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Welcome to "Hypnotherapy Reflections: From Training to Practice!" Join us as we dive into inspiring stories of individuals who chose to train with CPHT as solution-focused hypnotherapists and transformed their lives. Discover how their specialised training empowered them to become successful practitioners, profoundly impacting their clients and communities. Each episode features candid interviews, valuable insights, and practical tips from seasoned hypnotherapists who share their journey, challenges, and triumphs. Whether considering this rewarding career or seeking motivation to elevate your practice, "Hypnotherapy Reflections" offers the inspiration and knowledge you need. Subscribe now and embark on a journey of transformation and success in the world of solution-focused hypnotherapy!
So hello, and welcome to another episode of hypnotherapy reflections from training to practice. And today, we have one of our lecturers with us. But we're gonna listen to Carmen's story, her, journey from choosing to become a hypnotherapist right through to now being an lecturer with us. So Carmen qualified us as a solution focused hypnotherapy about 8 years ago, 6 years ago.
Carmen Harrington:Oh, it was nearly 8 years to the day.
Gary Johannes:8 years ago in Peterborough, and has now gone on to do so many things, but we're gonna find out a little bit more. So we're gonna explore Carmen's journey, the unique insights, both personal and those gained through CPhD, and the powerful impact of solution focused hypotherapies have had around her, for her, and her clients. So get ready for an inspiring conversation highlighting the transformative power of hypnotherapy. So Carmen, can you introduce yourself?
Carmen Harrington:I'm Carmen Harrington. And as you know, I've been a hypnotherapist for 8 years now. I practice in Market Harbor, and I'm part of Gary's inspired to change team.
Gary Johannes:Fantastic. So one of the questions I have for you is what inspired you to become a hypnotherapist in the first place?
Carmen Harrington:Yeah. You did.
Gary Johannes:Oh, you can't say that. How did that happen? What because I you know, I don't inspire anyone, so tell me exactly what happened.
Carmen Harrington:Okay. That's a lie. You definitely do. But what happened was, I was I'll start back at the at the beginning. In 2011, when my dad died, I went to his funeral, and he had such an enormous funeral.
Carmen Harrington:And I came back thinking, who would go to mine? Terrible. So I went and joined the WI to get some friends and sort of make more friends. And when I when I was there one particular time, you came and spoke, and you you came with with Caroline. And just listening to what you say was one of those proper sliding door moments.
Carmen Harrington:If I wasn't there, you know, I would have missed out on so much. And just hearing the explanation of what you did, you know, just talking about what we say in the initial consultation and, you know, a few other bits and pieces, I've never heard anything like it. And it did inspire me to go and obviously train with you.
Gary Johannes:So my next question is how did you hear about CPhD, but it was obviously listening to that talk. So wow.
Carmen Harrington:Is it? So saying right.
Gary Johannes:What do you most enjoy about teaching at CPhD? Because since that time of first witnessing somebody talk about what we do to you now being one of the, you know, most experienced teachers we've got, really showing people what you do and how they can then do it. What do you most enjoy about it?
Carmen Harrington:I really enjoy the fact that it's given me huge amounts of confidence because when I started off, I didn't have that. And now to be able to stand up and talk for a whole weekend is is is really good for me. And one of the best things that I enjoy more than anything else, I think, is seeing the the students progress and see how they develop and change through the course. They're always completely different at
Gary Johannes:the beginning of the year at the beginning of the start. That's and and I think that's I think nearly everybody who teaches will say something very similar to that. So that's always nice to hear. Yep. So one of the things about solution focused hypnotherapy, and David Newton, who founded the organization, was very, very proud and very determined that we'll always be at the cutting edge of modern day therapy.
Gary Johannes:So we're always moving ahead with the evidence from neuroscience and research. So how do you stay up to date with the ever shifting platform of modern therapy?
Carmen Harrington:One of the things that we have to do as a hypnotherapist is keep up to date with a lot, you know, CPDs and things like that. I, you know, practice, professional development. So I read I read a lot, particularly books about the brain, you know, neuroscience, even the science behind, you know, why we sleep or anxiety, all those things that sort of play into hypnotherapy. And a lot of the associations have magazines that come out with a load of, you know, relevant stuff, you know, keep keeping up to date. But I do it mostly through through reading.
Carmen Harrington:I listen to a few podcasts and and go to CPDs that the other hypnotherapists also provide.
