“to begin, begin” – william wordsworth

THERAPY SERVICES

 

WHAT ARE THE MAIN issues i worK WITH?

ANXIETY

Anxiety is something that everyone experiences from time to time. However, acute or prolongued anxiety can be problematic, though also easily resolved.

CONFIDENCE

A lack of confidence is often confused with a lack of self esteem, but they actually are different things. To better understand the difference and how I can help, let’s chat.

DEPRESSION

Feelings of depression can be temporal, but a persistent low mood, demotivation and lack of any pleasure, may be signs that you need to talk to someone.

GUILT

Unresolved feelings of guilt and an inability to move on can often escalate into more serious personal issues. Hypnosis and CBT are both fantastic tools for self-forgiveness and compassion.

HABITS

When it comes to habits, the work of a therapist and coach isn’t solely just about removing a client’s unwanted habits and behaviours, but in the development of healthy and beneficial ones.

NARCISSISM

My work relating to this issues focuses on educating and empowering client’s who have or were trapped in a destructive relationship with a person displaying narcissistic or other cluster B traits.

PANIC ATTACKS

I prefer to use an integrative approach when working with clients who experience, or are fearful of panic attacks. Combining elements of hypnosis, CBT and other coaching modalities can bring positive results within a short space of time.

PHOBIAS AND FEARS

To help a client overcome an irrational phobia or fear, I focus on reframing the obstructive thought patterns and discharging the negative emotions a client experiences when there phobia or fear is triggered.

RELATIONSHIP ISSUES

There are few things more rewarding than helping a couple rekindle their love for one another, nor few things more satisfying than seeing an individual escape from the shadows of a destructive relationship and flourish.

SELF ESTEEM & SELF WORTH

Low self esteem and feelings of being unworthy or unlovable can be hugely damaging to an individual. However, an approach utilising CBT, cognitive hypnotherapy, strategic coaching and aspects of positive psychology, how a client views themselves, can be transformative.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress is a physiological and psychological response to a challenging (or threatening) situation or event. Some seemingly thrive on stress where others struggle, and when this struggle persists unchecked, your mental and physical health can suffer.

SEXUAL PROBLEMS

Sexual issues can range from performance anxiety, negative body image, limited understanding, conflicting beliefs, poor communication, through to the serious issues of abuse and trauma. I work sympathetically and within my own ethical scope of practice.

I ALSO FREQUENTLY HELP CLIENTS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS ….

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

I have worked with clients who have issues with alcohol, cocaine and other recreational drugs .

GAMBLING

Through a combination of therapy and coaching this issue can be easily resolved.

PERFORMANCE

Hypnotherapy and coaching can help improve performance in sports, in business or in social settings.

EMOTIONAL ISSUES

Apart from the above, I help manage and resolve emotional issues such as anger, jealous and grief to name a few.

OCD

Hypnotherapy and CBT helps clients overcome recurring, unwanted thoughts, sensations, or obsessions,.

PHYSICAL ISSUES

I offer support to clients suffering from many physical conditions such as IBS, CFS, asthma, pain management etc.

SOMETHING ELSE?

Feel free to give me a call or send me a message and we can discuss if I am able to help or can suggest someone better suited to help.

FINDING THE RIGHT THERAPIST OR COACH

When choosing a therapist for yourself, or a loved one, it is very important that you spend some time finding the right one. Even if a therapist has been recommended by someone you know, check that it is a positive referral based on experience (most of my business has come through referrals) and not just a friend of that person.

I may not always be the best choice for every client. I may not be the best therapist for you. Do you research and choose the therapist you think is most appropriate for you and your particular needs. Do what is best for you.

What is best for you?

This is a fundamental question that every professional therapist should be seeking to answer on behalf of all new and prospective clients.

Sometimes, there will be other therapists who specialise in working with particular issues, and who possess niche skills and training that may better serve a client, and in these instances I will not hesitate in recommending them as a viable alternative.

Similarly, if there are instances where I do not believe I can help, such as conflicts of interest, or due to potential ethical issues, I will occasionally decline to work with a client.

What I determine is best for you the client, will ultimately decide whether we can and should work together and that is why I offer a free consultation before we agree to commence work.

Questions you may have ...

Are there issues I do not work with?

Of course. As stated, I always believe in doing what is right for the client, but also what is right for me. Certain medical issues, deep psychological or neurological issues, or situations where I would not be able to emotionally detach, may be best helped by experts in those fields. 

