My apologies for the lack of a blog these past couple of weeks, but (like many others) I have been struck down by a nasty bug which does not seem to want to relinquish its hold.  I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of a cold snap which will kill all those nasty little microbes – it has been far too warm so far this winter I think you’ll agree.

Anyway I hope that you are managing to survive January, whether you are in the throes of dieting, giving up alcohol, starting a new fitness routine or simply just getting through!

My attention has been drawn to the TV chef, Antony Worrall-Thompson, being convicted for shop-lifting.  At first glance, it seems to be quite puzzling in that he is a wealthy man with no actual need to steal goods.  I am also reminded of the fact that the film star, Winona Ryder, was arrested for shoplifting in Beverley Hills some years ago, so why do these apparently well-off celebrities risk their reputations and careers by stealing?

As with certain types of negative, anti-social behaviour, there can usually be found a deep-seated emotional issue which has not been resolved.  It is clear that Worrall-Thompson has had an extremely difficult and abusive past, and felt abandoned as a child.  However, he has said that he has never had therapy and in my opinion, it is only a matter of time until these sorts of issues will manifest themselves in all manner of ways, shoplifting being one of them.  Sometimes it may be felt that the shoplifter has been wronged, and the stealing is one way that they can take back what they had been deprived of in their childhood.   It could also indicate a need to feel ‘in control’, when perhaps other things are going wrong in their life.  Worrall-Thompson has had a stressful time of late, having had to deal with business failure, the death of two friends and giving up smoking.  These types of stresses can have a cumulative effect and taken together, can push people over the edge.  It is almost like a pressure-cooker (excuse the cooking metaphor) but you cannot keep the lid on emotional turmoil forever, eventually something has to give.

Worrall-Thompson has said that he now knows that he needs help, and this is very promising.  I find, in my work as a hypnotherapist, that very often the client exhibits specific symptoms and behaviours, and it is only when we go back (regress) to their childhood and adolescence that the root cause can be found.  By looking at particular events that happened in their youth, re-working them and looking at them from their current adult perspective, the client can then feel lighter, freer and much more optimistic about the future.  It is almost like a ‘de-cluttering’ session for the mind, and it does sometime involve an outpouring of emotion, but until this is performed, the client will tend to repeat the same negative patterns again and again.

If you would like to explore this aspect of hypnotherapy, do please contact me on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.

All the best,
Wendy x