Aspire Therapy

Keeping That Feel-Good Factor When Summer Ends

So have you managed to get your work-life balance in order this summer?

It may have been a damp August - and a damp July for that matter - but time out from work will still have helped many people to regain a sense of equilibrium in their lives. And if you were lucky enough to have travelled abroad then the weather here won’t have mattered anyway.

Often it is only when we get completely away from the scenery and settings of our everyday lives that we fully achieve a state of calm and clear-headedness.

The problem we have is how to maintain this sense of equilibrium as we return to our daily routines and our jobs. Sadly, by November, things can be looking very different again.

A combination of Life Coaching and Hypnotherapy can provide an excellent way of dealing with stress and maintaining that ‘feel good’ factor. Hypnotherapy can provide the relaxation techniques while life coaching helps to decide upon priorities and set realistic goals.

Why I Prescribe Gok Wan To My Clients

I am a huge fan of the fashion guru and TV presenter Gok Wan – especially his excellent How To Look Good Naked series.

I love the way Gok talks to women. He is interested in maximising their potential – but never changes the essence of who they really are.

Are You In Control Of Your Thoughts?

Are you in control of your thoughts or do you allow your thoughts to control you? We like to think of ourselves as autonomous, independent, self-sufficient beings and yet all to often we play the victim when it comes to our own state of mind.

This is particularly the case when we are suffering from loss of confidence, low self-esteem, depression or lack of self-belief. The thoughts we have about ourselves can seem unalterable and inescapable.

But negative, self-critical thinking can be challenged or diminished through a process of careful self-questioning, or by letting the thoughts become objects of detached contemplation. These are two approaches that we use in hypnotherapy.

Believing in the Possibility of Change

Convincing clients of the possibility of change is central to the success of therapy. Often people do not need any convincing. The fact they have decided to come for therapy is evidence in itself of their belief that they can change.

But when someone has been suffering from a problem for many years it can be more difficult for them to accept that change can happen.

Managing Pain With Hypnotherapy

Hypnotize Yourself Out of Pain Now is a fantastic self-help manual for anyone suffering from the kinds of persistent pain that cannot be alleviated medically. We have previously mentioned it in one of our articles and it is now available in bookshops.

With so many self-hypnosis books currently on the market, this excellent account distinguishes itself by being clearly focused on a particular problem. It is also written by someone who is not only a clinical psychologist, but who has himself suffered from chronic pain.

Getting Control Over Our Eating Habits

February and March were very busy months for us with lots of people seeking help for eating problems.

As you would expect a considerable proportion of these clients wanted to lose some weight. However, others have wanted to tackle cravings, obsessive thinking about food, bulimia and unhealthy eating.

Our programme of treatment for weight differs from some more conventional programmes in being diet free and not reliant upon will-power.

The amount of weight people want to lose can vary greatly. Sometimes it is a case of just wanting to get back into last summer’s outfit. Other people are looking to achieve more radical change.

The ultimate goal for most clients is simply to feel better about themselves and just stop thinking so much about food.

Therapy A Better Alternative To Drugs, Say Government Ministers

The debate about the effectiveness of anti-depressant drugs has again hit the headlines in the last few days.

Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, has announced that 3,600 therapists are to be trained during the next three years in England to increase patient access to talking therapies, which ministers see as a better alternative to drugs.

This follows news that a team of researchers at Hull University concluded that new generation anti-depressants have little clinical benefit in all but the most severe cases of depression - findings which have been disputed by the makers of Prozac and Seroxat.

Being An Effective Teacher With The Help Of NLP

NLP for Teachers combines a bright A4 format and accessible layout with detailed guidance and techniques on how to improve personal effectiveness as a classroom teacher.

Ideas from NLP have been gradually incorporated into education over a number of years, so it is good to see a book which brings the methods of NLP directly to bear upon the performance of the teacher and their interaction with pupils.

The Truth About Confidence

There can be a tendency to think that increasing confidence means going against our true nature and behaving in ways that are out of keeping with our genuine selves. But this does not need to be the case.

Confidence does not have to be like a mask that we artificially put on in order to hide our inner insecurities.

Get Ready To Go With Life Coaching

As part of her work with Lancashire College, based in Chorley, near Preston, Michaela is currently teaching a ‘Be Your Own Life-Coach Course’.

The course runs for 12 weeks and includes sessions on all the main aspects of Life Coaching: becoming more self aware, setting challenging but realistic goals, exploring beliefs and increasing motivation.