At Heal, we take a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach. Combining various techniques from Mindfulness-Based Therapies, Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (C.B.T), we tailor comprehensive, evidence-based treatment plans to help clients manage and overcome a wide range of emotional and mental health issues.

Mindfulness-Based Therapies

Since the 1970’s, clinical psychology and psychiatry have developed a number of therapeutic applications based on mindfulness practice for helping individuals experiencing a variety of psychological conditions.

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“Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges when paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally to things as they are.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn.

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What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the process of bringing one’s attention to our thoughts, feelings and emotions occurring in the present moment through the practice of meditation.

We use elements from both Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as part of our treatment plans to help clients achieve their goals and live life to the full.

Mindfulness-based approaches are used to treat clients with a range of conditions, including but not limited to:

• Anxiety
• Eating Disturbance
• Grief
• Habits & Addiction
• Panic Attacks
• Recurrent Depression
• Relationship Breakdown
• Smoking Cessation
• Stress Reduction
• Substance Misuse
• Workplace Stress

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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is treatment for anxiety without the use of medication. The 8-week evidence-based programme offers secular, intensive mindfulness training including techniques such as meditation, gentle yoga and mindfulness exercises to assist people with stress, anxiety and pain. After engaging in an MBSR course, participants have reported feeling less anxious, more energised and engaged in their work, as well as sleeping better and displaying fewer physical symptoms of stress.

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Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) was designed specifically to help people who are prone to recurrent depression. MBCT is an adaptation of MBSR that uses the same basic format and structure, combining mindfulness exercises like meditation, breathing techniques and stretching, with elements from cognitive therapy to help break the negative thought patterns that are characteristic of recurrent depression.

MBCT is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as an effective treatment for people who suffer from recurrent episodes of depression. Evidence shows that MBCT can, on average, reduce the risk of relapse of recurrent depression by 43% (Mark et al, 2014).

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (C.B.T)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a short-term, problem-orientated and intensive approach to help people manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave.

It was created to work as a highly-structured, pragmatic and quick approach that helped people understand their problems and resolve them easily by breaking them down into 5 main areas. Treatment focusses on demonstrating how these areas are all interconnected and how their interaction can interfere with our lives and affect emotions and behaviours.

The 5 main areas are:

• Situations
• Thoughts
• Emotions
• Physical Feelings
• Actions

At Heal, we integrate techniques from CBT with Hypnotherapy, delivering Hypno-CBT to clients alongside Mindfulness-Based interventions to help them achieve their everyday breakthroughs.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy has been used over the years to treat a variety of psychological and physical symptoms. It is a straightforward, ‘down to earth’ therapy in which hypnosis is used to produce deep relaxation, which not only dramatically reduces levels of stress and anxiety but also increases an individual’s ability to respond to positive suggestions.

At Heal, we use an advanced branch of hypnotherapy, Hypno-CBT, which moves beyond the traditional approach of direct suggestion for symptom removal. It integrates concepts and techniques from CBT and Hypnotherapy to create highly structured and goal orientated treatment plans. For this reason, it is probably one of the shortest forms of psychological therapies, with the average number of sessions being between 4-6.