As a mum of a worn-out teenager currently revising for exams, as well as getting course work completed, my heart really goes out to those in a similar situation. Whether you are the student or the parent, this time of year can be so difficult. Whatever we say to our youngsters to help calm them down and ease things for them, it is still a really challenging time. Add to that the miseries of hay fever, the uncertainty of future plans, the worry about leaving home and it can all seem overwhelming.

I have found with my own son that hypnotherapy can be incredibly beneficial, so if you – or your child -feels that a relaxing hypnosis session to calm those exam nerves would be a good idea, then do get in touch. I can also create for them their very own hypnosis recording which can be downloaded onto their phone for a boost at any time, but especially useful before an exam.

Do contact me on 01449 780353 or 07817158429.

Warmest wishes,
Wendy x

Apart from swimming, I have to admit that I am not a great lover of exercise, and for a long time I have been trying to find some physical activity that I can almost become addicted to, that I actually want to do instead of feeling that I have to do it.

Well, I think I have found it.

Mr Chalk very kindly bought me a lovely new hybrid bike last week, with a light alloy frame and the difference between this and my old ‘sit up and beg bicycle’ is quite amazing. On the new bike I am finding it so much easier to navigate the roads (and yes, there are hills in Suffolk) that I am gradually increasing the distances I go. Today we went out on a most enjoyable 14 mile bike ride round Suffolk, and what I most appreciated, apart from the endorphin-high I got which has lasted the rest of the day, was being able to notice so much more in terms of wildlife, beautiful properties around here, and in addition the sounds and smells of the countryside. We really are blessed living in such a beautiful part of the country, but I don’t think I have fully been aware of this until now.

I am certainly not going to be the next Victoria Pendleton but I think that cycling may well have me hooked, which as a healthy addiction, I am quite happy about.

Sometimes people talk about having an addictive personality and I think we all have the capacity to become addicted to something. When you find something which gives you a high, you inevitably want more of it. Where the brain can play tricks on you however, in the case of a negative addiction such as drugs, alcohol, overeating or gambling is making you deny how bad you inevitably feel after the initial fix has worn off. You continue to ‘forget’ about how destructive this habit is, as you only remember the high it gives you.

When I treat people with destructive addictions, we look at how they can access the good feeling, the buzz, but in a natural long-lasting way. Hypnosis itself can make people feel really good, calm, incredibly relaxed, as well as more positive. In addition it can open up the mind to finding new healthy activities which will provide the feel-good factor, but without the disturbing consequences of a destructive habit.

It is not always easy, but once you can experience the freedom from a negative addiction, you can start to fill your life with good, healthy options that still give you that exhilarating ‘high’.

Like cycling ….

Wendy x

Hello. My name is Wendy, and I’m a food addict. There. I’ve said it.

When I tried hypnotherapy for weight loss many years ago I was lucky enough to encounter a lovely lady called Marguerite who practised quite near to where I lived. That first experience was really positive, and, armed with a recorded cassette (those were the days) I managed to lose a quite substantial amount of weight, which has stayed off. This was around 20 years ago.

I had no idea what to expect from the hypnotherapy, but was surprised and delighted with how good it made me feel, and how I lost weight so easily. Not only that I established a really healthy relationship with food which has continued to this day. No more bingeing, no more fad diets, in fact enjoying food more than I ever had in the past.

As I get older, it does seem that the metabolism grinds to a halt, and I need a little bit less than I did 20 years ago, but I am happy that I can still fit into size 12 clothes. I will never be a skinny minny, but I think I have accepted and embraced the body shape that I was born with.

When I see clients for weight loss now, it is really important that we look at the long-term view, making smart changes to our lifestyle which will make a positive difference for good. My own view – as a self-confessed foodie – is that food can still be enjoyed, it is one of those pleasant things that we do that can make us feel good – but by making small changes, keeping an eye on portions, having a food diary, upping our activity levels, we can also make sure that we achieve and keep to a healthy weight.

The hypnotherapy treatment seems to take us back to our ‘sensible self’ who actually knows exactly what to do in order to get to our ideal shape and weight, as well as making us feel incredibly relaxed and positive, and no longer needing to eat for emotional reasons.

If you are fed up with the endless diets, not losing weight and beating yourself up when you can’t fit into summer clothes, let me help you find the ‘sensible self’ within. We can work together to help you to be the person that you want to be. You will never look back.

