MMB Hypnotherapy

22/04/2025

The Perfectionist: This type of impostor syndrome involves believing that if an excessively high goal isn’t reached, then major self-doubt and worry about measuring up sets in. This can make you feel like an impostor because the perfectionist in you tells you that you are not as good as others may believe you are.

The expert: This type can make you feel worthless when you don’t know every single process, step or detail about a specific subject. You never feel like an
‘expert’ because there is always more to learn. You fear being ‘found out’ as inexperienced or unknowledgeable.

The natural genius: You could feel like a fraud with this type of impostor syndrome because you don’t believe you are intelligent or competent, especially when having to take time to understand something or to master a skill.

The soloist: If you require help to reach a certain level or status, you question your abilities and competence because you couldn’t get there on your own. This can leave you feeling like an impostor.
Refusing help or assistance to prove your worth is the main trait.

The super person: This type of impostor syndrome leaves you believing that you must be the hardest worker to reach the highest levels of achievement. If these targets are not met, then it can leave you feeling like an impostor and a fraud.

Hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool to tackle impostor syndrome. Replacing negative self-perception and replacing with positive beliefs and thoughts, hypnotherapy can help you break free from the cycle of self-doubt.
By accepting how you think about yourself and believing in your will for positive change, you can re-frame your thoughts and start the process of a long-lasting positive change.

Please see mmbhypnotherapy.co.uk for contact or queries.

14/10/2024

“Anxiety represents an unconscious fear of unbearable insult to the wounded self, which is protected by conscious coping strategies such as avoidance, cognitive distortions or emotional constriction”

-Ben E Wolfe, Clinical psychologist and author

Social Anxiety Disorder - Also known as ‘SAD’ and ‘Social Disorder’.

Knowing that Social Anxiety Disorder is a widespread problem is of little comfort to the sufferer.

Hypnotherapy can be a highly effective treatment which could lead to a much better quality of life.

Everyone gets nervous or feels shy at some point or other. It is completely normal to feel this anxiety, especially when doing or facing things for the first time, such as a job interview or a first date.

For those suffering with SAD, these feelings and emotions can be debilitating. Fears of being judged, making a fool of yourself, or being unable to talk in social situations are all examples of the signs and symptoms of possibly suffering from this disorder.

The overwhelming fear of social situations can lead to the sufferer feeling stress and, in some cases, extreme anxiety, which in turn can then lead to the avoidance of social situations. This can then lead to problems, for example, with relationships, jobs, school performance and socialising. At the extreme end of the scale, even smaller everyday tasks can be a big stressful event for the sufferer.

Usually starting in the teenage years, Social Anxiety Disorder can improve during adulthood but can also, without treatment, last a lifetime.

Studies have found that hypnotherapy can be highly effective for the treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder. A significant reduction, or even permanent relief, of anxiety could greatly increase the wellbeing and quality of life for the client.

Hypnotherapy could be of huge assistance to you overcoming negative, unwanted thoughts and feelings, and replace them with more positive ones. This in turn can lead to increased self-belief, confidence and a more positive outlook.

07/10/2024

Having OCD can leave you feeling that you are stuck in a never-ending cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsions. The constant worry, stress and intrusive thoughts can leave you feeling overwhelmed and lead to constant anxiety, dread and panic. Although there is no clear, single cause of OCD, it is thought that past events, genetics, and brain differences can be factors. It can develop at any age, but usually during early adulthood.

OCD sufferers often go to great lengths to avoid their triggers, which takes up more time and energy.
This avoidance can lead to more anxiety and social isolation, even leading to Social Anxiety Disorder.

Although there is no cure, there are treatments that can help lessen the symptoms allowing the sufferer to live a much more ‘normal’ life. Hypnotherapy is one of these treatments. Hypnotherapy can help break up the pattern of obsessive thoughts and compulsions. Combining hypnotherapy with CBT (CBH) can give you a new way of dealing with thoughts and feelings, which then changes the sufferer’s behaviour and actions, leading to a much more manageable and happy life.

Common OCD behaviours include:
* Excessive cleaning, showering or handwashing.
* Repeatedly checking appliances are turned off, and doors are locked.
* Arranging things to be in a certain order.
* Touching things the ‘correct’ number of times.
* A fear of death or becoming unwell.
* Being overly concerned about contamination and germs.
* Superstitions.
* Fear of loss of control.
* Feeling like having to behave in a certain way to protect others.
Temporary relief from conducting the actions will soon turn back to obsessive thoughts and anxiety, as the cycle continues.

Because hypnotherapy talks directly to the subconscious mind, the part of the mind that oversees our automatic habits and behaviours, it can be incredibly powerful for improving the life quality of someone suffering from OCD.

Hypnotherapy could help reduce anxiety and resist compulsions by changing the thinking patterns that are created by the OCD triggers.

See mmbhypnotherapy.co.uk for queries or bookings.

10/09/2024

Hypnotherapy could be just what you need.

Contact or bookings via mmbhypnotherapy.co.uk

06/09/2024

It is easy to delay things. It is easy to put things off until a ‘better time.’ What is the worst that could happen?

