Caring about our future

NEW - Web Conference Training

As a provider (Honorary Lecturer for Peninsula Medical School, Consultant, Trainer and Therapist) situated in Cornwall (that long thin peninsula at the southern most end of the UK) I can appreciate the difficulty in getting to training venues, attending conferences etc, that are rarely located nearby.  I can really sympathise with those who have to travel, and possibly stay over - it's not just the time involved, it's the cost and the inconvenience.

However, all is not lost - with the emergence of new technologies, the world of business is becoming diverse. No longer are we restricted to operating in areas where our clients are located. Virtual offices are fast replacing the need for static geographical locations. 

The challenge of communication is met by web video and audio conferencing, with its myriad of applications not just in the world of business, but also in education and training, professional and social networking.  The versatility of this ubiquitous medium has facilitated communication between different continents and different time zones, at times which are convenient for each of us.  7pm for me is 1pm for Phoenix Arizona - I'm happy working evenings!

Of course, video web conferencing offers an obvious advantage over audio technology conferencing. With video web conferencing non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions, gestures etc are not lost.

I can see if you're nodding appreciatively or raising your eyes to the heavens. In addition, it lets me pace the interaction, gauging more effectively when listeners are getting tired or in need of a comfort break.

AND travel cost, time and inconvenience are no longer issues!!

To this end I am now making my courses available online, thus avoiding disappointing individuals in far flung corners:

COURSES AVAILABLE:

1. Asperger Personalities and Counselling

Counselling, Psychotherapy and other language-based therapeutic approaches can have adverse effects on the AS personality if the therapist is unaware of the particular way in which these individuals function.

·         When someone communicates through verbal language alone, 93% of communication is lost to her/him.

·         When someone perseverates on specific topics that are emotionally charged, then encouraging them to talk about these may serve only to escalate the anxieties.

Course Ref: AC001 

2. Offenders and Asperger Personalities

Many young people with AS personalities fall foul of the law. This can be extremely distressing for their families and friends, but understanding how the AS personality operates can help prevent these activities and their consequences.

• When someone has no real understanding of consequences, punitive or rehabilitative measures will have no effect. For instance, saying 'if you do that then this will happen to you' will not necessarily have the desired result.
• when a person views things from his/her own perspective, each desire becomes a compulsive act without pausing for thought.

Course Ref: CH003

3. Clinical Hypnosis and the Autism Spectrum

The self empowerment inherent in hypnotherapy has the potential to enable people with ASD, particularly those with Higher Functioning Autism or Asperger’s syndrome, to manage their own stress levels sufficiently well to avoid anxieties escalating, thereby improving social functioning.

Our courses encompass the following issues:

1.   the nature of the Autism spectrum – social construct, inheritance, impairment;

2.   the advantages of an individualised approach for these individuals vs standardised delivery of generic services;

3.   the contra-indications of using a language based therapy with individuals whose interpretation may be different from the majority – alternatives to language;

4.   facilitation of self-empowerment – autonomy and Rights.

This course can be broken down into smaller modules, suitable for trainees, if desired.

Prices negotiated according to:

·         Length of course

·         Numbers attending

·         Level of qualification

Course Ref: CSM004

Courses can be tailored to suit your needs, so if none of the above are suitable then please contact me and let's discuss what course content would be valuable for you.

Price guide: 6 hrs is the minimum and costs £350.00.  If a group is accessing this training please add an additional £10.00 for each additional Professional Career Development Certificate required.

The Advantages of Web-conference Training:

1.   Both Video and Audio web conference are time efficient and cost effective ways of delivering training to individuals or groups powerfully.

2.   Sessions are comparatively short and intensive without dominating your normal routine or interfering with existing commitments.

3.   We learn more in ‘small chunks’, so shorter training sessions mean that participants learn more effectively.

4.   Online access allows additional visual material to be incorporated eg PowerPoint presentations, images etc.

5.   Short tele-classes over time ensure that participants can complete additional assignments and practice in between class, which further embeds their learning.

The applications of video and audio web conference training are endless.  For instance, recording studios, audio production control rooms, and editing suites support distance learning in hundreds of multimedia classrooms around the world.  But you can also study in the comfort of your own home!

Another consequence of this technology is that groups of medical students can witness a new surgical procedure without setting foot into the operating room, and a single specialist can address groups of students, scattered throughout the world, simultaneously.

All you need is a pc, internet access, a webcam (optional), a mic (essential), either Skype (free download), or Messenger (free download), and you're all set.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Dr Dawn Heather DCHyp, Chartered Scientist

Tel:+ 44 (0)1209 613 653  Mob: +44 (0)7887 602 508

Email: dawn@dawnheather.com  www.dawnheather.com

The Benefits of Hypnotherapy

Is this recognition - at last?

How gratifying it was to read the article on the benefits of hypnotherapy for children with anxiety.

'A small study found that hypnotherapy helped psychological treatment in reducing anxiety and feelings of helplessness in students.'  BBC News

Why this particular study is more newsworthy than the results hypnotherapists have been getting for years, is something of a mystery - but hey, at least a good report has hit the headlines.

As a practitioner and psychologist, I am awaiting the recognition that many disorders that are currently prevalent can be treated in this way.  We are faced with examples of low self-esteem, anxiety and depression every single day in the media - a social malaise of feeling inadequate and disempowered - why else would there be the demand for cosmetic surgery, diets, prosthetics, products for removing wrinkles/cellulite and goodness knows what else for the body.  Our psyches are treated with remedies aimed at empowering us - look at the life coaching, self-improvement courses, and numerous books on how to change yourself and become successful / thin / beautiful / someone else altogether blah blah blah.

We can also see evidence in our society of people who are suffering in the extreme - take those who over-eat, or those who become anorexic, alcoholic or addicts as examples.  These behaviours are responses to anxiety and depression, and feeling disempowered or of having no control.  Medication or surgery cannot cure the underlying causes of these conditions.

'Mr Byron said the hypnotherapy acted as a useful vehicle for the psychological treatment, and he found it produced greater effects than were seen in students using more traditional relaxation techniques. This has always been true and one could describe meditation as a form of self-hypnosis.  He said hypnotherapy could be used to influence the treatment process and could be used by psychologists as "an adjunct" to their professional training. The benefit of using hypnotherapy is that, firstly, the therapist can access the deep, underlying causes of the problems, and can then interject proactive suggestions to enable the person to cognitively process those issues and to resolve them.  Cognitive Behavioural Therapy compliments the process extremely well and can be used in conjunction to help remove what may have become habitual behaviours or responses.  He said: "It seems to empower the students to change their lives and it's not me doing it, it's them."

Let's hope that other professionals listen to his advice.  And for anyone having difficulties, please ask your practitioner to refer you to a reputable hypnotherapist. 

Some hypnotherapy training institutes (LCCH, EICH) run courses specially designed for medical students and doctors, yet clinical hypnosis is still regarded by some as 'unscientific' and, as a practitioner, I can say that I very rarely get referrals from GPs. 

I should add a word of caution here - because we are only beginning to see courses that are accredited and linked to universities, please scrutinise the qualifications of the therapist you approach - it is all too easy these days to gain a qualification over the internet and, unless you are forewarned, you might not be able to recognise their credentials.  Most reputable therapists will have a NHS number and be on the NHS directory (to which your GP has access), and the Institute from which they qualified will be evident in the letters they use after their name, also membership of regulatory bodies such as the General Hypnotherapy Register, and The British Society for Clinical Hypnosis.

How wonderful it would be to live in a society where people were less reliant on pills and surgical procedures, where everyone feels empowered to be comfortable with who they are!