It's time for change

Dear Anxious Friend

Do you spend your entire time on edge? Continually hypervigilant? Fretting over something from your past or fearing what might happen in the future?

I know how you feel. That used to be me.

And then in 2008 everything changed. I trained to become a clinical hypnotherapist and I discovered the secret to living a life free from anxiety.

When I woke up one morning with a quiet mind and a new-found confidence, I couldn’t believe how easy life could be. I’d stopped ruminating about the past and stopped overthinking the future. I began living life to the full without all the baggage that had weighed me down my entire life.

The change was incredible. And I knew I wanted to show others how to achieve this amazing transformation. My work as a Solution Focused clinical hypnotherapist has enabled me to do just that.

You're not alone

When clients tell me the reasons they seek help, it all sounds incredibly familiar. And chances are, some of their symptoms will resonate with you too. How many of these scenarios can you relate to:

•  You worry about things too much. Maybe you’ve always been a worrier or perhaps this overthinking has crept up on you in recent years.
•  You’re always overanalysing the past and keep going over past issues. Maybe you’re always replaying conversations in case you’ve upset someone. That inner voice never seems to stop, you can’t switch it off. Your mind’s continually over-busy, especially when you’re trying to get to sleep.
•  You’re overwhelmed with too many responsibilities, exhausted with endless to do lists. You can’t see a way out. You’re just about coping, almost at the end of your tether.
•  You lose your temper at the slightest problem, or flip if things are not exactly how you like them. Things that never used to bother you now seem like huge issues.
•  You’re angry with the world and everyone in it. People are so irritating, and you’re always finding fault with those around you. Especially your nearest and dearest.
•  You wake up each morning full of dread, feeling petrified about the day ahead.
•  You’ve become withdrawn and find it tricky to talk to people. You just want to retreat into your own space.
•  You’re finding it difficult to concentrate, it’s like thinking through a fog. You’ve become forgetful and your short-term memory is shot to pieces.
•  You’ve developed physical symptoms made worse by stress, like headaches, upset tummy or skin problems. You’re frequently coming down with colds or ‘flu.
• You feel lack-lustre and can’t motivate yourself to get things done. You may be surrounded by clutter and can’t think straight. You just don’t know where or how to start to get on top of things.

Any of that sound familiar? Maybe you said yes to one or all of the above.

I totally understand. I’ve experienced many of these issues in the past and, for sure, most of my clients have too.

And now you’ve reached the point where you realise something needs to change.

Here’s the good news…

Life does not have to be this hard.

You can absolutely change your experience of life, and this course shows you how.

We’re not talking about radically changing your circumstances, switching careers, divorcing your husband or moving to a Scottish croft.

We’re talking about changing your responses to your current situation so you can get a better enjoyment of life.

 You can do this!

If you’ve gone through your whole life fearing the worst, you may wonder whether it’s too late to change. You may have read somewhere that your brain is hardwired early on in life, so if you were miserable in your twenties you’re stuck with being glum.

But that’s absolutely not the case. Your brain is adaptable. Neuroscientists have proved this. They use scanners,  like MRI, PET or CAT scanners, to show that any of us can change the way our brain cells are connected.

So, you’re not stuck.

You can train your brain to stop making you feel anxious. You can stop thinking negatively.

And, you know what? Negative thoughts are really sneaky, they’re not always obvious. Once you know how to recognise them, though, you can learn to think positively and overcome anxiety. And this course shows you how.

It’s based on my years of working with clients using the Solution Focused approach. It uses future-oriented techniques to help you solve the problems of everyday living. It taps into your inner resources and moves you towards how you would like things to be.

And as journalist Oliver Burkeman said in an article about the Solution Focused approach, ‘In difficult times, it’s easy to feel at the mercy of big forces, but we’re more resourceful than we think.’ (The Guardian, May 2020)

This course will help you to tap into your own inner resourcefulness. Even if things seem pretty hopeless right now. By adopting 3 powerful habits, you’ll soon find yourself coping better with life.

And if you’re in any doubt that you can change the way you think, bear in mind that neuroscientists have been aware for decades that our brains are mouldable. If you’re wondering if that’s pie in the sky, track down a BBC TV series called The Brain, broadcast in 2015. The presenter was renowned neuroscientist and author, David Eagleman.

Here’s what he had to say in the introduction to his book that accompanied the series, ‘Your brain is a relentless shapeshifter, constantly rewriting its own circuitry – and because our experiences are unique, so are the vast, detailed patterns in your neural networks. Because they continue to change your whole life, your identity is a moving target, it never reaches an endpoint.’

So, there you have it. From a neuroscientist. Now, how do you want your life to be?

Whether you’ve been a worrier all your life, or whether you’ve only recently become anxious, it may comfort you to know that you’re not alone.  According to the mental health charity Mind, 1 in 6 people report experiencing common mental health problems (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England. It’s no wonder I, and my therapist colleagues, are kept so busy.

Your questions answered

Will I benefit from the course?

