We made a decision which we are proud of that we hope helps you to get through this difficult time without adding stress for getting help.

We have reduced all our fees in order to help more people through this period and offer support to those who are facing redundancy or stress caused by other financial factors.

There are reports on an increase in divorce brought on by the stressors in society having the negative impact of family and homelife.

We are here to help and with our reduced fees our sessions are more availalbe to everyone no matter what their situation.

Have you ever been called 'lazy' and either hated the label or felt powerless to change?

There is no such thing as lazy in the way we seem to mean it.  The suggestion with the label is, you are a 'bad' person who wont do the whatever it is that another person or you think/s you should be doing.

Here's a tip - you just arent motivated to do this.  If its really important and you actually need to or wish you could then its likely you havent yet found the right level of motivation to acheive it.

Sometimes we avoid doing things because someone else is dictating, the desire not to be controlled outweighs the desire to achieve the goal.  Sometimes we havent prioritised the desire enough and sometimes we just dont really ever intend to do it.

The first thing to do is have a #meeting' with yourself.  I mean it, literally have a meeting of the parts of your mind that either do want to get the job done, or dont want to.  Find out why?  Find out what each part is motivated to acheive and then you will be able to find other useful ways to meet the need that doesnt disable the desire.

Or you can develop a current motivation strategy, build it up in your mind so it becomes very powerful, then associate the same feeling state with the desire and 'bingo' you will find yourself doing it before you had time to procrastinate. 

If you really are motivated to find out more about how to get motivated to stop being unmotivated, there are lots of ways and we help our clients to do this all the time.  Some people literally book an appointment to become motivated to exercise more, some prioritise earning more money and some just want to feel good.

Give us a call and find out how we can help you to find that motivation and get the job done!

01245 349633 or email at your leisure info@SironaWellmind.co.uk

Its truly fascinating to observe the effects of the media attention and subsequent public reaction to the current credit crunch.  Where does it all begin - who started it - which idiot in charge of either funding or how we relate to the public, first raised the alarm and got the whole thing rolling???

In actual fact 'they' (that would be the media) have been talking on and off about a recession or slowing down for nearly four years!!  We were caught in the last serious recession when people were being repossessed, we were lucky to be saved by an aunt who bailed us out of several occasions.  However, we subsequently refused to move to a larger house/mortgage for longer than was necessary purely because then, we had more Fear than Confidence in the economy and our ability to manage whatever 'it' was doing. 

I have learned over the years that Fear directs many of our behaviours however Confidence is equally as powerful - it just depends which 'state' we are currently in and therefore - where our focus of attention is.  We all know someone who seems to be unaffected by what is going on, I am finding myself 'avoiding' the negative conversations, panic talk and general emphasis of a disaster in the waiting - why because it serves no purpose whatsoever to do otherwise.

As a mere normal person (that is I dont really get what is going on even though some of my very high powered, intelligent and financially clued up clients have done their best to explain) - I look at it from a different angle.  Yes the Americans have overspent or overlent but why is it now suddenly a problem - dont any of the people at the top know how dangerous that would be in the event of a miriad of changes in the world.  That I find astonishing, however what then astonishes me more is how the media are sometimes hell bent on putting the frighteners on the public and the more they do this, the more people change their behaviours to suit.

Right now, many people have stopped spending the way they were, now some of us may need to curb spending but for those who are just reacting to the suggestions around us, need to know they then participate in the problem and exacerbate further the difficulites.  You stop spending and everyone is affected - it is a domino affect. 

So why isnt some clever guy/gal putting a stop to all this and using their (governmental - thats a cool word when you look at it again govern/mental) power to call a halt to the way businesses can cause so much damage and how the media then encourage it to crash.

This is when I have found our clients are most in need of our help.  They find themselves struggling with additional pressures and anxieties and many put their goals and dreams on hold.  Our advice is - DONT!  The more people generate positive energy with positive thoughts and positive actions, the more quickly we can recover.  We must use a resourceful state to find solutions and not keep concentrating just on problems.  The more people in business, government, the media and all the rest of us - do this, the quicker we will recover and show other countries how to do it!

Stay focused, stay positive, look for solutions and ask yourself only - 'how can I sort this?'

Yippee - a positive look at some of the benefits of using natural treatments for physical problems - Hypnotherapy looks like a winner!  The BBC show Hypnotherapy and some of its best successes.

Dr Kathy Sykes investigated Hypnotherapy for the BBC and her results were shown in a documentary last evening. The aim - to find out how effective it is as a treatment for a number of common problems and to discover if there is any basis for the belief that it can be very successful.

