Harley Street Hypnotherapists.  Are they a Waste of Money?

When you think of Harley Street you think of some of the best health professionals in the world. Many world renowned experts in a myriad of fields have offices here and their clients are generally wealthier and perhaps the more time rich sections of society.

I see more and more people who have already had hypnotherapy with a therapist based in Harley Street, but why are they coming to see me then?

There really is only one thing that all the hypnotherapists in Harley Street have in common...how much you will spend to see them.

Of course, there are some remarkable people working in Harley Street who have practices that help countless people to deal with the things that have been causing them stress and anxiety. However, the bottom line is that just because you pay more money doesn’t mean you get a better service.

Why is a Harley Street Hypnotherapist so expensive?

Let’s take a look at what it may cost you to see someone in Harley Street. A quick Google search of hypnotherapy in Harley Street brings up various fees. I found £295, £220, £195 and even £600 per hour. Of course you can find higher and lower fees if you look harder than I did.

Why are the fees so high?

It would be natural to assume that you are paying more because of the experience and success of the hypnotherapist you are seeing. They must be an expert in hypnosis to charge these high fees. In reality this isn’t what you are paying for.  You are simply paying more because the address is so coveted. Most therapists, doctors, counsellors or whoever works are simply renting a room, either by the day or the hour. It won’t surprise you to know that being in what could be called the most famous medical street in the world doesn’t come cheap. Aside from paying a licence fee yearly just to secure a room the therapist will also be paying a fair chunk for that room. Factor in their travel and time to get to that room and you are already paying more than most hypnotherapists would charge you before you have even gone through the door.

So..should I go to Harley Street?

If you live in London you could visit, but of course you will also find therapists all over the capital in other areas who are able to charge you for their services rather than their surroundings. As I say there are plenty of great people working in Harley Street but there are also others who are no getting the results that you would expect.

Cured in one session

No one is allowed to tell you that they can “cure” you and yet many people do use words like that. If you consider it, no one can tell you how they will get on with you until they meet you as they simply don’t know. The thing is that if they are doing everything in one session then they don’t really need to worry about what happens afterwards. Sometimes you can get all the help you need in single sessions, but often it will take a little longer. The majority of the people who see me after visiting Harley Street have been promised a miracle in a single session.

As I keep repeating there is nothing wrong with being based in that area, but sadly I see people who seem to have had a hypnotherapy session and yet the person they worked with didn’t even really explain how hypnosis works and when they visit me they still don’t know.

Give me an example..

Ok, here’s why I am writing this now. I recently read an article in the Independent where a journalist visited a hypnotherapist to help with binge eating. This is what they wrote about how they felt afterwards...

 “I definitely felt relaxed and a little woozy, but I was always aware - of the sound of the cars outside, of how I was sitting, of whether I should be perfectly still or move a bit. I wanted to open my eyes but I didn’t.”

When I read this it seems that they did not have hypnosis explained to them. In fact one of the things that I always say to my clients is that they can open their eyes if they want to but they won’t feel so relaxed of course if they do that, they will always be aware of what is happening and they can move if they want to any time to make themselves more comfortable.  And yet this person had no idea of any of these things so, of course they were not very relaxed. There were other more positive aspects to the session that were written about but ultimately it didn’t really work for the lady who was sat in the chair. This is just one example where it seems to me that the therapist wasn’t really connecting with the client.

The most important thing of all.

There is only one really important thing and that is your relationship with your hypnotherapist. If you do not have the right connection with them then things may well not work. Where you see them is probably the least important thing at this point.

Look at several people and talk to them first if you wish and if you find the right person to help you then there is always a way forward.

How do You define Hypnosis?

I often have people who visit me and tell me that they already saw a hypnotherapist in the past, and yet they did not feel that they “were under”.

It’s interesting how people define what hypnosis feels like. I feel that if someone saw someone else and felt that they were not hypnotised then this means that the person they saw simply did not explain what it is. It is nothing like you see on TV and Stage. If you think you will be in a deep sleep and then forget about everything then you are expecting the wrong thing.

Our subconscious mind is more open to suggestion when we let go and relax, but in fact it is open to suggestion all of the time. All we do in hypnosis is find the best way for you to be more open to exactly what you want. No one can make you do anything that you do not want to do. You are always in control, you can move and you will most likely remember everything that happens.

How do hypnotherapists define hypnosis?

I thought a good way to show how everyone speaks about the experience differently would be to give some examples of other hypnotherapists and how they explain how hypnosis feels to their clients:

Other people’s ways of talking about hypnosis...

My viewpoint on hypnosis being 'not a state of eyelids', a state of focus, and a natural state that everyone goes in and out of at multiple times of the day. 

Quietening and focusing the mind, allowing the resolution of an issue or issues, it may not necessarily be the only thought heard, but the one being focused on, for me this is shown by the fuzziness of all other thinking at the point of hypnosis, i know it is there, but do not follow it. so, i think,
allowing a single focal point to be achieved in the storm of noise

I suppose it's kind of an altered state of focused concentration. That is, if it really exists. 

Perhaps it's more of an altered state of perception either negative or positive which is determined by the level of engaging / ritualistic performance of the operator.

Hypnosis is our most natural state of mind where everything is ok and in which we accept this truth. So that we can create problems or solve them we have to have a vacation from it.

 In my world there is no such "thing"as hypnosis. There is
1. Now
2. Neurology (state)
3. Results
I seem to meet the "he could not put me under" most from smokers who have already seen a hypnotist and not achieved the result they think they want. I say something along the lines of:" if you want to be put under, go and see an anaesthetist. My work is the opposite of this. It is about waking up: coming out of the dopey trance you are putting yourself in and finding the freedom you seek to make good choices, and then carry them through.

I define hypnosis as the art of getting real results from imaginary or suggested events.