FAQs
If there's anything you're curious about that you don't see here, please do feel free to get in touch directly by going to my contact page; I'm always happy to chat through anything you're unsure about.
Do I need to 'believe' in hypnotherapy or be a suggestible person for me to benefit from it? In short, absolutely not; cynics and skeptics are very welcome here at Good Note HQ! When I am speaking to potential clients, or even to friends and family, I often encounter questions about whether someone needs to be suggestible / susceptible / gullible for hypnotherapy to be effective on them. As a naturally skeptical person myself, I really do understand when someone has misgivings, and if it weren't for seeing such consistently good results in my clients, I'd still be right there with you, trust me! I will never try to convert anyone into 'believing' in anything; I only ask that you come to the sessions with an open mind and that you take an active part in your therapy. I've worked with plenty of people who initially felt hesitant about receiving hypnotherapy, and many of them are now my biggest source of referrals!
Will I fall asleep? If you think back to anytime you've seen hypnotherapy on TV or in a movie, it's highly likely that the person being hypnotised was depicted as being asleep or, at the very least, in a zombie-like state of semi (or un-) consciousness. The reality is quite different. In times gone by, it was believed that in order for hypnotherapy to be effective, the client had to be in a 'deep' trance state during hypnosis. This thinking has changed over time and we now know that the client being 'aware' during hypnosis can actually be really beneficial to the process as a whole. Though it's true that sometimes my clients do fall asleep during the trance part of the session, it is not the goal. Different people experience trance in different ways; some will listen to and remember everything I say, others will remember some but not all of it, others will daydream on and off and, yes, some do drift off into what I would describe as a light doze. However you experience trance is totally individual to you, and totally fine. Personally, I would describe my own experience of hypnotic trance (yes - I receive hypnotherapy too as part of being the best practitioner I can be!) as being deeply peaceful and sometimes quite profound. I don't always remember all of what the hypnotherapist has said, but I do always come out of it with a sense of having been somewhere private and meaningful in my mind.
Can you plant dubious things in my head? For example, could you influence me to put large sums of money in your bank account, or do something that doesn't align with my values? Fortunately for you, no I can't. This idea often stems from a misconception of what hypnotic trance actually is (see above). Imagine driving your car along a route you've driven dozens, maybe even hundreds of times. Perhaps you aren't consciously paying attention to the different roads you are taking, but you will still have the wherewithal to stop at red lights, or to brake if a pedestrian steps into the road. This is a perfect example of a trance state; a relaxed condition in which our subconscious mind is being accessed, but our conscious mind can still fundamentally step in if things go awry. Your mind will absolutely still be capable of rejecting anything that I say that you know is not in your best interests, even when you are in trance. It's also worth remembering that my only goal is to help you! I care a great deal about my clients (and my reputation!) and would never have any desire to do anything sketchy or malicious.
Do you have a sliding scale fee structure? Not as such, though I do offer significantly reduced session fees for music students, please feel free to enquire about this! I also occasionally offer reduced fees if I am looking to increase my work in a particular therapeutic area; current offers are listed in my instagram stories
Can hypnotherapy harm me/my brain? One of the many reasons that I choose to practice Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy is that the approach is very safe, and based on years of clinical research. Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy is fundamentally a forward-looking methodology which cannot harm you when practiced in accordance with an ethical code of conduct, something which I am bound by as a member of AfSFH.
Are sessions confidential? Yes, sessions are strictly confidential, and this is something that I take extremely seriously. As with other forms of therapy, there are sometimes exceptions which may cause me to be in contact with other professionals (for example if I thought you were at serious risk of harm) but you will be given information regarding this before your treatment begins. I will never mention that you have attended sessions with me, even to mutual contacts who you may have discussed it with. I sometimes work with clients who have a public profile; this is kept in strict confidence, and you can trust that I will never name-drop, or discuss our work together. All of my session notes are kept in strict accordance with GDPR policies, and are fully encrypted.