Years ago I took dance lessons, ballroom and latin.  The teacher was also a Hypnotherapist, and ran pre-exam hypnosis sessions to help with exam anxiety.  Much more recently I have had hypnotherapy to get past my fear of injections, and also for anxiety. I found the process more than just helpful - it was amazing to experience such a profound difference in small ways that had far reaching effects.  This led to my interest in training as a Hypnotherapist myself.

But there is more to it than that.  I have always wanted to make a positive difference to peoples lives.  For many years I have taught Ju-Jitsu to both children and adults.  The most memorable moments are those when I was told I'd made a difference, seeing those students gain confidence, make new friends, and the many other "transferable skills" that martial arts practice brings.  I remember a mum telling me that her 8 year old son had put up his hand in class - for the very first time.  More than one teenager has told me that they have been bullied at school, but that stopped when they had the confidence to react, in a strong and controlled way (not with violence I hasten to add).  I have seen adults who are complete introverts to the point of extreme shyness achieve brown belt or even Black belt grades, and once a team of my junior students won a Gold Medal for a team demo at the United Nations of Ju-Jitsu World Championships.  Nothing can ever take these achievements away, and although I don't know where all of my many students have ended up, I am glad that for that time they trained with me, I made a difference.

I believe that one of the saddest things in our society is a life wasted, potential lost to fear, worry or anxiety.  The busy, overwheming way we live, drowning in advertising, social media feeds, multiple ways of being contacted at any time of the day or night, has a detrimental effect on our mental health.  We compare ourselves to imaginary people who are apparently able to get everything right, juggle their work/life balance perfectly, stay fit and healthy and look well rested and beatifully groomed at all times.  We know it's unrealistic, but still... the thought is there.

I want to help the 60 year old woman who has struggled with anxiety all her life to be able to walk out of her front door and take up a new hobby, make new friends, enjoy her life.  I want to help the 40 something mum have the confidence to apply for jobs, rock at interviews, and start her next career.  I want to help the 20 something guy who is worried he isn't concentrating at work because an irrational fear keeps nagging in his thoughts.  I want to help the teenager who is struggling with feeling they are just not good enough, because their friends look so amazing on the tik-tok videos they post.  Because often, if these people don't get help then nothing will change, and I don't want that teenager to spend their entire life living with anxiety.