John Taylor

Are you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, stuck, or held back by something that has happened in the past? I am an experienced psychotherapist, clinical hypnotherapist and Advanced BWRT® Practitioner with over 12 years' experience helping people make meaningful changes in their lives. I work from Craven Clinic in Skipton, North Yorkshire, and also offer online therapy throughout the UK and internationally.

People come to see me for many different reasons. You may understand perfectly well why you feel the way you do, but still find that anxiety, fear, unwanted thoughts, past experiences or old patterns continue to affect you. Or perhaps something has changed in your life and you no longer feel quite like yourself.

I particularly work with:

- anxiety, worry, panic and stress

- trauma and difficult past experiences

- depression and low mood

- fears and phobias

- confidence, self-esteem and assertiveness

- unwanted habits and compulsive behaviours

- emotional eating and weight management

- smoking cessation

- psychosexual difficulties

- autism and ADHD

- IBS and other stress-related difficulties

- tinnitus

My aim is not simply to help you understand a problem, but to help you change the thoughts, emotional responses and patterns that are keeping it going.

A therapy approach tailored to you

There is no single therapy that suits everybody.

I therefore use an integrative approach, drawing on psychotherapy, counselling, hypnotherapy, BWRT® and other psychological approaches according to the individual person and the problem we are working with.

Some people need space to talk and make sense of what has happened. Others know exactly where their difficulty comes from and want practical help changing the response it continues to create.

Often we use a combination of both.

I aim to provide a friendly, supportive and non-judgemental environment in which you can feel comfortable discussing whatever has brought you to therapy. We will agree together what you would like to change and work towards that at a pace that feels appropriate for you.

Anxiety, stress and feeling overwhelmed

Anxiety can take many forms.

You might find yourself constantly worrying about what could go wrong, experiencing panic or physical symptoms of anxiety, avoiding particular situations, overthinking conversations, struggling with confidence, or simply feeling unable to switch your mind off.

Sometimes anxiety has an obvious cause. Sometimes it seems to appear from nowhere.

Therapy can help us understand what is maintaining the anxiety while also working directly with the thoughts, emotional responses and learned patterns behind it.

I have undertaken additional specialist training in anxiety-related conditions, including Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and anxiety has been a major part of my clinical work for many years.

Trauma and difficult past experiences

Sometimes an experience is over, but part of us continues to react as though it is still happening.

You may know rationally that you are safe now, yet particular memories, situations, people or sensations can still trigger fear, distress, shame, anger or other powerful emotions.

Trauma does not have to mean one dramatic event. Difficult relationships, childhood experiences, loss, rejection, humiliation or prolonged periods of stress can also leave patterns that continue long after the original situation has passed.

My work with trauma focuses on helping reduce the emotional impact of those experiences without requiring you to spend session after session repeatedly reliving everything that happened.

BWRT® can be particularly useful in this area.

What is BWRT®?

BWRT® — BrainWorking Recursive Therapy — is a psychological therapy developed in the UK by Terence Watts.

It is carried out while you are fully conscious and does not use hypnosis.

BWRT® is particularly interesting when there seems to be a gap between what you know and how you feel.

For example:

“I know there is nothing to be frightened of — but I'm still frightened.”

“I know that happened years ago — but I still react to it.”

“I know I don't need to think this way — but I can't seem to stop.”

BWRT® works with these automatic responses rather than relying solely on consciously reasoning your way out of them.

It can also be a very private way of working. In many cases I do not need extensive details about an upsetting experience in order to work with the emotional response associated with it.

I am a Certified Advanced BWRT® Practitioner and Master Coach and have used BWRT® extensively within my clinical practice.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and relaxation. You remain aware of what is happening and remain in control throughout the process.

Therapeutic hypnosis can provide an opportunity to work with thoughts, beliefs, emotional responses and habits in a different way from ordinary conscious problem-solving.

