Paul offers help in keeping resolutions

Paul Johnston has been registered by the Complimentary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), the UK regulator for complementary healthcare.

The recognition places him at the forefront of a national drive to provide a benchmark for standards and safety for the public.

Practitioners registered with the CNHC meet national occupational standards and abide by a rigorous code of conduct, performance and ethics.

Paul said: “Achieving registration is not only great news for me and my clients, but a vital step for hypnotherapy.

“This is the time of year when many people are struggling to keep up their new year resolutions. The most popular uses for hypnotherapy are around stress and anxiety conditions, weight control and addictive behaviours such as smoking and alcohol abuse.”

Hypnotherapy is one of 11 disciplines now recognised by the CNHC. Members of the public can search the CNHC register to find practitioners in their local area.

By providing verification standards the CNHC allows GPs, hospitals, private healthcare providers and insurance companies to refer patients to hypnotherapy practitioners or to make hypnotherapy more readily available in health centres, clinics, doctors’ surgeries and hospitals.

Paul, who has been educated to graduate level, has successfully completed extensive theoretical education and further developed his skills with practical clinical training through Queen’s University.

Married to Karen, he lives in Dollingstown with their children Jake and Jessica.

Taking the ‘MAIL’ through a typical day he said: “After breakfast and the school run, I check my appointments for the day. When I am not with a client, I’m online keeping up-to-date with various psychological studies, or working on ways to promote the clinic and responding to queries from people interested in coming to see me.

“I offer one-to-one clinical hypnotherapy from my clinic in Moira, to those who want to quit smoking, lose weight or cure a phobia, to name a few.

“I help to facilitate positive change, helping clients to make change, whatever it may be.”

By utilising hypnotherapeutic approaches, Paul said, you can achieve what you want quickly and comfortably: “The initial consultation is free of charge, at which I put together a case history in order to assess the client’s needs and find out why they are here to see me.

“This allows me to create a ‘picture’ of the client so I am able to utilise techniques suitable and specific for them. I only work with people I think will benefit from treatment and who genuinely want to make positive changes in their lives, as I believe all real lasting change begins from within.

“I am used to dealing with people in both a friendly and professional way, providing a completely private, confidential and ethical service.

“Having a broad variety of life experiences, and bringing my talents and skills to the therapeutic session - my client base embraces people from all walks of life, with wide and varying conditions treated.”

All sessions are tailored to meet the unique needs of the client: “As I begin the session I ask the client to settle down comfortably into as relaxed a state as possible and take a few deep, calming breaths. I continue with an induction leading the client into a state of hypnosis based on feedback gathered at the consultation.

“I then deepen the trance state, enabling the client to relax even more in body and mind, and then continue with the appropriate therapy. I use various techniques including behavioural, aversion, desensitisation, metaphors and stories within the session, using psychology and clinical hypnosis to help people change negative thinking patterns and responses.”

Paul’s also offers the Alpha-Stim range and is the only clinic in Ireland concentrating on the Alpha-Stim Stress Control System for both rental and purchase.

The Alpha-Stim SCS is a precision medical instrument, FDA approved for the treatment of stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia.

It uses cranial electrotherapy stimulation, with a low level current applied via ear clip electrodes. The treatment is non-invasive and drug free and, unlike some drugs, leaves the mind alert.

The treatment is simple and can be self-administered at any time. People using the system usually report a pleasant relaxed feeling of well-being.

For details of any of the therapies Paul offers contact him at his clinic, 76 Main Street, Moira, tel 077 4237 1386 or visit www.hypnotherapynothernireland.co.uk