FAQs
Clinical Hypnotherapy, Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and NLP in King's Cross, London
Frequently Asked Questions. Why not book an initial chat under no obligation?
Frequently Asked Questions
It is very important that you feel comfortable about booking sessions. Take a look at the frequently asked questions below about hypnotherapy and sessions. I am always happy to take time to answer any and all questions which you have, no matter how small. You may be wondering if I'm the right person for you or how sessions work. Please get in touch to discuss whether I can help you.
Choosing a hypnotherapist or therapist can feel confusing and I would like you to make the best decision for your circumstances. To help you make an informed decision, I am happy to explain and discuss any concerns you have about hypnotherapy, NLP, or how my sessions work. Simply click on the tabs below to read answers to some commonly asked questions.
Please get in touch to gain further clarity about any concerns you have about hypnotherapy, my background and qualifications or any other aspects of my work. No question is too small. I offer a free initial phone consultation.
Questions About How Sessions Work
My main clinics are in central London and North London. I see people just five minutes walk from King's Cross station in central London. I also see people in Golders Green, North West London. This clinic is directly opposite the Tube station.
I also see clients online by Skype.
Most clients come for between two and eight sessions.
For some challenges it is easier to suggest how many sessions you will need. For smoking cessation, my programme (as outlined here) is for two sessions.
Some phobias require only a single session or just a couple of sessions. Some other phobias require a few more sessions. For example, often fear of flying requires two or three sessions. It really depends on your circumstances and the background to your phobia.
Overeating and weight loss: food is something we all need and its roots in childhood can be complex. As such I normally work in blocks of six sessions. Changes around your relationship with food often need several sessions. (Click here for more details)
For reducing alcohol, drug use, or other compulsive or addictive patterns, I normally work in blocks of four and six sessions. For Sessions for alcohol reduction, click here.
I do not lock you into booking sessions you do not need. In general we decide as we go along how many session will be required. Normally you, as the client, as able to gauge if you have received what you need or if you would like to continue for more sessions. It is common that some clients do return a year or so later for some extra or ‘top up’ sessions.
I wish I could! I think some people think that hypnotherapy is like a magic wand and I will miraculously remove whatever problems they may have I wish it was that simple. Hypnotherapy is very powerful, however I cannot automatically guarantee success.
This is because you will need to do some work too! I give you tools and I work very hard to help you see things differently and gain resources. However all the great changes you wish to see must be carried out by you. You are responsible for your decisions, choices and mindset.
However, if you book a package of sessions, I try to arrange your programme so that success, will hopefully result.
I do guarantee weight loss after completing my Eight Session Weight Loss Programme. This is so because we set goals and attendance at some sessions will be dependent on reaching those goals. This means that you only complete the programme if your goals are actually reached. Click here for more details
Though I cannot promise results, I feel confident that for some packages, you will benefit greatly. Therefore I offer a refund guarantee. You will see this on some programmes outlined on this website. In those cases, I am confident that if you attend sessions and carry out all assignments set, you will see benefits from sessions.
When you book a session it is for 50 minutes. This means that I will set aside this time for you and will be totally available for that time. You have paid for my time. If you come late, no matter what the reason, I cannot make any promises that we will be able to go beyond your agreed session time. I do not give refunds when you are late.
Sometimes coming late is unavoidable, should there be train delays, traffic or unavoidable holdups. However, if you anticipate that could be delays, ensure you leave enough time. It's better to be a few minutes early than a few minutes late.
If you need to cancel a session, you need to give more than 48 hours notice to have a full refund.
Terms and conditions of how sessions are run will be set out in your ‘Working Agreement’ document. This document you will be emailed after you book your first session. I am always happy to discuss this contract and make changes to suit your needs.
You may cancel a session you have booked. However please note that there is a 48 hour cancellation policy.
This means that you will be charged for a session should you cancel less than 48 hours before the start time of the session.
If you have booked a Smoking Cessation Programme and attended one session, there is no refund for the second session. You will have that session as a ‘credit’ which you can use for a future session, or gift to a friend to use in your place.
If you have paid for a package of sessions and not attended all those sessions, cancelling will mean you are no longer entitled to the discount rate. For example, if you book six sessions at a rate of £495. If after two sessions you wish to cancel, you will be charged the regular session fee for sessions, which is £90. Your refund will be £494 minus £180 for two regular priced sessions.
I offer a free initial consultation session, by phone, before you agree to sessions.
