Phil Noone

Hello, it’s lovely to meet you. 

I’m a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist and a graduate of the highly respected Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training (CPHT) programme, offering both individual and corporate support, online or in-person.  A former senior nurse, with a specialism in emergency care, a qualified teacher and senior leader in education, I really do appreciate the challenges that life can throw at us. It might be that we're just facing an especially tricky time at the moment, or perhaps it's something more long standing. Sometimes, it can feel like things can’t ever get better.  But we don't need to feel like this, and we're not on our own.

In our work together, we form a real partnership; I recognise that you are the expert in your own life.

In our work together, we don’t dwell on problems of the past; we look to the promise of the future.

In our work together, it would be a privilege to gently guide you as you take your next steps into your new future.

Please feel free to call me for an initial chat.  There's no obligation - it's just an opportunity to find out a little more about the wonderfully relaxing and powerful effects of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy.

What actually is Solution Focused Hypnotherapy? 

Hypnosis (also known as trance) describes times when we experience a shift in our conscious awareness. Trance used during hypnotherapy is very different from the kind of things we might see in stage hypnosis.

In our day to day lives, we all naturally go in and out of trance states many times during the day – perhaps when we are driving, reading a good book or even washing the dishes. In this relaxed state, we experience changes in our conscious awareness – almost like being in a daydream. During this time, the unconscious mind is more aware and can focus on helpful suggestions and thoughts.

Trance is a very natural and safe state. Contrary to what you might see on the television, trance is not mind-control! When we are in a trance state we are still in control, and we process and decide whether information or suggestions are useful to us or not and will not accept or do anything against our will.

Being in a trance is a very relaxing experience – and it is something that all of us will frequently experience in our daily lives. In fact, experiencing changes in our conscious awareness is a vital part of our existence as humans – we need times where we can relax, reflect, and consolidate information, and utilise different parts of our brains for different activities.

From a scientific perspective, changes in conscious awareness can be demonstrated using Electroencephalography (EEG), which is a method of recording electrical energy in the brain. Our brain wave activity changes all the time, particularly as we enter different phases of sleep. When your therapist uses guided relaxation and mental imagery, it can encourage you to go into a trance state, which causes a natural shift in our brainwave patterns. This means that we might shift from being in a fully alert mental state (like when we’re busy working during the day that increases beta brain wave activity) into other states. As we are guided into deeper levels of relaxation, the brain demonstrates more alpha and theta wave activity, where we feel calmer and more relaxed but can also visualise images and reflect on different ideas that may be useful to us.

This is why Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can be so beneficial, because it combines powerful solution-focused discussions, followed by encouraging a relaxing trance state so that the ideas and solutions discussed can then be explored and utilised by the brain for positive benefit.

Taken from The Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. https://www.afsfh.com/

What's the process then?

After we’ve made our early contact, we’ll schedule in our 50 minute Initial Consultation. This is when we’ll talk in a little more detail about how you’d like your future to be. It won’t matter if you forget to say particular things at this stage; we can pick these up again at later sessions.

We also spend some time explaining how the brain works: the neuroscience. It’s very liberating to finally appreciate how the brain is behaving and in turn, how it makes us behave. It often answers a lot of questions that we have about why we think certain things or why we do what we do. Even though we don’t generally have hypnosis in this Initial Consultation, what is so empowering is to understand that we can create strategies to help overturn long-standing thoughts or behaviours, even from an early stage in our work together.

Once we are both happy that this is the right route for you, we’ll arrange our first therapy session.

What are the hypnotherapy sessions like?

Each session is around 50 minutes. During the first part of the session, we’ll revisit how the brain works and focus together on positives and goals; the second part of the session is when we enjoy the lovely relaxing trance, during which time our subconscious mind supports what we want to be different in our lives. Some people choose to rest back in a comfortable chair, others choose to relax on the couch to savour the restful and healing work that we are doing together.

The single session that we do together for stopping smoking is longer, at 90-120 minutes. We still focus on positives and we still use trance to help us work towards a smoke-free future.

Work around specific phobias (such as fear of the dentist or of creepy crawlies) are generally in a block of three sessions.

How many sessions will I need?

For stopping smoking, we tend to do just one session.

Work around specific phobias (such as fear of the dentist or of creepy crawlies) tends to be in blocks of three sessions.

For other issues, people often find great benefits from the first few sessions but may need further ones to embed the changes needed for their preferred future. We don’t drag appointments out unnecessarily and on average, people choose to have between 8 – 12 sessions. These can be booked one at a time, so you don’t have to commit to a large number of sessions from the beginning. Some people choose to come back and have ‘top up’ sessions at the end of their course of treatment and this is absolutely fine!

How often will I have sessions?

To start with, we’ll have weekly sessions. After a while, we might extend these to two or three weekly, depending on how you feel.

How do I know when I have had enough sessions?

We work side-by-side, together. But you are in charge. You’ll know when things feel improved enough for you to discontinue our work together. Of course, I will be there to support you as you make your decisions

How does the corporate support work?

Our corporate work is through The Head Gardener Programme. We can work together to support you, your workforce and your business. We have three powerful stems of support to choose from and we can create a bespoke package to suit the needs of your organisation.

Stem 1: Corporate presentation addressing how the brain works, strategies for change in the workplace and strategies for change beyond the workplace.

Stem 2: Group relaxation sessions.

Stem 3: Individual Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) sessions.

Please feel free to contact me about how we can create a bespoke package of support for your organisation.

If I contact you, does this commit me to going ahead with things?

