Many of my clients are referred through their company's employee assistance programme for brief, solution focused therapy. They will typically have only 6 sessions, so we need to work quickly to identify the problem and find ways to deal with it so that, at the end of the 6 sessions, the client is ready to move on with their life. To do this I use hypnotherapeutic and NLP techniques, as well as those from my original person centred counselling training. Each intervention is tailored to the individual client.

Some clients seem to be overwhelmed with several problems, so we need to identify which one to work on to make the most difference in their life. Often when one problem is resolved, the others will go away or work themselves out without further intervention.

Recently a client has asked for extra sessions. His company gives a generous allocation of eight hours but at the second session he was already worrying he would not be "better" before we had to end. This indicates to me that he thinks I have a magic wand that I can wave over him to "cure" him of his stress and depression. Of course, neither counselling nor hypnotherapy work like this. The client has to be engaged, committed and willing to make changes which may be difficult and sometimes painful, to bring about a change in their situation.


If the client is complaining about a partner, friend or child, of course we cannot change that person. What we can change is the way the client responds to or approaches them. Very often they will be having the same old argument over and over again. So they need to find a different way of responding, so their protagonist cannot keep repeating their pattern of behaviour and the circuit is broken.

And this is what I can help my clients to do, either through the use of hypnotherpy or brief counselling skills. Sometimes just talking about a problem to a non judgemental third party lessens its weight and importance. Once it is out of the client's head, there seems to be free space in the mind to come up with a solution.

So, if you don't like what you're getting, change what you're doing or, if you can't change something, then change the way you think about it......

.... with the help of Mind to Change.

I have seen several clients recently who are finding that their lack of confidence is holding them back, either socially or in their work. Often they manage to put on a good act, prepare well for meetings and presentations, for example, but live in fear of being "found out"... Their fear is that: "Someone will realise I can't really do this job".

Hypnotherapy can really help to boost confidence and self belief by focusing on the positive. Many people forget all the good things and dwell only on mistakes and failures in their lives.

So, take a positive step today to turn your life around. At the end of each day, write down in a diary or special note book, three good things that have happened to you. Even if sometimes you feel you can only find something very small - a smile from a fellow passenger on the train, for example, WRITE IT DOWN.
And, if you have a mind to change.... contact me: jose@mindtochange.co.uk

Fantastic day in the garden today. Roger has been potting up his winter pansies (don't ask!) and I massacred the philadelphus - a job long overdue. Now we can sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy.
Had a series of great photographs taken this week to update my website, ecademy and so on. The photographer, Samantha Jones (www.samjonesphotography.co.uk) was excellent. She gave some good suggestions beforehand, made me feel totally relaxed and the orchard setting on a beautiful autumn day added to the feeling of ease. I am delighted with the results and can thoroughly recommend her.
I love the autumn and this is going to be a good one, I think. So many fruits of every description and the leaves are magnificent. The conditions must be just right, I think. I am determined to make time this week to visit Wisley Garden to enjoy the magnificent tree there they call the "Wisley Bonfire". It is a sight to behold at this time of year - nature at her glorious best.

Played tennis with the club coach and his wife in our regular Sunday foursome this morning. We were only marginally beaten this week – 6-4, 6-3: excellent games with long rallies. We must be improving.

Decided to annoy Roger later by wearing my leggings – amongst his pet hates are: women in leggings, skiing in Austria, ready meals, BMWs (especially those little squat sports models), me with highlights…... the list goes on.

Roger cooked an interesting supper from Nigel Slater. Good fish – haddock with bacon. We had bought a squash to accompany it which was obviously intended to be admired rather than consumed as it was fibrous and tasteless. Ah well, I always have been seduced by appearances!

Looking forward to the American invasion in a couple of weeks. Must make coffee…..

I have just spent a fantastic 5 days in Italy on a Pilates Retreat. We flew to Perugia with Ryanair (no frills, but fine) where Sarah (http://www.sarahpilates.com/) had hired a van to take us to La Preghiera, a beautiful renovated monastery in the Umbrian countryside (http://www.lapreghiera.com/). The staff were attentive and helpful and the setting was beautiful. Our morning class was held in the chapel and the evening class on the sunny terrace. We were sustained with a wonderful brunch each day and spent free time relaxing by the swimming pool in the gentle sunshine.

On Saturday 5 of us had a cookery lesson and in the evening were able to enjoy the fruits of our toils - a 5 course meal accompanied by local wine. I think life may be a little too short to make fresh pasta on a regular basis, but it was interesting to see how it's done and I have tried out some of the other recipes with great success since my return.

Now I feel completely relaxed and ready to face my ever increasing client load. Certainly the economic downturn seems to have put many people under pressure as more and more clients present with work based stress, anxiety and panic attacks, bullying by managers and colleagues, sleeping problems and depression.

I had a wonderful experience yesterday at a networking lunch which I must share. I had treated one of the members of the group for a spider phobia some weeks ago but had had no feedback from her. Yesterday she stood up and read the following testimonial:

"I had a fear of spiders which was so bad it affected my everyday life. What if in lifting that cup out of the cupboard a spider drops out? Just seeing a spider on a piece of paper made me feel physically sick and very upset. Jose Penrose, however, convinced me that life did not have to be like that, if you have a "mind to change"! It had never occurred to me that I could take control and do something positive about this situation.
Convinced that she could help me, I booked a hypnotherapy session. It was wonderful. Jose listened intently to my irrational fears and made me feel at ease discussing something I found very difficult. I have as yet not come across the dreaded beast but I do know that I am now not worrying about what will happen. It does not fill me with fear.
This morning I had a yoga lesson outside on the grass and, along with everyone else I casually took off my shoes and socks and stepped onto the grass without even thinking about what might be lurking in the grass. That to me is priceless. That you, Jose. I will recommend your service to all my friends and colleagues."

What a boost to my confidence - and a confirmation of the effectiveness of hypnotherapy, particularly in the treatment of phobias, panic attacks and other anxiety related problems. My client must, of course, remain anomymous, but I do thank her so much for her excellent recommendation.

A wealth of interesting new clients have come my way recently - clients who have contacted me direct rather than through their EAP providers. A woman with a spider phobia, an insomniac, someone who feared she was losing control of her weight and, last week, a fear of travelling accompanied by severe nausea. This last client felt her life was closing down i.e. that the phobia was preventing her doing many things she would really like to be doing now she has the opportunity and the resources. Her phobia and nausea were closely related to smell and, indeed, she could start to feel ill and panicky as soon as she opened the suitcases to start packing. She suffered from actual motion sickness but it seemed that she was less concerned about that aspect, which she could control with medication, than about the panic and fear which began even as she contemplated a trip.
She attended one treatment session and I subsequently made her a personalised CD and she is delighted with the result:
"Attached is photographic evidence that I went flying for the first time in X's light aircraft! Quite ridiculously, I decided to agree to make my first flight all the way to France for lunch!
X was going anyway and half-jokingly suggested I come with him - the idea didn't fill me with dread at all, which I attribute wholly to our session!
Thank you again for all your help, I may well be back soon to build on the progress I have made."
We can all do with a little relaxation in our lives, even if we do not feel we are suffering from any particular problem. From time to time I see a colleague for a counselling and healing session to restore my own equilibrium. A few weeks ago she said she felt I had lost the spiritual element in my life and recommended a young woman who is a medium. I was dubious but booked an appointment and the experience was wonderful. It is hard to describe what happened in the session but, whatever it was, it felt totally authentic and was uplifting and transforming. I have come away with a spring in my step and a much lighter heart. And with some new views and answers to questions which I have long been pondering in my own life. Please contact me if you would like more information.