Last night on CH5 was a programme called "Sex, Lies and Hypnosis" featuring hypnotherapist Ursula James. The aim of the episode was to help a couple, Clair and Woody, overcome their emotional issues which were effectively destroying the relationship as opposed to making it better.

Ursula spoke about the destructive issues as being symptoms and stressed that if the cause was found then change could be made, which was spot on, although I very much believe in finding the cause and fixing it as opposed to just finding the cause. Hypnotherapists are as different as chalk and cheese and I must say that I very rarely use the old fashioned "Imagine pretty white clouds & a lovely beach" progressive relaxation induction method and even I was pretty freaked out when I saw the headband that Ursula wanted each of them to wear during the session to measure their "brain waves". It may have looked good on the telly for the viewers but is completely unnecessary in any hypnotherapy session in the real world.

Both Clair and Woody had two or three sessions of hypnotherapy and at the end of the episode seemed to be much happier with themselves and each other.

It was really good to see true hypnotherapy (not tainted with the NLP band waggon) being used to help people help themselves and in a realistic number of sessions, two or three.

So the lessons to be learned for those considering hypnotherapy are;

* Always see a good, skilled professional hypnotherapist.

* Run a mile if the hypnotherapist starts talking about 8, 10 or 12 sessions

* See someone who uses hypno-analysis or regression work as opposed to just direct suggestion. Any good, skilled professional hypnotherapist uses all of those techniques.

All in all, a good representation of true hypnotherapy in action. I look forward to the upcoming episodes.

Be happy,

Dave.