Positive Change

We all have things about ourselves we’d like to be different, or better. Most of us make a reasonable – even considerable – effort to improve our physical well-being, through fitness, diet or other lifestyle considerations, and when we feel something is wrong or out of balance we seek help and find solutions to the problem. But what about our mental well-being? Too often we believe that a habit or fear is too deeply ingrained or too long-established to be able to change. We simply accept that it must just be in our nature to suffer from anxiety, or to be afraid of public-speaking. Whether we lack confidence, feel depressed or stressed, or are addicted to chocolate, we reconcile ourselves to the fact that’s just how we are and how we will remain.

Not so. The good news is that in reality our brains have the ability to re-wire and re-programme any unwanted behaviours. Old habits and beliefs no matter how deeply established can be interrupted. Old patterns can be interrupted and new neural connections can be built that enable constructive and positive changes - all through the power of the mind. Even better, when a new connection is established it becomes stronger each time the new behaviour is repeated, so it becomes easier and easier to make these new changes lasting and permanent. 

If you’re reading this page, the chances are that you've realised  there’s something you’d like to change for the better. Maybe you do something you wish you didn’t. Maybe you feel there's something in the way of you doing something you wish you could do. I am passionate about helping people deal with emotional or behavioural problems that are holding them back from being the person they want to be – the better version of themselves. Whether we choose talking therapy or hypnotherapy, you can make those positive and lasting changes.

Please read more, and I hope you'll make contact.

Symptoms

The range of symptoms or problems that can be successfully treated through hypnotherapy or another form of psychotherapy is too extensive to make a completely comprehensive list. Whether you are looking to resolve something that seems very specific like tinnitus, or very broad like depression or guilt, there will be a suitable therapy that will help.

Here are some examples of what we can work on:

Therapies

A number of different psychotherapeutic options are available and relevant therapies can be discussed during the complimentary initial consultation.  I am qualified to offer the following: 

All these therapies share one aim: to help you feel better, help you find it easier to cope, and to feel calmer, happier and more positive. 

ABOUT HYPNOSIS

Clinical hypnosis and its relevance for resolving emotional and psychological problems by working with the subconscious mind is now increasingly in demand. Most commonly hypnosis is used for treating things like fears and phobias, unwanted habits or behaviours, or resolving the negative effects of deep emotional issues. Hypnotherapy is increasingly acknowledged by the medical profession as a viable solution and highly effective alternative treatment for many conditions that would otherwise require lengthy courses of medication, such as pain management, anxiety, stress, depression, or eating disorders.

The simplest way to explain hypnosis is perhaps to describe it as ‘being in a state of allowing yourself to open up to new suggestion’. A hypnotherapist uses suggestions of alternative perspectives to help the client recognise how ingrained negative beliefs or emotions can be replaced with new positive ones; how unconstructive or destructive behaviours can be re-programmed to quickly and effectively bring about amazing beneficial changes.

Common concerns

Many people readily admit to some scepticism about hypnosis, primarily due to the influence of tv or stage shows where people in trance do silly or embarrassing things supposedly under the control of the hypnotist. 

- The first thing I would say to anyone considering hypnotherapy is that while all hypnosis works on the basis of accessing a person’s subconscious mind to change behaviours, the application of doing this in a clinical context for psychotherapeutic benefit is vastly different from the entertainment motivation behind stage hypnosis.

Quite naturally some people are apprehensive about hypnosis because they’re worried about losing control or being under the control of the hypnotherapist.

- The fact is however that a person under hypnosis is always fully in control of their thoughts and behaviour. The therapist simply facilitates the process of exploration of the client’s symptoms or situation. Hypnosis allows a client to access the initial influences that are at the root of a problem situation, change the way they react to this and approach it from a new and better point of view.

Another common concern is that someone under hypnosis might reveal things that they might have otherwise wanted to keep to themselves. 

- The reality is that in hypnosis you will only reveal what you want to – so if deep dark secrets do come out then it’s for a reason and it’s the perfect environment to start to talk and to find the resolution or relief that’s probably been missing or hidden for some time.

The best way to decide if hypnosis is right for you is to give me a call and arrange a no-commitment, no-charge consultation at my practice in central Beaconsfield. By talking through exactly what help or change you are looking for we can ensure you can find out everything you want to about what help or direction is relevant and available and which type of therapy is most appropriate.

