Resolve

JK Rowling: The fringe benefits of failure | Video on TED.com

2010-06-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

If you're going through hell

2010-06-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

If you’re going through Hell, keep going

Powerful beyond measure

2010-05-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
— Marianne Williamson (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles)

What is normal anyway?

2010-05-09T10:03:00.001-07:00

Client Testimonial

2010-05-07T12:44:00.001-07:00

Emma contacted me a while ago seeking help for a problem that has been bothering her for a number of years. We concluded treatment and shortly Emma sent me this testimonial.

" My name is Emma, and I contacted Resolve Hyponotherapy a little while ago with a problem that had been bothering me for quite a few years. My problem is that I get really wound up & frustrated & angry with the sound of dogs Barking. It all stemed back from living next door to 2 barking dogs a few years ago, as they would bark non stop for approx 8hrs a day. This problem was really getting not only myself but also my husband down, as when we would go anywhere for a day out, holiday or even work there would be dogs barking there all the time and it got me really angry that i would shout & scream all the time for this to stop.

My husband came up with the idea of Hyponotherapy a few weeks ago, and i found the number for Rebecca @ Resolve Hyponotherapy on the internet, so i made contact and got an appointment for the following day.

When i arrived at the house, i was made to feel very relaxed & welcome which was great, because i did feel a little nervous. The appointment lasted 1.5 hrs, but just flew by, Rebecca listened to my problem in great detail and suggested EFT to start with as it was possibly a great way of getting very positive results for my situation. I was very surprised to see results from the very first session, Rebecca told me how EFT can work by doing the actions and the talking by myself whenever i was affected by the noise of barking dogs. So of course i tried this once i got home and it absolutly worked, i did a couple of cycles and really noticed how much calmer i was after just 5 mins.

I went back for a 2nd session, again doing the EFT, but also this time we did a little hyponotherapy which was very calming & relaxing. Rebecca would come up with key words that related to me on the EFT that really made a difference to my situation, and really helped me to become calmer.

I have recently been on holiday where i knew there would be barking dogs, and the difference was really great, i obviously still heard the dogs barking, but they ofen just became back ground noise, or after a few minutes i would think to myself "Oh the dog is not barking anymore", and i did carry out a couple of cycles of EFT with my husband as the noise a couple of times was going on for about 30 minutes, but again, after a few minutes i felt alot calmer, and my husband certainly noticed a great difference in me.

All in all, the experience that i have had with Rebecca has been excellent, i would thoroughly recommend for anybody to contact Resolve Hyponotherapy."

EFT in the Daily Telegraph

2010-02-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

EFT is to be found everywhere and has seen a huge surge in popularity over the last few years, even finding it's way into celebrity circles, as discovered in this article published in the Daily Telegraph by Beverley Turner...

Singer Michael Ball was seen doing it on a daytime TV chat show. He learnt it from the late singer, Stephen Gately, who used it to calm his own performance nerves. Lily Allen's weight loss was attributed to its efficacy. American PGA players have been spotted doing it around the golf course. And Norwegian pole-vaulter Rens Blom credited his unexpected 2005 World Championship Gold to its powers. The internet reveals millions of anecdotal accounts of its success on phobias, addictions and anxiety. So nearing the end of my own two-year psychotherapy training, I wanted to discover what this mysterious "tapping" business is all about.

So I signed up for a day course at the EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Academy in London's Regent's College, with Richard Mark, an advanced EFT practitioner and certified trainer, who has worked as a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist for 12 years. My fellow students are a mixed bunch of mental health professionals, lawyers, physiotherapists, trainee counsellors and full-time parents. Unafraid to challenge, the students are surprisingly curious and sceptical rather than gullibile. There isn't a sandal or kaftan among them.

Although it doesn't rigidly follow his teachings, Mark's course is based on the EFT therapy developed by American, Gary Craig in 1997. Craig had studied Dr. Callaghan's Thought Field Therapy in the 1980s, an evolution of John Diamond's Kinesiology, both of which were rooted in ancient Eastern "meridian energy" theories of acupuncture and Shiatsu, codified since at least 1000BC.

These therapies claimed that our bodies contain invisible energy pathways – meridians – and identified hundreds of acupoints at junctions along these interconnecting highways. They can be disrupted by life's vicissitudes; in extreme cases, resulting in not only mental but also physical problems.

EFT works by a person tapping on just nine of these acupoints, while speaking aloud. And this is where it becomes a little weird. Working in pairs we identify a minor physical ailment and repeat the phrase, "Even though I have this sore knee / headache / lack of energy, I deeply and completely accept myself," while tapping on the meridian points: the soft part of the hand beneath the little finger, crown of the head, around the eyes, beneath the nose, the chin, near the clavicle and beneath the armpit. I just about resist the urge to "ooh ooh" like a monkey.