I may use hypnotherapy for issues including:

- anxiety and stress

- confidence and self-esteem

- fears and phobias

- unwanted habits

- smoking cessation

- emotional eating and weight management

- performance and motivation

- relaxation and sleep-related difficulties

Hypnotherapy is always collaborative. You cannot be made to do anything against your wishes, and there is no requirement to surrender control.

Emotional eating and weight management

For many people, difficulty with weight is not simply about knowing what to eat.

Eating may become connected with stress, boredom, comfort, reward, habit or difficult emotions. At other times people find themselves repeatedly returning to behaviours they consciously want to change.

I work with the psychological and behavioural side of weight management, helping people identify and change patterns around eating, appetite, habits and motivation.

Where appropriate, hypnotherapy and other psychological approaches can form part of this work.

Stop smoking

I have specialist training in smoking cessation and offer a dedicated stop-smoking programme.

Rather than relying simply on willpower, the work focuses on changing the thoughts, associations and automatic habits that have kept smoking in place.

Please contact me if you would like to discuss whether this approach is appropriate for you.

Autism and ADHD

I have considerable experience working therapeutically with autistic people and people with ADHD.

Therapy does not need to be about trying to make somebody less autistic or less ADHD.

Instead, the work might focus on anxiety, overwhelm, executive functioning, confidence, relationships, emotional regulation, past experiences, burnout or simply finding ways of living that work better for the individual person.

I adapt the way I work according to the needs of each client rather than expecting every client to fit the same therapeutic model.

Professional experience

Alongside my work as a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, I am an Accredited Hypnotherapy Supervisor for the Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (APHP) and provide professional supervision and case consultation to other practitioners.

My training and qualifications include:

- Diploma in Hypnotherapy and Counselling Skills

- Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling

- Certified Advanced BWRT® Practitioner and Master Coach

- Accredited Hypnotherapy Supervisor

- Diploma as a Smoking Cessation Specialist

- GAD Therapist — specialist training in Generalised Anxiety Disorder

- WSN Level 2 Practitioner

- Certified Virtual Gastric Band Practitioner

- Transformational Life Coach

I am registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and am an accredited member of the Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (APHP).

Sessions in Skipton and online

I see clients face-to-face at:

Craven Clinic

Mount Pleasant

High Street

Skipton

North Yorkshire

BD23 1JZ

I also work online using Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, allowing me to work with clients elsewhere in the UK and internationally.

Fees

Individual therapy session — £89

75 minutes

Smoking cessation programme — £295

Concessionary rates may sometimes be available for clients on a low income.

Free introductory consultation

Choosing a therapist is personal, and it is important that you feel comfortable with the person you are going to work with.

I therefore offer a free introductory telephone or online consultation so that you can tell me a little about what you would like help with, ask any questions you have and decide whether working together feels right for you.

There is no obligation to book further sessions.

You can contact me through Hypnotherapy Directory, telephone me directly, visit my website, or book an introductory consultation online.

I aim to respond to enquiries within 24 hours. If you are expecting an email reply and have not received one, please check your spam or junk folder.

I also offer BWRT® (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy), coaching and counselling services.

I am a supervisor for hypnotherapy after completing training accredited by APHP and approved by the GHR

The following fees are indicative of prices. Please contact me to discuss your personal requirements.

You can book consultations and appointments through my online booking system at:

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/9a2d17f0?ref=booking_button

Free initial consultation by telephone, email or Zoom

Session fees (Hypnotherapy or BWRT®): £89 per 75 minutes
Smoking Cessation £295

Concession rates may be available for low income clients

Other times may be available.  Please enquire. 

You can send me an email or contact me on my landline or mobile numbers listed above. Please be aware that I may be with a client and unable to answer the phone - if you leave a message, I will return your call as soon as possible.

I aim to reply to emails within 24 hours - if you are expecting a reply but don't get one, please check your junk mail or spam folders in case it has ended up there.