About Hilary

About Hilary

In the 90's I was working in language teaching and management in Further and Higher Education when I started to notice how stressful my working life had become.  I worked long hours, my colleagues were resistant to change and some behaved in negative and challenging ways. I’d always relied on my walking and yoga to stay sane and healthy and I felt I needed more help to remain calm. I did a short course of hypnotherapy to learn relaxation and self hypnosis techniques and have never looked back.

I decided to change my career, took courses in NLP, coaching and hypnotherapy, took the plunge and became self employed in 1997. The only thing missing was I was no longer teaching.

I enjoy helping people make changes in their lives and realise their full potential in sport, work and their personal lives. After being a successful hypnotherapist with a busy practice for eight years I finally started to train the next generation of hypnotherapists in 2005, combining my two passions of helping others and teaching.

I continue to learn and attend conferences and specialist courses such as hypnotherapy for easy childbirth, IBS, OCD, pre and post natal depression and have also trained as a Mindfulness teacher.

I like to use a tailor made approach to seeing clients, whether individuals or groups in organisations and companies, children, young people or adults, sports people and have developed a special way of helping problem gamblers. I also enjoy delivering resilience and leadership courses.

As well as training the next generation of hypnotherapists I deliver training internationally to my colleagues on a range of issues, deliver supervision and assess the new generation of therapists.

I have held a directorship at NCH (National Council for Hypnotherapy) and a post as specialist advisor for confidence and continue to encourage newer, less experienced hypnotherapists through supervision.

Hypnotherapy, mindfulness and teaching continue to influence my life for the better. Sometimes I don’t feel as if I am working as I work in an area I am passionate about. If only self hypnosis were taught as part of the National Curriculum I am convinced the children of today would grow up happier and healthier.

Qualifications

For those of you interested in qualifications and my competence to be a hypnotherapist and trainer of hypnotherapists, to be a supervisor and deliver continuing professional development internationally, I have the following:

BA Hons
University of Manchester
BA Hons,  Licence ès-lettres
Dijon University France
Uk Academt Logo
Certified Professional Coach
UK Academy
Uk Academt Logo
Certified practitioner of NLP
Training Changes
DABCH
Atkinson Ball College
Certified Instructor of Hypnotherapy
National Guild of Hypnotists (USA)
Kleines Sprachdiplom
Goethe Institut
Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma
NCFE
CPC (Certified Professional Coach)
IGPC (USA)
Certificate in Education
Institute of Education - UCL
CNHC Registration No: 000066-A13
Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council
Uk Academt Logo
MNLP
UK Academy
CertHypSup
NCHP
Accredited Practitioner (Senior Clinician)
National Council For Hypnotherapy
Certified Hypnotic Birthing Practitioner
Easibirthing/NCHP
Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma
National Council For Hypnotherapy
CBT Skills Training For Hypnotherapists
CPHT Bristol Hypnotherapy Training
Certification in Pain Management
Healthy Visions (USA)
BA Hons
University of Manchester
BA Hons,  Licence es-lettres
Dijon University France
Uk Academt Logo
Certified Professional Coach
UK Academy
Uk Academt Logo
Certified practitioner of NLP
Training Changes
DABCH
Atkinson Ball College
Certified Instructor of Hypnotherapy
National Guild of Hypnotists
Certificate in Hypnotherapeutic Supervision
National Council For Hypnotherapy
Kleines Sprachdiplom
Goethe Institut
Senior Clinician
National Council For Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma
NCFE
CPC (Certified Professional Coach)
IGPC
Certificate in Education
Institute of Education - UCL
Diploma in Supervision
National Council For Hypnotherapy
CNHC registration
Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council
Uk Academt Logo
MNLP
UK Academy
CertHypSup
National Council For Hypnotherapy
Diploma in Hypnotherapy
National Council For Hypnotherapy
Senior Practitioner
National Council For Hypnotherapy
Certified Hypnotic Birthing Practitioner
?
Certification in Mindfulness Meditation
Central England College
Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma
National Council For Hypnotherapy
CBT Skills Training For Hypnotherapists
Clifton College

Testimonials

You won’t find testimonials on my website.

When I train students at the UK Academy, I often raise the contentious issue of testimonials under the topic of ethics. I believe it is important to remind myself—and others—why my stance against using testimonials remains both relevant and principled.

