Dear hypnotherapist

I have been suffering from depression for some time, and I don’t know it is genetic or whether I have had bad experiences in the past. All I can say is that sometimes I feel dreadful, I feel useless, and can’t get out of bed. I feel that I don’t want to do anything, and that everything is useless. I first went to my GP and she gave me beta blockers. I then went for a one off session to see a psychiatrist and he worried me. He said that I had clinical depression and he prescribed me Allegron. I was taking 25mg for some time and this made me feel out of control. I felt that my emotions were numbed and that I didn’t care about what was going on around me. Please help me.

I heard that hypnotherapy was usefull and can help people get out of depression. I also read that it provides support and that one can use hypnotherapy to boost you at your time of need. Can you help? Two of my friends said that they have used hypnosis. Is hypnotherapy the same thing as hypnosis? Please help.

H

Dear H

Thank you for your enquiry. The first thing that I should say is that I don’t want to interfere with anything that your psychiatrist has said; I should also point out that I am not a psychiatrist and I do not prescribe medication. If you would like to see me for a consultation, that is fine, but you would have to get a referral letter from your psychiatrist. I wold then be happy to see you. Allegron is the trade name for Nortriptyline and it is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCAD). They work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline into the neurons: they prolong the effects of these neurotranssmitters. I tend not to user labels in therapy. I find that labelling someone is unhelpful, and many people have been affected by false or generalized labelling. I use hypnosis in my practice to augment the work that I do in the psychodynamic psychotherapy. Essentially, the term hypnotherapy is a misnomer. Although I often use the term for convenience, hypnotherapy refers to a form of treatment in which the therapist uses hypnosis; however, I believe that hypnosis should only be used with another existing therapy such as CBT, psychotherapy, dentistry, clinical psychology etc. Perhaps, it is not worth getting bogged down with terminology. If you would like to book a session, please feel free to ring the number below. Hypnosis, used in conjunction with psychotherapy, which is the approach that I take, is a very powerful and effective form of treatment which has no side effects, and it is a programme which does not use medication.

The best of luck

Dr David Kraft, London Hypnotherapy UK & London Psychotherapy

David Kraft (PhD) is a member of the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis (BSCAH), and a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine; he is also a member of the Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine. Section of the Royal Society of Medicine, and on the General Hypnotherapy Register. He has published articles in’ Contemporary Hypnosis which is the official publication for BSCAH. He has also written articles in the Australian Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. He has also written two obituaries–one in  the BSCAH newsletter and one in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).  He has a diploma in Clinical Psychology, a diploma in clinical hypnosis and advanced diploma in clinical and strategic hypnosis. Dr David Kraft works as a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist in private practice.

Address–10 Harley Street, London, W1G 9PF

Phone Number–0207 467 8564.