I trained at the Academy of Clinical and Medical Hypnosis in London.  The Academy courses are considered to offer the highest standard of training in this field in the UK. They are independently validated and assessed by the National Council for Hypnotherapy, accredited by the Department of Education and are also supported by Brighton, Cambridge, Leeds, Loughborough and Reading Universities. 

My training comprised a 12 month course in Hypnotherapy, Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP); pus CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and Stress Management training. 

Having attained my Hypnotherapy Practitioner’s Diploma, I am committed to continuing my professional development to improve and increase my knowledge and experience, and I have recently attended further courses in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Psychotherapy), Hypnodieting, hypnogastricband and a Smoking Cessation Master class.    Added to this I have completed further training in helping you overcome Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and I can now offer a 6 week programme to enable you to overcome the symptoms associated with this often crippling condition.

I first realised the power of the mind in my late teens.  I went from being a very shy teenage to a confident one in a matter of months.  This was due to an article which stated that if you acted as a confident person you would become a confident person.  It worked; I became self confident and as the months progressed this confidence changed the neural pathways in my brain, also resulting in a high level of self esteem.  So, in a nutshell, external self confidence, e.g. the face you show to the world, may lead to internal self esteem e.g. the inner belief in your own abilities.

I went on to spend the majority of my career coaching others to achieve their best work and really enjoyed this aspect of my role.  During this time the power of the mind was again reinforced, as I underwent hypnotherapy to stop smoking.  I went from smoking 30 cigarettes a day to none. With no withdrawal symptoms and in just one hour.  A real challenge as I had smoked for over 20 years.

Following this I made the decision to train in hypnotherapy as soon as an opportunity arose.  This became possible once my sons had grown up and left home, followed by being made redundant, you could say everything happens for a reason!

About the therapy practice:

My Therapy Practice is based in Great Holm, Milton Keynes (see directions under the contact tab at the top of the page). There the therapy room is designed to be a relaxing and calm environment for you, enabling you to receive the help you desire.

The relaxation I use will be tailor made just for you.  The therapy options themselves will be fully discussed between us, in partnership and decided upon jointly.

My role is to enable you to be the best you possibly can be, whether it’s to be a non smoker; at your ideal weight, or confident and relaxed with high self esteem and totally in control of your mind and body.

I am fully insured for professional liability through Towergate Underwriting Group Limited; Policy RKK746572. As a member of The General Hypnotherapy Register and the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council I adhere to their guidelines as outlined below:

Code of Ethics and Conduct

Delivery of service

    All practitioners shall undertake to: 

1. Provide service to clients solely in those areas in which they are competent to do so and for which they carry relevant professional indemnity insurance.

“Competency” means adequate training, skills and experience but need not exclude treating a client for a condition which the practitioner has not treated before, provided that due diligence and professionalism is observed. 

1. Act in a non-biased, non-prejudicial manner towards all clients, providing those clients with an identical quality of service and treatment irrespective of the many differences which are to be found between clients, including but not restricted to: race, gender, sexual orientation, disability etc.

1. Disclose full details of all relevant memberships, training, experience, qualifications and appropriate avenues of complaint to clients upon request and only use those qualifications and memberships to which they have proof of entitlement.

1. Explain fully to clients in advance of any treatment: the fee levels, precise terms of payment and any charges which might be imposed for non-attendance or cancelled appointments and wherever relevant, confidentiality issues.

“In advance of any treatment” means that not only should terms and conditions be set out in advance, but that they should be further clarified by the therapist at the initial consultation when additional information about the client’s needs is obtained. If for therapeutic reasons, the therapist wishes to modify treatment (e.g. to extend the treatment plan) then any effect this has on terms, conditions and pricing must be clearly explained to the client. 

1. Present all services and products in an unambiguous manner (to include any limitations and realistic outcomes of treatment) and ensure that the client retains complete control over the decision to purchase such services or products.  N.B. Guarantees of either a cure or a successful resolution of the problem/s presented shall not be offered.

  Client welfare

All practitioners shall undertake to: 

1. Work in ways that will promote client autonomy and well-being and that maintain respect and dignity for the client.

1. Remain aware of their own limitations and wherever appropriate, be prepared to refer a client to another practitioner (regardless of discipline) who might be expected to offer suitable treatment.

N.B. Practitioners should give full consideration to the efficacy of treatment, including the manner in which their rapport with the client may affect such efficacy.  The practitioner has the right to refuse or terminate any treatment if it is a reasonable belief that it will not be, or continue to be, efficacious.  In refusing or terminating treatment due care must be given to fully explaining the rationale for refusal or termination to the client. 

1. Ensure that wherever a client is seeking assistance for the relief of physical symptoms, that unless already having done so, the client be advised to contact a registered medical practitioner.

     N.B. Practitioners should not attempt to diagnose physical symptoms unless they have undergone relevant medical training in diagnostics. 

1. Confirm that they will never knowingly offer advice to a client which either conflicts with or is contrary to that given by the client’s registered medical advisor/s. 

