Changing unhelpful thought patterns

Most of my clients want to change unhelpful patterns of thought or behaviour, whether that’s getting rid of a fear of spiders, overturning a life-long habit of believing the glass is half empty or wanting to feel more confident.

Until relatively recently scientists believed that our habitual thought patterns were laid down in our late teens, early twenties, and that they were pretty much fixed for life.

Fortunately, modern brain scanning techniques have turned this idea on its head.

Neuroscientists have discovered that our brains remain 'plastic' right up into old age. They have demonstrated our brains' ability to forge new connections, essentially changing the way we think. With 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) in our brains, each with 1,000 connections, the possibilities are endless. In fact, there is even evidence that we can overcome brain damage by rewiring the remaining neurons.

As a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist I help clients tap into this natural ability of the brain, by utilising the client’s own imagination. Brain studies show that thinking about doing something fires the same neurons as actually doing it.

So, by encouraging clients to think about how they want things to be, and actively discouraging them from focusing on how they don’t want things to be, I can help them to forge new, more helpful connections.

So, if there is some aspect of your thinking or behaviour that you want to change, start by imagining how you want it to be. If you do this often enough you will be surprised at how automatic this new pattern becomes.

Deborah Pearce

Solution Focused Hypnotherapist

01404 813388    07939 840788