you, but when we talk out loud the most important person will be listening and that’s you. How many times have you had a problem that you’ve kept to yourself until you no longer can and just by hearing yourself express what is going on do you then find your own solution?

This is a superb therapy which more and more of my clients benefit from
02/06/2024

This is a superb therapy which more and more of my clients benefit from

BWRT ?
A modern approach based firmly on latest discoveries in neuroscience and the plasticity of the brain - A non-pharmalogical intervention for help with stress, anxiety related issues and unwanted or limiting behaviours.
Chat in total confidence with a Registered BWRT Practitioner to find out more ...
https://www.bwrt-professionals.com

The sun’s out and that holiday is looming, if a fear of flying is holding back your excitement of your upcoming holiday ...
09/05/2024

The sun’s out and that holiday is looming, if a fear of flying is holding back your excitement of your upcoming holiday get in touch now.

Scared of flying? Learn more about hypnotherapy for fear of flying and overcome flight anxiety. Find a hypnotherapist.

For anyone that needs to see this right now…. and if exam nerves are getting the better of your child get in touch.
09/05/2024

For anyone that needs to see this right now…. and if exam nerves are getting the better of your child get in touch.

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Wednesday 9am - 8pm
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A new frame on an old picture

Clients that come to see me at my therapy practice often talk about their weaknesses. I might ask them “how did you come to identify this as a weakness?” After a few moments of looking at me with confusion, the answer is often that other people have told them this is a weakness. But, do we have to believe everything that we are told? Do we really have to think of personality traits as “good or “bad”?

When we look at traits that we consider weaknesses, if we stop for a moment and look at them closely, are they actually our strengths as well? I feel that many ‘weaknesses’ can be seen as strengths, just as many ‘strengths’ can be seen as a weakness ..It just depends on the situation or the perceiver (whether the perceiver is you or someone else). In the therapy business we call this ‘Reframing’.

If somebody views ‘stubborn’ as a weakness. Are you not unshakable, resolute, and persistent?

Can ‘clingy’ be viewed by one partner as claustrophobic and by another partner as loving, affectionate and caring?