“Do not put off until tomorrow what can be put off till the day-after-tomorrow” - Mark Twain

Maybe you need to revise for an exam. Perhaps you need to get some work done. Maybe you are just delaying something that just does not appeal to you. There are many examples of things we sometimes feel we just do not want to do. It is not just work related either. It could be that you arranged to see a friend. It seemed like a good idea when it was arranged, but now, not so much.
It could be health and fitness related. Did you promise that today would be the day you started a new activity or healthy eating regime? Nah, I can start tomorrow when the l have had a better night sleep...

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing something, even when we know there may be negative consequences in doing so.

There are many reasons why we procrastinate, some of which are mentioned here:

•Low motivation
•Boring or unpleasant task
•Fear of failing
•Fear or succeeding or doing the task too well
•Bad time management skills
•Health reasons

Tacking a task head-on and doing it at the optimum time is always the better solution, even though you may get some temporary relief from putting it off. This temporary relief usually leads to guilt, which leads to stress, which leads to an even shorter window to complete the task.

During hypnotherapy we can start to understand why we are procrastinating in the first place. Is it something we generally do regardless of the task, or is it task specific? We can then start to change any negative thinking patterns which are holding you back. Hypnotherapy also reduces the anxiety and stress that can build up which can get in the way of taking the best action.

Visit mmbhypnotherapy.co.uk for more information or to make a booking.

26/08/2024

Imposter Syndrome.

The Perfectionist: This type of impostor syndrome involves believing that if an excessively high goal isn’t reached, then major self-doubt and worry about measuring up sets in. This can make you feel like an impostor because the perfectionist in you tells you that you are not as good as others may believe you are.

The expert: This type can make you feel worthless when you don’t know every single process, step or detail about a specific subject. You never feel like an ‘expert’ because there is always more to learn. You fear being ‘found out’ as inexperienced or unknowledgeable.

The natural genius: You could feel like a fraud with this type of impostor syndrome because you don’t believe you are intelligent or competent, especially when having to take time to understand something or to master a skill.

The soloist: If you require help to reach a certain level or status, you question your abilities and competence because you couldn’t get there on your own. This can leave you feeling like an impostor. Refusing help or assistance to prove your worth is the main trait.

The super person: This type of impostor syndrome leaves you believing that you must be the hardest worker to reach the highest levels of achievement. If these targets are not met, then it can leave you feeling like an impostor and a fraud.

Hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool to tackle impostor syndrome. Replacing negative self-perception and replacing with positive beliefs and thoughts, hypnotherapy can help you break free from the cycle of self-doubt. By accepting how you think about yourself and believing in your will for positive change, you can re-frame your thoughts and start the process of a long-lasting positive change.

Please see mmbhypnotherapy.co.uk for contact or queries.

01/08/2024

Hypnotherapy and relaxation go hand in hand. Having the client relax and concentrate on lowering the heart rate with breathing exercises is a common way to start a hypnotherapy session.

Concentrating on relaxing each set of muscles in turn, maybe starting at the toes, and working up to the head, whilst being aware that the speed of your breathing is starting to slow can be a great way of ‘letting go.’

Hypnotherapy can be great for reducing the stress chemicals allowing you to lower your anxieties, making you calmer, improving sleep, and letting you think clearer.

We spend a lot of our time dwelling and stressing about our past:

* Past regrets
* Things we wished we had done.
* Things we wished we had done differently.
* Embarrassing incidents.

Or our future:

* Up and coming events we do not want to be part of.
* Not seeing an end to the job you are not currently loving.
* Wondering if a relationship has a future.
* Worrying about health issues.
* Thinking about money and the lack of it.

The lists could go on….

The point is, when do we ever really think of the here and now? When was the last time, for example, you ate a piece of your favourite chocolate and really thought about the taste and texture whilst you slowly enjoyed it and not just scoffed it down whilst looking at something pointless on your phone?

Mindfulness means living in the here and now and being aware of our internal state and surroundings.
Incorporating Mindfulness into your hypnotherapy session is the usual way of having the client relax.

Visual imagery can also be used together with Mindfulness and breathing techniques. Visual imagery uses your powerful imagination to ‘see’ yourself in a peaceful place whilst taking in and enjoying your surroundings.

Whilst relaxation can be part of any type of hypnotherapy session, a session purely dedicated to just relaxation will leave you with a spring in your step and feeling more relaxed than you can remember.

Guiding you through a relaxation session can give you many benefits, one being the knowledge of being able to do it yourself when at home, work or just when needed.

26/07/2024

Most of us have been there... Closing your eyes ready to sleep. Waiting for sleep. Stressing that you won’t get to sleep. Panicking about how close the morning is getting. Worrying that your brain is now too alert for to sleep.
Or maybe, you get to sleep without an issue, but your sleep is then disrupted several times during the night.

The time spent sleeping is important, but equally important is smoothly progressing through the four stages of the sleep cycle.