This consultation is for about 30 minutes. You can use the time to explain more about what you wish to work on. It is also a space for you to ask any questions you have. You are under no obligation whatsoever to carry on with sessions after the consultation, if you do not wish to.
If you wish to proceed with sessions, you can book a package, which will have extra benefits and a discount rate. You can also book individual sessions too. So, therefore, following your initial consultation, you may indeed book a single ‘taster’ session and following this, decide whether to continue.
Single sessions work out more expensive that sessions booked as part of a package. If, after a first session, you opt to buy a package, then that first session can, in some circumstances, count as the first of a package and gain the discounted rate.
An exception is my smoking programme. This can only be purchased as a complete package and not as single ‘pay as go’ sessions.
I do see clients via Skype, phone or an online platform. This has been a very useful way for people to access support during the covid 19 lockdown, when many people began to work from home and travel or face to face contact was not advised.
However, if you require something that requires intensive hypnotherapy, for example smoking cessation, I am not able to offer this except face to face.
Overeating and weight loss, stress or other challenges can be online or by phone. If your session will involve some hypnotherapy or visualisation work, this may be done via Skype. However often I make a recording and send it to you, for you to listen to outside of session time. The advantage for you is that you get to keep the recording.
I am quite flexible and try to accommodate as much as possible. Please be in touch to discuss any questions you have.
Individual sessions can be booked for a fee of £110.
Smoking Cessation: £295 (Click for more details)
Packages
You can book an individual session and then choose to make that individual session the first of a package of sessions, thereby gaining the package rate.
Package rates for all therapy treatments:
Package of Four Sessions: £400, further sessiond at £90
Package of Six Sessions: £540, further sessiond at £90
Six Session IBS or chronic pain management including hypnosis audios: £660
See relevant website pages for more details or book your free initial consultation today to discuss your needs.
Sessions do cost and paying upfront for sessions can be difficult.
For individually booked sessions, you will need to pay in full before or at your session.
Smoking cessation sessions can be paid in two installments. You will need to pay at least £100 before your first session. Normally the remainder will be paid within two weeks, in one payment. We will establish very clearly when and how much your payment plan is. This agreement will be by email or on paper, so that our agreement is recorded.
If you book a package of sessions, you can pay in installments. However, in general, you will pay at least £90 before your first session. The remainder will normally be paid, in full, before your last package session. If you require a longer period to pay, please be in touch to discuss your needs.
We will establish very clearly when and how much your payment plan is. This will be by email or on paper so that our agreement is recorded.
Sessions are confidential. I send each new client a ‘contract’. This isn’t a legally binding document but sets out clearly how sessions are run.
I will not share anything you say with anyone else. You should feel free to talk openly. Sessions can feel like a haven, a safe space to be honest. Confidentiality is key to establishing trust.
There are two scenarios in which I may share information about you. The first is if I should consult a colleague or supervisor to ask their advice about how best to help you. In this situation I will not use your name and will change some details to ensure your identity is kept confidential.
The other scenarios which are relevant are:
- if I feel that you may harm yourself or others.
- if you talk (boast) about committing a serious crime.
Unless it is an emergency, I will always discuss with you first before speaking to someone else about you.
You should feel confident about how sessions work and not feel any need to hold back on anything you wish to say.
Please ask me any questions about this, so it is clear.
Questions About Clinical Hypnotherapy
As a London hypnotherapist I ensure I am using the most advanced and up to date techniques. Hypnotherapy is a highly effective therapy which aims to help you change habits and outlook in a relatively short period of time. During your initial consultation or at the start of your session, we will discuss your challenges and the changes you wish to make using hypnotherapy, NLP or CBT.
Following this, you will close your eyes and be guided into a deeper feeling of relaxation, similar to daydreaming or focused concentration. I will then speak with your subconscious mind, often by using specific visualisations or by speaking directly to you in a way which communicates directly with your imagination and subconscious mind, bringing change at a deeper level.
During hypnotherapy, you will be in complete control and hear what is being said. You will be able to speak and open your eyes at any time should you need to do so. Hypnotherapy is an enjoyable experience and you will leave sessions feeling relaxed and positive.
Our minds are much more powerful than we often realise. Your mind has two parts, your conscious mind (around 10%) and your subconscious mind (around 90%). You use your conscious mind to think, read and communicate in a ‘conscious’ thought out manner. Your subconscious mind is responsible for your automatic habits, desires, storing memories and beliefs about yourself and the world around you.
