Cognitive Hypnotherapy and Somatic EMDR, serving the East of Norfolk and Suffolk, between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.
Hello — I’m Jill, and I’m so glad you’re here.
The therapy I offer is compassionate, gentle, and honouring. Through my own experience in therapy, I learnt that this is what we need to feel safe enough to allow the healing process to take place. I have a deep trust that each and every one of us already holds all the wisdom we need to heal and recover. It’s just that sometimes due to negative life events we forget how to access that wisdom. It’s my role to help you do that, so you can be free to make all the changes you desire and go on to live the life you wish for yourself, free of those old patterns and negative beliefs.
About My Journey
Having had personal experience of complex trauma myself, and benefited hugely from therapy, my great passion is helping other people work through, and heal from, the lasting effects of trauma, including PTSD and C-PTSD.
In 1999 I had what felt to me like a ‘breakdown’, where I stopped being able to function, and I felt as if my body was made of lead. I completely withdrew, stopped eating, and was diagnosed with clinical depression. I had a short stay in hospital followed by CBT and outpatient therapy groups, including relaxation and mindfulness.
This began my long journey into recovery and healing. I devoured numerous self-help books and began practising meditation and relaxation. I changed my career direction and moved from an oppressive (or so it felt to me) civil service job into the health and social care sector. Over the years I worked in many different settings with many different client groups. I became interested in spirituality and personal growth and this has led me down many fascinating roads of self-discovery (and continues to do so).
Over time I also had further therapy including EMDR, which was a game changer.
I’ve come to realise that nothing is more important than self-acceptance, self-compassion, and self-love. When I used to hear those expressions, they sounded like clichés. I didn’t even really understand what they meant, let alone how to achieve them. I’m so grateful to have got to the place I am today, although I’d be the first to admit it’s a life-long process and not always a linear one at that.
Because of my own healing journey I wanted to help others too, and so, in time, I decided to train as a therapist myself. I qualified as a cognitive hypnotherapist in 2006 through The Quest Institute in London.
Training and Qualifications
The Quest Institute is an evidence-based training school for Cognitive Hypnotherapy which exceeds the national occupational standards for hypnotherapy in the UK. I achieved the Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma, which is an externally verified credential that aligns with the national occupational standards for healthcare professionals. I constantly update my training through attending courses, reading current literature, and taking part in practice groups. Through The Quest Institute I also qualified as an NLP Master Practitioner, first in 2007 and then I re-trained and renewed my certification in 2018. These advanced skills combine perfectly with hypnotherapy to identify and safely reframe the deep subconscious patterns and negative self-beliefs that can leave us feeling stuck.
I’m also a certificated practitioner of Advanced EMDR, which is a gentle and safe way to help people process and release trauma. It’s now believed that trauma can be held in the body, not just the mind. Advanced EMDR uses somatic methods to help the body resolve the unprocessed trauma it’s been holding onto (sometimes for years or even decades). This qualification is accredited by the NCIP (National Council of Integrated Psychotherapists).
I’m registered with The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) and I abide by their ethics and standards.
I’m also registered with the CNHC (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council). CNHC is approved as an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA), a body accountable to Parliament. General Medical Council guidance to doctors confirms they can refer patients to practitioners on Accredited Registers.
Insurance
I hold professional and indemnity and public liability insurance and I’m happy to show you my certificate on request.
If you think I might be able to help you or you’d like to find out more, please get in touch and we’ll have a chat. I’d love to hear from you.