How many sessions will it take?

I generally like to see clients for at least two sessions, even if we make great progress in the first session. For some issues, change can happy quickly, but for other issues, progress may occur over two to four sessions on average, dependent on a number of factors.

I would strongly urge against being seduced by the promises of quick-fix therapists, as they are working with short term placebo and compliance and not making last change. 

Are sessions held in person or online?

In short, both. I prefer to work in person, but with clients as far afield as the USA and Australia, this is not always the case. Therefore, for standard sessions I offer Zoom or in person appointments in Sidcup. If client’s want me to travel to their place of work, if they are in the M25 they are usually required to book me for a minimum half-day, or will be billed for additional time and expense.  

Will clients be asked to do additional work?

Sometimes, yes. As an integrative therapist, trained in CBT, often I will incorporate a blended approach to my client work which may include asking clients to complete exercises, logs, questionnaires and so forth, to identify issues and measure and maintain progress. For the client who wants lasting change, rather than a temporary quick fix, this is never an issue.

Do I offer guarantees?

I do not offer clients guarantees of success because some variables are out of my control. I do guarantee that I will always act in the interest of my client and use all my knowledge and experience to help them overcome an issue, achieve a goal, or whatever it is they are coming to me to help them with.

Clients can expect me to be ...

Honest.

I like to be honest with clients, before, during and after our work together.

Authentic.

I believe a key component in establishing great rapport is authenticity. I try to present an honest version of myself, so what clients see is what clients get.

Committed to them.

And invested in their development. I pay an interest in all of my clients and the work we do together, from the initial consultation, through to contacting them for updates long after our work together is done.  

Ethical and Professional.

Unfortunately not all therapists, particular a small minority of hypnotists and NLP practitioners, behave ethically or with integrity. A therapist can maintain a high level of professionalism, while still being themselves and if they cannot, should not be working with others.

I expect clients to be ...

Honest.

The more honest and direct you are with me, the quicker and more effective 

Authentic.

Always try to be yourself. Sometimes, especially in times of insecurity or defensiveness, we project and hide behind an alternate version of ourselves. I want to get to know and help the real you. That is when real and often profound change happens.

Committed to the work.

If I am committing to helping a client, I expect them to commit fully to our work together. This means being open, engaged and prepared to undertake additional homework and exercises. Sometimes, the session work proves more than enough, but with a number of issues, that work will need to be continued in a client’s own time and work or home environment.

Respectful and appropriate.

I am good at what I do and committed when I do it. Therefore, when we are working together, I expect a client to conduct themselves appropriately and with respect. I have no tolerance for unnecessary tardiness or for rudeness directed at myself or others. A continuously poor attitude in therapy is a strong precursor to failure.

A FINAL BIT OF CAUTIONARY ADVICE

Don’t believe everything you hear

While professions like coaching and therapy remain unregulated, allowing anyone to label themselves as practitioners, it’s crucial to recognise that not everyone within these fields is suited to work with individuals. I am a vocal critic of numerous dubious trainers flooding social media platforms, as well as the prevalence of unprofessional and unethical practitioners who knowingly (or otherwise) peddle false assertions and guarantees. Below are several assertions, statements and claims that warrant caution:

"I offer single session fixes"

Of course there are a lots of issues that can be resolved quickly and often in single sessions. Sometimes, even during the free consultation, I may suggest something that may save the client the expense of needing an appointment at all. But therapists are not fortune tellers and there are many areas where additional sessions will prove beneficial or necessary. 

"I don't need to know anything about the problem"

There are situations where this very well may be the case, or at the very least, a therapist needs little in terms of client background and history. But if a therapist’s modus operandi is offering content-free therapy I would certainly not recommend them. Often, these therapists will use a protocol they have been trained in (or train others in), may be selective in the subjects they choose to work ‘on’ and pass off socially compliant responses as fixes.

"My protocol fixes most things"

The hypnotherapy field is awash with hypnosis trainers and hypnotherapists offering panacea protocols they may claim to: fix the issue in one session (sometimes seconds or minutes), work entirely content free, resolve virtually any issue, or have a 100% success rate (the protocol or the therapist). My advice would be to give it some very serious thought before enlisting the help of any therapist or coach making such claims. I am not averse to protocols per se, or particular ways and processes of working, but the panacea, quick fix protocols are the commodity of the deluded or dishonest trainer and therapist, individuals that should be avoided like the plague.

