But what about you?

Written by Text by Lee Payton

Is a question we rarely hear on Planet Care. Unexpected life-changes come to us: ready, or not. Too often parents are caught up in: ‘the fights’ that can arise between them and schools, local authorities, health providers and against perceptions and prejudices which we can only hope may be history one day. Exhausting, isn’t it? But couldn’t the battlefield be made more level with some kind of armour? Couldn’t you use some superpowers you may not know you have?

The map doesn’t necessarily need to be the territory. Of course there are the very real practicalities of living with, and caring for, someone with special needs or learning challenges. But there is also the mental health and wellbeing of parents, siblings and care-givers. What may be useful for you in your on-going quest: might be some techniques which could help support change. A reframe of where you’re at. A recalibration of what you hope to see and how you’d like things to feel. Reminders of the good things which can light up our lives, if we remember not to forget them: the gifts life gives you if you choose to let yourself see them.

What would be the difference you would like to see in you? How much more equipped would you honestly feel you would like to be, to continue the journey? These are the kinds of conversations Cognitive Hypnotherapists have with a range of individuals and couples. A different kind of conversation.

Cognitive Hypnotherapy is a modern evidence based brief therapy, incorporating Behavioural Psychology and Neuroscience with Traditional Hypnotherapy, Gestalt, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Transactional Analysis and other practical techniques. Some you may even take home with you. But what can surprise many, is just how much differently they may start to feel, see, think or hear things. Perhaps it’s just time for that different conversation.

Kelly Cavuoto, Ben Willens and Lee Payton are Quest Institute trained Cognitive Hypnotherapists (www.I-am.today) who will be exhibiting at The AKO Autism Expo, on 11^th March 2017 at Brunel University. There will be slot times to look at techniques and discuss issues. Details and tickets can be found at: https://www.akoautismexpo.co.uk

In September 2015 a pilot study was published in the Mental Health Review Journal. It recorded that, using 118 cases measuring the effectiveness of Cognitive Hypnotherapy for the treatment of depression and anxiety, 71% considered themselves recovered after an average of 4 sessions. This compared to an average of 42% for other approaches using the same measures (like CBT).