A key part of the therapy is calibrating the intensity of either physical or emotional pain, which allows both therapist and patient a tangible scale by which to measure success. Mark explains that EFT is "especially effective in clearing traumatic memories: accidents, abuse, violence, childhood memories; or even clearing persistent negative messages from family or key people in our lives."

We move onto emotional problems, selecting a memory that is difficult, but manageable in the limited time available, and within a classroom environment. Using the "Movie Technique," we must make a mental movie of a specific event, giving it a title and running it in our mind's eye, marking its intensity between 1 – 10, before tapping with the mantra, "Even though I have this playground bullying / car accident / illness diagnosis movie, I deeply and completely accept myself." In extreme cases of trauma, the patient can merely imagine the units of distress without running the movie in their head, gradually moving towards the scene at a safe pace.

In spite of – or perhaps because of – the adrenaline from feeling like a bit of a wally, when using the "Movie Technique" myself my own memory of witnessing a violent assault twenty years ago, does indeed fade in its intensity. But I'm not a prime candidate. EFT has impressive results on a whole spectrum of emotional issues but is arguably making its biggest impact on those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Treating such patients, Marta Krol, a Polish clinical psychologist who trained under Mark and has returned to Poland, has found EFT's effects "amazing". She recounts a 12-year-old Chechnyan girl suffering speech and anxiety problems as a result of witnessing, aged six, her uncle's dismembered body brought into the family home and laid on the kitchen table by hysterical relatives. The child did not speak at all for the following 12 months.

"We had worked together for six months with little progress," says Krol, "Then I tried EFT. She pictured herself watching the terrible scene on TV but through another TV and so on until she was five levels removed and even then she saw herself watching from behind the curtains. But after six weeks she was talking fluently and could recount the event with no anxiety. I honestly believe I could not have helped her do that without EFT."

Emma-Leigh Johnson, a London-based drugs counsellor is unequivocal about its benefits, "By the time clients come to me they have had lots of therapy. They know what to say, the games to play and boxes to tick. EFT is so unusual, they don't know what you want to hear."

Few therapies allow a patient to say aloud that they accept themselves despite their rape / abuse / addiction, while dealing with the emotions that arise simultaneously. Johnson explains, "lots of therapy separates the issue and the human being. With this you can change how you feel about something, but accept that you can't change what happened – that's the emotional freedom. I see bigger shifts using EFT than any other therapy."

Some clients prefer to be 'tapped upon' by the therapist; others will mirror their actions; but perhaps more than any other therapy, EFT equips the individual to take away the skill to use at any time.

EFT is still ripe for ridicule. Having explained it in broad terms to my husband, he can now be heard muttering, "I may not have unstacked the dishwasher but I deeply and completely accept myself." But I have no doubt that the sound of tapping is here to stay. And it's only going to get louder.

What is covered in the training?

2010-01-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

Just some of the subjects covered in the Hypnotherapy and NLP practitioner training will be;

Defining Hypnosis
Evidence and History of Hypnosis
Code of Conduct and National Occupational Standards
The Science of Hypnotherapy, as defined by The Skills Council
States of Trance : Physically Observed and Electronically Measured
Outcome Frame versus Blame Frame
Law of Equivalence of Form with Introduction to NLP Mirroring
Induction Techniques
A study of hypnotic linguistics, Erickson and Bandler
NLP Representational Systems
Rapport building inc. Pacing and Leading
Mirroring and Eye Accessing Cues
The Presenting Problem
Elman Induction
Anaesthesia Induction
Physical Commands Induction
Catalepsy
Mind Body Connection
Negative Commans and the Unconscious Mind
State Dependent Behaviour
Counting Induction
Analysing Deepening Suggestions
Ideo-Motor Finger Signals
Arm Levitation Induction
Control Panel Method
Rapid Inductions and Post Hypnotic Suggestion
Working with Resistance
Media and Corporate Influence
Psychotherapeutic tools
Abreaction & Contraindications

Spring and Summer training dates announced

2010-01-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

We have now finalised the dates for our upcoming spring and summer 2010 Hypnotherapy Practitioner training courses.

Spring Training 2010 in Northwich;

Module One
Monday 8th to Friday 12th March 2010

Module Two
Monday 15th to Friday 19th March 2010

Module Three
Monday 22nd to Saturday 27th March 2010

Our Summer Training 2010 in Northwich are as follows;

Module One
Monday 5th to Friday 9th July 2010

Module Two
Monday 12th to Friday 16th July 2010

Module Three
Monday 19th to Saturday 24th July 2010

Upon completion of the course, delegates will receive the following:

Diploma as a Clinical Hypnotherapist (D.Hyp)
Certificate of Master Hypnotism (CMH)
Certified Practioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (CPNLP)
General Qualification in Hypnotherapy Practice (GQHP).

Our courses are fully accredited by the largest professional body of hypnotherapy practitioners in the UK, the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council and we have a 100% success rate. Delegates also receive an extra days training free in EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) which can be used to treat even physical conditions.

