
Stage 1
Pre-consultation and Consultation
The groundwork.
Do your research, choose with care, and arrive at your first session prepared for work and ready for change.
Commit to the change that you seek.
The groundwork.
Do your research, choose with care, and arrive at your first session prepared for work and ready for change.
Commit to the change that you seek.
Pre-consultation
Transformation work starts the minute you decide enough is enough and you want resolution to your problem and are prepared to do what it takes to bring about the changes you seek.
Once that decision has been made, you have already taken the first step on the journey.
Think about the affordability of therapy. Be honest with yourself. If the cost is going to cause you anxiety then it is likely to interrupt how successful therapy can be. However, there are always alternative solutions and there are many different pathways to the same destination. So don’t let cost deter you from making an enquiry, reaching out costs nothing and I am always happy to signpost toward other organisations or reading material to help you.
Once you have decided that you want to engage the services of a therapist, you have to find the one that is right for you. Take your time.
Personal therapy is serious, life-changing, and life-enhancing. You need to feel comfortable enough with your therapist to get uncomfortable. Try to find out as much as you can before your first session. Once you have identified a few potential therapists, make an initial enquiry with each of them and check how you feel about them and their response.
Different therapists operate differently. With me, you can reach out via my contact form, email or telephone. Please leave your name, contact details, and an outline of what you are seeking therapy for. I will respond at the earliest opportunity and always within 24-hours outside of exceptional circumstances.
I may respond by email initially if I need to clarify any points but I will always aim to have a brief telephone conversation with you prior to our first session. It varies. I treat each and every enquiry individually but will respond honestly to your questions and concerns.
We will only book that initial consultation when we are both happy to do so.
Then, I always allow for a 48 hour cooling off period, so if you change your mind in that time, that is fine.
But you must let me know.
Your time is sacred, so is mine. Do not book a consultation or session and then not turn up. It’s rude! Aside from my having a strict policy around cancellations and no-shows, more devastatingly you have taken an hour I could have given to someone else.
I love this work and I limit the number of people I work with to ensure that my clients get the very best of my skills and attention. I do not agree to work with everyone. This is why I give as much opportunity as possible on this website for you to get an understanding of who I am and how I work.
So you can be as sure as possible that you want to work with me.
I aim to give us the best chance possible to do some amazing work together. That starts with at the very least mutual respect but hopefully a spark of connection that can grow profoundly for the period of the therapeutic journey.
Consultation
My therapy space is at my home in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
It is a quiet, confidential space set aside from the main house. Our first meeting is where we go through the logistics of therapy, complete some paperwork, and then move onto the main purpose of the consultation; for me to glean as much information as I can about you and the issues that you face.
It may feel daunting to open up straight away which is why I allow a full 90 minutes. We can take our time and go at your pace.
I make a wonderful freshly ground coffee or can offer herbal teas to help the session feel as relaxed and informal as possible.
The initial consultation is not only vital for me to gather all the information I need to formulate the hypnotherapy conducted but is also about establishing a great working relationship so that we can make the best progress in the least possible time.
Often times there is no hypnosis conducted during this first meeting although if there is time toward the end of the session I may end on a brief hypnotic relaxation. It varies from client to client. However, the sharing of yourself has a huge therapeutic value. Aside from providing me with the insight I need to plan the goal-focused work we will do, you will find that your moods, thoughts, and emotions begin to shift.
This is why I will probably give you some homework to do in the time between the consultation and the first therapy session. To capitalise on these early shifts of focus. I may ask you to do a written exercise, or give you some reading material, or a daily task to conduct. Once again, it varies.
At the end of the session, we will agree a time for our next meeting and then move onto Stage 2.