Initially Kathy BBC wondered what the 'unconscious' is or if it exists.  She laughed at the notion of a Hypnosis CD helping women increase the size of their breasts and later said she could find no scientific research - there is research than found in 60 women, all experience an increase in bust size and only one did not go up a cup size - fairly significant I would say.  The participants of this trial were taught self hypnosis and instructed to use it twice a day every day to encourage the breast tissue to stimulate and grow.  It was discovered that a number of women had negative associations with larger breasts and unconsciously limited growth.  As a practicing therapist of many years now, I am not at all suprised that negative beleifs can inhibit growth.

Initially I laughed when Dr Kathy Sykes from BBC tv mentioned her query over the existence of the unconscious.   To me its daft nowadays for anyone not to know what the difference between their unconscious and conscious mind is but thats because I am very used to thinking in such terms. 

For those who want to know this is the difference between the conscious and unconscious.

• The conscious mind is the part of the mind that is currently aware of your experiences.  Right now you are aware of sitting in front of a computer, reading a journal entry on a website.  Your mind will be making assessments based on your knowledge and experience of what you are reading.  Judging whether it is founded or unfounded, makes sense to you or simply does not comply with your current beliefs.  In order to do this - the judgements part, you need to keep accessing your 'unconscious mind'.
• Your unconscious mind is where all the information is, everything that you have ever learned or experienced is recorded here.  There are programmes of experience already written in before your birth - we call that instinct.  Then a hell of a lot is added as you grow, learn and mature in life.  Your unconscious is also responsible for all the other tasks going on, such as breathing, heart rate, healing, energy and so on.  Here is recorded the 'how we react to situations, people, emotions, triggers, stimuli, experiences and so on.  This is why and how we can help people to change the other problems she seemed shocked to see listed such as; lying, anger, motivation, sports performance, and almost any other behaviour you can mention - because this is programmed in based on perception, emotion and need at the time we first learned it, subsequent experiences will further compound the strength of beleif or reaction and thats why direct access to the unconscious is the way to make change.

What is Trance?

There was some debate about 'trance state' from Kathy BBC study of Hypnotherapy and if it exists or not or is it just 'suggestion'.  Much of the research showed that there was a different in brain activity if the person was in an altered state (we call trance).  There seemed to be significant evidence to show that it does make a difference to the individuals perception and their ability to 'imagine' really well.

Trance is a natural phenomenom.  We also liken it to daydreaming and BBC Dr Kathy Sykes highlight when she was given an opportunity to experience it, that she was trying to control the suggestions and being 'bloody minded'.  The Dr who was working with her at the time was in no way concerned that her experience was anything to do with his skills and everything to do with her resistance.  This I absolutely concur with and it should help everyone reading this to know that they are always in control of their trance experience, of whether they choose to go into hypnosis or not.  I would describe Dr Kathy Sykes as a 'polarity responder' in that session, meaning she would do the opposite of what was asked to prove a point - in this case, it just proved what most Hypnotherapists already know, WE CANNOT MAKE YOU DO ANYTHING YOU HAVENT DECIDED TO DO!

Amir Raz a neuroscientist talked about highly focused attention which I personally agree is easier when you are aware of the difference between conscious and unconscious activity.  When you get someone to access their imagination, to use it really well, use all the senses and focus on the result we aim for, this is highly focused attention and can be witnessed with both Hypnotherapy and NLP techniques when used by a skilled practitioner.

Professor Irving Kirsch, a Psychologist in Modena Italy, talked to the BBC about Highly Suggestible People.  I have an opinion about this.  I have found that people become more easily suggestible as they learn to trust you as a therapist/coach.  They are more likely to be 'open' to suggestions once they know your intentions are good and they have worked through any of their own personal barriers. 

Richard a polic officer was also a heavy smoker.  Richard like many wanted to stop smoking and was chosen by the BBC to highlight Hypnotherapy and Stop Smoking - was spoken to by BBC producers afer 3 months following a session of hypnosis.  Dr Kathy Sykes was not sure of the success - hmmm, as an ex-smoker myself I know that being able to actually STOP is the most difficult thing you are aiming to do.  This he did and reported not wanting a cigarette.  He smoked 3 weeks later when out socialising - I have found that this type of trigger usually suggests the individual has a strong association with fitting in (which is important) and smoking, and unconsciously desire that not the cigarette.  I was slightly stunned that Dr Kathy did not consider this as successful as I did and clearly Richard.  He was effectively 'in control' of the addiction and that is after all what we all want - isnt it!?  Our treatment for Stop Smoking using Hypnotherapy is in Essex and London. 

