Review – of working with Ali

Just had to post this !!!

After speaking to Ali today I would like to book another appointment with her. I really like her as a person and I like that she is so unique in her way of communicating and counselling.

Thank you so much for arranging my first meeting and I look forward to the next!

J

SNIPER MODE – a trance like state

 

I watch my cat when he has spotted a mouse.  He will sit there completely focussed on the hole the poor critter has taken refuge in for hours.   SNIPER MODE

Do we ever do that? Well for sure.  I have a snake phobia so if I’m near long grass I go into SNIPER MODE.  Not for a tasty meal like my cat but for self-preservation.  I will be sort of listening to you, sort of enjoying my picnic, but not really because I am in SNIPER MODE and completely focussing all my senses on that long grass for a movement, a sound.  Its like I am in a trance, in that I am pretty well unaware of anything else going on around me.

Now I could just move away from the long grass and then I would be able to release my senses from guard duty to really listen to the conversation and taste my food and feel the sun on my back and notice the beauty around me.  But what if you can’t move away from the perceived threat?

Fight or flight response.  Fight or run.  Great if you can but what if the perceived threat isn’t physical? What if it’s a thought or a prediction about an upcoming event?

This is how we get so run down, when we go into SNIPER MODE on a perceived or possible threat …

– a big bill coming in at the end of the month we don’t know how we are going to pay

– a meeting that’s looming that we are really concerned about

– a fear that our partner may be looking elsewhere

– anything emotional really

And the problem is you can’t move away from those threats or perceived threats because they are in your head and so follow you!  And you go in to SNIPER MODE totally unable to really notice anything going on around you but the perceived threat, moving through your days but not being in them, not enjoying or noticing any of the great things happening around you.

You are in SNIPER MODE.

And it’s exhausting to be so alert to danger, to be able to do nothing about it. And it wears you down and then you feel poorly and tired which makes the perceived threat even more of a problem.

Would you know if you had slipped into SNIPER MODE?

Whatever your fear or perceived threat is you have a couple of choices:  accept that from now till the great event you can stay in SNIPER MODE. Let whatever the perceived threat is take away your senses.  So very exhausting and it changes nothing but your health and ability to deal with the perceived threat if it ever turns out to be real.

Or you can smell the flowers, being in the moment and notice the good things and beauty around you.

Neither makes time pass any quicker but how would you rather spend your time?

If this is you, get in contact and let me help you choose how you want to feel, how you want to spend you time.

Helping you to be to be all you can be – changing your emotional wellbeing

Whow!!! I really do have the best job in the world.

Below is a review from a mum who’se son was struggling at school, who didn’t want to go to school, who came out of school crying every day. His emotional wellbeing was being affected so negatively that the resulting behaviour would have resulted in him being ‘left behind’.

I looked for and found Ali because the medical and school system were letting my 8 year old child down. The Child Mental Health Service wouldn’t see him because he didn’t have specific behavioural problems and the schools inclusion worker was very nice but under the pump and 20mins a week wasn’t really effective. As parents we had tried everything we could think of.
He was being bullied, he struggled with playground politics, he wasn’t coping with the mean words being thrown at him, he spent alot of the school day crying and/or getting frustrated, which made the bullying worse, he was getting socially isolated, he was starting to refuse to go to school, his teacher was starting to lose patience and i was feeling like it was all spiraling. I felt like this needed to be resolved now and not wait “until he matures” or “until the bullies get bored”.
From the first day we met Ali my son took to her and the way she spoke and communicated with him. She was open with him and he understood what she did and engaged with her. After one session he was on a high. So happy! Like something had been released. Someone had finally told him HOW to cope with all these feelings he was having. He took his Ollie figure in his pocket to school so when the bad words came he could squeeze the figure and the armour would come up and protect his “heart” and over the next few days he started to work it out. One day saying “there were a few holes in my armour today mum cos some bad words got through but i will make it stronger tomorrow”. And he has built and built up his resilience. He said to me yesterday that a child had been saying mean things and that he had only needed to squeeze Ollie for 5 seconds and he felt ok and didnt cry and the boy left him alone. He was elated.

