Therapies

If our deepest fears are buried in the unconscious (of which we are, by definition, not conscious), the question is: how do we access these blocks? Simply talking about our issues isn’t enough because, when we talk about our problems, we are still within the province of the conscious mind. Talking is of course always a necessary first step – and it feels good to unburden ourselves. Sadly, that is where a lot of therapy stops. The relief we feel when we are heard, however welcome and attractive, is not enough to eradicate our issues at the deepest level – the level of cause. To get to the root of the issues that constrain us we have to find a way of delving into the unconscious. Here are some of the techniques I use to unlock the deep mind:

Light Hypnosis

Notice how we close our eyes when we want to focus fully on something – a piece of music, for example – or when we are trying to recall something we can’t quite remember. By closing our eyes we are able to access information that the noise of waking life conceals from us. Under light hypnosis you are always in control – but are able to see with greater clarity. And what you see in this highly concentrated state often holds the key to what is holding you back. Once we have unearthed these blocks they can be processed, healed and released. The result is often a degree of liberation and lightness that allows long-held aspirations suddenly to seem feasible. There is often a lot of relief in this work, sometimes a lot of joy and laughter. Handled with lightness and dexterity, hypnosis is a very precious modality.

Dream Analysis

I often advise my clients to keep a dream diary. The trick is to make a scribble as soon as you wake out of a dream, because that is when you remember little details which are often as telling as the main thrust of the narrative line of a dream. Dreams are not always meaningful, but they are significant often enough to warrant some sort of systematic tracking. If dreams are the medium through which our unconscious minds speak to our conscious waking selves, then it is wise to pay attention. In my work, dream analysis is, more often than not, not an end in itself but a springboard, a doorway into a region of the unconscious that I may feel warrants further exploration. While we are dreaming we are not able to control what comes up – whereas in a session we can direct the mind more efficiently and track the deep roots of our blocks more accurately. And of course, as with hypnosis, by unearthing our blocks we are better able to let them go.

Writing and drawing 

No, you don’t have to be an artist or a writer to come and see me. And no, not everyone who comes to see me has to write or draw. But it can help if you are willing to give it a go – because it gives us another modality. The trick is to draw or write without having a clear topic or subject. When we just doodle, without any conscious-mind agenda, we allow things that are buried in the unconscious to surface. Clients who do a bit of absent-minded sketching or scribbling are often surprised by what emerges. As with dreams, this gives us a doorway into what may, for many years, have been a sealed-off region of the unconscious. Once we gain access, we can treat what emerges. The benefit is often healing at a deeper level than is possible through talking alone.

Reflexology

Emotional trauma sometimes manifests in physical symptoms which are not always easy to shift using the mind alone. In such cases I often use reflexology in conjunction with hypnosis to unlock trauma in the body. By working the reflexes and meridian pathways, we can release potentially damaging psychological patterns. This, in turn, can support the physical body’s own healing mechanisms. Clients don’t always have to be physically present to avail of this modality as I can teach them to self-treat even while working online. My 22 years of experience as a reflexologist has led me to believe that true transformational healing can only happen when the body and mind are both understood, worked, released and supported layer by layer.