C ognitive Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis within a framework of evidence-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).  It aims to give you the skills to manage stress, anxiety and depression more successfully, and to help you cope with on-going difficulties such as chronic pain or illness.

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ypnosis has been combined with cognitive and behavioural strategies for many years, but it is only recently that medical research has begun to show that this combination is often more effective than either hypnosis or cognitive therapy alone.  At the recent British Medical Association conference (June 2009) there were calls for hypnotherapy to be recognised by NICE as an approved form of treatment in the NHS. Although full recognition may be some years away, the value of cognitive hypnotherapy is becoming clear, especially in treating conditions where mind and body are involved, such as insomnia, IBS or stress-management.

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ognitive Hypnotherapy is a form of psychotherapy; sadly it isn't an instant magical solution to all problems!  It is a brief therapy, usually taking 6 to 12 sessions, where therapist and client work together to unravel the nature of the problem and discover effective, long-lasting solutions.  Hypnosis is only one part of this process, along with experimenting with different ways of behaving, changing unhelpful ways of thinking and having the space to think about your life in depth.

Glance through the pages of this site for further information, or contact Frances McDougall to arrange a consultation to discuss whatever is troubling you. Frances draws on more than eighteen years experience in counselling and psychotherapy to help you understand and overcome your difficulties.