What did you appreciate most about working together?
What I appreciated most about working together with James was the strong level of comfort and
understanding that I shared with him and his ability to quickly assimilate the root of the problem. Each and every session was very instructive, using specialized techniques that were effective in pinning down the source of the stress/anxiety/OCD, rather than just focusing on the symptoms and how to manage them. James provided an overwhelming amount of support outside of the sessions too, which ensured continuity in therapy between sessions and helped enormously when I found myself going back into the old patterns of thinking and ways of doing things. Above all, James’ extremely kind and understanding nature made it easy to work through difficult issues in sessions.
What was your biggest “aha” moment during the process? How did you feel that you transformed or changed as a result?
While there were many “aha” moments during the process, the top two were: (1) Realizing how much I
had changed in a positive way, that I couldn’t even remember how I was before I started therapy, and (2) When I realized the issue that underpinned all my other problems, which meant I could change every
sphere of my life for the better. I was surprised at how much I had transformed as I did not expect it at all—it was remarkable how it happened and I felt like a completely different person, to the extent that I couldn’t relate to the old patterns of thinking and ways of doing things anymore. It feels odd to think how I used to be before I started therapy, which is the best sign of all.
How would you explain our work or process to someone who is thinking of doing it?
The process works with the subconscious mind, using cognitive hypnotherapy, in order to find the root of the problem, rather than just working to alleviate the stress/anxiety/OCD. Clients are put into a trance state and then the therapist and client work together using various techniques to delve into the heart of the problem, which the therapist then uses to design a unique treatment plan. The positive effects of the treatment plan were quickly visible, not only to me, but also to those around me who commented on noticing a marked improvement.
Who is this work perfect for? How would you describe that person?
This work is perfect for anyone that suffers from stress/anxiety/OCD, which leads to destructive patterns of behaviour. This person likely finds themselves thinking/ behaving in harmful ways to certain circumstances, which lock them into a state of feeling hopeless and out of control, which in turn fuels more stress/anxiety/OCD, perpetuating a vicious cycle.
What other treatment(s) had you tried in the past and how did they compare to the therapy we did together?
In the past, I had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which helped me work through specific issues
going on at the time to some extent and manage the associated stress/anxiety/OCD for a certain period,
but failed to address the underlying reasons for my harmful patterns of thinking/behaviour that had
spanned across my entire life up until now. I found myself regressing into the old destructive patterns of
thinking/behaviour, which fuelled stress/anxiety/OCD without even realizing and found the CBT
techniques quite limited in scope in trying to free myself from the vicious cycle. Then, a friend
recommended that I try cognitive hypnotherapy. Working with the subconscious mind and applying a
tailor-made treatment plan is what sets this therapy apart from other types, which only offer one-size-fits-all solutions that tackle the symptoms rather than get to the root of the problem. Cognitive hypnotherapy has transformed every sphere of my life in a positive way, such that I have only distant memories of how I used to be before I started the therapy.