N.B. If the therapist has doubts or concerns with regard to a client’s prescribed medication, they should, always with their client’s permission, contact the medical advisor personally.

10.    Use due care and diligence to avoid the implantation of false memories in the client and, ensure that the client is aware that experiences while in a suggestible state are not necessarily correlated with, or to be taken as, real and valid memories of the client’s past.

 11.   Ensure that their workplace and all facilities offered to both clients and their companions will be in every respect suitable and appropriate for the service provided.  These shall include any consulting room used for the purpose of consultation and/or conducting therapy with any client, along with any reception or waiting areas associated with such rooms.

 12.    Take all reasonable care to ensure the safety of the client and any person who may be accompanying them

 13.    Refrain from using their position of trust or confidence to:

a)  cross the commonly understood professional boundaries appropriate to the therapist/client relationship or exploit the client emotionally, sexually, financially, or in any other way whatsoever. Should either a sexual relationship, or a financial relationship other than for the payment of relevant products or services, or other inappropriate relationship develop between either therapist and client or members of their respective immediate families, the therapist must immediately cease to accept fees, terminate treatment consistent with Clause 15 below and refer the client to another suitable therapist at the very earliest opportunity. 

      N.B. Clarification on dilemmas experienced by therapists in respect of the foregoing should be sought from their respective professional body.

b)  touch the client in any way that may be open to misinterpretation.

      N.B. Before employing tactile induction or deepening techniques, both an explanation should be given and permission received.

 14.    Not accept any inappropriate gifts, gratuities or favours from a client.

 15.    Never protract treatment unnecessarily and to terminate treatment at the earliest           moment consistent with the good care of the client. 

 16.    Maintain strict confidentiality within the client/therapist relationship, always provided that such confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the therapist’s own safety or that of the client, the client’s family members or other members of the public nor in contravention of any legal action (i.e. criminal, coroner or civil court cases where a court order is made demanding disclosure) or legal requirement (e.g. Children’s Acts).

    N.B. Where the practitioner is working as part of a larger team, for example within an institution or through a multidisciplinary or similar clinical approach, or where the client has been referred by a medical advisor or agency with conditions placed on the referral as to shared disclosure by the practitioner to the advisor or agency, then provided that it is clear that the client consents, confidential information may be shared by the practitioner with the team or referring advisor or agency. 

1. Ensure that client notes and records be kept secure and confidential and that the use of both manual and computer records remains within the terms of the Data Protection Act. 

    N.B. Manual records should always be locked away when not in use and those held on     computer should be password coded.  The therapist should provide, in advance, arrangements for the secure disposal of all client records in case of their permanent incapacity or death. 

1. Recognise that the maintenance of case note should include personal details, history,

diagnosis and/or identification of problem areas; programme of sessions as agreed

 between therapist and client (if any), session progress notes and a copy of any contract. 

19.   Obtain written permission from the client (or if appropriate the client’s parent/s or legal guardian/s) before either recording client sessions, discussing undisguised cases with any person whatsoever, or publishing cases (whether disguised or not) via any medium.

     “Recording” in this context means any method other than the usual taking of written case notes. “Undisguised” in this context means cases in which material has not been sufficiently altered in order to offer reasonable anonymity to all relevant parties.  With  particular reference to the use of CCTV equipment, all clients must be fully informed      when such equipment is in operation and as above, written permission must be obtained prior to the commencement of any client session. 

1. Advise the client that disguised case studies may sometimes be utilised for the purposes of either their own supervision or the supervision and/or training of other therapists and refrain from using such material should the respective client indicate that it should not be used for these purposes. 

General conduct

All practitioners shall undertake to: 

1. Conduct themselves at all times in accord with their professional status and in such a

way as neither undermines public confidence in the process or profession of     hypnotherapy nor brings their professional body into disrepute.

22. Practitioners have the duty to protect the public and the profession from unethical, unsafe or bad practice or behaviour.  When offering criticisms or complaints about colleagues, practitioners should utilise appropriate channels such as the complaints procedures of professional bodies, or, where appropriate, Trading Standards or other relevant bodies.  Practitioners offering criticisms outside of these channels have the duty to demonstrate that it is reasonable to do so. Practitioners must use due care and diligence when offering criticisms and complaints to ensure that they are justified and can be substantiated. 

1. Respect the status of all other medical/healthcare professionals and the boundaries of their professional remit

Relationship with professional body

All practitioners shall undertake to:

  24.   Notify their professional body, in writing, of any change in practice name, contact

          address, telephone number or email address, at the earliest convenient moment.

  25.   Inform their professional body, in writing, of any alteration in circumstance which would           affect either their position or ability as practitioners.

  26.   Inform their professional body, in writing, of:

          a) any complaint (of which they are aware) made against them

b)   any disciplinary action taken against them by any professional body

c)  any criminal offence of which they have been convicted

  27.  Make available all relevant information requested as a result of investigation by any appointed Complaints and Disciplinary Officer, without hindrance (whether implied or actual) or unreasonable delay, and comply fully with all requirements inherent within any Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure to which they subscribe.

