Tuesday 23 July 2013

My Hypnotherapy Course Branches Across Seas

"Sheila is a very committed individual and has given a lot to other business practices"


Throughout the years I have been teaching others about The Virtual Gastric Band by holding training courses around the world. During these days training I help other practitioners learn and understand the use of the VGB and how it can be successful in their training.  Recently I was delighted to hear that one of the practitioners who attended my class flew all the way from India just to take my course.

Mr Amitava Mookerjee was delighted to share his views on my course and how it will be beneficial for his practice. He mentions that "It was amazing from as far as I was concerned. The way she has taken the problem, I have never seen anyone tackled it this affectively."

To see more of this interview please watch the video below.

For more information about my training courses or any of my services please don't hesitate to contact me: 
email: think@sheilagranger.com
tel: 01482 863 659
www.sheilagranger.com

Monday 15 July 2013

Enough on one’s plate


Below is an article written by myself introducing the Gastric Band Hypnotherapy. Why not have a read!


An introduction to gastric band hypnotherapy

Sheila Granger, international hypnotherapist, discusses whether gastric band hypnotherapy can bridge the gap between patterns of thought and behaviour, to successfully implement and maintain the lifestyle changes needed for weight loss.* Through a combination of hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques, gastric band hypnotherapy aims to help support weight loss, without the potential risks and complications associated with gastric band surgery.

Obesity

More than 60% of adults are obese
In England, more than 60 per cent of adults and 30 per cent of children, aged between two and 15, are overweight or obese. People who are overweight have a higher risk of developing a number of health conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers,1,2 reproductive problems and respiratory disorders.2 Obesity may also affect self-esteem and mental health.1 Health problems associated with obesity or excess weight cost the NHS more than five billion pounds every year,1 with the prevalence of obesity continuing to rise.2

Gastric band surgery

Gastric band surgery is a form of weight loss surgery, or bariatric surgery, which is available on the NHS as a last resort treatment for people with potentially life-threatening obesity, when all other treatments, such as diet and exercise, have been unsuccessful. Potentially life-threatening obesity is defined as people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 and above; or 35 and above, together with a serious health disorder, such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, which could improve with weight loss.2-4 Gastric banding involves surgery to place a band around the stomach, leaving a small pouch at the top of the stomach, which restricts the amount people eat, taking less time to fill and consequently feel full.3,5-7 Most people lose approximately half of their excess body weight within two years. The treatment is reversible and the band can be removed, if required.5

Although gastric band surgery is often successful for aiding weight loss,8,9 as with all invasive surgery, there are potential risks and complications, including infection, blood clots, internal bleeding, gallstones, gastric band slippage and further surgery required to repair or adjust the band, if needed.2,3,10 For this reason, most surgeons – whether in the NHS or working privately – would typically only perform gastric band surgery for those with a clinical need.3 The average cost of the various surgical interventions, including pre-operative assessment and post-operative care in the first year, is in the region of £4,500-£5,300.2

Studies have revealed the potential of hypnotherapy as a useful adjunct to weight loss programmes, such as diet and exercise,11,12 and gastric-band hypnotherapy is an innovative approach that aims to support weight loss, similarly to gastric band surgery, without the potential risks and complications.

Mind over matter

It's all about developing a healthy lifestyle
Gastric band hypnotherapy aims to convince clients they have had the restrictive mechanism fitted in the stomach, change how they think about food, and influence small, realistic changes to eating habits.

The therapy is about developing a healthy, natural weight control system, based on the natural biological signals of eating when hungry and stopping when full, rather than forming an emotional attachment to eating. Hypnotherapy can address emotional and psychological issues at the root of an individuals’ ultimate need to begin – and continue – overeating.

A thorough consultation establishes the client’s current eating habits, and identifies any problematic areas such as comfort eating, not being able to leave food on a plate, even if full, large portion sizes, unhealthy cravings, and so on. The therapist will discuss relevant areas such as healthy eating patterns, mindful eating, and exercise, before setting goals using visualisation techniques, for example, the client imagining themselves looking slim and healthy in a certain item of clothing.

Changing mindsets

During the gastric band ‘procedure’, the client is initially guided into hypnosis by the therapist, until they reach a point of deep relaxation, where the therapist can access their subconscious and increase the person’s susceptibility to positive suggestion. The therapist then takes the client descriptively through the operation step by step- from being put under anaesthetic and the journey on a trolley to the operating theatre, to the incision, the application of the gastric band and the stitching to close the incision.

The use of hospital sounds and smells can be recreated to enhance that experience, such as the smell of antiseptic and the beeping of a hospital heart monitor. Although the therapy is tailored to each client, therefore reducing the potential for any distress, gastric band hypnotherapy is not suitable for clients with a phobia of hospitals, so any fears/phobias need to be established prior to treatment.

Although the client remains aware of what's going on around them, through the subconscious mind, the boundaries of what is real and pretend are blurred, so that imagining the surgical procedure can influence real physical responses. Everyone experiences different effects from gastric band hypnotherapy, with some people experiencing the sensation of physical tightening in their stomach, while others are unable to identify any conscious connection to the ‘surgery’, but are naturally eating less.

Following the gastric band procedure, subsequent sessions combining hypnotherapy, NLP CBT techniques, such as guided imagery, metaphors, and certain aversion techniques, help to release any emotional blockages and reinforce the new way of eating.

Health benefits

Confidence, self-esteem and well-being increases!
Gastric band hypnotherapy can be useful for not only general health benefits through supporting weight loss in overweight and obese clients, it can also potentially reduce the risk of developing other conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and so on. It can also be useful for those with metabolic disorders potentially affecting weight, including polycystic ovary syndrome and underactive thyroid.

