Hypnotherapy Can Change Your Life
Change the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that keep holding you back.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, a phobia or an emotional issue, there’s a good chance I’ve already helped someone through something similar.
And I’d be happy to help you too.
Sometimes knowing better doesn't make you feel better
You know the fear doesn't make sense. You know you're probably going to be okay. You've told yourself to stop worrying, calm down or just get over it. But the feeling still comes.
That's because a lot of the thoughts, feelings and reactions we struggle with don't happen because we consciously choose them. They just happen.
And that's where hypnotherapy can help.
I use hypnotherapy to help you change some of those automatic patterns, so you don't have to spend your life fighting against them.
What can hypnotherapy help with?
People come to see me for all sorts of reasons.
Some have struggled with anxiety for years. Some have a very specific fear or phobia. Others know something isn't right but find it difficult to explain exactly what's going on.
I regularly help people with:
- Anxiety and panic
- Fears and phobias
- Fear of flying
- Fear of needles
- Intrusive thoughts
- Unwanted habits and behaviours
- Confidence and self esteem
- Stress and emotional difficulties
Whatever brings you here, we start with what's happening for you rather than trying to squeeze you into a particular treatment.
How does hypnotherapy work?
You probably already know that telling yourself not to feel something rarely works. Tell yourself not to be nervous and you can become even more aware of the nerves. Tell yourself the spider can't hurt you and your body may still react as though you're in danger. Tell yourself to stop thinking about something and suddenly it's all you can think about.
That's because many of our emotional responses happen automatically.
Hypnotherapy gives us a way of working with those automatic thoughts, feelings and responses rather than constantly trying to fight them.
The aim isn't to make you forget what happened or turn you into a different person. It's to help you respond differently to something that currently causes you a problem.
What does hypnosis actually feel like?
Probably much more normal than you imagine.
You won't be asleep. You won't lose control. And I can't make you do something you don't want to do.
Hypnosis is a state of focused attention. You experience similar states naturally.
You might become completely absorbed in a film and stop noticing what's happening around you. Or drive a familiar route and suddenly realise you barely remember part of the journey.
You were awake. You were in control. Your attention was simply somewhere else.
Hypnotherapy uses that natural ability to focus your attention in a deliberate way.
Throughout the session you can hear me, talk to me and open your eyes whenever you want. Most people find the experience very relaxing.
Will I still be in control during hypnosis?
Yes.
This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions about hypnosis.
Stage hypnosis has given people the idea that a hypnotist somehow takes control of your mind. That isn't what happens in therapy.
You remain aware of what's happening. You can speak. You can move. You can open your eyes.
And if I asked you to do something you genuinely didn't want to do, you wouldn't suddenly lose your ability to say no.
You're still you.
Why can hypnotherapy help when I know my fear is irrational?
This is something I hear a lot.
“I know it's ridiculous, but I still can't stop it.”
And that's the frustrating part.
You can logically know that flying is safe and still feel terrified when the aircraft door closes. You can know a spider isn't going to hurt you and still find yourself running from the room. You can know you're safe and still experience panic.
The logical part of you knowing something doesn't automatically stop your body from reacting.
Rather than repeatedly trying to convince yourself that you shouldn't feel something, hypnotherapy gives us another way of working with the response itself.
That's an important difference.
Do we need to know what caused the problem?
Not always.
Sometimes there is an obvious starting point. Sometimes there isn't. And sometimes what you think caused the problem turns out to be only part of the story.
We can explore where a thought, feeling or behaviour may have come from when that's useful.
But I'm much more interested in helping you change what's happening now than forcing you to find an explanation for everything that's happened in your life.
You don't need to arrive knowing why you feel the way you do. That's something we can work out together.
More than just hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a big part of how I work, but it isn't the only thing I do.
Over the years I've trained in a range of approaches including EMDR, Brainspotting, conversational hypnosis, NLP and EFT, alongside other psychotherapy techniques.
I don't throw every technique at you or decide what you need before I've even met you. I use what makes sense for the person sitting in front of me.
Sometimes that means hypnotherapy. Sometimes we might spend part of a session reframing the way you've been thinking about something. Sometimes another approach may help us work with something that hypnotherapy alone isn't shifting. And sometimes the most useful thing I can do is help you finally make sense of why your mind has been doing what it's been doing.
The technique isn't the important bit. Getting you to the point where this isn't controlling your life anymore is.
How many hypnotherapy sessions will I need?
Most of the people I work with see me for between two and four sessions.
Sometimes we need fewer. Sometimes we need more. It depends on you, what you're struggling with and what's been happening.
I don't believe in keeping people in therapy longer than they need to be.
And although hypnotherapy is a big part of how I work, I don't limit myself to one approach. I'm trained in a range of psychotherapy techniques and will bring these into our sessions when I think they can help.
That means the therapy can change and adapt to you rather than you having to fit into a particular method.
Hypnotherapy in Glasgow
I'm Andy Griffiths, a clinical hypnotherapist and psychotherapist based in Glasgow.
I've spent years working with people who feel stuck with thoughts, feelings, fears and behaviours they haven't been able to change on their own.
And one thing I've learned from doing this work is that two people can walk through my door with what looks like exactly the same problem and need completely different things from me.
That's why I don't believe therapy should feel like something being done to you. We work together. I listen to what's actually happening for you, we make sense of it and then decide how we're going to work with it.
Hypnotherapy may form a big part of that work. Sometimes I may also use other therapeutic approaches when I think they'll help.
The important bit isn't the name of the technique. It's helping you get to where you want to be.
What happens in the first hypnotherapy session?
We talk.
That's genuinely where we start.
I want to understand what's been happening, how it's affecting you and what you'd like to be different.
You can ask me anything you want about hypnotherapy or how I work.
I'll explain what I think is happening and how I think I can help. And if I don't think I'm the right person for you, I'll tell you.
You don't need to prepare anything. You don't need to know the right words. Just come and tell me what's going on.
We'll start there.
What My Clients Say about Me
I had my first hypno session with Andy today to help me try to eat a wider variety of foods as my diet is very limited at the moment. He is very likeable and calming and has really put my mind at ease about hypnotherapy. I feel a lot less anxious about trying new foods now and am excited to start trying more things. All in all a very good session for me.
Melissa McDonald
I finished my third session yesterday and feel completely different from 4 weeks ago when I first met Andy.
My only regret is that I hadn’t done it sooner.
If you are not sure give him a call and have a chat, no harm in that.
Thanks Andy, Jackie
Jackie Russell
I find Andy is a great listener and never says my problems can’t be resolved . I’ve seen so many therapists over the years and wasted money along the way. I’m currently having Andy help me through vertigo which I’ve had for 5 years now. He’s been worth the money and the experience of being around someone who knows what they are talking about.
Lisa Blundell
I went to see Andy for help with a specific phobia which had started to take over my life. Not only did he help me overcome my fear, we also did some work to help me prepare for a job interview. I had been through a number of things at work that had badly damaged my confidence. With Andy’s help, I was able to put my bad experiences behind me and focus on succeeding in the here-and-now. Thank you Andy! 🙂
Rachel Allan
Not sure whether hypnotherapy is right for you?
You don't have to decide that from a website.
I offer a free consultation so we can have a conversation about what's happening and whether I think I can help.
There's no pressure to book therapy afterwards.
It's simply a chance to tell me what's going on, ask any questions you have and see whether working together feels right.