"My clients are A-listers and high profile people"

Sometimes you will find a therapist or coach who works with famous stars, sportsmen and sportswomen, public figures and so forth. I personally know a few fellow therapists who do work with well-known clients, and even I have helped the odd household name over the years. Unfortunately, I know lots more therapist who tell blatant lies, make false claims, or have stretched any semblance of truth regarding ‘celebrity work’ so far as it has no bearing. There are also those who disingenuously like to give the impression of moving in certain circles with daft statements such as ‘let’s just say it was a big garden and there were quite a few corgis running around’ or a selfie with a celeb combined with a not-so-cryptic comment. Client confidentiality is of paramount importance, but it is also the means by which dishonest therapists can make such bold statements unchallenged. If it seems too good to be true, it generally is, so be wary of any individuals trying to get as much mileage out of questionable statements that can’t be corroborated.

"I have a 100% success rate*"

(*Or any very high percentile) Other claims that are very hard to corroborate are those statements boasting a near flawless success rate. Certainly, some therapists are very good at what they do, both the generalists and of course those that specialise, but even the latter would struggle to fully demonstrate a consistently near perfect track record working with clients. There are just too many variables at play. Some just plain make it up and even those working with some semblance of truth, when making such claims have selective ways of establishing success and ones that are skewed in their favour (using socially compliant responses, flawed metrics, putting the blame on the client, no following up etc.). Some even count a successful client as a client who has just shown up, which when doing large groups, can subjectively skew favourable statistics through the roof. Do not be afraid to grill a therapist or coach on any claims of success and how the numbers are established. A good therapist will be honest and welcome the scrutiny.

"In the last twenty years I have helped over 40,000 people"

Incredibly, in the hypnosis world and the snake-oil playgrounds that are social media and the less than scrupulous hypnosis organisations and industry conferences, this sort of statement is not as rare as one would think. Worryingly, as questionable as these claims would be even if we were focusing on total attendance numbers to group events and not being fast and loose with the definition of ‘helped’, there are actually loads of therapists attributing these numbers to individual client or session hours. Maybe someone could see 40,000 people over a twenty year period, with an average weekly group size of 38 attendees week in week out (and assuming they did not have any weeks off in that twenty years) it certainly seems unlikely, but it is doable, but even if the figure of 40,000 (or whatever s being claimed) how do they determine all those attendees were helped? For starters it is assuming a 100% success rate (see above) and almost certainly would prove a logistical pain in the arse for the therapist following up those client numbers. But worse, there are a number of therapists (and trainers) claiming to have seen this volume of face to face, one on one clients (the highest I have seen is 70k a few years ago). When you crunch those numbers, the story becomes pure fantasy. A therapist claiming to have helped 40,000 people or given 40,000 hours of therapy, over a twenty year career, would have to see 7 people a day, 6 days a week, week in week out (including 28 days annual leave). Yet people in the hypnosis community and prospective clients lap this nonsense up. If something sounds outlandish – do the maths and apply the data into a realistic real-world scenario. There are prolific therapists out there, but for a profession where the average hypnotherapist sees less than eight clients a week, if something sounds too good to be true it almost, always is.

"CBT and talk therapies don't work"

Many hypnotists (but primarily biased and uneducated trainers and their students) are unduly dismissive of Cognitive therapy, psychotherapy and other talk therapies. They like to conflate interventions such as CBT with cliched notions of counselling and stories of fixing clients stuck in years of therapy. Firstly, CBT is not perfect, but no intervention is – it does however have the most evidence based studies to support it’s efficacy and is promoted by the NHS, charities and even big names in the hypnosis world. Secondly, a hypnotherapist will only ever see instances where other therapy has failed for a client and in my experience, poorly trained hypnotists have contributed to my client base far more than their CBT counterparts.
A good CBT therapist can be incredibly effective in resolving a number of issues and will educate and teach clients how to continue to develop and move forward beyond their sessions together. When combined with hypnotherapy, it can become even more effective. This is the way I work. 

SOMETHING ELSE?

Feel free to give me a call or send me a message and we can discuss if I am able to help or can suggest someone better suited to help.

Office Hours

Mon to Fri – 8.00am to 9pm

Saturday – limited availability

Sunday – please enquire here

Nick Ebdon

Contact Info

Satis House, 24 Crescent Rd, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 7HN

(+44) 7418627316

Copyright © 2024 Nick Ebdon & Advanced Hypnosis Training. All Rights Reserved.
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