He hasn’t said he doesn’t want to go to school for ages and seems more confident and happier and the school have noticed a change too. He said he doesn’t want/need to be in social inclusion anymore cos he has Ali now. He doesn’t come out of school in tears looking like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. I am relieved we have found a person and a technique that is so simple but actually genius and it works. It just works! I would recommend anyone spend an hour with Ali and Ollie’s superpowers and guarantee they will come out feeling more resilient, supported and special because they now have superpowers too.

SJ – mum of a now happy 8 year old.

 

Emotional Wellbeing

What I do isn’t rocket science.  Its very simple but of so powerful as it gives the child, the parents, the family the tools to do it themselves whenever they need to.  If we can get to children early enough then what starts as low level anxiety, stress, ‘bob’ , lack of confidence etc it wont develop to the point where a child is excluded or needs to go to one of the overstretched mental health services.

I also don’t call it mental health.  I prefer emotional wellbeing.

 

Growing Pains in Teenagers – School, Exams and the Stress

Growing Pains

I had a client describe her teenager as a ‘Growing Pain’   Bugger I giggled!

I don’t have kids and although sometimes its a huge regret in my life, sometimes I thank God for sparring me the growing pains or rather having to stand by helplessly why they go through them.

I am getting more and more teenagers in The Hut. Fortunately my normal therapist attire settles them – jeans!

They come because weight issues,self-esteem issues, bullying, but they also come because they get so very strung out over school work and especially exams.

One of the first youngsters I worked with was a lovely lad.  Polite, intelligent, straight A student – or should have been.

But the moment it got near exam time he went into melt down, not eating, not sleeping, becoming withdrawn – becoming a very troubling ‘Growing Pain’.  As we talked he explained that he enjoyed school and found the work easy.  He knew he knew all the answers in most exams, struggled a bit with maths but could not understand why he got in such a state on the day and did not trust the answers he wrote and had panic attacks in the middle of the exam.

I asked how he knew he knew the stuff and he explained that studying in his room, he just knew he knew. If only he could do his exams in his room and not in the exam hall that equated to failure, and panic.

Emotional Anchor

I gave him an Anchor.

No, not a pointy metal thing!! A Thought Anchor.

Before we started I asked him to give his exam fear a score.  Ten out of ten being terrified.  He got 12!!!!!

In a light trance I got him to tell me everything about his room, the decor, the lighting, the sounds and smells, and to notice how relaxed he felt there. When I could see him physically relax and smile at the thought, I lightly touched his wrist, creating a memory Anchor he could use any time.

I asked him to open his eyes and think about the exam room again. On a score of one to ten, ten being terrified, the thought was an down to 2.

Bless him.

I got him to touch his wrist and again the smile and his body relaxed.

He used the Anchor before and during the next exam and was able to place himself in his room rather than the hall.

And guess what??   He sailed through the exam and the next lot, even maths!

If you have a “Growing Pain” going through this, they really don’t have to and although it makes their world better, it will reduce the “pain” level in yours too!

Ali xxx

 

NLP Award Finalist – Alison Knowles

NLP Award Finalist

Wow what an accolade! Ali has been nominated for an international award for NLP training in Education.

She has been been selected, from those nominated, by an independent panel.  The finalists have been chosen on the how they have demonstrated the use of NLP in making a marked difference in the specified area.

The review below explains why Ali has been nominated.

“I met Ali a year ago and she has done so much to transform my family’s lives for the better since then. I couldn’t think of anyone better placed to be nominated for (and maybe to win!) an All in the Mind award.

I was recommended Ali for my son who was dealing with anxiety about 11+ exams. Ali dispensed with those problems in our first free Skype session and went on to help my son with the social problems he was having at school. In a few months he went from dreading school to actively looking forward to going in, and ended the school year winning the school talent contest and with a headmistress’s award for a great attitude towards school.