The four stages of the sleep cycle:

* NREM (N1) - Falling into a light sleep, usually lasting under 10 minutes.
* NREM (N2) - Light sleep. Body and mind starting to relax. Usually lasting 30 minutes or so.
* NREM (N3) - Deepest sleep state. The stage where the body and mind can repair and recuperate. Lasting between 20-40 minutes, or so.
* REM (REM sleep) - Most of our dreams happen at this stage. The brain temporarily paralyzes the muscles, so we don’t act out whilst dreaming. This stage can last between a few minutes to an hour or so.

We then usually go through these four stages 4-6 times per night. The REM (rapid eye movement) stage will start to last longer during each cycle, whilst the NREM (non-rapid eye movement) stages will start to decrease in duration.

As with most issues, sleeping problems can range in complexity, with reasons ranging from stress levels, habits from previous sleeping patterns, age, alcohol consumption, weight and activity levels, to sleeping disorders such as Sleep Apnea (breathing stopping and starting), Insomnia (hard to fall and/or stay asleep), Parasomnias (disruptive sleep-related disorders). There are many other things that can affect our sleep, such as discomfort and pain or a snoring partner etc.

Hypnotherapy can help with many sleep issues. A hypnotised person will enter a state of heightened attention and suggestibility, leaving them open to suggested changes in behavior and thinking. Hypnotherapy can also help you with the relaxation, allowing the client ‘switch off’ more easily. Once achieved, getting back into a pattern of quality sleep soon becomes the norm, leading to a better quality of life.

21/07/2024

Using Hypnotherapy for weight loss can have brilliant results. Changing habits with the amount and types of foods consumed will have huge benefits, to both body and mind.

Hypnotherapy can also change your thinking in terms of healthy activities and/or exercise.

Whilst using hypnotherapy for changing eating habits can usually be straight forward, it can also depend on the reasons for the weight gain in first place. It could just be a bad habit where you are stuck in a routine such as snacking at specific parts of the day or at certain ‘events’ throughout the day, such as a phone call to a friend, for example.

We can all get sucked into doing things out of habit and not actually stepping back and asking ourselves, ‘do I actually want this?’ or ‘am I actually hungry?’
Enthusiasm, eagerness, and a willingness from both the client and the hypnotherapist to reach the required goal can make great things happen.

Other reasons for weight gain could be, for example, comfort eating during a tough time, or even for self-sabotage purposes.

And then we have, the much more complex, eating disorders. These are a mental health condition where the sufferer uses the control of food intake to cope with feelings and other situations.

The most common types of eating disorders:

* Anorexia: Trying to control your weight by under eating, over exercising, or both.
* Bulimia: Eating large amounts and then taking drastic actions to not gain any weight from the intake.
* Binge Eating Disorder: Eating large amounts of food over a short amount of time until uncomfortably full.

Eating disorders will always require more assistance than just hypnotherapy. No risk to the client will be taken. If a doctor or specialist advises hypnotherapy to control certain aspects of the disorder, then a hypnotherapist could then offer something that could really help. I am not medically trained or an expert in eating disorders. As always, the client always comes first.

For any questions, or to make a booking, please contact me via mmbhypnotherapy.co.uk

16/07/2024

Hypnotherapy can have remarkeble results in improving confidence.

Examples of commonly seen low confidence issues:

• An “Overall’ low self-confidence, low self-esteem, shyness.

•Low confidence in a specific area - relationships, work life, for example.

•Low confidence for a specific goal - driving test, job interview, public speaking, etc.

There can be many reasons for low self-confidence, some simple, some complex. It could stem from childhood experiences, personal traumas, the pressures of modern life, or simply because someone has not got the tools to cope, causing them to ‘withdraw’ from life, which then lowers the confidence even further.

Low self-confidence could also come from how they think others perceive them. If you already have negative thoughts about your intelligence, looks, or any other negative beliefs, it is usual to believe others think the same about you, which is not actually usually the case.

Guided visualization, reframing negative thoughts and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) are examples of how a hypnotherapist can improve the confidence of someone who has little of it.

Please see mmbhypnotherapy.co.uk more information and/or to contact/book me.

10/07/2024

A phobia is usually classed as an overwhelming, unrealistic, irrational, and persistent fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or creature/animal. Typically, this fear will be present for at least 6 months before being classed as a phobia.

A ‘normal’ fear can become a phobia when you start to organize your life around avoiding the object/thing/situation.

Phobias can be split, at the minimum, into two groups:

Simple/Specific Phobia: These centre around a particular object/thing/situation, causing little to no danger. Often, it will develop in childhood and become less severe as the individual gets older. Examples of this type of phobia are spiders (Arachnophobia), needles (Trypanophobia) and flying (Aerophobia) etc.

Complex Phobia: These cause a more disruptive and disabling impact on your life. They can develop in childhood or adulthood and last for many years, or even a lifetime. Common examples of Complex Phobias are the fear of open spaces (Agoraphobia) and Social Phobia.
Complex Phobias are like the name suggests, more complex than Simple/Specific Phobias and sometimes include the addition of other phobias.

Phobias usually emerge from past traumatic experiences but can also be ‘passed down’ from another (such as seeing a family member running and screaming after seeing a spider).

Hypnotherapy can be extremely helpful with changing these unwanted thoughts and behaviors in relation to your phobia.

05/07/2024