And now you’re feeling sleepy….

You can be a doubter or a believer, but you can’t escape the fact that hypnotism has become one of the most talked about professions in recent years.

Whether it’s Uri Geller curing Michael Jackson’s peanut butter cravings or the Little Britain character telling unwitting people to ‘look into my eyes, not around the eyes’, hypnotherapy has been credited with helping a diverse range of ailments that blight modern society.

Mywelshpool caught up with local hypnotherapist Phil Collins who has worked with hundreds of Montgomeryshire residents and is about to unleash his most ambitious treatment to date – the virtual gastro band to help lose weight!

So relax, sit back, put your feet up, and look closely at your computer screen to learn more about the mystical magic of hypnotism….

I took redundancy from the RAF in 1996 and was going to do a hypnotherapy course then but backed out as I was very skeptical. I then worked as a counselor for about 12 years helping people with addictions. Six years ago I went on a hypnosis course out of interest and discovered very quickly how powerful and beneficial it really is. I would say it is far better than counseling mainly because counseling is usually very long term whereas with hypnosis you can get to the core of the problem very quickly to overcome it. Typically I see my clients between three and five sessions.

 2. What can hypnotherapy help to treat?

 Virtually anything! But I tend to specialise in anxiety, depression, stress, phobias, weight loss, confidence and self esteem building. I can help people to stop smoking too, of course.

 3. Some critics will say it is just a form of entertainment as opposed to a profession with serious benefits. How can you convince the doubters?

 Most people see it like this. But I give my clients a full explanation of how stage hypnosis works and what hypnotherapy is. By the end of my explanation they are fully aware that what I do is nothing like what they see on stage or on TV.

 4. Can you share some of your success stories?

We get loads of thank you cards, letters and notes from people who have booked sessions with me at Powys Hypnosis. Many of these are posted on our web site for all to see that it actually works.

 “I am writing to thank Phil for in my words 'saving my life'. Phil you are a professionally dedicated man who has perfected every aspect of your profession so meticulously that I regard you as a ‘miracle worker’. I have an amazing wonderful future ahead of me now thanks to your dedicated expertise. Thank you so very much for all the time you have spent helping me. Thank you. I had become unable to function and my days had become unbearable, I was severely unhappy, morbidly obese, physically and mentally unwell, agoraphobic, anxious, depressed and panicky. My life had no meaning and was over as far as I was concerned. I saw an article on Phil and it was the first time I had shown interest in anything for a very long time. I found the courage to phone the number. A ladies friendly voice greeted me and through my panic I was able to enquire about prices. She took my contact number and if it wasn't for Phil calling me back and making me feel very safe and at ease with a soothing caring voice, I would never have taken the next step of going to see him. He genuinely wanted to help me and over the following months with counselling, NLP, EFT, hypnosis, genuine care and dedication he has helped me to work through my problems, face my fears, let go of guilt and attitude and re-programme my thinking and beliefs. It hasn't been a quick fix and I have worked very hard. I still have a way to go but I am 100% confident that I will maintain my new thinking and behaviour. I feel I've been given the opportunity to move on from my destructive past, my outlook and attitude is positive. Thank you Phil”

Many 100’s

 I give them a full explanation of what to expect and then in the first session I do what we call a progressive relaxation induction which is simply a way of getting the client to imagine being really relaxed. All hypnosis is a relaxed state of mind.

 You are holding one-day courses teaching people how to hypnotise their friends? Tell us more.

The course is a taster about hypnosis. I will teach people how to hypnotise others. I’ll tell people how stage hypnosis works. The course is designed to be informative but lots of fun at the same time. People who attend the course will not be a hypnotherapist at the end of the day but will have the knowledge and would have practiced putting people into a ‘trance’.

I teach a Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy which is validated by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council which allows graduates to join the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) which then permits them to practice as a professional hypnotherapist.

 A recent client asked if she would be talking in a strange voice when answering my questions in a trance, she thought that a ‘spirit’ would enter her body! The answer to her question was absolutely not, she would answer in her normal voice.

 What's next for the business?

 I have recently completed a training course with Luca Senetore in Cambridge on fitting a hypnotic gastric band. Luca is one of the leading hypnotherapists in the country who does this treatment. It is aimed at people who are classified as obese and want to lose weight. It gives the same effect as having a real gastric band, i.e. reduces the size of the entrance to the stomach so you can’t eat as much. There is no real surgery done, no pain, no risk of complications and it is much less expensive.

 I’m already getting a lot of serious interest in this.