All this for just £1500!

Book your place now by returning a completed application form via post or email.

New Year New You!

2010-01-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

Its that time of year again, that time when we think about our goals, aims and ambitions for the coming 12 months. New Year is a reminder that we're another year down, another of our precious units of time has been used up, never to be seen again, to exist only in our thoughts and imagination.

Our years are so precious, so brief that we owe it to ourselves to make the absolute most out of them. To squeeze every last bit of experience, joy and fun out of every single valuable moment. To make the most of the ups, the downs and the in between moments and to appreciate and cherish that which we care about.

One way to gain an appreciation for the gift that is your life is to practice mindfulness. This is the art of being aware, in the moment, conscious of all sensations that exist in the NOW. We normally spend a lot of our waking time on auto-pilot, acting without being aware of what we are doing. We think about the past, people, situations, problems, worries and the future, while we clean the house, or brush our teeth, or go shopping or drive our cars. Rarely is our full attention in the moment, on the physical sensations that go with each experience. When the mind is fully in the now, there comes a sense of peace, for our problems lie when we let the mind wander, to the past or the future. In the now, there is a natural sense of calm that unfolds if we gently, and persistently bring the mind and our awareness back to the present moment.

The snowy weather at the moment is perfect for practising mindfulness and allowing you to fully appreciate your senses. When you walk in the snow, have your full attention on each and everything you experience; the crunch as you walk and the feel of the snow under your feet, the cold air in your lungs, the snowmen, the sun sparkling on the snow, the sound of the birds singing, the smell of the fresh snow and log fires, the taste of winter.

Whenever you find your mind wandering into realms of worry about the future or regret about the past, gently bring your awareness back to the moment and your breathing. In the present moment lies a sense of tranquillity that is achieved easily if you can only let go of the past and present and allow it to be in the now.

Never, never, never give up

2009-12-27T07:18:00.000-08:00

That negative inner voice

2009-12-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

A negative internal dialogue is something that can contribute to depression. When we feel depressed, our inner voice can reflect that, which unfortunately can be a vicious circle. When you find your inner voice saying things that are hurtful, or mean about yourself, that makes you feel so much worse and adds to the problem.

To change the way you feel about that voice, firstly understand that just because you think it, that doesn't make it true. It's just a thought and as such can be changed. When you find yourself being critical or harsh with yourself, ask yourself if you would speak to, or judge someone you care deeply about in that way? And if there was someone outside of you following you around all the time saying these things, would you accept it in the same way? Chances are you'd tell them where to get off pretty quick! So you don't have to accept it in your head either, and this technique can help...

Imagine that the negative inner voice, for example which tells you "You'll never be happy", has a set of sliding controls, for volume, pitch, distance, location and type. Rate the intensity out of ten of how you feel when you hear that voice, ten being the worst. Then, change the volume, make it come from further away or from a different place, make it squeaky or slow it right down, or change into that of a cartoon character. Repeat the statement in all the different ways above and notice how you feel when you do this. See which makes the most difference to you and keep repeatedly changing any statement or internal dialogue that make you feel worse in this way, and it WILL change the way you feel about it.

The opposite applies to thoughts that make you feel good. When you say positive statements to yourself, turn up the volume, make the inner voice warm and appealing and positively emotive. Make the voice belong to someone you respect or admire and make it compelling for you.

How Rebecca Gurland started with the EFT Personal Peace Procedure and wound up collapsing major core issues

2009-10-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is from the EFT emofree.com website, an amazing story of the power of EFT.

By Rebecca Gurland

Dear Gary,

I am the person who very hesitantly sent you a handwritten note about a year ago. Writing to thank you, and actually mailing it was difficult. I couldn't seem to get over the issue that turned out to be a "big" one for me. It started out to be about inhibitions to writing and posting on the internet, and ultimately this was about reaching out further. I am now reaching out much further than I ever thought possible, thanks to EFT. As I felt ready to share my EFT adventure with you and this awesome EFT community, I didn't know where to start. Although now that I've started writing…!

With the free downloaded manual to the basic course, I became intrigued by the perceptions realized. I started tapping on everything and then had to get the DVDs! There were some great "one minute wonders" for others and myself. Yet I was not able to post any question or comment on the forums and discussion groups. I had frustration with myself going up to an intensity level of 8 out of 10. Hmmm, maybe I had some big tabletops and psychological reversals going on here - so I made my list of bothersome memories for the Personal Peace Procedure.

"The time I was embarrassed in front of English class in high school" was a likely place to start. After tapping, what a great feeling it was to go back and imagine the incident again - very vividly, and find that I was laughing with the class!

I still wasn’t posting to the forums though. So I went to, “Even though my friends wrote their term papers like a breeze and I labored over mine..." This was another likely one to collapse and I tapped and tapped and felt better and better, yet, still no posting.