My very best wishes for a wonderful Easter,
Wendy x

My heart goes out for Bob Geldof and his family following the recent death of his daughter, Peaches. We cannot know the full circumstances but it does seem that Peaches was suffering hugely from the loss of her mum to whom she was very close.

Paula Yates was found dead when Peaches was just 11 years old, having never really got over the death of her boyfriend Michael Hutchence four years earlier. Throughout her teens and early twenties Peaches then did go a bit wild, but just recently it seemed that she had found happiness with a new husband and two little ones who she doted on. Perhaps having children herself reminded her of her mum and that sense of not being able to share this brought back an overwhelming sense of grief. Paula was a larger than life character, although somewhat controversial at times, she also had a vulnerability which seems to have been passed on to Peaches.

We cannot know the depth of pain experienced by the family at this time, but Bob’s words ‘we are beyond pain … ‘ seemed so poignant. Having to experience the loss of a dear one is unbearable in itself, but when that person is your own child it is difficult to fathom how anyone can get through it.

My thoughts and prayers go out to them,
Wendy x

Witnessing the powerful effects of hypnotherapy first hand, I do sometimes become frustrated about the widely held scepticism towards this therapy, particularly within the mainstream medical profession. I am therefore heartened when a medical doctor working within the NHS endorses the benefits of clinical hypnotherapy.

Hypnosis has been around for centuries to treat a whole range of illnesses and to act as a poerful anaesthetic, but in the last century has been associated very strongly with stage hypnotists and machiavellian film characters intent on committing evil. So its quite refreshing when an NHS Consultant uses hypnotherapy as a first line of treatment. 

Apparently, the wonderful and very talented Jennifer Saunders is having hypnotherapy to help her to write the screenplay for a new Ab Fab film. It appears that she suffers from procrastination and negativity, so this has prompted her to seek professional help.

This is a really interesting focus for hypnotherapy treatment. It may well be that Jennifer is suffering from a lack of confidence in her abilities, perhaps rooted in the failure of the Spice Girls musical she had worked on. She has also been through a difficult period health wise, having had breast cancer. Its really encouraging, however, for someone in the public eye so well-loved and respected, to come out and admit their apparent vulnerability. And obviously I am really heartened that she opted for hypnotherapy as her treatment of choice.

Very often many people seem to think that hypnotherapy is limited in its uses, just helping people with addictions and phobias. However it really is quite limitless into how it can instigate change, whatever the issue is. In fact anything with an emotional or psychological root cause may be able to be treated with hypnotherapy.

So, you may not be writing the screenplay to a blockbuster movie, but perhaps you are working on a dissertation or essay and you are feeling blocked. Even just one session of hypnotherapy could make all the difference and allow the creativity to flow.

If you are interested in finding out more, do give me a call on 01449780352, or email me at wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.

Happy writing darlings,
Wendy x

Whatever your own personal views on the issue, the statin debate seems to rage on, with – on one side those who believe that we should all be given them as a preventative measure against heart attacks and strokes and on the other side those who feel that they are a drug which should only be prescribed when absolutely necessary, as their side effects are unpleasant to say the least.

Medical research continues to persuade us that these side effects occur only very rarely, but I’m not so sure as I know quite a few people who have suffered with the most appalling muscle cramps, depression and skin conditions, to name a few. My poor mum was put on statins (despite having no history of heart disease or stroke) and developed polymyalgia, a disease which affects the muscles. She had to be treated with steroids for this for a number of years. I believe that the statins triggered this condition.

On the other hand my dad takes statins since having a heart bypass some years ago, and he now tolerates the drug very well – it is quite possibly keeping him alive as without it, his cholesterol level was very high indeed and good not be brought down by diet alone. However, when first prescribed it he did suffer from side effects too, notably a really distressing skin rash.

So, whilst it is true that – prescribed well, and to those who really need it – it can be a life-saving drug, what I tend to object to is the way that very little attention is given to lifestyle by our medical profession. It’s almost as if it doesn’t matter if we have an unhealthy lifestyle, drinking, eating too much and smoking, as there is a drug to counteract all of that.

A dear friend had to go into hospital for an operation recently, and she told me that the doctor was absolutely amazed when she told him about her healthy lifestyle, not drinking or smoking, eating a good diet and taking regular exercise, as well as being a healthy weight. It’s almost as if the ‘norm’ is somebody who is overweight, very sedentary with a bad diet, and perhaps smokes and drinks heavily.

