Charity offering hypnotherapy for homeless people

Cornish homeless charity Harbour Housing is running hypnotherapy sessions to support its residents.

The award-winning organisation recently took on its own counselling service for beneficiaries who have experienced homelessness and are working to develop their independence.

In-house counsellor Simone has been providing one-to-one sessions to support individuals with a variety of needs including mental health issues, historic trauma and difficulties surrounding addiction.

Hypnotherapy sessions act as a new supplement to this existing service, with participants, supported to safely use solution-focused hypnotic techniques to break negative cycles of depression, anxiety and addiction.

Residents attend sessions over a 12-week period where they use psychotherapeutic tools to map out a pathway to positive development, using the subconscious to reinforce this.

Simone speaks about the positive impact this has had on one of the participants: ‘When she came out of the session it looked like a weight had been lifted.

She said felt like she ‘wasn’t so heavy’ like all the weight had been lifted off her shoulders and her face looked completely different.’

Simone has been attending a course in Plymouth to learn the techniques and describes it as a really positive experience.

‘Hypnotherapy uses the application of hypnotic techniques to bring about therapeutic change and is a very pleasant, effective and relaxing experience.

‘If you have an open mind to hypnotherapy, then it can enhance many areas of your wellbeing, the very least you will experience from hypnotherapy will be feelings of relaxation and calm.’

The course has been so popular that Harbour has had to put on two groups a week, and residents have begun requesting hypnosis during their one-to-one sessions.

Emily Hill from Harbour Housing explains why they decided to run the course: ‘We have a really great enrichment programme here at Harbour where residents can get involved in training courses, volunteering and social groups.

‘We’re always really keen to try new things, and often find that less conventional methods can have hugely positive impacts.

‘It’s important that we are led by our beneficiaries’ needs and finding innovative ways to support them is something that we’re really proud of.

‘We’ve had really fantastic feedback about the hypnotherapy group and are so glad residents are feeling such a benefit from it.’

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