So I checked that list again. Oh, here it was, my big trauma had been stuffed away for 50 years (a 16 year old boy tried to rape my 13 year old sister in front of me).

Using the Movie Technique, I titled my movie "The boy with the knife" and subtitled it, "my mother said never talk about this with anyone." I couldn't say the title out loud without getting to an intensity level of 10 out of 10 (heart pounding and tears starting). Thank you, thank you, and thank you, Gary, especially for Borrowing Benefits. When fears, confusion and angers are released, suddenly it becomes obvious that they have been inhibiting in many ways!

There were many crescendos in what seemed to be 10-minute terrifying movie. As the borrowing benefits series progressed, I watched and tapped and cried and hugged myself. When I worked on the "my mother said never talk about it to anyone" movie, I found myself talking in a child's voice, Even though my mommy won't let me ask questions.

In my movie I began to tell a few friends about the incident and noticed when there was a little heart pounding at some point - there was another aspect to address with EFT. The incident was bigger than life and I was right there. I kept tapping on aspects and remembered details. Revelations came to me about what I was still carrying from that time. I had been tapping on forgiving my mother, understanding her inhibitions and protectiveness. I found that first I did have to get in touch with, and then release, the anger about not being able to talk about it.

Then the memory started to become hazy and I watched a little girl who was really scared, then run home unhurt! It was time to test to see if there was remaining fear. I piled some blankets against the wall in the bedroom to be the embankment the boy made us sit against in the woods. Yikes, a 10!

My shoulders were up to my ears as I crouched in terror (Well, I had been consciously and unsuccessfully trying to relax my shoulders for years, using EFT too). Then I worked on …

“Even though I am carrying a 6 years old's terror in my shoulders…” and

“Even though I don't want to hear what's going on…”

Now this has made some difference! There is a more then 50-year habit to consider, yet now I notice many times that my shoulders are relaxed!

I was still feeling frustrated about my inhibition to post on these discussion groups. At that point I tried, with lots of emphasis and a few more descriptive words …

"Even though I am too stupid to ever be able to communicate this way...’

I did a few rounds, adding more tapping points. Right then a realization struck: "it isn't that I can't post, it's just not the right time." Wow! I noticed a great feeling of happy relief. No pressure now, just knowing that the time would be right at some point. Soon after that I participated in a chat room with ease - and it was fun!

Gosh, this was great! I told my son that this technique is so awesome that I have to share it more; it needs a website so I can write about it. He offered his technical help and I went off to find a domain name. A whole website started growing before I realized that I was writing on it every day- really reaching out! I started telling people that it was there, even knowing that there was lots of editing and additions needed. I was saying, “this is unbelievable”- then I realized that I do believe! “It’s amazing”!

Someone saw the site, and called me to say there’s lots of good info there, can I write an article for the small local paper? I almost said, “I can't write.” Then I heard myself say, “Sure, I can adapt a page from the site!” This has turned into a series of articles. The premise of the website is inspired by you Gary. It’s the 5 major doors of healing (that you mention in FAQ about healing serious diseases). This is such a great understanding, and as I write, more doors and keys are discovered! I became aware of the connection between all of my areas of interest: accessing abundant energy! I'm positively energized!

Thank you Gary, and thanks to all your inspirational contributors,

Rebecca Gurland

Preparing to train

2009-04-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in the final stages of preparation for our upcoming Hypnotherapy and NLP training course, which is taking place here in Northwich. Course dates are below and we still have a couple of places available for anyone who is interested in becoming a qualified Hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner. As an added bonus, anyone who books to attend the course will receive a FREE one day training workshop in EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) worth £120!

Hypnotherapy and NLP Practitioner course dates and fees

Module One

Friday to Sunday 24th, 25th and 26th April
Friday to Sunday 1st, 2nd and 3rd May

Module Two

Friday to Sunday 8th, 9th and 10th May
Friday to Sunday 15th, 16th and 17th May

Module Three

Friday to Sunday 22nd, 23rd and 24th May

Upon completion of the course, delegates will receive the following:

Diploma as a Clinical Hypnotherapist (D.Hyp)
Certificate of Master Hypnotism (CMH)
Certified Practioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (CPNLP)
General Qualification in Hypnotherapy Practice (GQHP).

Our courses are fully Accredited by the largest professional body of Hypnotherapy and NLP practitioners in the UK, the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council and we have a 100% success rate.

All this for just £1500.

How to kill bedtime monsters

2009-04-04T04:35:00.000-07:00

When I was a child I had monsters everywhere. Under my bed, in the wardrobe, behind the curtains and I even remember once lying frozen in bed too scared to even shout for my mum, for fear that the 'mad axe man' would get me - (my friend Julie was responsible for that particular urban legend reaching my ears, thanks for that by the way!).

