What happens during your hypnotherapy consultation?
The initial consultation takes up to 100minutes. Prior to that, I am very happy to provide more information if you are undecided whether or not you wish to start treatment with me. This can be by talking over the telephone, via FaceTime or WhatsApp or to set up a short zoom call. I can also use email or text if you prefer.
We can work online or you can see me either at 10 Harley Street in central London or at 99 Stanmore Hill in North West London.
As a Consultant in Pain Medicine, I will take you through an in-depth medical assessment of your pain – it’s possible causes and how it impacts on your life, activities, and sleep, as well as it’s emotional effects and your thought s and beliefs about your pain. We will discuss what treatments you may have had previously and make sure that there are no other medical or mental health issues that may need to be addressed. If that is the case, I may recommend an onward referral.
Through further questions and assessment, we will work out if hypnotherapy is right for you. I will be discussing pain, and how it can lead to avoiding physical and social activities, any unhelpful or incorrect beliefs about what pain means, and the role that hypnotherapy might play in putting you back in control of your life.
I will then introduce you to hypnosis, taking you through a guided hypnosis session.
Everyone is an individual – our thoughts and feelings differ, and so the hypnosis is very much tailored to fit your particular issues. During, before and after the hypnosis session itself we will explore your experience of your pain and your thinking around it. For example, how does your pain make you feel, what do you think the pain is doing to you and what is it meaning? I will introduce you to a range of techniques that will positively change your perception and your relationship to your experience of pain.
You will receive a detailed report of our initial session. (As a doctor I encourage including your GP and other relevant specialists in the correspondence loop, as this is best clinical practice, but I will always ask your permission and I will respect your decision if you do not wish me to do this).
If you wish for someone to accompany you to the session then that is fine as long as you feel completely free to talk in their presence and I also encourage you to record the session for your own use.
Self-hypnosis training:
In our subsequent sessions, we will use the sessions to explore further how the pain impacts you and how you personality, life experiences, thoughts and feelings impact how you experience the pain. We will explore ways to help you alter this feelings in a way that is helpful to you. You will also learn the skills of self-hypnosis, so when you need to, you are able to take control of your physical and emotional pain experiences. Like any skill, practice makes perfect, and the more you practise, the better you’ll become.
Everyone’s needs are different, but typically, we’ll spend a further 4 to 5 sessions together, of around 45 minutes in duration.
Our sessions are recorded in audio file format for you to listen to again, and they will be sent to you by an encrypted email. I will ask your permission before making a recording and of course we will not do this if you prefer.
@Copyright – Artwork by Constanza Isaza Martínez
@Copyright – Artwork by Constanza Isaza Martínez
Some people will return for the occasional “top-up” session, but the goal is always for you to be independently capable of managing your pain.
Our sessions are confidential. Only in very exceptional circumstances might I need to share information about you without your consent (for instance, if you had expressed that you wanted to harm yourself or others). I am governed by statutory codes of professional ethics and practice as laid out by the General Medical Council, the ethical and professional codes of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (I am currently training in psychotherapy) and also by British law including GDPR. I am registered with the Data Commission and I hold a current extended DBS certificate.
All good therapeutic relationships are built on trust, and I want you to feel entirely comfortable with all aspects of our work together. If you have any questions, please do ask me. This is your treatment. You are paying for it and you are in control. Do feel free to raise concerns and also challenge me if you have any issues whatsoever.
Benefits of hypnotherapy for managing pain
Most people feel refreshed and energised after a hypnosis session, and they report that it’s enjoyable.
You can expect to start to experience the benefits of pain hypnosis after the second or third session.
Please click here to see a representative list of published research. Please click here to see a short list of books and resources that are useful to many people coping with chronic pain.
How to get the best out of our sessions:
It’s a good idea to have a good night’s sleep before our sessions and avoid drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs.
The people who benefit the most form pain hypnotherapy, are those who really choose to engage in a process of meaningful change.
Hypnotherapy is powerful, but it’s not a magic wand; Do not expect to walk out of a single session and never experience pain again. Do expect that over the course of treatment you will find ways to manage pain in ways that you will feel real benefit in your daily life.
Hypnotherapy is an active process – it is important to practice, using the powerful tools that I will give you for your own use.
Consultation Fees:
10 Harley Street
First (100 minutes) £290
On Going (50 minutes) £175
The Forge, 99 Stanmore Hill
First (100 minutes) £250
On Going (50 minutes) £150
Online
First (100 minutes) £200
On Going (50 minutes) £125
The Forge, 99 Stanmore Hill
10 Harley Street, London