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Kelly Porch

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As the days get shorter and the leaves begin to fall, the UK health campaign Stoptober comes back into the spotlight. Every October, this national initiative encourages people to take on the challenge of quitting smoking for 28 days. The idea is simple: if you can quit for that time period, you're five times more likely to give up for good.


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Since its launch in 2012, Stoptober has motivated millions of people to quit smoking. The health benefits of quitting smoking are significant: within days, your blood pressure and circulation improve, and within weeks, lung function starts to recover.


However, quitting smoking is not easy, as many smokers can attest. It is a physical and emotional habit to break and many people experience cravings, anxiety, and irritability during the process. This is where Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy can offer support.


Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) is a modern therapeutic approach that combines elements of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) with hypnosis. Unlike traditional therapy, which might focus heavily on analysing past traumas or negative experiences, SFH concentrates on the future and positive solutions.


Here’s how it works:

  • Solution-Oriented: SFH helps you to visualize a smoke-free future by focusing on your strengths and the changes you want to make. Instead of dwelling on why you started smoking, the hypnotherapist will work with you to identify what life will look like without cigarettes.

  • Hypnosis: During hypnosis (trance), you enter a deeply relaxed state where the hypnotherapist will guide you through positive visualizations and reinforce your desire to quit smoking, helping to reduce cravings and stress.

  • Brain Science: SFH is rooted in neuroscience. Smoking triggers the brain’s “reward” system, releasing dopamine and reinforcing the habit. SFH uses positive suggestion to help rewire these pathways, making it easier to resist the urge to smoke.

  • Breaking Negative Thought Patterns: Instead of focusing on "quitting," SFH shifts the narrative toward what you gain—improved health, better finances, and a sense of freedom. The hypnotherapy helps reframe smoking as a past behavior rather than a present identity.

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  • Stress Reduction: Hypnosis (trance) is deeply relaxing and helps to reduce stress and anxiety, two major triggers for smoking. By incorporating relaxation techniques into your life, SFH helps you build healthier coping mechanisms that reduce the need to rely on cigarettes.

  • Craving Management: Hypnosis (trance) can desensitize your brain’s response to cravings by reinforcing the idea that you are in control. Over time, cravings weaken as your subconscious begins to accept the idea of a smoke-free life.

  • Positive Reinforcement: During hypnosis, the hypnotherapist reinforces positive suggestions that encourage confidence and motivation. You'll leave sessions feeling more capable of sticking to your goal, which can make the 28 days of Stoptober far easier to manage.


How to Get Involved in Stoptober 2024

If you’re ready to quit smoking, there are plenty of ways to take part in Stoptober 2024:

  • Join the challenge: Sign up on the Stoptober website and get access to a wide range of tools, including the NHS Quit Smoking app, emails with daily encouragement, and personalized quit plans.

  • Seek support: You don’t have to do this alone. Whether it’s through hypnotherapy, nicotine replacement therapies, or local stop-smoking services, make use of the available support.

  • Try Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy: If you’re struggling with the mental aspects of quitting, consider exploring SFH and get in contact to discuss.


Stoptober 2024 is the perfect opportunity to finally break free from smoking. The combination of the campaign’s resources and the emerging popularity of Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy provides a powerful toolkit for anyone looking to quit. SFH helps reprogram your mind, reduce cravings, and build the mental resilience needed to overcome smoking addiction for good.


This year, why not give yourself the gift of a healthier, smoke-free future? Stoptober and Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy might just be the perfect combination to get you there.






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In the realm of mental health and personal development, there exists hundreds of therapeutic approaches, each offering unique paths to healing and growth. Two such approaches that I offer at Kelly Porch Counselling and Hypnotherapy are (1) Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) and (2) traditional Counselling each of which have their own distinct techniques and philosophies. Understanding their differences can shed light on which approach might resonate best with individuals seeking support.

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Counselling: Exploring the Depths

Counselling, sometimes called therapy or psychotherapy (in the UK they are all the same thing), is a broad field encompassing various theoretical orientations such as cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic, and humanistic approaches, such as person-centred. At its core, counselling aims to delve into your past experiences, emotions, and thought patterns, facilitating a reflective dialogue while encouraging you to explore their feelings, gain insight into your behaviours, and address unresolved issues. This process typically unfolds over multiple sessions, allowing for gradual introspection and understanding.


Key Aspects of Counselling:

  1. Emphasis on Exploration: Counselling sessions focus on uncovering underlying issues, examining past experiences, and understanding how they shape present behaviours and emotions.

  2. Therapeutic Relationship: The relationship between you and your counsellor is pivotal, providing a safe space for open dialogue and trust-building.

  3. Longer-term Approach: Counselling often involves an extended therapeutic journey, allowing you to work through deep-seated issues at their own pace.

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Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy: Harnessing the Power of the Mind

In contrast, Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy integrates traditional counselling techniques with hypnosis (trance) to foster positive changes swiftly and effectively. SFH places a strong emphasis on the present and future rather than dwelling on past traumas or negative experiences. By inducing a state of relaxation like meditation, hypnosis (trance) helps you access your subconscious mind more readily. This heightened state of focus enables you to visualize and internalize your desired outcomes, reinforcing positive behaviours and attitudes.


Key Aspects of Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy:

  1. Focus on Solutions: SFH centres on identifying and amplifying the your strengths and resources to achieve specific goals, promoting a proactive approach to problem-solving.

  2. Utilisation of Hypnosis (trance): Hypnosis (trance) is used as a tool to induce relaxation, enhance suggestibility, and facilitate subconscious change, often leading to rapid results.

  3. Brief Therapy: SFH typically requires less sessions than counselling making it ideal for addressing specific issues or achieving targeted behavioural changes.

 


Choosing the Right Approach

Deciding between Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy and Counselling hinges on individual preferences, goals, and the nature of the challenges that are being faced. Counselling suits those who benefit from deep introspection, exploring their past to understand current difficulties. It's effective for managing complex emotional issues and fostering long-term personal growth through a supportive therapeutic relationship.

On the other hand, Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy appeals to individuals seeking practical, solution-oriented strategies to achieve rapid results. It's particularly useful for overcoming specific phobias, habits, or performance anxieties by tapping into the subconscious mind's potential for change.

Ultimately, both approaches share the common goal of empowering individuals to lead fulfilling lives, just using slightly different methodologies. Whether you gravitate towards the introspective journey of counselling or the transformative potential of hypnotherapy, the choice lies in finding the therapeutic approach that resonates most deeply with your personal needs and aspirations. Each path offers a unique opportunity for self-discovery, healing, and growth, paving the way towards a brighter, more empowered future.


Kelly Porch


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