Gary Johannes:Absolutely. So that keeps you well informed. How to ensure then when you've got students on your course that they are well prepared for their career once they finish training and they've got their certificates and they're qualified as a clinical hypnotherapist. Do you you know, what do you need to do to best prepare them for that next stage?
Carmen Harrington:I think it's through thorough teaching. Making sure that, you know, we can apply what we've learned, you know, as as additional anecdotal stories and things like that to to to the students and just explaining a bit more than, you know, we we teach a set set of subjects and, you know, different things, you know, with regards to neuroscience, that sort of thing. But it's it's being having the ability to be able to talk around them as well and and just keeping them up to date. Because eve even the state of a year, you know, the brain changes all the time. They find out new information.
Carmen Harrington:So it's
Gary Johannes:Yeah.
Carmen Harrington:It really is just keep keeping your knowledge up to to be able to tell them about it as well, I think.
Gary Johannes:So how do you then go on to handle skepticism from the public about what we do? Because that's a question what a lot of students ask at the start of their course.
Carmen Harrington:It is. And they're often skeptical themselves, aren't they?
Gary Johannes:A little.
Carmen Harrington:So it happens all the time. You know, you go to networking events or whatever it is, and people just dismiss you because they don't even want to know about it. But the best way, I think, of handling skepticism is, dazzling them with the neuroscience.
Gary Johannes:Yeah.
Carmen Harrington:You know, just you know, not saying that what we do is some magic voodoo waffly thing. It's firmly based in in the science things, you know, things that we teach. And the other way of helping skepticism, I think, is talking about the fantastic results we get with our clients
Gary Johannes:Yeah.
Carmen Harrington:And our students as well, of course.
Gary Johannes:Yeah. So that's cool. That's a really nice way. And this that that sort of answer, and everybody answers it differently, but it keeps coming back to the underpinning of the science, the nearest science, the research. We're so well underpinned.
Gary Johannes:I think it really gives everybody who trains with us us ourselves so much equipment to go and deal with that misconception what people might have. And they fairly have it because they're normally told the wrong stuff by the media.
Carmen Harrington:Well, it validates what we do. And, of course, people, when they think of hypnotherapy, they think of all the, you you know, the stage show stuff, which is not what we do at all,
Gary Johannes:of course. So what do you find most rewarding? You know, what have you found the most rewarding aspect of your career so far as a clinical hypnotherapist and or as a lecturer?
Carmen Harrington:The most rewarding thing, I think, would be just seeing how the students develop and and and change from the you know, when they start, you know, with a bit of skepticism and not knowing exactly what they're going to do, and we immediately talk to them about what's going on in their brain. And they just sit there, bloody within you know, their mouths on the ground thinking, this is amazing. It's so interesting. Yeah. And that very first weekend, just completely wowing them and explaining about what we do.
Carmen Harrington:It's just life changing.
Gary Johannes:What about within your practice with your your own clients? Because you're busy hypnotherapist as well.
Carmen Harrington:So what's the question?
Gary Johannes:What do you find most rewarding about it?
Carmen Harrington:Most rewarding. Yep. It's it's the development. It's the change that people have. They can come in and, you know, within just about 6 weeks or so, you know, maybe more, come from somebody with such extreme anxiety that they're too scared to even come and see me to start off with.
Carmen Harrington:It's a really brave thing to do that. And then they can go and do all these amazing things that they've they've never been able to do before or they were able to do and they weren't able to do for the last few years. And it's it's just seeing that development and that change of people. Best thing ever. And knowing that you're instrumental in helping helping that change.
Gary Johannes:Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. So one of the things is because you talked about what happens with students, and you talked about the lovely outcomes you get with your clients. How do you balance your everyday working practice, your hypnotherapist, and the time you spend lecturing and supporting students?
Carmen Harrington:Lecturing only happened over the weekend, you know, for for me. So I don't see clients during the weekends. And to make sure I have a really healthy balance, I also take every Wednesday off.
Gary Johannes:Right. My
Carmen Harrington:husband takes Wednesdays off as well because he could he doesn't get the opportunity to see me at the weekends. So he he could see me on Wednesdays, and we go out and would do things Right. Making sure that we do something then. And that's the way I do it and making sure I only work 2 evenings a week. Yeah.
Carmen Harrington:So it's it's that balance that's I find really, really important. And it takes a bit of time to trial and error.
Gary Johannes:And you're quite you're quite partial to a holiday, aren't you?
