Hypnosis is a state of focussed attention.

You know that little, critical voice in your head? That moves to the background in hypnosis.

A bit like when you take a close-up picture of a flower. You can see all the details of the flower and everything else fades away in the background.

This state of highly focussed attention makes you more open to suggestions and that opens new pathways in your brain, to make the change that you want to make. Hypnosis is totally natural and yes, you have been in hypnosis already. Ever been totally emerged in a good film? Mesmerised by the story? Exactly. You were in the story and not thinking: “Well, that’s only acting. She’s not really crying."

Being in that story, in that moment feeling (knowing!) it’s real and not questioning it, that is hypnosis.

There are still lots of discussions in the hypnosis community and amongst scientists, about whether hypnosis is a state (“trance”) or more of a mindset, or even a process. I think it’s a bit of everything. Sometimes I won’t even take you in a “hypnotic state”, but we’ll simply have a conversation that will change the way you think about something.

Fact is: hypnosis is a thing, and it is scientifically proven to be very effective in a whole range of change work.

There is lots of scientific evidence about the existence and effectiveness of hypnosis for many (many!) problems, so in my view it’s not a question of believing or not…. (I'd recommend listening to a podcast with Dr David Spiegel).

If you have doubts about whether you can be hypnotised, or whether it will work for you, that’s ok. Let’s find out, shall we?

One thing that is needed, is that you adopt “a hypnotic mindset”.

Compare it with yoga. Imagine you’ve decided to go to a yoga class because you want to become more flexible. For it to work, you don’t need to necessarily believe in the effectiveness of yoga (it’ll do its work anyway), but you do need to fully engage in your class. Follow the instructions of the yoga instructor and do your best. If you are just going to sit on your yoga mat, arms crossed and see if anything "magical" happens, I can guarantee nothing will happen. It's exactly the same with hypnosis. I need you to fully engage in the process. Be open to it, wanting it to make your reality. Your role is as important as mine. It’s a two-way process.

No, it is not. Really! I know what you mean though, because in the beginning I was a bit scared, myself. I was worried that I would lose control. That the hypnotherapist would “control my mind” and I would do weird stuff.

Does that resonate? I can tell you: you won’t lose control. You will know exactly what you are saying and thinking (yes, you can still think!). You are completely “there” and remember what's happened. You are IN control, not out of control. It’s also relaxing. You will feel better coming out of hypnosis, than how you felt going in!

Definitely not. I do hypnotherapy, not stage hypnosis. My aim is to get you to where you want to be, to help you make a change, to ignite your Spark. If that involves walking like a chicken, then we can talk about that 😎.

Seriously though, it's my job to make you feel at ease, and help you with your issue, not to make you look silly. I cannot (and wouldn’t even want to) make you do anything that you don’t want to do.

Promise.

I can’t make you do or say things you don’t want to do, or that go against who you are as a person. Just saying it again: you are in control, not out of control.

Let’s face it: if I could make you do things that you didn’t want to do, I would be ruling the world 😎. Just in case you hadn’t noticed: I’m not. I know, it's a shame!

I know, I sound like a broken record, but really: you are in control, not out of control. If there is something you don’t want to share, then you don’t/ won’t. Simple as that. My aim is of course to make you feel safe and comfortable, so it feels OK to share. And if you are worried about what I might think or not: I have probably heard it all before, so don’t worry.

And remember: everything will remain confidential.

I am here to help you Ignite your Spark! ✨

I specialise in:

- fears and phobias

- anxiety;

- people pleasing behaviour

- “I am not good enough”/ "I don’t deserve love, success or happiness"/ "If I fail, it means I am a failure"-type patterns

I don't do "stop smoking"; "lose weight" or "chronic pain" programs (I know, the Hypnosis Classics Collection 🤷🏻‍♀️).

Not sure? Please just ask. If I think I am not the right person to help you, I will tell you so.

We always start with a conversation, where I will ask you everything about the issue you’re bringing in. How do you know it’s a problem, for example? This part is probably about half the session, and even though it’s “just” talking, a lot of the work will already have happened here! Based on this conversation I will decide what specific technique we will be using. There might be a formal hypnosis induction, or I might simply ask you to close your eyes and imagine something… It depends! It’s very much focussed on you and your issue, so totally custom made with you and your issue in mind. Maybe also important to mention: you can sit in a normal chair, there won't be any incense, and again: you will be completely "there".

Absolutely. There are no side effects that I know of, that'll stop you from doing anything afterwards. You may feel like you’ve come out of a deep sleep/ meditation, but very quickly you’ll be relaxed and sharp as a needle. Make sure you drink lots of water afterwards.

I certainly am! I have qualified as a Hypnotherapist at “Hypnose Instituut Nederland” (Hypnosis Institute Netherlands), where I completed the most advanced level of training (i.e. Hypnosis 3.0, after having qualified for the 1.0 and 2.0 first). I have done additional training at the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy, followed masterclasses at Adam Eason's Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis, did “Hypnosis for children” with Next Generation Kids and read loads of books and more. I take my own development rather seriously 🤓

I quote: “Hypnosis is considered safe treatment when performed by a qualified practitioner”. Which I am. I have had some very rare cases where someone had a headache afterwards and/ or vivid dreams the following night. I think it’s your body & mind's way to process stuff. I encourage you to drink lots of water after the session. Nevertheless, we are talking about serious change work and transformation potential. You and/or the people around you might not be accustomed to this new, changed you.

Therefore a Disclaimer: all treatments are at your own risk.

If you have a severe psychological (psychotic) disorder or are under the influence of recreational drugs or alcohol I cannot work with you.

In general: if you suffer from any serious mental issues and/ or are taking medicines like anti-depressants, you need to tell me.

I’ll be honest about whether I think I can help you.

All treatments are at your own risk.

Absolutely, I work online (on Zoom) with the large majority of my clients! So it’s tried and tested. Works brilliantly. Some say it’s even better than face to face, because you are in the comfortable surroundings of your own home. All you need to do is sit somewhere undisturbed in a normal chair, have a good WiFi connection and install Zoom.

No! I will prep you in our session that in case we do lose connection, you’ll “wake up” and feel great. And even if I didn’t do that, you’d come out of hypnosis.

The only reason why your brain would like to stay in hypnosis is because it feels so good. And even then, that wouldn’t last. It's a bit like thinking you would stay asleep forever if no-one woke you up. That wouldn't happen.

In hundreds (thousands?) of years of hypnosis, not one single person has stayed in some trance their whole life because they were left somewhere. You’d have read about it.

Nope, sorry 🤷🏻‍♀️. My success rates are pretty high, but nobody can guarantuee anything 100% (and if they do, please run away!). Ever heard a surgeon or GP make any definite guarantees? No, and neither will I.

Success of the sessions is partly reliant on ‘you’, the client. You need to be committed & motivated, in return I guarantee I will do my absolute best to help you.

Although you'll have noticed, children are not necessarily my target audience, I have worked, and do work with children. I'd say from secondary school age. Is your child much younger? I am happy to refer you to a colleague specialised in working with young children.