Absolutely not. We'll just chat through what you'd like to know and go from there.

Kind words from my lovely clients:

“So much kindness, empathy and  compassion”

In short, Phil has changed my life. For the past 12 years I hadn’t stepped foot in a dentist, had treatment or even entertained a routine check up. My decision to see Phil was on a whim, I was skeptical but thought nothing could be worse than twelve years of fear, toothache and sheer embarrassment! As soon as I met Phil, my whole view on hypnotherapy changed. She explains everything in thorough detail, shows a genuine interest in you and your life and shows so much kindness, empathy and compassion.

There’s no judgement and the freedom to be honest, comfortable and open about things you find difficult. Phil has empowered me to be grateful, see the good in every situation and finally, to visit the dentist!! I truly couldn’t recommend her enough.

“I have my life back under control”

Phil has really helped me on my journey to find myself again. I suffered really badly with anxiety and sleeping problems at the beginning of our sessions and I could feel an instant improvement after the first time we met.

I now feel like I have my life back under control and I refer back to everything Phil has taught me over the past few months if I ever feel myself in a position where I feel overwhelmed.

Phil made me feel really comfortable from the second I met her, she understands everything you say and makes everything into a positive situation. On top of all that Phil is one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

She’s not only a miracle worker but also a very inspirational woman who has really changed my life for the better.

Thank you Phil from the bottom of my heart. 

“My anxieties have improved massively”

I honestly can’t thank you enough for my sessions over the last few months. It has really helped me through some tough times and I’m feeling so much better in myself and my anxieties have improved massively.  I honestly couldn’t recommend hypnotherapy enough. Thank you again!

“Truly changed my life”

After seeing Phil’s advertisement for hypnotherapy, coinciding with a number of failed therapy attempts (CBT, talking therapy, EMDR) I decided to take “one last punt” on therapy before I looked to return to medication which had helped me previously.

My initial call to discuss my requirement for therapy with Phil really stands out in my head for a few reasons. Primarily, the warm embracing nature of Phil helping me to relax, to discuss some of the things that had led to me seeking help and most importantly to truly listen to my reasons, understand my position and to not try to fit me into a specific box of mental disorder/rigid treatment plan, as I had experienced with other therapy practitioners. This helped me early on to relax and gave me confidence that my actual issues were being addressed.

I had my reservations prior to starting about whether I’d be suitable given how preoccupied my own mind is and my inability to switch off. It amazed me each and every time how I could drift into the trance state.

As treatment went on, Phil saw me on good days and bad, where I was mentally overloaded and really over-faced with the idea of talking to someone when in that mind-set. However, Phil’s naturally calming presence and kind nature soon came through, showing me that she understood my current state of mind but in no time at all could help me to relax. Sure enough, after the hypnotherapy trance, I would feel completely reset and leave feeling somewhat buoyant. Night and day compared to how I had arrived.

A side to the therapy I hadn’t considered or expected is that Phil will explain to you/help you understand physiologically how you come to feel certain ways, why your body reacts and how your behaviour is influenced by so many things. This really, really helped me. I consider myself to be a very logical person who somewhat struggled with the fact I couldn’t rationalise a lot of how I have felt. Understanding all of this has led me to be able to apply things I’d learned through the hypnotherapy into the real world, away from the comfort of Phil’s sofa.

All in all, everything since my initial consultation through to completing my current block of therapy has been nothing but professional, comforting and has truly changed my life given how I now understand/manage my life.

As time goes on, I will be looking to return for ‘top-up’ sessions with Phil to keep me on the right track and in the right headspace. Finally, all I can say is thank you to Phil for her dedication, knowledge, compassion, and professionalism throughout my current block of therapy.

“Very approachable, professional and very easy to talk to”

I had first approached Phil for help with my anxiety around water and swimming. I wanted to learn to swim as an adult after having a negative experience of lessons as a young child. We had worked for a number of weeks and she helped me to develop strategies to deal with my anxieties in life in general which in turn also helped me to relax more during my swimming lessons.

She explained how my brain works and how to relax and turn my thoughts into positive ideas and energy in order to tackle the challenge which daily family and work life throws at me. Since we have completed our sessions I feel much more relaxed and able to face my fears.

Phil is very approachable, professional and very easy to talk to and I would recommend her and hypnosis to anyone whom might have phobias, fears and general anxiety in life.

“I would highly recommend Phil Noone Hypnotherapy“

Working with Phil over the past few months has allowed me to identify and work to resolve the anxieties, stresses and worries I’ve carried around for months, if not years. Since starting the sessions my confidence has grown exponentially, and I feel much more able to set and assert boundaries for the sake of my own health and wellbeing.

Phil is extremely warm, non-judgmental, and easy to talk to and I left each session feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The Hypnotherapy aspect in particular was a wonderful way to relax and unwind after a stressful week, and the space Phil operates from is so comfortable and cosy.

I would highly recommend Phil Noone Hypnotherapy and am so thankful for the positive changes Phil has helped me to make in my life.

“An amazing therapist”

Phil is an amazing therapist, for years I suffered with anxiety, worry and self doubt, her therapy is life changing and I can’t recommend enough what a life changing experience it has had on me. Thank you Phil.

“A profound and positive impact”

Having suffered with anxiety for most of my adult life, the sessions I have had with Phil have had a positive and life changing impact on me.  I have developed the ability to understand why the anxiety happens and make changes in my life. This has had a profound and positive impact on both my life and wellbeing. I would highly recommend Phil’s services to anyone reading this.