Carmen Harrington:It's very important. See, unfortunately, I'm not going away on holiday again until tomorrow.
Gary Johannes:Oh, no.
Carmen Harrington:You'll be able to see through the rest of this this day.
Gary Johannes:Yeah. So your average is about 5 or 6 or 7 a year, isn't it?
Carmen Harrington:Ideally.
Gary Johannes:You're terrible. You do look at your breaks.
Carmen Harrington:Weekends. It's it's it's all getting out and seeing different things. Couple of holidays and several several weekends. Yeah.
Gary Johannes:Yeah. Absolutely. And, I mean, that's lovely. So you do do that. So with the incorporating everything you've learned because one of the things I know is also you do you teach piano.
Gary Johannes:But what have you found from your own practical experiences as being a hypnotherapist and just life? Have you now incorporated in to the way you deliver training?
Carmen Harrington:I think it's being knowledgeable about stuff and, you know, because we as part of being a lecturer, you you have to redo the course again just to to make sure you're kept up on, you know, not only just what you're teaching, but the developments from when you learned. And being able to particularly with piano students and learning about the importance of things like inconsequential language. I always have a bit of a chat with them before we sit down and play anything. And it's being able to to use that that knowledge and just the way you speak to people, the language you use makes such a difference to to keep things positive.
Gary Johannes:So what's the funniest or most surprising thing that a student has ever asked you?
Carmen Harrington:One of the funniest things I think I think you were there at the time, actually. It was, several years ago in Birmingham. And I always always remember this. I'd even I tell my clients about it. I tell other students about it as well.
Carmen Harrington:It's when when one of the students was, had gone to the London dungeon with her mother.
Gary Johannes:Oh, yes.
Carmen Harrington:And, somebody had come in with a chainsaw, and it gave her such a fright that she pushed her mother in front of her. And she was horrified that she did did this behavior, the you know, took took this action. But just getting her to understand that, actually, it's your body, it's your it's your brain, you know, helping you to survive even if it was to the detriment of your mother. But you're actually doing what you were supposed
Gary Johannes:to do. I I I was there, and it was her realization of understanding how the brain work is why she was willing to, you know, the probably the most important person in the world to her. She was willing to sacrifice because she was in that fear state. And and she she learned what that was all about, her diploma. But I remember that moment because she was probably upset by it, wasn't she?
Carmen Harrington:Yes. She was. Well, she didn't understand why she did that. She thought she was just being really horrible.
Gary Johannes:Yeah. Oh, that's cool. That's good. So so that's one extreme. What would you say is the most rewarding feedback you've had from a student?
Carmen Harrington:Just in case you ask this question, I brought some evidence from just from from from the last, the last class that just just finished in in June, just a just a few weeks ago. Yeah. And most of them said a very, very similar sort of thing, but it was along the lines of, thank you so much, a really positive and life changing experience. And that's what so many of them said, about the fact it really was truly life changing for them, and it taught them how to be positive. And somebody else was saying, you know, support is obviously a really big one as well.
Carmen Harrington:Thank you for your support. You've guided me through, and I'm so glad I stayed. I'm a stronger person. Oh, wow. Those sorts of things.
Carmen Harrington:It's just so nice to know that Yeah. You you've changed not just their lives in a in a really positive way, but everybody else that they're coming in contact with as well now, of course.
Gary Johannes:Yeah. Absolutely. So if you wish to be able to give, advice or recommendations on a resource or a book, you'd recommend to students, or you'd always when they go, oh, what, you know, what do I need to listen to, look at, read, whatever, what would that be? What what what's the standout thing?
Carmen Harrington:Wow. This this is such a hard one because I read a lot. It's really hard to to to pick anything. One book that I do talk about quite a lot to to clients and and students as well is atomic habits.
Gary Johannes:Yes. Very good.
Carmen Harrington:Clear. I find that really, really interesting because it a lot it's teaching teaching them about the small steps. Because you might have this goal that's way up here, but how did you get there? And it's by being able to take those tiny little steps, you feel like you're making progress, and you're able to to adapt and change all the time to be able to get to that lovely goal, whatever it is.
Gary Johannes:And it's That's a very good book, isn't it?
Carmen Harrington:It is. It's and it's been consistent as well with with the changes.
Gary Johannes:Yeah.
Carmen Harrington:It's not what we teach. It sort of reinforces in a in a really small way exactly what we do. I would definitely recommend that one.
Gary Johannes:So I find even though I've been lecturing a long time, every now and again, students really surprise me by teaching me stuff. Does that happen with you, do you think?