Amazed by my son’s transformation I apprehensively introduced Ali to my 8 year old daughter, who has been struggling with trichotillomania for around 3 years. She had had a string of therapists – all of whom had been ineffectual – but I was beginning to feel that if anyone could help, Ali could. My daughter was a difficult proposition, she is smart and manipulative and wised up to all the tricks in every therapists’ book. Ali recognised this immediately and also saw that my daughter’s biggest problem was that she was addicted to the attention she got from therapists and therefore had no motivation to stop pulling her hair out. Fast forward 6 months and Edie has gone nearly 40 days without pulling – a personal record.

Ali has a gift – she is not only incredibly astute about the root cause of different children’s problems but she uses her knowledge to reach different personalities in different ways, uniquely mixing her personal blend of “Ollie and his Superpowers”, hypnotherapy and NLP. Her methods seem so simple but the best ideas – the ones that can actually revolutionise the way we do things – almost always are.

Ali has helped me so much personally as well – not only through helping my children to become so much happier and fulfil their potential – but also by recognising that I needed help myself with the anxiety, negativity and perfectionism that was clouding my judgement about my children and myself. I really can speak from first hand experience about the way Ali appears to ‘see through’ a person and unlock the root cause of their ‘baggage’ – the kind so many of us have and that stops us from getting the most out of our lives.

I don’t know where myself or my family would be today without Ali. She has helped us immeasurably and I truly think she’s some sort of therapist genius (between my children and I we have seen at least 7 other therapists and one time or another so I have points of comparison!)

I hope Ali/Ollie and his Superpowers wins this award because I know that her dream is to help as many children as possible at as little cost as possible, and this award would bring that dream a step closer to becoming a reality.”  Polly

To find out more about training with Alison please go to https://www.ollieandhissuperpowers.com/pages/become-an-ollie-coach

Stress and Anxiety management

Turn it Off Turn it On – study day

Anxiety and Stress are increasing in our every day lives whether it be at work or at home.  But there are ways to put what ever is causing the anxiety or stress back into perspective so that you can be more effective at work and be happier at home *.

Ali runs study days that gives you techniques that will help you manage your stress and anxiety.  You will learn how to spot a potential situation that may lead to stress and anxiety and you will learn how to adapt your language to help manage a situation either at work or at home.

Ali recently worked with a group of midwives.

The East and North Hertfordshire RCM Branch organised a study day mid February as part of the Caring for you Campaign.  It was a very successful day and commenced with Katie Chilton (our Head of Midwifery) talking about the Campaign; what she had already put in place and her future plans.  The main aim of the study day was to positively support our RCM member’s wellbeing at work.  The day was presented by Ali Knowles who is a Cognitive Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner.  The day included an introduction to NLP stress and anxiety relief techniques and strategies to deal with bullying in the workplace.

Working as a midwife can at times be difficult, making us feel vulnerable and inducing a sense of disillusion when our emotional wellbeing is not being addressed. Ali taught us some great tools to deal with these unacceptable situations. It was both a thought provoking and empowering day and has given all the attendees some skills and techniques to put in place. The day ended with some deep relaxation and hypnotherapy to engender feelings of empowerment.  Ali and her team had amazing energy and overall it was a positive day.

We would like to thank all the midwives who attended in their own time and supported the day and Gloucester ward for providing the funds for sandwiches; everyone who baked cakes which were a great hit and all that gave up their time in organising the event to make this day possible.

 

Feedback of the study day included “it was one of the best study days I’ve attended”   “it was such a great day”   “I have gained some really good skills which I hope to put in place”. 

 

If you would like more information on how to arrange a study day please contact Ali on

Ali@thehypnohut.com or give her a call 07546068881

  * Disclaimer: results may vary from person to person

 

Amazing results from the Hypno Hut – customer reviews

Customer Reviews

My job is about helping you be the best you can be.  So when I get feedback of how people have been able to change * their lives it makes me smile, getting that warm feeling inside.

