Evidence-Based Cognitive Hypnotherapy

Our hypnotherapists have been trained at The Quest Institute, the only UK based hypnotherapy organisation that has evidence-based research specific to their approach to therapy and training. Their in house-funded research project is listed with NICE | The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The Quest Institute

Our experienced therapists have been trained by The Quest Institute. An organization whose purpose is to advance the study and use of cognitive hypnotherapy. Many therapists are trained by a school or college which does not undertake scientific research.

This is the only UK based hypnotherapy organisation that has evidence-based research specific to their approach to therapy and training. Their in house-funded research project is listed with NICE | The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (giving guidance, advice and information services for health, public health and social care professionals).

The Quest Institute uses outcome measures that are standard within the NHS. The study Demonstrated effectiveness with outcomes of 71% for cognitive hypnotherapy to help with anxiety and depression compared with 41% for CBT therapy routinely used within the NHS.

Effectiveness helping with anxiety & depression:

0%
Cognitive Hypnotherapy
0%
CBT Therapy (NHS)

* The figure of 71% effectiveness has been shown through evidence based research and is a proven and demonstrated piece of research on the effectiveness of Cognitive Therapy compared to CBT. Some therapists will claim higher effectiveness rates but they do not publish fully or clearly the methodology of how the higher figures were attained nor do they generally show the number of participants. We feel that this can sometimes be misleading, for example, as a company we could show a 96% success rate based on a snapshot of our clients over the last six months at the point of three or more sessions, based on their feedback. We would, however, rather point out to our clients that the researched evidence shows figures overall of 71% effectiveness.

Project Confidence – A testimonial on Cognitive Therapy

Would you rather do anything than talk in public? – glossophobia is the name given to the fear of public speaking. All sorts of people can suffer physical symptoms at the thought of speaking in front of an audience from getting a wobbly voice to a racing heart and shaky hands – to some people it induces sheer panic.

We recently had the pleasure of conducting Cognitive Hypnotherapy to help with fear of public speaking with the deputy editor of Superdrug, Natalie Ticehurst. Natalie has written an article about her experience, in the article she wrote the following:

I didn’t want to go through life feeling physically sick at the thought of speaking up, especially at this stage of my career.

Gordon Matthews, director at The Clerkenwell Group City of London Hypnotherapy, is a cognitive hypnotherapist and uses a number of tools to help retrain your subconscious. ‘The unconscious mind is just sitting there to look after you. It doesn’t rationalise,’ he explained during my first session. ‘So, when you’re asked to public speak, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. You’ve convinced your brain that it doesn’t want to do any form of public speaking – so we need to rewire it.’

While Gordon gives me lots of techniques to try – focusing on my peripheral vision rather than particular faces, stopping negative thoughts in their tracks and visualising it going well before the big day – it’s the timeline technique that makes the difference. This involves Gordon putting me in a trance. I don’t realise until after the trance, but Gordon is anchoring these positive feelings with a squeeze on my knuckle at crucial times. He tells me that when I squeeze it after the treatment, the positive feelings will flood back.

It works. I wasn’t anxious in the run-up to it, and while I was talking, the nerves were nowhere near as crippling as they had been before. I’d happily take the stage again now – something I never imagined saying.

You can read more on what Natalie had to say on her experience with Gordon from City of London Hypnotherapy in the full article HERE

The Clerkenwell Group was founded by Darren Stamford and Gordon Matthews. We use cognitive HYPNOTHERAPY and NLP with the aim of helping our clients with a range of issues, from self-confidence and stopping smoking to weight control, phobias and relationship problems.