Carmen Harrington:Yes. It is. What, one of the things is also being open
Gary Johannes:Mhmm. To
Carmen Harrington:allowing you, you know, the students to teach you things. You know?
Gary Johannes:So what stuck out for you? What have they taught what one thing that you've been taught?
Carmen Harrington:The fact that they listen to me for a start
Gary Johannes:And that's always nice.
Carmen Harrington:Is an interesting thing. And being taught that they they want to learn stuff, and the fact that they surprise themselves Yeah. As as well, you know, as as as part of their learning with with their results of, you know, help helping their clients and the consequences of their clients' circle and family and friends. That's one of the biggest things that I that I think I I learned from from my my students is just that that really lovely ripple effect that you
Gary Johannes:Yeah. That you have.
Carmen Harrington:It's not a specific thing, but it's
Gary Johannes:Yeah. I mean, it it happens all the time. So I'm just trying to think what do I ask you next. When have you used hypnotherapy to really benefit you? What what's the biggest thing it's done for you?
Carmen Harrington:I have hypnotherapy on a monthly basis
Gary Johannes:Do you?
Carmen Harrington:With one of the other Inspire to Change associates. We we do a reciprocal thing. And I find it really beneficial to keep me mentally accountable because it's so easy to slip and not think about your mental health. But if you're constantly writing down the good stuff each day and listening to the audio downloads and, making sure that that you're okay because you know that you know you're going to a session. I find that that really helpful.
Carmen Harrington:Just just to look and see the opportunities of seeing all the good things everywhere because it happens all the time. We just don't necessarily see them. So Yeah. I want to make sure that I go and have a walk around the garden and seeing what's changed and being mindful about, you know, the beauty out there. Those those sorts of things.
Gary Johannes:So what would you say is your favorite motivational quote?
Carmen Harrington:There's so many. There's there's one actually that I that I picked up from my yoga teacher, actually. And it's it's where in it where attention goes, energy flows.
Gary Johannes:Yes.
Carmen Harrington:And I quite like that. It's just a small easy one because if you're concentrating, focusing on all the the bad stuff, and that's where all your energy is going into, you know, remaining annoyed or remaining anxious or upset about something. We if you decide you're not going to feel like that, your energy goes to something that's far more beneficial for you.
Gary Johannes:Absolutely. I love that quote. So what's the one thing you wished you had been told when you started your journey as a hypnotherapy? You know, one one thing to help you be better than you were?
Carmen Harrington:Do it your way.
Gary Johannes:Yeah.
Carmen Harrington:It's and it's it's a really hard thing to do because when you first start out, you know, you want to be seeing as many clients as you can, and you'd be really accommodating to try and fit everybody in. And sometimes just realizing that if you limited the amount of clients that you had, for example, to just specific days, then you're a far better hypnotherapist because you're doing it from a place of you being okay. And, you know, sometimes certain clients might not be the type of clients that you want, and having the ability to say, I'm sorry. I think somebody else would be in a better position to be able to help you. Mhmm.
Carmen Harrington:And just being able to
Gary Johannes:Yeah.
Carmen Harrington:To do that sort of thing. And it's it's really hard to start off with, but it take takes a bit of experience before you're able to actually
Gary Johannes:really look at that.
Carmen Harrington:Your business.
Gary Johannes:Yeah.
Carmen Harrington:The reason we go into these biz you know, to have your own business is to do it your way, to have that work life balance, to
Gary Johannes:Absolutely. Do it the
Carmen Harrington:way you want to.
Gary Johannes:Yeah. No. And that's that is hard, and I wish some people showed us the way. And and now I think there's a lot I call the lecturers like yourself for there as mentors as well as lecturers, and I think that's really helpful. What would you say your goal is as a lecturer for your students when they walk in on day 1 of the course?
Gary Johannes:What's your goal for your students?
Carmen Harrington:The biggest goal is to teach them thoroughly enough that when when they finish the end of the course, you know, after after 10 months, that they leave it feeling confident and capable. You know, that they can they're now fully qualified. They can hit the ground running and do whatever they need to do to be able to help their clients, and that's the main thing is giving them that confidence to know that they can do it.
Gary Johannes:So what advice would you give to somebody who was considering a career in hypnotherapy as a hypnotherapist? Sorry?
