I was beyond sceptical when I thought about having hypnotherapy. I thought it was a load of rubbish but my friend who had seen Charlotte told me to give it a go. I had had CBT and counselling through my doctor but it made me feel worse and I didn’t get any better.

 

I was up to my eyeballs in medication with no sign of ever coming off anything or ever feeling well. I was expecting some doctor type person on the end of the phone to speak to me in a way that made me feel stupid but I got Charlotte, this lovely, friendly, warm and caring person who spoke to me like I was a normal person.

 

I’d been suffering from horrible depression, panic attacks every day and general anxious feelings stopping me living a normal life, working and having normal relationships.

 

I was so nervous for my first appointment I was shaking and in fact, I couldn’t even get out of the car. Charlotte was looking out of the window for me knowing I wasn’t in a good place.  She knew I was having a panic attack so came and got me.  Charlotte helped me stop the panic attack almost immediately in the car. She took me into her lovely therapy room and we chatted about all of my issues.

 

I never once felt like she was judging me, I felt I was talking to someone who had known me for years and knew everything but mostly how to help me. I was desperate at this point as no other treatment helped before. As strange as this sounds,

 

I actually really enjoyed the treatment and looked forward to the appointments. I came out of every appointment with something new and unlike my counselling and CBT when I left and felt awful and sad, I somehow felt better each time.

 

Charlotte gave me things to do, goals to meet which were all in reach and all really enjoyable. I actually miss my appointments and Charlotte, she is such a lovely person with a great outlook on life. I think the fact that she knows what it feels like to feel unwell helped her relate to me.

She is amazing at explaining what happens and what to expect over the next few weeks into recovery, she also brought me back up when I was having a wobble and made sure I stuck to what she had told me.

 

My treatment took me longer than what I had expected but it was still only 10 sessions but it was either stick with it or continue with my mental illness for the rest of my life. Now I am well, I am medication free, I have a life, my life. I look back and can’t believe that was me and how I felt. I now have a job, my relationship was saved and I can genuinely say I am happy. I can’t believe hypnotherapy isn’t available on the NHS, surely this type of treatment would help others too?  

 

Charlotte, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I feel you have saved my life. You’ve helped me to see who I am and who I can be and how I can grow as a person without depression and without all of the fear.