ABOUT THE THERAPIST

Deb Milligan, BA (hons), MAPHP, DHP, MNCH

Clinical Hypnotherapist, NLP & EFT Practitioner   

Private Practice in Central Beaconsfield

A long-term interest in psychology and psychotherapy took me in a new career direction when my father's diagnosis of dementia prompted me to learn everything I could about this illness. I attended a course designed to help family members and professional carers learn new and effective therapeutic approaches to help sufferers and care-givers cope better when living with dementia. Learning how to deal with cognitive decline and consequences of the ageing brain inspired me to devise a series of ‘mental keep-fit’ classes which I ran for groups of retirement village residents for over 6 years. I volunteered for many years with “Singing for the Brain’, running a weekly group for Alzheimer's sufferers and their families, and saw the remarkable effect that something as simple as singing has for people coping with dementia, and I quickly appreciated the power of positive psychology and the immense potential for treating certain psychological conditions with therapeutic rather than pharmacological solutions. I realised that what fascinated me most was working with the subconscious and the whole concept of neuroplasticity - the brain’s ability to constantly re-wire and re-learn. As hypnotherapy is the therapeutic approach most relevant for working with the subconscious, I trained as a clinical hypnotherapist (Royal Berkshire College of Clinical Hypnosis accredited DHP course) to develop the skills to help clients access the subconscious mind and thereby uncover and recover from neuroses or traumas in ways that some forms of counselling and psychotherapy aren’t deep enough to do. Now based in central Beaconsfield I work with clients with a range of psychological and emotional symptoms, helping them recognise and understand negative behaviours or beliefs, and replace these with more constructive and positive ones. I also offer modular bespoke workshops on topics like Mindful Awareness or Stress Management that can be tailored to suit different recipients from schoolchildren to businesses or sports professionals.

For my own continuous professional development I regularly attend diverse courses and workshops run by inspiring and highly experienced psychologists and clinical practitioners reputed as experts in their field. Specific areas of interest have included evidence-based strategies for effective chronic pain management, beneficial hypnotherapy interventions for cancer sufferers, and improved ways to calm anxiety through strengthening the para-sympathetic nervous system. I completed the British Psychological Society Master Clinician training for professionals working with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as the NICABM (National Institute for Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine) Treating Trauma Master Series.

As a member of the professional body APHP (Association of Professional Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy) I am bound by stringent rules, ethics and code of conduct, all of which can be found in detail on their website. As a member of UKCHO (UK Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations) APHP was instrumental in the introduction of the Core Curriculum for Hypnotherapy Training Schools as well as the latest revisions to the National Occupation Standards for Hypnotherapy, so assures the highest standard of training. I am also a member of the accredited professional groups, NRPC, CNHC and NCH (the National Register of Psychotherapists and Counsellors, the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council, and the National Council for Hypnotherapy.)

My primary focus nowadays is on anxiety and helping sufferers understand their own triggers and responses, and find relief and release from the debilitating effects they have been experiencing. Many other conditions like OCD or eating disorders stem from anxiety that has become adversely up-regulated to unhelpful levels, and I work with clients to reduce these responses and re-calibrate these back to helpful comfortable levels.

Phone

07584 840 142

Email

deb@crofttherapy.co.uk

Appointments & fees

As a result of the working restrictions that began in 2020 due to covid-19, I began conducting consultations online, mostly via Zoom. It turned out that working remotely has its benefits - not only can I now work with clients from a much wider area, but also many clients find it easier to fit in appointments during the day whilst working from home. Once restrictions eased I opted to offer both forms of consultation, so now clients have the option of online appointments or ‘in person’ consultations here in Beaconsfield. Appointments can be requested via phone, email, or the contact form on this site. Before your initial consultation it is usually helpful to have a brief phone chat about what’s troubling you to establish the best therapy approach for you. There is no commitment at any stage to sign up for a number of sessions.

therapy sessions

Standard therapy sessions last 50-55 minutes. Appointments starting between the hours of 9.30am and 5.00pm are charged at the basic rate of £75.00 Appointments can also be made between 5.00pm and 8.00pm, charged at a premium rate of £90.00. Appointments where more than one person attends, e.g. couples or families, are also charged at premium rate.

There is no 'typical' number of sessions as everyone's needs are different. How long it takes to reach a successful outcome depends on the complexity of what you want to change. Talking therapy alone can be very effective for dealing with emotional issues or relationship difficulties. If you decide to try hypnotherapy, this is proven to be a quicker route to finding and addressing deep-rooted issues than through conventional counselling methods because we are able to work with the less-resistant subconscious mind, 

Extended therapy sessions

Under certain circumstances longer consultations can prove more productive (e.g. in some relationship therapy with two or more people attending simultaneously.) Extended 90-minute sessions cost £115.00 (or £130 after 5.00pm.) 

Some behavioural changes involve a very specific targeted process, e.g. stopping smoking. These require a 2-3 hour consultation costing £200-300 (duration and price will be confirmed subject to the specific process agreed with each client.)

SUmmary of charges:

Standard session - £75 (or £90 premium rate)

90-minute Extended session - £115 (or £130 premium rate)

2-3 hour Extended session - £200-300 approx.

Testimonials

Contact & Location

The email address and phone number below are monitored continually and any communication made to either of these will be seen or heard by me alone, and as such remain completely and totally confidential. I aim to respond to every call or email the same day, or at least within 24 hours.

Email:   deb@crofttherapy.co.uk

Phone:   07584 840 142

Face-to-face consultations take place in my practice in central Beaconsfield. There is free 1-hour street parking directly outside and the station is less than 10 minutes’ walk away.