I am keen to be involved in research to provide evidence for the benefits of gastric band hypnotherapy. A survey of 60 practitioners I had trained in gastric band hypnotherapy, revealed a number of reported  physical and psychological benefits in clients, including weight loss, reductions in blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and enhanced confidence, self-esteem and well-being. Other reported benefits included reduced levels of stress, anxiety, and depression; improved sleep; and increased mobility.13

I was also involved in a six-month study as part of project HONEI (Humber Obesity, Nutrition, Education and Innovation), which aimed to develop a multidisciplinary approach to improving health and reducing health inequalities, particularly with respect to obesity. Led by Professor Stephen Atkin of Hull York Medical School, the effects of gastric band therapy were measured against a control group.** Further clinical trials are due to commence in the United States.

* Although there may be variations in styles of practice and techniques used by different schools of gastric band hypnotherapy, this article focuses on the virtual gastric band, developed by Sheila Granger.
**This research is still in the process of being published.

About the author
Sheila Granger, Practitioner of the
Virtual Gastric Band
Sheila Granger runs a hypnotherapy surgery in East Yorkshire, where she provides a number of pioneering programmes to help clients overcome physical and psychological issues. She is one of the UK’s leading hypnotherapists, and has trained more than 500 practitioners all over the world, including the UK, USA, Canada and Australia. T. 01482 863659 www.sheilagranger.com

References

1. Reducing obesity and improving diet, Department of Health (www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-obesity-and-improving-diet).
2. Final Appraisal Determination: Surgery to aid weight reduction for people with morbid obesity, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (http://www.nice.org.uk/article.asp?a=32081).
3. NHS Direct (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk).
4. Dixon JB (2008). Adjustable gastric banding and conventional therapy for Type 2 Diabetes: a randomized controlled trial, The Journal of the American Medical Association 299(3): 316-323. Source: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1149302.
5. Favretti F et al (2006). Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding in 1,791 Consecutive Obese Patients: 12-Year Results, Obesity Surgery 17: 168-175. Source: Healthier Weight (www.healthierweight.co.uk/research/gastric-band-articles/study-of-gastric-band-patients-12-years-on).
6. Kissler HJ and Settmacher U (2012). Bariatric surgery to treat obesity, Seminars in Nephrology 33(1): 75-89. Source: PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23374896).
7. Yildiz BD et al (2012). Long term efficacy of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding--retrospective analysis, Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine 21(5): 615-9. Source: PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23356198).
8. O’Brien P Prof. (2013). Gastric banding an effective long-term solution to obesity. Source: Monash University (www.monash.edu.au/news/show/gastric-banding-an-effective-long-term-solution-to-obesity).
9. Karlsson J et al (1998). Swedish obese subjects (SOS)- an intervention study of obesity, International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders 22(2): 113-26. In Final Appraisal Determination: Surgery to aid weight reduction for people with morbid obesity, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
10. Hady HR et al (2012) Complications after laparoscopic gastric banding in own material, Videosurgery and other minor miniinvasive techniques 7(3): 166-74. Source: PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23256021).
11. Stradling J et al (1998).  Controlled trial of hypnotherapy for weight loss in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea, International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders 22(3): 278-81. Source: PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9539198).
12. Bolocofsky DN et al (1985). Effectiveness of hypnosis as an adjunct to behavioral weight management, Journal of Clinical Psychology 41(1): 35-41. Source: PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3973038).
13. Granger S (2012). Gastric-band hypnosis: Weight-loss totals and associated health benefits. www.sheilagranger.com.


Monday 8 July 2013

Myths and Truths about Hypnotherapy

There are so many myths about hypnotherapists having "magical powers" and how it is "bad for your health". Today I am going to point out a few myths and truths about us hypnotherapists.


Hypnotherapists have special powers
This is one of the strangest accusations I've heard about hypnotherapists. Of course we don't have special powers. Our knowledge is usually learnt through workshops and training. We also love to help and work with other people too; this actually plays a massive role in becoming a successful hypnotherapist.

Hypnotism is for the weak minded
Hypnotherapy isn't for everyone. But never the less it doesn't mean that someone who undergoes hypnotherapy is weak minded at all. Everyone is able to participate in hypnotherapy; however those who are able to relax easier, can concentrate more and think positively are known to be very easy to work with for hypnotherapists.

Once in a hypnotic trace you can get stuck and can't wake up
It is impossible to get "stuck" in a trance. Hypnosis is a very natural state to be in so it is impossible to get stuck in; you have the same chance to get stuck in hypnosis as you would getting stuck in a daydream.

You're asleep or unconscious when being hypnotised
You are fully aware of your surroundings the whole time you're in hypnosis. Everyone experiences hypnotherapy different; some might feel very light others very heavy. However you are awake and relaxed during the whole session. Normally when you enter the deep state of hypnosis your body can fall asleep but your mind will still be awake and aware.

Hypnosis is bad for your health
This couldn't be more wrong. Hypnosis allows your body to relax both your mind and body. Relaxing isn't at all bad for your health, meaning that hypnotherapy isn't either.

After the session, you will forget everything that happened
It is understandable how people can think this as you are in a deep relaxation. However as your mind is fully aware the whole time, everything that has happened will be stored in your sub-conscious mind. Allowing you never to forget anything.



If you are interested in Hypnotherapy, would like to book a session or would like to know more. Please feel free to contact me via email or visit my website.

Sheila x