Why two hour sessions?

This is something I get asked a lot. Most therapists use one hour sessions (or often 50 or 55 minutes) and there are some who do 90 minute sessions. I like to work with two hour bookings because it allows time to find out exactly what is going on rather than just using a one size fits all approach.

There are occasions when shorter sessions are appropriate e.g. working with children or using hypnosis for specific aims like deep relaxation or to build momentum gradually over time (for a marathon runner or to increase mobility for purposes of weight loss), but these instances are the unusual rather than the norm.

For most issue resolution there will be more than one thing going on so it’s really important to find out where you are before you think about moving ahead.
Commercially it’s disadvantageous for me to use two hour sessions – I am asking a bigger commitment of my clients (and for that first session many people have a high level of uncertainty – is this going to work, what is it going to be like? etc) so two hours can seem like a big ask. And of course a two hour session will have a higher fee, so again for a potential client it’s a bigger commitment to make.

As a therapist what I want most is successful outcomes for those who invest in working with me, and that’s why I use two hour sessions.

In the context of what is considered the norm, two hours can look like a long time, but start to think about the change you want to make (and specifically how long you have wanted to make it) and now two hours is looking like a short amount of time (indeed it might even seem miraculous)!

So when we are dealing with big life changes it’s important to bring some focus and commitment along to a session. And here we start to get to the benefits of the two hour session. It demands commitment and allows focus. Two hours is enough time to make a change. When someone comes to see me – even in the first session, I want them to go away feeling like something worthwhile has occurred (otherwise they may not come back).

By using shorter sesisons I could book in more clients, but chances are success rates would drop, and rate of non-returning clients (at the moment extremely low) would rise.

So, despite the commercial implications, I stick with two hour sessions because they work and because good outcomes are important to me.

Natural Health Show in Cardiff

Yellow Brick Road Hypnotherapy has a stand at the upcoming Natural Health Show in Cardiff November 13th to 14th.

The Natural Health Show is at the Mercure Holland Hotel in Newport Road, Central Cardiff. I’ll be giving a talk there in Lecture Room B on Saturday 13th, at 1-30pm til 2-20pm. The talk is entitled Moving Towards Your Goals and is a look at the different ways we use to motivate ourselves. 

If you are going to the show, do look out for my stand and come and say hello. I will be at the stand across the weekend, 9-30am to 4-30 pm, taking enquiries and chatting about what I do.

There is lots going on at the show over the weekend including a large number of workshops and lectures. You can find out more and download a programme for the weekend at the show’s web site 

http://www.visionforliving.co.uk/default.htm

Hope to see you there!

Real Radio Interview

On Friday I did a short interview for Real Radio Wales on the subject of Eating Disorders, and specifically my experience of working with clients who have sought help with one or more of the large number of symptoms that come under the classification of Eating Disorders.

Essentially NLP and Hypnotherapy are approaches that address what is going on with the individual rather than attempting to treat the symptoms of any dis-ease but I have noticed in working with a number of people to whom appetites (or sometimes lack of appetites) are causing a difficulty that there do tend to be common themes and concerns.

The Real Radio interview will be featured on their upcoming Skin Deep three day special on health issues, to be aired 18th to 20th October. I’m told excerpts from my interview will be used on the 1pm and 5pm news programmes on Real Radio Wales on the 20th October 2010. 

Until then, fingers crossed I get a good edit!

First Post.

Hello and welcome to my shiny new blog. My name is Georgia Walby and I am an NLP Hypnotherapist in South Wales (UK).

I’ll be using this space to make a note of all sorts of happenings that make me think, plus to let you (the wider world) know what I’m up to – current and forthcoming events, to invite comments and to record my progress in life and in what I do.

If you’re reading this, nice to greet you!