 Advertising, display of credentials & use of specific titles

All Practitioners shall undertake to:

  28.  Ensure that all advertising, no matter in what form or medium it is placed, represents a          truthful, honest and accurate picture of themselves, their skill-base, qualifications and          facilities and that any claims for the successful outcome of treatments (in whatever format) shall be based upon verifiable, fully documented evidence.

  29.  Ensure that all advertising shall be accurate, truthful and that any claims made in          advertising can be substantiated on request.

  30.  Display only valid qualifications and certificates issued in respect of relevant training          courses and events or certificates of registration, validation or accreditation as issued or awarded by relevant professional bodies.

  31.  Make no claim that they hold specific qualifications unless such claim can be fully substantiated

Notes for Guidance:

 Title: “Dr”

Practitioners should avoid the possibility of misdirecting their clients in using the title “Dr”.  Misdirecting a client falls into three categories:

a)   Medical Misdirection – where the client is led to believe, by commission or omission, intended or inadvertent, that the therapist is a licensed medical practitioner when this is not the case.

b)   Misdirection by Relevance – where the client is led to believe, by commission or omission, intended or inadvertent, that the therapist’s title is directly relevant to the practice of their therapy, when it is not (e.g. the doctorate is in an unrelated subject).

c)   Misdirection by Quality – where the client is led to believe, by commission or omission, intended or inadvertent, that the therapist’s title fulfils the requirements of widely recognized common UK standards for doctorates in Chartered Universities or Government licensed awarding bodies (e.g. a “life experience” doctorate or foreign award whose accreditation standards are questionable.)

Practitioners should, therefore, only use the title “Dr” if they are medically licensed in the UK or their title is both UK issued and accredited and in a subject relevant to hypnotherapy (e.g. counselling or psychology).  All practitioners using this title should explain in their advertising literature and to their clients, the nature and subject of the title and the awarding body, and non-medical “Drs” should declare that they are not medical practitioners in their advertising literature and to their clients.

Title: “Professor”

This should be used in the UK only when the therapist holds a UK based Professorial Chair, and the use of the title should be fully explained to the client.

Title: “Reverend”

This should be used in the UK only when the therapist is offering therapy in a religious context, and the use of this title should be fully explained to the client.

Title: “Consultant Hypnotherapist”

This should not be used

  TREATMENT of MINORS and those classified as PERSONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

All Practitioners shall undertake to: 

32.  Obtain the written consent of an appropriate adult (i.e. parent, legal guardian or registered medical practitioner) before conducting treatment with clients who are       either under the age of majority or are classified as persons with special needs.

      N.B. Wherever possible and provided it is judged to be in the child’s best interests, it is

      advisable that an appropriate adult should be present during such sessions.

 Supervision & continuing professional development

Practitioners are expected to maintain or improve their level of skills and professional competence in accordance with the requirements laid down by their respective professional body.  This could include:

a)  Meetings with a colleague (or colleagues) to discuss, in confidence, ongoing cases and issues arising from them and to work through any personal matters that might affect their own position or ability as practising therapists.  Such arrangements can take a variety of forms, the most usual of which are either personal One to One Supervision or participation within a Peer Support Group.

b)  Undertaking continuing training, either formally, by attendance at relevant courses, workshops and seminars or informally, by relevant reading and Internet research

c)  The utilisation of appropriate audit tools, e.g. client feedback forms, care aims forms etc

d)  Maintaining an awareness of research and developments within both hypnotherapy and other related fields

Internet policies and notices

If you continue to browse and use this website you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern Set Your Mind Frees relationship with you in relation to this website.

The term Set Your Mind Free or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is 13 Portchester Court, Gt. Holm, Milton Keynes MK8 9DU. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.

Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.

All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.

Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.

From time to time this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).

You may not create a link to this website from another website or document without Set Your Mind Frees prior written consent.

Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of England, Scotland and Wales.

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy sets out how Set Your Mind Free uses and protects any information that you give Set Your Mind Free when you use this website.

Set Your Mind Free is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

Set Your Mind Free may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 01/01/10.

What we collect

We may collect the following information:

name and job title

contact information including email address

demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests

other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

Internal record keeping.

We may use the information to improve our products and services.

We may periodically send promotional emails about new products, special offers or other information which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided.

From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email, phone, fax or mail. We may use the information to customise the website according to your interests.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes

If you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us at leigh@setyourmindfree.co.uk.

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish this to happen.

You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 1998. A small fee will be payable. If you would like a copy of the information held on you please write to 13 Portchester Court, Gt. Holm, Milton Keynes MK8 9DU.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible, at the above address. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

Website disclaimer

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Set Your Mind Free and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.

Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Set Your Mind Free. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.

Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, Set Your Mind Free takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.

Copyright notice

This website and its content is copyright of Set Your Mind Free © 2009. All rights reserved.

Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:

You may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only

You may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material

You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system