Unlike reviews on platforms such as TripAdvisor, where feedback is generated and controlled by the reviewer and can be either positive or negative, testimonials on therapy websites are only ever positive. This is because they are selected and published by the practitioner. In my view, this makes them essentially meaningless.

What assurance do you, as a prospective client, have that these testimonials are genuine? As hypnotherapists, we are bound by a duty of confidentiality under our professional code of ethics. Furthermore, it is not unheard of for some practitioners to fabricate or embellish their reviews.

Relying on testimonials is a poor substitute for a thoughtful and informed decision. Choosing a hypnotherapist is a significant matter, and deserves a more rigorous approach.

Instead, I encourage you to carry out thorough research. Check whether the practitioner is listed with the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) or registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)—the latter confirms face-to-face training, which is increasingly rare in a world dominated by online qualifications. You might also consult the Hypnotherapy Directory, where you can review the practitioner’s credentials, length of experience, and professional background.

Avoid being swayed by empty claims such as “I’m the best” or “I see more clients than anyone else in the area.” These are reflections of ego, not evidence of competence.

Given that hypnotherapy is an unregulated field, it is vital to make an informed choice. While there is voluntary regulation through qualifications such as the externally accredited Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma (HPD)—often regarded as the gold standard—many practitioners operate without such credentials.

I have worked as a hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, and hypnotic coach since the 1990s. Since 2005, I have also trained, assessed, supervised, and presented internationally. My background is in education, not marketing.

I am a member of the respected Brookhouse Group of therapists and was among the first to achieve the HPD qualification. I engage in regular supervision and continuing professional development (CPD). I don’t make exaggerated claims—only offer transparency about my qualifications and long-standing experience in the field.

Get in Touch!

Fees & Session Length

Sessions

You will need between 3-8 sessions, although, as you are in control of your own therapy length and intensity you can leave when you feel you can manage without my help. I always tailor make your therapy and give 100%, aiming to work with you as thoroughly and quickly as possible.

Fees

An initial FREE consultation of 15 minutes is available for you from Get Mind Fit to see if your problem would be appropriately treated with hypnotherapy. Afterwards, each session lasting around 50 minutes costs £100.

To cover administration costs, appointments not cancelled 48 hours beforehand or no shows may be charged a fee of £50.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of hypnotherapy do you practise?

I have trained in many different modes of hypnotherapy and other disciplines as I prefer not to stick rigidly to any one branch. If I am helping you make changes in your life I need to be able to change and mix and match too. This way I do not limit my capacity to work in a tailor made way with you. I use a mix of advanced clinical, hypnotherapy, cognitive, Ericksonian and solution focused therapy and pick whichever techniques are best suited to you. So it is fair to say I have a broad brush approach rather than rigidly following one school of thought as clients come in all shapes and are all individuals. All hypnotherapy is solution focused anyway as we all seek a solution to your issues. If you wish to experience regression that is fine;  if you wish to have a choice of induction methods that is fine too. Nothing is set in tablets of stone so as to give you the best possible solution to your issues and the quickest, most thorough way of changing your life in whatever way you choose to do so.  If I were to follow only one school of thought or techniques I would limit your choices of success.

Will I lose control?

No; you are in total control of your own thoughts. The hypnotherapist cannot make you bark like a dog or cluck like a chicken, unless that’s is what you wanted to achieve and any good hypnotherapist would not consider those to be viable outcomes.

Is it like stage hypnosis?

No. Stage hypnotists sometimes use similar induction techniques to a hypnotherapist, but stage hypnotists are using hypnosis to entertain people and use on stage those members of the audience who can go very deeply into trance and who wish to be famous or have their few minutes of fame.

Can I get stuck in a trance?

No, you can move around and talk. This is what children do as they are naturally in trance. Having said that, I notice alot of people who spend alot of their lives in a negative ‘trance’ or state of mind, imagining the worst, resisting change and being stuck in a rut.

Can I resist hypnosis?

Yes if you want to. You only make the transition into hypnosis if you want to.

Is  hypnosis difficult to learn?

No, you already know how to do it. You have been doing it since the day you were born

Can I control others using hypnosis?

No; there is hypnotic language used by sales people and in advertisements, in politics and meetings but you only accept these suggestions if you feel inclined to do so.

Am I in a coma?

No.

Am I asleep?

No. Some clients occasionally fall asleep during hypnosis but hypnosis is not sleep

Am I unconscious?

No.

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