Cognitive Therapies are those types of intervention based upon the premise that the problem can be solved by changing your cognition i.e. your THOUGHT PROCESSES.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines cognition as follows: “The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses.” It is derived from the Latin cognitio, itself a derivative of cognoscere or “get to know”.
There is a wide body of scientific evidence supporting the fact that our emotional, or “affective”, experiences we have (positive or negative) are preceded by a cognitive act first. In simple terms, what we “feel” is caused by what (or how) we “think”.
It follows, therefore, that if we wanted to change how we are feeling, we should first change how we are thinking.
Sounds so simple, doesn’t it?
Cognitive Patterns are just HABITS
The challenge when we work on changing our thinking patterns is that the vast majority of these patterns have become “habituated” … a big word that basically means that we have formed habits in how we think, feel, and behave.
When you initially try to change these patterns consciously, it may seem as though you are fighting against yourself … like the habit is ‘unbreakable’ … and that you can’t win. Your brain, the subconscious element of it, LOVES familiarity … it has been taught to behave in this way over a long period of time, and is quite happy, quite comfortable in maintaining these behaviours that have served you so well in the past.
It’s important to remember that these habits are “learned”, is it not? They did not simply ‘pop’ into existence automatically … they were learned from experience and, most importantly, can be UNLEARNED using the correct methods!
Sooner or later, every habit can be overcome.
Our favoured approach to this is Cognitive Processing & Integration Therapy (CPI). CPI uses the technique of “Cognitive Free Association” to allow you to re-appraise past emotional experiences and to then re-integrate them into your experience in a more useful context, changing your cognition in the process.
All conditions that we can treat with hypnotic techniques require two critical elements for success: your desire to make the change, and your maximum effort. If you have these, nothing can stop you!
Information
The material included herein is intended to complement, not replace, the advice of your own physician, psychotherapist, or other healthcare professional, whom you should always consult about your circumstances before starting or stopping any medication or any other course of treatment, exercise regimen, or diet.
“… you’ve made me a man again! I can’t thank you enough, and neither can Mrs ******! I wasn’t able to perform [sexually], and have had it like that for years. Going back and finding out why this happened meant that I could deal with it. My only issue is that the sessions aren’t long enough. I felt so good that I didn’t want to come out [of hypnosis]”
Billy, Cumbernauld
“I don’t know how to write this, so bear with me. For years, … I’ve pretended to orgasm so often that … I didn’t think it was even possible. You blew that idea out of my head alright. When I think about it it feels weird. I go to ‘sleep’ and wake up able to have shuddering orgasms but I feel so good about it that I just disregard my own surprise. I will certainly be recommending you.”
Suzanne, Edinburgh
“Colin, we’re just back from holiday … I did the self hypnosis trick you showed me and imagined the flight as I wanted to experience it. It was great to be part of the trip this time … I must admit that I felt a little anxious in preparation for the holiday, but stuck with your ‘homework’ and it paid off big time. Thanks, buddy, for all your help.”
Charlie, Bathgate
“I’ve tried the patches, tried the gum, and it didn’t make a blind bit of difference. I was stunned by what you were telling me in our session, couldn’t believe it, but you took the time to explain it and it really hit home. I AM A NON SMOKER … and I love it. Thank you so much. Can you please tell me why is this not available on the NHS?”
Caroline, East Calder
“Thank you, Colin, for giving me back my self confidence. You know what it’s like and you gave me the encouragement to lose my weight. This time, the weight is falling off me!I’ve lost almost two stones already … I feel in control again.”
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