Therapist Biography - Elaine Brown
Elaine Brown - practicing in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
We've asked some of our therapists to tell you a little bit about themselves, their background before they trained with the IAPH, and their experience of the IAPH and its training.
Your main town(s)/cities(s) that you practice in:
Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
What was your background before you trained to be a Pure Hypnoanalyst?:
I started out in Banking then went to work for an electronics company as a supervisor and materials controller. As the years went on I became more and more interested in complementary therapies and subsequently trained as a massage therapist - not the gentle relaxing stuff....the "get the elbows in", therapeutic type massage. I steadily got a successful business up and running, adding other therapies, and was doing 6 or 7 treatments daily, 5 days per week. This went on for 8 years until I started training, and subsequently practicing, as a hypnotherapist.
What made you choose a career in Pure Hypnoanalysis?:
I was seeing more and more very stressed, anxious clients and I just didn't have the right skills to be able to help them. With hindsight, I now also know that I was looking for a way of "fixing" myself.
What age were you when you trained with the IAPH?:
52 years old
Had you ever studied hypnotherapy / psychology / counseling etc before training with the IAPH?:
Yes, I initially did a residential course in hypnotherapy, NLP and coaching, along with other workshops and seminars.
If you had studied hypnotherapy / psychology / counseling etc before, how did our training and support compare to the others?:
Ah, well...this is where it gets interesting. Having done a great deal of training, in various forms over the years, I have never, personally, come across an organisation to rival the IAPH for training and support. There is online, telephone and personal support available pretty well 24/7 from experienced, enthusiastic colleagues and IAPH council members.
What made you choose the IAPH Successful Hypnotherapy Diploma Course, as opposed to any of the others available?
I initially attended a "Secrets of Hypnoanalysis" workshop and realised that the "quick fix" type of therapy that I was already practising wasn't necessarily the best option for my clients. There is no doubt that I was having some success, but what appealed to me was the fact that the IAPH course and hypnoanalysis was offering a complete and lasting solution for clients. The course is very reasonably priced and I had so enjoyed the workshop that there seemed no doubt that this training course was the one for me.
How did you find the combination of home-study, and hands-on training seminars and workshops?
This combination worked very well for me and I was able to integrate the study easily into my week. Some weeks I definitely had more time to study than others but there was no pressure, I worked at my own pace. The course notes are well written and easy to follow. The seminars and workshops are excellent with good handouts and, where appropriate, practical work taking place in a supportive environment. I hadn't appreciated that training could be so enjoyable and it's much easier to learn and absorb when the subject matter is put across in this way.
Did you receive enough support and mentoring throughout your studies, or could you have done with more?
I tended to work away on my own, most of the time, but I always knew that there was support available as and when I needed it.
Did you find it easy to use the online support forum, both for your questions/answers, and downloading the free video and audio lectures?
The online support forum is an amazing resource. It's easy to use, even for those who may be technically challenged, and I've had answers to questions within hours...sometimes minutes. I remember asking a question on a Saturday morning and getting answers online that same afternoon, along with a phone call from an experienced colleague I'd never met before offering help and advice. It doesn't get much better than that and I've learned an awful lot from reading other people's questions and answers too.
The video and audio downloads are, again, a brilliant resource. The real bonus here is that having downloaded them you can listen to them as many times as you need to.
After passing the course, did you feel that you were adequately prepared for your own private practice, or did you need any extra help or support?
I do know that having a number of years experience of working with clients stood me in good stead, and probably made things a bit easier for me, but I felt confident with the course work I had completed and was actually raring to get started. The fact that you know that there is all that support there, just for the asking, does tend to make you feel so much more confident too. One of the first things I did was get myself fixed up with personal support and supervision so that I never felt I was on my own. I had also completed my personal therapy while working through the course work and that completely changed my life. This had the effect of cementing my belief in the therapy itself and what better way of starting out as an IAPH therapist...having that belief and proof that what you're doing really works !
How easy (or difficult) was it setting up your own hypnotherapy clinic, and starting to treat your own clients?
For me, it was a case of integrating this therapy into my existing hypnotherapy practice but even then there were a few major changes to be made. I found more suitable premises, renting a room in a chiropractic clinic which in itself gets me clients when they see me, and my information board, there. I availed myself of one of the excellent IAPH websites, although I'd already had a website for a number of years, and my new one is so much more professional and easy for clients to use. There's a wealth of information and advice available within the organisation when it comes to things like advertising, business cards, leaflets, etc and that has definitely prevented me from making expensive mistakes.
Now you are in practice full-time, what is life like as a busy hypnotherapist?
It's a good life. I'm doing something I really enjoy, and believe in. I may have a client with me for around 8 weeks for hypnoanalysis, I may see a client 3 or 4 times to help them change their limiting beliefs, or I may have the smoker or exam taker with me for only an hour or so.
Whatever the reason for their coming to the clinic, seeing and helping clients work at changing their lives by the end of their therapy is pretty rewarding stuff and makes for a good day at work.