The same result occured with Nicola who had reported being addicted to chocolate, again the BBC filmed the original hypnosis and later the outcome.  Being addicted meant she wasnt in control of eating chocolate and would overeat or binge and eat chocolate far too often.  Following her treatment for chocolate addiction (brief technique using some NLP combined with some Hypnosis) she had no desire to eat any chocolate for some time.  Now she was sitting in front of a chocolate cake saying it had too much chocolate on to eat.  So she could now CHOOSE!  These types of techniques will not stop you from eating or doing whatever you were once addicted to - just give you control of the behaviour.  Of course 4 months later she didnt still think of 'corned beef' (which was the undesirable food the therapist associated chocolate with to collapse the craving). 

These are examples of what we aim for; people to be more in control, not necessarily have a permanent aversion.

Two of the most striking conditions helped by Hypnotherapy featured by BBC included Hypnotherapy for IBS.  Where all other conventional treatments have failed Hypnotherapy is offered by NHS practitioners.  It is something our clients frequently request help with and its very successful.  We use the same types of treatment featured in the programme, eg Tactile and Visualisation (or Hypnohealing) Hypnotherapy.  We offer Hypnotherapy for a treatment for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) in Essex and London.

The other treatment that shocked Dr Kathy so much she had to stop herself from fainting - is the use of Hypnosis to combat or eliminate PAIN.  Hypnotherapy is highly effective treatment for the management of pain - well, why manage it if you can get rid of it altogether.  There is in fact tonnes of research out there and some hospitals use Hypnotherapy for Pain and before and after operations, regularly in favour of lots of chemicals and drugs.  We are a little behind in the UK on this subject.  Again, thanks to the BBC for giving Hypnotherapy a shout out for dental treatment - the lady in question had two teeth removed, two pegs drilled into the bone and two new teeth added!  WITHOUT ANY ANEASTHETIC!!!  She controlled the pain using her mind with the help of her well trained dentist who used Hypnosis to help his patients.  She had previously had sessions before hand to create a successful anchor for relaxation and feeling in control.  Her blood pressure did not change at all, in fact it shot up when she opened her eyes to find the tv crew surrounding her.  Dr Kathy however, was a different matter!  She could have done with some self hypnosis methinks!  We help many people with Pain and other physical conditions at our Chelmsford and London Practices.

Whacky is a word that is used frequently by medical practitioners and others whose only knowledge of Hypnotherapy or Hypnotherapists is limited to an unfortunate few who perhaps are a little off the norm.  Our single most frustrating experience in society is the general lack of knowledge or understanding surrounding our techniques - why we do what we do and how it works.  I can assure you - I am not whacky, I dont hug trees or bang drums and we dont even have any gizmos - just us!

I am grateful to the BBC for giving it a go and highlighting this subject.  It would be worth seeking out therapists who in fact do use a number of techniques.  Dr Kathy Sykes did focus on the studies that showed those therapist who use Hypnotherapy in conjuntion with other Pyschological treatments, showed greater success - THATS US THEN! 

I would also like to concur here, that if you want the best treatment for your problem, find a therapist who has more skills than just Hypnotherapy - they may only use Suggestion therapy (thats only ever 45% successful) and if you ever encounter a therapist who uses Scripts! - RUN A MILE!

Very soon, Paul Mckenna will be leaving our shores for a new venture in America.  He is a highly motivated and successful guy.  He has become this way by studying what works and finding out why - he then applies these strategies to helping others.  Strategy illicitation is one of the techniques we use at Sirona Wellmind to help individuals to use what already works in their lives, transferring that to other areas that havent been as successful.  Strategy illicitation also proves an easy way to transform inefficient systems in business too!

The Easy Weight Loss seminars that Paul Mckenna has hosted for a while now, have proven incredibly successful.  As an assistant with Paul Mckenna, I have witnessed some amazing changes in peoples thinking and behaviours in just one day.  The most important change is 'beleif'.  The participants arrive with little beleif in their ability to change enough and are often very cynical about Paul's methodolgy.  He makes them 'do it' there and then.  Because the assistants are there to help, everyone gets the chance to find out how these techniques work and why they will be useful to them in their weight loss programme.  Lots and lots are taught throughout the day and what is always remarkable is how when put into practice at lunchtime, the men and women find themselves blown away by how easy it is to eat so much less than they normally would.  Later we work on self esteem an important part of the change work.  Sometimes there is real pain beneath the layers of excess weight and that needs to be removed along with the fat.  Some of the participants recognise what the problem has been for them, they often choose to seek personal coaching following the seminar. 

I am one who will be sad to see Paul Mckenna leave, I have enjoyed working with him, he is always charming and considerate and it shows how much he really cares.  He wants all the profesionals he has taught or who have assisted him, to do the best job they possibly can.  I am however, overjoyed at his acheivement - he is paving the way for people to understand that change doesnt mean there is something 'wrong' with you, just a behaviour that needs adjusting!

Good luck to Paul!