In short, my fears terrorised me. My mum must have felt helpless and could do no more than reassure me that there was nothing there and nothing to be scared of. Which of course didn't help. I slept with the light on but still spent many nights hiding under my duvet.

When my little girl first began suffering from nightmares, I had recently qualified as a Hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner, so we spent some time experimenting to see which technique worked best for monster slaying.

The first thing we tried was to change the colour of the monster. We made him pink with yellow spots and lots of frizz. Then we made him smaller and shrunk him down to half the size. Finally we gave him a silly voice and a rather unfortunate flatulence problem which tended to occur when he walked, in time with his steps.

By this point my daughter was giggling like mad, and from then till now, she saw that the monster was quite ridiculous and therefore completely useless at scaring people. She actually found some sympathy and felt quite sorry for the monster, being so useless at his job and all.

From then onwards, she was the one in control. The monsters still pop by occasionally but all we need to do is remember the monsters' little 'problem' and she just can't take them seriously.

EFT for owies

2009-04-01T09:35:00.001-07:00

Recently my daughter had some little friends over to play. Everything was going fine until James (age four) unwisely decided to rest his hand on the door just as it was being closed. Result - trapped purple fingers and a yell that had me running from the other end of the house like a bat out of hell.

Poor James was inconsolable so instinctively I led him quickly to the tap to rinse his fingers under the water, and while he did that I just began to tap the eft points from the top of his head to collarbone, repeatedly for a moment or two.

The results were quite remarkable. Within about 30 seconds James had stopped crying. Within a minute his breathing had returned to normal, and within two minutes he was completely calm. I asked him if he had any soreness left in his finger, and he paused for a second, then happy as Larry replied "Nope! It's all better now."

Upon examination, the fingers that a few minutes earlier were livid purple and undoubtedly bruised were a normal colour with no hint of even slight bruising. James of course took all this in his stride and scampered off, leaving me staring into space in wonder, marvelling once again at the amazing healing power of EFT.

When I next saw James, it was a couple of days later, and when I asked how his fingers were, he had forgotten he had hurt them, and there wasn't a mark on them. Magic indeed!

Sufi Wisdom

2008-11-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, in a poor Chinese village, there lived a farmer and his son. His only material possession, apart from the land and a small hut, was a horse he had inherited from his father.

One day, the horse ran away, leaving the man with no animal with which to work the land. His neighbours, who respected him for his honesty and diligence, went to his house to say how much they regretted his loss. He thanked them for their visit, but asked:

‘How do you know that what happened was a misfortune in my life?’

Someone muttered to a friend: ‘He obviously doesn’t want to face facts, but let him think what he likes, after all, it’s better than being sad about it.’

And the neighbours went away again, pretending to agree with what he had said.

A week later, the horse returned to its stable, but it was not alone; it brought with it a beautiful mare for company. The inhabitants of the village were thrilled when they heard the news, for only then did they understand the reply the man had given them, and they went back to the farmer’s house to congratulate him on his good fortune.

‘Instead of one horse, you’ve got two. Congratulations!’ they said.

‘Many thanks for your visit and for your solidarity,’ replied the farmer. ‘But how do you know that what happened was a blessing in my life?’

The neighbours were rather put out and decided that the man must be going mad, and, as they left, they said: ‘Doesn’t the man realise that the horse is a gift from God?’

A month later, the farmer’s son decided to break the mare in. However, the animal bucked wildly and threw the boy off; the boy fell awkwardly and broke his leg.

The neighbours returned to the farmer’s house, bringing presents for the injured boy. The mayor of the village solemnly presented his condolences to the father, saying how sad they all were about what had occurred.

The man thanked them for their visit and for their kindness, but he asked:

‘How do you know that what happened was a misfortune in my life?’

These words left everyone dumbstruck, because they were all quite sure that the son’s accident was a real tragedy. As they left the farmer’s house, they said to each other: ‘Now he really has gone mad; his only son could be left permanently crippled, and he’s not sure whether the accident was a misfortune or not!’

A few months went by, and Japan declared war on China. The emperor’s emissaries scoured the country for healthy young men to be sent to the front. When they reached the village, they recruited all the young men, except the farmer’s son, whose leg had not yet mended.

None of the young men came back alive. The son recovered, and the two horses produced foals that were all sold for a good price. The farmer went to visit his neighbours to console and to help them, since they had always shown him such solidarity. Whenever any of them complained, the farmer would say: ‘How do you know that what happened was a misfortune?’ If someone was overjoyed about something, he would ask: ‘How do you know that what happened was a blessing?’ And the people of the village came to understand that life has other meanings that go beyond mere appearance.

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change...

2008-11-25T09:16:00.001-08:00

What the bleep do we know?

2008-11-25T09:10:00.001-08:00

Mind, Body and Spirit

2008-11-17T04:17:00.000-08:00

I attended a local Mind, Body and Spirit event this weekend. There seemed to be a huge number of delegates, with a wide variety of stalls, ranging from beautiful hand made gifts, to therapists with massage tables doing all sorts of treatments, even the wonderful aura camera, as you can see from the pic.