I just wanted to share with you two very different clients feedback.

Just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for all your help. 

 The results I’ve achieved have surpassed my expectations and I’ve really enjoyed our sessions. 

 Each time I’ve come away relaxed and almost elated. The mind, when lead by an expert like yourself, is complex and powerful and I’ve enjoyed experimenting with mine. 

 I’m not quite ready to levitate, but I now know that if I want to I can, because I can achieve anything. 

 Thanks again. I will see you again before my op. And I really look forward to that visit. 

 

Just letting you know I haven’t smoked since our meeting last Tuesday and have no intention of ever smoking again. Can’t put into words how greatful I am.

 

Remember – All behaviour serves a purpose

 

  * Disclamer:  results may vary from person to person

What part of you makes you behave as you do

What Part of you?

People come to the hut with an identity created by their issues – so I get “I’m, depressed, I’m an alcoholic, I’m over weight, I have no motivation, I have low self-worth etc.

URM………. My attitude is you are none of those things.  They are not who you are but they are what you’re doing at the moment. I also believe all behaviour serves a purpose, so there must be a purpose behind the way you are behaving. Most of the time that behaviour although in its self-debilitating in some way, I believe, its actually trying to protect you in some way.

Think about it.  Drinking to make stuff go away, comfort eating, not daring to try or look forward…

I truly believe that our behaviours are actually trying to help but that that help often causes more issues. A bit like taking anti-depressants to keep you on an even kill.  The intent is good but the outcome is rarely a desired solution state.

Behaviours are, in my mind, created by emotion.  Emotions are the things that make us unique individuals. With children, I call these emotions superheroes to give them substance and so I can dissociate the issue from the child. In adults I call them ‘parts of us’.

By very simply asking the part of you called depressed, or the part that thinks it’s got no confidence or the part that want to eat cake “what its problem is?”  The key being what IT’S problem is not what your problem is.  It never seizes to amaze me or my client what jumps into their minds!

I have low self-worth – well how can that be helping you?

I can’t stop eating cakes – how is that helping you?

I am depressed – how is that helping you?

Often the client can’t answer and just says it’s not!

But if I ask the part of them why it’s being so controlling – it’s amazing what comes out

I have no self-worth – well if I keep myself thinking that I won’t try so cant fail like last time when….

I can’t stop eating cakes – well if I keep eating cakes I feel loved close mum used to give me sweets and cakes when I was sad so………..

I am depressed – well if I stay depressed I won’t expect and won’t be disappointed again like last time when….

Generalisations but you get my drift.

All behaviour serves a purpose and that purpose is trying to protect you.

I don’t waste your time trying to make you laugh or stop eating cakes, quick fixes that solve the effect but don’t deal with cause. I work with you to help you with the issue doing what you do is protecting you from. Parts therapy is powerful because it starts straight away by making what you are struggling with part of you not all of you, freeing you from that identity, so you can look at the issue its trying to block out. *

 * disclaimer: results may vary from person to person

The HypnoHut Rules

Rules of the Hut

Rules of the hut are updated on an irregular basis with Ali striving for continuous improvement……

Hut Rule One:  No hitting the therapist!

Hut Rule Two: Laughter is a requirement at all times.

Hut Rule Three:  Leave all labels in the box conveniently marked ‘Box for labels’ outside The Hut.

Hut Rue Four:  The management take no responsibility for you actually enjoying the session

Hut Rule Five:  No refunds on any life time memberships to anything negative just because you wont need them any more.

Hut Rule Six:  If the best version of you is not what you’re looking for, I am not the therapist for you.

Hut Rule Seven:  Really, its okay to laugh during a session.

Hut Rule Eight:  The management take no responsibility for any limiting belief you loose during the session.

Hut Rule Nine:  The management reserve the right to change The Hut Rules depending on what mood they are in.

Hut Rule Ten:  My Hut My Rules.  lol