Conversely, I spoke to an acquaintance last week who was a heavy smoker, but believed himself to be quite healthy as statins had brought down his cholesterol level to 3.

This is quite clearly nonsense, but seems to be a commonly held belief. Live an unhealthy life, but whatever you do, don’t let your cholesterol go to more than 4.

Until the medical experts start to really push home the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and this does not just mean having some orange juice and a couple of bananas every day, then sooner rather than later we are going to be faced with an almighty health crisis, which no amount of statins or gastric bands will fix.

As well as practicing hypnotherapy I have a particular interest in nutrition, so if you think that your lifestyle could do with an overhaul, do please get in touch on 01449780352 or 07817158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk, and we could work out an individual programme for you which you will find easy to stick to.

Modern drugs are amazing in what they are able to do, but the importance of a healthy lifestyle should not be ignored.

Best wishes,
Wendy x

One of the areas where I have witnessed hypnotherapy working very powerfully is helping people to overcome performance anxiety. This can be related to exams, both written and spoken, as well as job interviews, work presentations, sporting competitions and also musical/stage performances.

It was interesting to speak to my son about this recently when he was back from university for a short trip. As a jazz musician and student at Birmingham Conservatoire, he is immersed in a highly-charged musical world where everyone around him has already achieved a certain level of excellence.   So the pressure, as you can imagine, is immense. I have learnt that jazz musicians can be particularly hard on themselves, as they have to be at one and the same time master of their craft, but also somehow get into that ‘zone’ where their creativity can flow freely. It’s that unique combination of discipline and ‘letting go’ which is such a challenge. If they get the balance right, then it can be sublime.  As my son explained to me, someone who plays music simply for fun CAN relax and let themselves go. However, for him, it’s so important, its his life and means absolutely everything, so one can understand how this balance can be hard to achieve. He has told me that sometimes he just says to himself ‘it’s only music’, and then he allows himself to relax.

Hypnotherapy is an excellent way of calming the mind before a performance of any kind and in addition visualising how you would like things to go – as vividly as you can – in order to, in effect, give a preview of how the performance is actually going to be, can be extremely powerful. Sports people are particularly good at this, the golfer visualising where exactly he wants the ball to go, the footballer about to take a penalty and actually seeing the ball in the corner of the net, the runner seeing himself crossing the line first. These simple techniques do work – and when used in conjunction with hypnosis – can have the most amazing consequences.

Do get in touch if you feel that hypnosis could help you to overcome performance anxiety – I can be contacted on 01449 780352 or 07817158429. Alternatively, you can email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.

Best wishes,
Wendy x

If you saw the recent Horizon programme ‘The power of the placebo’ you may have been as amazed and fascinated as me to discover how some minds can be ‘tricked’ into actually believing that they are being given powerful drugs which will have a definite physiological effect, when all the time they are just being given a placebo or ‘dummy’ pill.

The most incredible example of how powerful placebo can be was the case of the man from Vancouver who had Parkinson’s disease. He had been deprived of his medication for some time and was suffering from the crippling effects of the disease and then when he was treated with drugs he immediately felt better, could straighten up and be fully mobile. All this happened even though he had actually been given no medication at all, merely placebo.

Even people given placebo pills knowingly seemed to experience a relief of their symptoms, as in the case of the woman with IBS who actually tried to buy placebo pills from a health food store after the three week clinical trial was over. Whilst on the trial her IBS symptoms were completely eradicated, only to return again once she stopped taking the placebo pills.

Whilst watching the programme I had a strange feeling that in some sense I am a placebo operative, as, whilst I do not hand out medication, I do allow people to entertain an expectation that they will feel better. And, sure enough, the programme actually explored the use of hypnosis as a type of placebo, showing a dentist using a hypnotic trance as anaesthesia for surgical removal of a tooth. The man in question was asked about the level of pain he felt while the tooth was being pulled, and it was minimal – on a scale of 0-10, no more than a 4, whereas it would normally be about 9.

It was stressed during the course of the programme that part of the placebo effect comes from the patient’s belief and trust in the medical practitioner. Treatments seemed to work much better if the patient was offered the right amount of care, attention and kindness.

I have a strong belief that we all have within us natural painkillers, mood chemicals, powerful in-built drugs which – given the right help and techniques – we can harness for our ultimate wellbeing.

I am ever hopeful that the mainstream are beginning to recognise this too.

Best wishes,
Wendy x