I was at the event mainly to network and get the chance to talk about EFT. The most common query was regarding pain relief and I had a lot of interest in my Pain Relief with EFT course, which is running on Saturday 29th November. This is a group workshop that teaches the basics of EFT and how to apply it to reduce and relieve even severe problems with pain. The current class only has a couple of places left at the moment so I will be organising another one to take place in the New Year.

Another popular enquiry was regarding stress and anxiety, of which there seems to be an awful lot about at the moment. In the current economic climate people are suffering the effects of stress now more than ever and are searching for alternate ways of handling the problem, rather than having to rely on medication. While I am an advocate of antidepressants and such like where needed, I feel it is equally as important to treat the causes of the problem, as well as the symptoms. I think that in order to be able to cope better with the effects of stress, we need to know exactly how change our thoughts and what we need to think in order to feel better.

One common problem is that we often tell ourselves and visualise what we don't want to happen. We imagine the terrible things that could happen to us and we feel bad about them now - even though they haven't happened yet! Whenever we do this, we release the same stress chemicals in our brains that we would if this was actually occuring, and our bodies can't tell the difference between what is real, and what we are just imagining, so reacts by feeling stressed or anxious.

This means though, that we can use this to our advantage when feeling stressed. It's no use telling yourself NOT to think about something, as this will only make you think about it even more. The key is to notice when your thoughts are making you feel bad, and to use that realisation as your trigger to think about and vividly imagine something that makes you feel better. You cannot hold a state of panic and a state of calm simultaneously, and when you turn your thoughts from what makes you feel bad to a specific memory of a time when you felt calm, happy, joyous etc, you release those same calm, happy, joyous chemicals in your brain, and your body responds accordingly.

Think of a time when you felt good and really put yourself into that memory. See what you saw, hear what you heard, and really feel what you felt at the time. Make the picture bigger and brighter, make sure you are seeing through your own eyes and bring everything closer. Amplify the sounds, the smells, the tastes and notice where in your body you feel calm or happy. Give that feeling a colour and imagine that colour spreading and filling your entire body and surrounding you. Imagine that you can spin that feeling, spin it faster and faster until you reach a maximum point of intensity to the good feeling. When you feel that, you can give that feeling an 'anchor' - essentially a connection between the feeling and your anchor. You can squeeze together your finger and thumb, say a word, or imagine a symbol, and you will associate the two together.

You can also repeat this with other, positive memories and anchor using the same trigger, to make a powerful connection to good feelings, whenever you need them.

EFT - Try it on everything

2008-11-10T11:22:00.001-08:00

EFT for chronic back pain

2008-11-09T05:57:00.000-08:00

EFT can be incredibly useful for resolving chronic and severe pain issues. One of my most interesting and dramatic cases so far was with a client called Kay, a lady who had suffered with chronic back pain for the previous seven years. This had been described as a muscular issue by medics and for which the client was currently receiving physiotherapy, with no marked improvements at all.

Kay was familiar with energy work, being a Reiki practitioner and had also tried many other forms of complementary therapy (Reflexology, Bowen technique etc), without success.

She moved very slowly and stiffly, had to take the time to push herself up from the chair using her arms and found it painful to bend over to pick anything up from the floor. She also had shoulder and neck pain a lot of the time, and was struggling to cope with everyday tasks that involved lifting or physical activity. She rated the level of intensity at about a seven (on a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst) at a specific point when trying to get out of the chair, and said that she was only without pain whilst sat still and upright and that any movement started the pain off. Her body language was tense; she rarely smiled and explained that she felt constantly tired and very depressed about her condition.

After explaining to Kay the nature of eft, we began tapping just on the physical sensations to begin with;

“Even though I have this sharp stabbing pain in my lower back when I try to get up from the chair...”
“Even though it hurts my lower back so much when I stand up...”
“Even though I get these pains shooting down my legs...”

I then asked her to test by standing up from the chair, at which point the pain had dropped to around a five. She then stated that she was feeling a tingling sensation and warmth spreading from her lower back down her legs.

We continued to tap then on the feelings surrounding the pain;

“Even though I’m so fed up of being in constant pain...”
“Even though I’m scared that I will just have to learn to live with it...” (A lovely phrase from a doctor incidentally that one...)
“Even though I’m so tired of hurting all the time...”

At this point she declared that the warm sensation was moving down her legs and that her feet were beginning to tingle. She described a feeling in her back that was like the muscles beginning to relax.
We tested by getting up from the chair, and the pain had dropped to around a three. She then stated that the pain in her shoulder and arm was getting worse.

