Earlier this year, I was fast approaching the end of the road, I simply had no place to go. Depression had accompanied me for more years than I cared to remember, and I’d finally had enough. Diagnosed with PTSD, tablets (of various types) hadn’t worked nor had CBT or grief counselling.

 

I desperately needed something to happen or to make something happen myself. This is when I started to deliberate on hypnotherapy. As probably is the case with most people, I considered alternative therapies to be something of a last resort, something to use when all the medical knowledge has failed.

 

To say I was sceptical was an understatement, my logical mind told me that this would make no difference, but that I should at least give it a try.

Having no experience whatsoever in hypnotherapy, nor knowing anyone who had had hypnotherapy, the next problem I had was where to start, and whom should I go to?

 

As with most things in life, Google provided me with an answer, and purely by chance, I came across Charlotte.  To be honest, it was just pot luck, but nonetheless, that simple web search would unbeknown to me totally change my outlook on life.

The next task was to pluck up the courage to make the phone call. After days of putting the call off, I finally took the plunge. Luckily, Charlotte answered straight away, her kind and understanding manner immediately put a middle-aged man who felt rather silly that it had come to this, at ease and an appointment was arranged.

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The simple act of knocking on the door at the allotted time caused me so much anxiety. I spent the morning before convincing myself that it wasn’t necessary to go, that I was really comfortable being depressed, I should just forget about it, stop being stupid and just man up. It wouldn’t work anyway!! 

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Eventually, after fighting with my inner daemons all morning, I plucked up the courage and knocked on the door. I should not have worried, right from the start Charlotte welcomed me and made me feel comfortable. What was going to happen next? I had absolutely no idea. I’d seen hypnotherapists on TV, all watch chains and ‘back in the room’ I just hoped it wouldn’t be like that. 

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I was depressed and a bloke, so I didn’t really want to talk. Talking about feelings is not a man thing. Straight away, Charlotte took the lead and put me under no pressure to respond, progressing in my own time.

We shared our experiences, talked about life in general and then the moment I’d sort of been dreading came, the hypnotherapy. To my mind, guided meditation is a far better description of the experience. Relaxing, calming and soothing there was absolutely nothing to worry about. 

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I made the decision to continue with the therapy, and as the sessions progressed, the trust and understanding grew between us and within a matter of weeks, I was feeling much better. In fact, I felt better than I had done for many years.

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For me, the excellent therapist skills of Charlotte and her calm and understanding manner provided me with a key to a door, which once unlocked, opened a psychological world that I didn’t even know existed.

 

Through hypnotherapy, I have discovered many coping strategies and even discovered the root cause of my depression. It has been a wonderful experience, transforming my life. I would recommend Charlottes’ skills to anyone and everyone. Please don’t worry about taking the plunge, just do it, and guess what? There wasn’t a swinging watch in sight! Thank you so much Charlotte.