Catherine Daycock Hypnotherapy

After working as a financial contractor in the banking sector for over 10 years, I wanted a change of pace and the chance to work with and help other people. It was a highly targeted environment which I felt focused on numbers rather than people (both in terms of customers and staff), and I figured it was time to redress the balance!

I use evidence-based techniques and approaches, which means I only use methods that can stand up to scientific rigour. I come from an academic background and apply this to my hypnotherapy practice. I use critical thinking to hypno-therapeutic techniques and only adopt the ones that have proven efficacy – meaning that the techniques and approaches I use can be backed up by academic research.

I will work with you, rather than at you. I see the therapeutic process as a journey we both go on together. In the very beginning we will agree on a treatment plan that we are both happy with, and then work together to achieve the desired goals, perhaps tweaking our treatment plan as we go, dependant on how we both feel it is going. I this way, I want you to be very much involved in your own treatment, to really engage in the process, so that at then end of your journey you can think “I did that! I made that happen!” This may mean that I give you ‘homework’, that is hypnotic or therapeutic exercises, which will help you to engage in the process and ultimately greatly improve the results you will see.

It can work for everyone

I believe that hypnosis, and thus being hypnotised, is a particular mindset we adopt. It can be learned, practiced and improved upon. I don’t believe that some people cannot be hypnotised. I see it rather as riding a bike – it is a skill to be learnt. Some may pick it up quicker than others, and that is perfectly ok, but ultimately everyone can learn to ride a bike given the right teacher, the right tools, and time.

In this way, I see my role as more of a teacher. To teach you how to adopt the hypnotic mindset, how to improve your skill, and how to enable you to attribute the effects to yourself and take responsibility for achieving the goals yourself.

How we will do it

As hypnosis is a skill you can learn, I will first work with you on experimenting with some hypnotic phenomena. That may sound a little scary, but really it is just a fun way of exploring and practicing everything I have discussed above. So, for example, I may get you adopt a particular mindset where we will get a pen to be stuck to your hand. And at the end of that exercise I would hope that you would come away amazed with yourself and thinking “I adopted that mindset, I connected with that, I stuck that pen to my hand myself!”

How it works

So how does that work in a therapeutic way? Well, it teaches you how to adopt the right mindset so that we can heighten your awareness and heighten your suggestibility, so that you are at your optimum state to be able to tackle and treat your issue(s).

I appreciate that this is not the conventional approach you may have been expecting from a hypnotherapist, as you probably have envisaged a dark room, a comfy couch, and some spa music playing in the background, as you lie back and try to relax. However numerous studies have shown that there is no correlation between being relaxed and ‘zoned out’ and being hypnotisable. In fact, you can be alert and use hypnosis, and many endurance runners can use hypnosis whilst running to control the pain and fatigue!

How many sessions it can take

I recommend that most issues you may come to me with you may expect to require between 3 and 6 sessions, although this is just a guideline. It is all dependant on the issue, the severity of the issue, the goals you wish to achieve and so on.

I do offer some singular session options for certain specific issues as I realise that not everyone can afford the cost or the time to be able to commit to a multi-session treatment plan. Whilst I don’t advocate a ‘quick fix’ approach, I can also see the benefits of a singular session in some instances, such as anxiety and weight loss. However, the singular session will only address a very specific aspect, and will not address underlying factors, which would need further investigation and treatment plans.

My Approach to Hypnotherapy

For those who are interested, I take a more socio-cognitive approach and a more evidence-based approach to hypnotherapy as I believe this is best for the client, and for the advancement of the field of hypnotherapy as a whole.

Yes. I can do sessions online via Zoom, Skype or Microsoft Teams. You will need a quiet space where you will not be disturbed for an hour. You will also need a chair and somewhere to rest your laptop or phone during the session so that you can easily see me and I can see you (the top half of your body at least). I find that online sessions can also be more affective for people with anxiety, especially those who struggle with going somewhere new, using public transport, parking etc, as they can participate in the exact same session, but from somewhere they feel more at ease. I will carry this on even after Covid-19

All sessions are able to be done online. There is a half an hour gap between clients so that the room can be properly cleaned. Hand gel is provided for all clients to use. There is no waiting room where people are expected to wait by others in close quarters - you ring the intercom and I will come and meet you.