We then tapped on this, before which I asked her to be aware of thoughts and feelings that may surface during the tapping round. After this she said the pain had moved to her heart. At which point she announced “Oh! It’s my Dad!” and burst into tears. (Kay had lost her Dad to cancer about fifteen years before)

As she was very upset, I began tapping for her on the Karate point, while she told me how she felt about her Dad’s death, and was ok with me continuing to tap whilst I repeated what she had said;

“Even though I still miss him so much...”
“Even though it’s not fair and he should still be here...”
“Even though I’m angry because he was too good a person to go so soon...”

It was of course very emotional, and we managed to get it round to;

“Even though it still hurts so much... maybe I can keep all the love and happy emotions and let go of this pain...”
“Maybe Dad would want me to feel the love and move on now... maybe I’m ready to let go of the hurt, maybe I can still keep the happy memories...”

Kay calmed down during this, stopped crying and visibly relaxed as I continued to tap for her. When I finished she gave me a big smile and said she felt light and completely free from pain. I asked her to stand again, which she did gingerly – but completely pain free! We both looked at each other in shock, and then had her walk around, bend over to pick something up from the floor and sit back down again. All of which she did without a hint of pain! I then commented on the fact that she still seemed fearful of standing up, so we then tapped on any remaining fear of the pain, after which she stood up normally with smooth movements and dramatically altered body language. She stood up straight, her head was held high and she was relaxed and fluid in her movement. Even her eyes and skin were brighter and seemed to have improved in appearance.

She then tested again and could get up and down out of the chair easily, bend over to pick something up and even touch her toes! She literally danced around the room in excitement, stating that she hadn’t been able to do any of this for such a long time, she had forgotten what it felt like to be completely pain free. She couldn’t stop laughing and hugging me and I felt truly humbled to be able to experience seeing this healing take place in front of my very eyes.

Since that session, she reported slight discomfort in the lower back area the following day, which she promptly tapped on and got rid of, and has had no reoccurrence of the pain whatsoever since then. Not only has she experienced the physical benefits, her emotional health has benefited enormously and she is much more light-hearted and prone to laughter than I have ever seen her. This one session took place just over two months ago and to date she continues to improve daily.

The Secret

2008-11-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

Introduction to EFT by Gary Craig

2008-11-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Changing negative thoughts

2008-11-07T07:49:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest obstacles to creating the life and future that you dream of, can be the occurance of negative thoughts. Thinking of what has happened in the past, worries of what might happen in the future, these all have an impact on the way we feel in the present and therefore affect what we attract into our lives.

Even though we may know logically and consciously what we should be doing (ie thinking positive thoughts) sometimes it can be really difficult to know HOW to change our negative thinking and what we need to do to stop those thoughts when they arise.

Unfortunately we don't come with an instruction manual and we tend to find that the more we try not to do something, the harder it is to stop. One of the main reasons for this is that your unconscious mind doesn't recognise negatives, such as no, stop and don't. For example if someone were to say to you "Whatever you do, DON'T think about a pink elephant!" - you think of a pink elephant. You can't help it - in order to dismiss something, you have to first think about it.

Abraham says, when you look at something and you shout no at it, you include it into your vibration, when you say to yourself "DON'T think about that" you are actually telling yourself in fact think TO about it, and including that into your thoughts. However when you change whatever you don't want into what you do want, for example, instead of "Don't forget your keys" you say "Remember your keys", you include remembering your keys into your experience. If you ever find yourself saying what you don't want to happen, use that to imagine what you do want, instead.

You can change how you feel about your thoughts, by using the way that your mind naturally processes information. When you think of a memory that you feel very strongly about, either positively or negatively, you experience it with your senses. You may get a visual image in your mind's eye, you may have sounds or voices connected to it, it may even have smells and tastes and you will also get a feeling that goes with it.

When you have a strong emotional reaction about something, those senses tend to be amplified, so the image will probably be a movie as opposed to a still image, brightly coloured, quite close and big and you may be imagining it through your own eyes. The sounds may be quite loud, clear and near and you may get a physical sensation in your body that matches the emotion.

If your thought is one that makes you feel strongly negative, you can adjust each one of those factors so that your brain interprets the information differently and therefore doesn't react in the same way. So for a negative visual image you can:

Imagine you can see yourself in the image instead of through your own eyes.
If it's a movie, make it into a still image.
Make the picture black and white, and push it further away.
Shrink the image or make it see through

For auditory elements, such as a negative internal dialogue, you can:

Turn the volume down
Make it come from further away from you or a different place
If it's an internal voice, change it into a funny voice, such as your favourite comedian or Donald Duck.
Make it softer and kinder

On the flip side, you can also use this to create compelling visual images of what you do want, which helps with manifesting your desires. To do this, reverse the above - make images more colourful, bigger, bring it closer and see through your own eyes. Turn sounds up, make them clearer and surround sound or give your image an inspiring or motivating soundtrack. When you say positive things to yourself, say them in your mind loudly in an excited, motivated tone of voice (or calm, relaxed etc).