Hypnotherapy works primarily with your subconscious mind. We use our subconscious mind a great deal more than we often realise. This means that it is vital to ensure your subconscious is working at its optimum level, so you feel happy and confident and your subconscious is focusing on the positives about your life and not stuck dwelling on negative thoughts such as past failures, regrets or fears about the future.
Whenever we come across any information, people or experiences, our subconscious is always the first part of our mind to respond to whatever is happening. Just think about something that might occasionally worry you. For some it’s a spider, for others it’s confronting colleagues or having to speak in public. That feeling of nervousness which you begin to experience wasn’t produced by your conscious mind but rather by your subconscious mind. Somewhere your subconscious ‘made up its mind’, as it were, about who you are and how you will do in that situation.
Hypnotherapy is simply a way of relaxing you and speaking more directly to your subconscious mind. This means change can be quicker. It is safe and sessions are enjoyable.
If you have ever seen a stage hypnotist, you may be concerned that during clinical hypnotherapy you may be put in a trance and manipulated to do things you would be unhappy about. TV shows are about entertainment and clinical hypnotherapy works very differently.
During your hypnotherapy session you will have total control and be able to hear what I say and able to open your eyes should you need to do so. Indeed sometimes you will be required to talk whilst in a trance. It is important to mention also that I am in fact unable to say or suggest something to you, which you would ordinarily disagree with. Clinical hypnotherapy is about helping you make the positive changes you really want to see.
Yes hypnotherapy (hypnosis) is very safe. Hypnotherapy is simply about guiding you into a relaxing trance-like state. In fact, when you think about it you are often in a similar trance state on a daily basis. Just think of times you have been sleepy but not quite asleep yet, engrossed in focused concentration, been preoccupied daydreaming or found your mind wandering during a conversation or class. These are all examples of being in a type of trance, very similar to a hypnotherapy (hypnosis) trace state.
The difference is that you were not guided into the trance by a therapist. Hypnotherapy is safe and suitable for both adults and children.
I always strongly recommend that you are alert before coming for your session. This means having had a good night’s sleep the previous evening. If you are coming for help with alcohol or drug use (cocaine, weed and so on) I cannot perform hypnotherapy if you have taken any drugs or drunk alcohol during the previous few hours. It would not be safe to do so.
Also, as much as it is possible for you to do so, it is advisable to allow also an extra few minutes after your hypnotherapy session before your next appointment. This will ensure your mind is not preoccupied during your session, thinking about what will happen later. To mention again that it is also not recommended to consume alcohol or use recreation drugs before your session.
More Questions
I have up to date, full professional malpractice, professional indemnity, public and products liability insurance. My insurance covers my professional work, whether I am working from a clinic, from home, or visiting a client’s premises.
The therapy practice from which I work also has its own insurance too.
I am a qualified coach, NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) Practitioner and Clinical Hypnotherapist.
If you scroll down this page, you will see more about my experience and qualifications.
I believe that you can never know enough and that skills need to be sharpened to ensure professionalism and excellence is maintained.
I work hard to continually evolve my techniques and abilities to help you do well too.
I am a member of the UK’s leading Hypnotherapy Association, the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) and a validated practitioner of the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council.
I am an accredited member of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council UK. I abide by their professional guidelines and regulations of practice.
I am a member of the NHS Directory of Complementary and Alternative Practitioners (NHSTA), taking referrals from GPs and dentists.
I am a recognised treatment provider for PruHealth private medical insurance.
I am a recognised healthcare provider for PruHealth. PruHealth requires that you gain a referral from a consultant for your hypnotherapy sessions with me.
In general sessions are for you alone to talk about what you wish to work on. However in some circumstances if may be beneficial for you to have someone accompanying you.
Often when children come for sessions, parents may sit in for either the whole or part of the first sessions. This is something I specifically ask parents about beforehand.
There is a comfortable and quiet waiting room. Often someone’s friend or relative might wait there for the duration of the session, if they need to be easily available for any reason.
I would recommend asking me about any specific needs or concerns you have, so you feel happy about what happens.
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Our privacy policy explains how we handle your personal data. Click the link in the footer of this page, or visit Our Privacy Policy
All testimonials which appear on this site are genuine and from real people who were previous clients. Testimonial content has not been altered in any way. However for confidentiality, some names and locations have been changed. This is to ensure people’s identities are not revealed.
All the content on this site is for general information about our services. Please note that results are not guaranteed, and that results may vary from person to person.