The course is based on over a decade of working with clients on a one-to-one basis. I’ve incorporated the most common issues that crop up in the therapy room and, more importantly, the strategies I use with my clients to help them overcome whatever issue they are dealing with. Just like my clients, you’ll learn how to:

• distinguish between thoughts and feelings
• wake up with a clear, uncluttered head
• stop ruminating, overanalysing, overthinking
• juggle multiple priorities effortlessly
• prioritise the important stuff
• stop arguing with your loved ones
• stop getting wound up by the slightest hitch
• set realistic expectations for yourself and others
• take better care of yourself
• take control of your thoughts, actions and relationships
• take control of your life!

And because it’s so vital to our wellbeing, there’s a special bonus module all about sleep, so you’ll even learn how to sleep better.

Is there anyone who wouldn’t benefit from the course?

The course is designed to help you if you’re experiencing a general level of anxiety, even if you’ve been a worrier all your life. And it doesn’t matter how old you are, neuroscience has proved, you’re never too old to change.

That said, it’s not designed to help if you’re experiencing severe symptoms of poor mental health, psychological issues or emotional distress. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, you should seek professional advice as soon as possible.

Also, some exercises may impact on your relationship with others. The course is designed to help with healthy relationships, ones with ‘normal’ ups and downs. It’s not designed to help if you’re at risk from an abusive relationship. If you are at risk, you should seek advice from professional agencies who specialise in providing appropriate support. You may well find the course helpful once you’re in a place of safety.

The course is based on the Solution Focused approach, and that means it’s future-oriented, helping you move towards how you want to be. If you’re looking for a course to help you analyse your past, so you can better understand how you got to where you are now, then this isn’t the course for you.

Finally, just like in the therapy room, it’s important you feel comfortable with the person who’s guiding you. Clients often say that they are drawn to me because I seem like a nice person, they feel they can talk to me. If I were a TV programme, I’d be more like The Great British Bake Off than The Apprentice. That may or may not appeal to you. If you’re looking for someone dynamic, thrusting and fast-talking, you probably won’t enjoy my presentation style.

What’s the format of the course?

You’ll have access to over 10 hours of pre-recorded streamed videos and slide presentations.

You'll be shown three powerful, solution focused habits to adopt so you can overcome anxiety. The habits are tried and tested in the therapy room and form the backbone of working in a solution focused way.

There are 5 main modules covering all aspects of your wellbeing. Plus there’s a special bonus module all about sleep.

In each module you'll get:

• An introduction from your trainer (that’s me!)
• Video lessons presented in Powerpoint slide format
• Supporting material in pdf format, including exercises for taking positive action

You’ll also get a relaxation track in MP3 and m4a format.

Finally, to help you keep motivated, you'll receive monthly follow up emails for the first 12 months.

Can I do it in my own time?

Absolutely! I realise that if you’re already feeling stressed, juggling too many priorities, time is at a premium. That’s why I’ve broken the modules down into short video lessons. Half of the videos are 20 minutes or less and none lasts longer than 30 minutes.

There’s about 10½ hours of videos for you to do at your own pace. Whether you prefer binge-watching or drip-feeding, you are in control. You’ll get access to all of the course material as soon as you sign up and it’s up to you how you choose to work your way through.

Is there any homework to do?

Yes indeed. There are exercises to do at the end of each lesson to help you change the way you experience life. Most will only take a few minutes and involve you thinking about different aspects of your life. As with anything worth doing, success is dependent on your active participation. You will need to apply some effort to get the most from the course.

The good news is, the 3 powerful habits I’m going to introduce you to will take no longer than a few minutes each day. As you get more and more practised, so you’ll get quicker at doing them. And the best part is, once you get the hang of them, you can do them while you’re doing something else.

Will I have to participate in live Zoom sessions?

There’s no live element to the course, everything you need is in the videos and supporting pdf documents. That said, if you’re stuck on something, just get in touch and I’ll do my best to help.

Is this like having online therapy?

Online therapy is conducted on a one-to-one basis and is tailored to your specific needs. This course draws on the common themes that crop up in therapy sessions time and time again, so although it’s not specifically customised for you, you’ll probably find much of the content will resonate with how you’re feeling. The videos mimic the talking part of a therapy session, and I'll be providing you with plenty of supporting material. And of course, unlike therapy sessions, you can replay the videos over and over again, so that you can get really familiar with the concepts.

How is this course different from other self-help courses?

In this course I don’t just show you what to do, I teach you how to do it. You’d be surprised at how many clients don’t even realise they’re stressed, or believe that they already have a positive attitude to life. But there’s an art to thinking positively, and in this course you’ll discover how to recognise the quality of your thoughts and retrain your brain so that virtually nothing fazes you.

Is it worth the money?

The great thing about this course is that it draws together real-life strategies for overcoming anxiety, based on well over a decade of working with clients just like you. If you do the exercises and adopt the 3 habits, it will bring you results within weeks, without needing expensive therapy sessions. If I were to cover all the material in this course with you in the therapy room, where the 'talking' part of the session takes 20-25 minutes, we’d need to meet for 25-30 sessions at a cost of over £2,000. So, I believe this course is excellent value for money, and is well worth the investment in your future.

And here's what's possible after just a few weeks…

                                Please note that the course is currently available to UK residents only.