Your mind is an incredible learning machine, and it doesn't take it very long to learn new ways of thinking about something. If you keep repeating your adjustments, your brain learns to think in the new way and does it automatically for you. Then by being able to adjust your thoughts so you can feel better right now, manifesting what you do want instead of what you don't, becomes a lot easier.

What is EFT?

2008-09-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is one of the most exciting and powerful breakthroughs in the field of psychology to emerge in recent years. EFT is an emotional, needle free version of acupuncture based on proven scientific principles and uses the theory that all negative emotions are the result of disruptions in the body’s energy system.

We all know how the mind can affect the body and the negative effects of stress are well documented. What is now being discovered is just to what extent unresolved emotion can affect us, on an emotional but also physical level, even to the point of causing illness, pain or severe emotional disturbance.

By tapping on certain acupuncture points on the face and body known as meridians, while focusing the mind on the problem at hand, these disruptions are removed and the problem disappears. Thousands of people with a broad range of issues have benefited from applying EFT and getting incredible results, when nothing else has worked previously.

EFT works with both emotional problems and physical symptoms and can dramatically bring relief, sometimes within minutes. Results are usually rapid, long lasting and measurable. Problems such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, physical pain, illness and lack of self esteem, confidence or self worth – EFT can help.

As an advanced EFT practitioner I have seen so many people achieve amazing results with this technique, I believe strongly that with EFT you can not only achieve relief from your problems, but learn an incredible method of self healing that you will use for the rest of your life.

What is NLP?

2008-09-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

Neuro Linguistic Programming is the study of the structure of our internal experience and has been described as an ‘Instruction Manual for the Brain’ or ‘The Art and Science of Effective Communication’. It is a set of ideas and methods developed in the 1970’s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder of understanding and changing the way that we think, feel and behave.

NLP is the process of understanding how people organise their thoughts, language, feelings and behaviour to produce the results that they do. We know that the way we think has an effect on the way we feel and this is something that is often taken for granted. Top athletes know the importance of having the correct state of mind when performing, and this is something that anyone can learn to do with NLP by understanding how this state of mind is achieved.

By understanding that we form our beliefs and internal map of the world as a result of our experiences we can begin to realise why we sometimes experience emotional problems. If you were constantly told as a child that you are stupid for example, you accept this into your programming and on some level believe it to be true. When you experience a traumatic event, the part of the mind which is designed to protect you (the unconscious mind) can sometimes deal with the trauma by overprotecting you, resulting in problems ranging from anxiety and phobias to extreme Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

NLP can help you to understand your own ‘programming’, and why you behave, think and feel in the way that you do. By understanding how your mind operates, you can begin to feel how you want to feel, overcome the past and develop new ways of thinking and being that are more positive and fulfilling.

• NLP uses simple techniques which are incredibly effective.
• NLP teaches you how to be healthier, to be free from anxiety and to be more confident
• When NLP is combined with hypnosis and EFT the results are often life-changing.

Creating a positive anchor

2008-09-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

It's always good to have a resourceful state that you can access whenever you need or want to feel better. To create positive feelings, first think of a time when you were really strong, happy, and felt great!!! Really associate into the memory, make it bigger, brighter, see what you saw, hear what you heard, feel what you felt. Turn EVERYTHING up and make the experience as intense as you can. When you are at the peak of the moment, press your finger and thumb together, or press a knuckle or acupressure point. Hold it for as long as the feeling is strong, then release when the memory and feeling begins to fade. Do this a few times with different great memories in the same pressure point to get a really FAB strong anchor!

Test how you feel when you press the anchor point, to see for yourself how intense the good feelings can be when you fire off the anchor.

What it's all about?

2008-07-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

I have created this blog primarily to discuss methods of resolving and overcoming the sort of problems we all come across in everyday life. I want to help provide the reader (and indeed myself to a degree) with information that is helpful in maintaining a positive attitude and getting the very best out of themselves and others.

My name is Rebecca Vickers (www.resolvehypnotherapy.co.uk) and I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner and an Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner. I have qualifications in Psychology and Social Care and am very interested in Alternative and Complimentary Health issues. I am also a huge believer that it is possible to overcome even the most debilitating emotional and physical issues with the right sort of approach and information.

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to sail through life? The sort of people who are enviously labelled 'just plain lucky' or 'leading a charmed life'? Or wondered how some people manage to survive massive emotional trauma and are able to find the silver lining in even the most horrendous circumstances?

It's not that these people are in any way 'special' or 'different' from anyone else. What they do have however, is a set of strategies that enable them to utilise their own resources in ways that enable them to create successful outcomes. In essence, they are able to think positively. True positivity is not to ignore problems or to pretend blindly that everything is okay in the event of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but rather the ability to use the incredible natural abilities of the human mind to create a desired outcome. This is an ability that anyone can learn and is something that I aim to cover extensively in this blog.