Carmen Harrington:Just do it. Just just do it because, we we see loads of students who still have full time jobs. You know, all sorts of things happen to them and that they everybody is is completely different. So so the biggest piece of advice, I think, would be if you really wanted to be a hypnotherapist, talk to other hypnotherapists. Yeah.
Carmen Harrington:You know, just, you know, phone
Gary Johannes:them up.
Carmen Harrington:There's there's lots of them in, you know, the hypnotherapy directory or, you know, if you Google them and talk to them and find out their or, you know, if you Google them and talk to them and find out their experience of it.
Gary Johannes:Yes.
Carmen Harrington:Obviously, they were going to praise it because it's a great thing. But
Gary Johannes:Well, there is, and there's lots of hypnotherapist out there, and they've all trained in different places and different styles. So why do you think CPHT is the best place for an aspiring hypnotherapist to train?
Carmen Harrington:Because I think the the lecturers do care. They do want to make sure that you are, supported and fully qualified and capable of doing it. You know, we we make progress all through the course. You know, we teach them about, it's not just hypnotherapy and, the neuroscience. We also teach about the marketing, about setting up your own business.
Carmen Harrington:We talk, you know, we talk about all those sorts of things as well, so they will be fully capable. Yeah. We support them throughout, you know, the the whole the whole time, where if somebody wants to come with it come and see us, you know, or join the course, we're in loads of different locations around the country, so it's really easy for them to to access our courses at the weekends as well.
Gary Johannes:Well, that's fabulous. So yeah. Definitely. Yes. And it's solution focused as well.
Carmen Harrington:It is solution focused. And I was just thinking, one of when I was training, there was, one of my piano students' mothers actually was was training at the same time. And all she did was she did some written work. And at the end of it, she set herself up as a hypnotherapist, had this really lovely, Facebook page, and website, and she went out of business really quickly because she had had no practical experience. And we do that.
Carmen Harrington:We make sure our students see clients. We we, you know, we do a lot of, supervision with them to make sure that everything's okay and they're doing all the right things, and that's so important because if we if you don't have practical experience, how do you know you're doing the right thing when you're seeing clients? It's a scary thing.
Gary Johannes:I think for me, it's that confidence and competence. Because you can teach people stuff, but they've not got the confidence to lay it down. And I think that's what you're talking about, isn't it? Giving people that
Carmen Harrington:It really is.
Gary Johannes:Confidence to do what you do.
Carmen Harrington:It's so well, they can hit the ground running as soon as they're qualified because we've given them all the tools that they need Yeah. By, you know, helping to support them and making sure or, you know, not just at the weekends, but during the during the month if they need to know anything. We're we're available for for calls or reassurance more than anything sometimes.
Gary Johannes:So so I I'm gonna finish off with one question, which interestingly, the last person on the call, who's a lecturer, and you know them very well, couldn't answer it. And I haven't sent you this question.
Carmen Harrington:For lung depression?
Gary Johannes:Yeah. So you're it's pressure time. So if hypnotherapy were a superpower, what would your superhero name be?
Carmen Harrington:Calming Carmen.
Gary Johannes:Calming Carmen. Excellent. That's that's very good. So calming, Carmen. That's hard to say.
Gary Johannes:Calming, Carmen.
Carmen Harrington:Because I I thought that when I when I was saying it, but yeah.
Gary Johannes:Maybe it's The superpower that with a difficult name. Tell everybody, if anybody sees this lovely YouTube and they decide they want to come and see you or talk to you about hypnotherapy, being a client of yours, or if they see you and think, oh, I'd like to know more about the course. Tell us how people get hold of you.
Carmen Harrington:You can find me. My website is inspired to change dotbiz. I'm in Market Harbor. So on Facebook, it's inspired to change Market Harbor, or my details are all on there. Do do you want my phone number?
Gary Johannes:No. No. That's fine. And if they want to talk to you about CPhT, what's locations do you normally teach at?
Carmen Harrington:I'm mostly based in Birmingham, but but I also help out in Nottingham and Peterborough if necessary. So Fantastic. Midlands.
Gary Johannes:Yeah. So all around the East Midlands, really, but mostly Birmingham, which is West Midlands, I guess. That will not upset anybody with I don't know what part of Midlands they're from.
Carmen Harrington:Foreign parts.
Gary Johannes:So thank you very much, Carmen. It's been a pleasure talking to you as always, and, I look forward to seeing you on our next lecturing duties. So speak to you soon. Bye bye.
Carmen Harrington:Very much. Thank you. Bye.