Yesterday I finally completed the Life Coaching Certificate eLearning course run by Kain Ramsay on the Udemy website. It took me longer than I anticipated but that was mainly due to being busier than I expected since I signed up for it.

I really enjoyed doing this course. As my previous post mentioned, it mirrors the Solution Focused approach I already follow in Hypnotherapy, so it will be quite easy to merge what I have learnt from this into my Hypnotherapy sessions too.

I still have a little work to do before I advertise myself as a Life Coach, but watch this space as I aim to do this asap. Keep an eye out for offers.

Since the lock down began, I've been doing a Life Coaching course with Achology. It's hosted on the Udemy website and run by Kain Ramsay. I've only completed module one so far, there are 19 more to go, but I have found, right from the beginning that the philosophy mirrors that of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH). So I find it very easy to understand what he is teaching, and reassured that what I already know now will enhance my Life Coaching skills, and what I am learning on this course is going to help my SFH skills too! I’m excited!
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I’m also going to do the same as I did when I was taught SFH. I’m going to offer sessions  to the public to improve my abilities as a life coach and to get to grips with the type of questions and procedures I need to use. The sessions will not be free as I must pay for room hire, but the room hire charge is all I will ask for (currently £10). I am not yet ready  to start the offer but thought I’d put this out there for anyone interested to give it some thought. If you think you are interested then please let me know by sending an email to alanwoollard@merryfield-hypnotherapy.co.uk. As soon as I am ready, I will contact you to give you more details and to set a start date. Thank you.

​(PS. If you understand SFH you will understand the graphic).

I haven't been on a CPD or Workshop for a while so it was really good to be back at Bristol HQ again to attend a workshop for Self Hypnosis for pain.

I struggle with self hypnosis so it was helpful to have an excellent tutor there to teach me. Dipti Tait has used self hypnosis many times and showed us the methods she used when putting herself in an hypnotic trance prior to having root canal work done without anesthetic. After which we practiced the technique ourselves.

The workshop was an enjoyable experience and one that I would highly recommend. Done with humour and professionalism.

Now I need to continue to work on self hypnosis to gain confidence before being able to pass the knowledge on to clients. 

Wednesday 23rd January was the date for the second Shepton Health and Well Being Event. Based in the Council Chamber at the Council Offices in Shepton Mallet, the therapists taking part looked forward to another successful event, following last year's busy night. 

The varying therapies on offer included Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Yoga, Bowen, Kinesiology, Emotional Freedom Technique and, of course, Hypnotherapy. 

After last year's event we were all expecting to be busy throughout. Unfortunately, the attendance was poor. The cold weather must have put people off. The people that did turn up though were loving it. They were able to experience longer example sessions than they would have done otherwise and the evening was still a great success. 

We would all like to thank the Council for holding the event once again and, of course, the public who attended.

Look out for future events by checking the NEWS page on this website.

Last Sunday (29th April) I was at HQ in Clifton, Bristol to learn more about Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and the role Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) can play in helping someone with this condition. Having had IBS myself some time ago, I was looking forward to this CPD.

Helen Green was the tutor and she delivered an excellent lesson, filled with fascinating information and plenty of laughs.

IBS can be a very serious condition if left to itself. It's important that anyone suffering from it seeks medical diagnosis before looking for further help.

We were made very aware that SFH has been proven to help people with IBS and, indeed, was the number one choice of therapy for many.

If you have IBS and are seeking help, please do get in touch. I'll be glad to help. Below are some of the notes I took during the day.

• The Gut has a dedicated nervous system
• The Brain & Gut are in constant communication with each other
• 95% of Serotonin is produced in the Gut
• ⅓ of Gut Bacteria is common to all, the other ⅔ are totally unique to each person
• Stress always makes IBS worse
• The cause/s of IBS are currently unknown

Yesterday (Sunday 25th Feb 2018) I was at HQ to attend the CPD on the science behind the Initial consultation. If you have had a consultation with a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist you will know what I mean here. If you haven't, it's where we explain how the brain works (in simple English), how we get stressed and anxious or depressed and why, and what we can do about it. 

This CPD broke this explanation down and analysed it using research papers from the last 12 months to endorse what we say with credited research. In other words, to prove that it is true.

It was a fascinating course expertly explained by our own Dr Rachel Gillibrand. Rachel explained how she went about her mammoth task, with plenty of humour thrown in, as well as clarifying some of the statements in more detail, finishing off with a QA session in the afternoon that was equally enjoyable.

If you have not done this CPD yet I can highly recommend it.

A couple of weeks ago I was at HQ for another CPD.

​This time it was to learn how hypnotherapy can help those who suffer from OCD. Note the word 'suffer'. Most of us have some form of OCD, checking locked doors more than once, routines that help us feel secure etc. The difference with the majority and those who suffer is we can still cope if we are unable to do our standard routine or ritual, the sufferer will not and will be quite anxious about the whole thing. 

The CPD was excellently chaired by Claire Brigg and the whole session was very informative and encouraging. We all felt we had learned a lot from this session. 

I was up at Clifton Practice on another CPD course all day yesterday (Sunday). It was about how to help clients improve and strengthen their willpower.

It was hosted by the excellent Matthew Dyson who delivered the course in a very relaxed and entertaining manner. Coming up with various quotes and providing us therapists with the many ways we can help the client.

A lot was learned and it was great, as always, to catch up with my fellow colleagues again. It's interesting to find out how they are doing and encouraging to know hypnotherapy is becoming more and more popular.

​ Here are some of the points that I found interesting, and may be of use to know.

• A study shows people have willpower challenges 25% of their waking hours (day), and fail in 50% of them.

• 20 seconds is usually long enough to wait to avoid a temptation.
• 5 minutes of exercise will increase willpower capability.
• People are more disciplined earlier in the day.
• Delayed gratification results in a higher reward (ie; waiting for something).

If you'd like some help improving your willpower, then get in touch.

Wish you could buy a voucher to help a friend or a loved one have hypnotherapy?

Well wish no more. Vouchers can now be purchased from Hidden Treasures in Commercial Road, Shepton Mallet. 

The vouchers are available for the value of £5, £10, £25 or £50. Please look at the RATES page (Payment Methods) for Terms & Conditions.

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