With my first graduate job I found the anxiety caused problems in sleeping, which made my new job extremely difficult. I tried sleeping tablets and doctor’s visits in which I was suggested the same treatments I had previously. Often I would drag myself to work having had no sleep trying to learn a new job and adapt to a new environment with new people. After becoming fed up with that I would phone in sick often once a week, luckily my boss’s where very understanding and helpful.

I realised that I couldn’t go on like this and looked for another way out. Having heard a little about hypnotherapy from friends all of which was positive I then found Caroline’s number from the Internet.

Its obvious to me that Caroline saw an importance in making me feel comfortable with the therapy and speaking to her openly. She often repeated before and after a session that I could ask her anything I wanted and was always open to any questions about her own situation. This definitely helped build the trust I think would be needed for any therapy, aside from this though I enjoyed speaking to Caroline regardless of the therapy and I never felt rushed, as she would always allow for time before and after a session to chat about anything I was curious about.

As I see it, the sessions are all about getting rid of bottled up stresses that you probably didn’t realise were there, things that you felt guilty about when you were young and instantly suppressed to deliberately forget about I guess. For each session Caroline starts by relaxing you in a similar way to doing your own meditation would. She then asks you to just say everything and anything that comes into your head and will give you some directions if she here’s something she feels is important.

After the very first session I felt an improvement in my mood in that I felt a little lighter than before although my sleeping problems continued. I continued with the sessions for probably around 2 months having 1 or sometimes 2 sessions a week. Caroline had told me that people experience a ‘eureka’ moment at some point through the therapy.

I can’t remember which exactly but around my eighth or ninth session I felt as though I had that ‘eureka’ feeling not during the session but following it. The previous week I had been still bogged down with not sleeping and feeling pretty depressed. Following a session in which I now realised I uncovered a number of the nasty guilt feelings that had been suppressed for so long, the feeling I got was really quite dramatic. The way I described it to people was that I felt as though I had a new brain, where as before my head felt heavy and bogged down, I felt massively lighter and carefree. Things that I know would have really affected me I could now shrug off easily. It feels like having your brain cleaned out of any rubbish, I honestly felt like I was floating along, work didn’t seem so difficult because I was far more relaxed and my relationship with people at work improved as a result.

Going into this therapy I always believed in it, which I think is important because I had to stick with it and not give in when I didn’t always feel as though I was improving. It wasn’t cheap to have so many sessions and I know that a lot of people would be put off when they add up how much I spent on this, but I believe that the result I felt would just not be possible with other treatments the feeling you get when you have the ‘eureka’ is exactly what I think anyone in any kind of psycho-therapy would be searching for, to lift all of the heavy feelings associated with depression and anxiety.

I also wanted to say that I didn’t just write this comment for Caroline I wrote it because I believe in this therapy and I really think that so many people could benefit from it, I have already recommended it to just about everyone I know based on my experience. I’m sure other treatments have there place and will benefit a lot of people but I feel as though this offers something quite special and would help people with so many different circumstances as you will see that its not a therapy which is specific to certain problems. I can’t help but think that it is only a matter of time before this treatment is far more widely recognised and mainstream, as it should be".

Emetophobia
The following client came to Grantham Hypnotherapy via the Avon Hypnotherapy Referral Programme:

dear .......
my name is Sarah and I contacted you for some help with my phobia emetophobia. You gave me a contact near to my home in Melton Mowbray i thought I would let you know that I did attend the therapy and that she was fantastic. Her name is Caroline Hamblin and just thought I that I should let you know that I now have no fear of sickness at all. I am well and truly cured . My life is so much better and when I was at my worst I was desperate so i just want to say a very big thank you for your help too. My life has changed completely to let others know that there is hope for people like myself. Thank God there are people like you. Thanks again.......Sarah


When I asked her for permission to use it on our website (for people who are considering asking for a referral), and to ask her if it was ok to forward it on, she said…

of course it is fine for you to put this on web sites. Il want people to know that this really works and that people don’t have to suffer. Just thank the Lord I found you when I did. Many thanks, Sarah x x x

and then…

sorry, it is also fine to tell Caroline she’s a great person to know and I feel she puts a lot of hard work into her job, all credit to her and every one else that is involved in this kind of work. Many thanks, Sarah.xx

Analysis Client
"Hi Caroline
I put a thank you card and a cheque in the post on Friday, so you should receive it hopefully soon. Also I went on your website and clicked on links and wasn't too sure of what else to do, so if you could let me know on how to leave feedback, that would be great.

I would like to say how grateful I am to have met you and for all you have done for me. I walked into your room a nervous wreck, my whole life was falling apart, and to top it off the panic attacks were the worse too, but you managed to turn my life around. The best thing of all is that the panic attacks are gone, and I'm not afraid to even mention the words panic attacks. Some of the things that you managed to unearth (think thats the right word??) from me, were things I never even thought would affect my whole perspective. When I started my sessions I can remember you saying "trust me, I promise you will be free from all anxieties" and you were right. To start off with I wasn't too sure where things were heading, but I knew I could trust you, and sure enough everything fell into place like you said it would, and I also understood that some things were relevant to other things that came out further into the sessions, if you get what I mean, it was like the whole jigsaw coming together. I have told you things I have never told anyone else in my life, but it was easy to as I knew that you were/are a genuine person who I could trust 100%.

You really have changed my life for the better, and I can never thank you enough for that.
I meant what I said in our final session, if I can be of any help in the future, whether it be for seminars etc, I'm more than willing to do anything, as if we can make more people aware of the fantastic job you do the better. It would be great to get some NHS funding as what the NHS offer at the mo is rubbish, when I first started with panic attacks I was referred to the "Willows" by my GP which is the NHS mental services etc and the lady I saw was nice, but she didn't have a clue, she just made matters worse, in the end I said to her I didn't need to see her as it was a waste of time, also you are waiting for about 3 months to be seen, which is terrible too.

I really would like to keep in touch as you have done so much for me, if I do sell the house or I change mobile numbers etc, I'll let you know immediately, as I don't want to lose contact with you.

Many thanks once again, Julia x"