The groundbreaking counselling model that is right for our time
Human Givens Therapy, or HGT, is a psycho, socio, bio framework of therapy using brief, solution-focused counselling for clients suffering with a whole range of mental health difficulties. During COVID and the economic crisis and their consequences, Human Givens Therapy gives clients a fast, professional and practical alternative to some of the more conventional models.
Think of anxiety. A client will come to see me saying they feel panicky. Their heart is racing and they have intrusive thoughts – constantly. They have brain fog and no spare capacity for anything else. Some therapies encourage clients to think their way out of the problem, like CBT. The difficulty with that is there is already too much thinking and the client is stuck.
When the mind shuts down through constant emotional arousals a Human Givens Therapist will deal swiftly with calming down the client with tried and tested breathing techniques to focus the mind. In a calm space, the client can then think and use their cognitive ability to change behaviour. HGT was first developed 25 years ago by Ivan Tyrrell and Joe Griffin. They have written many books and tutored hundreds of courses on a mental health model which I firmly believe is groundbreaking.
When I go to see a Psychotherapist/Counsellor I want them to put me first. I need them to let me tell my story but not dwelling unecessarily on the past and on minute detail. I don’t need to hear lots of psychobabble and I need hope and a belief things will improve. I also want to know why I have been feeling horrible. It helps a lot if I have compatibility with my Therapist of course.
With a mixture of psychoeducation, goal setting and rehearsing positive outcomes, Human Givens Therapy does exactly that.
In this extremely challenging world we are living in it is my conviction that all Therapists should be ready to take on many clients with a flexible approach to treatment. For HGT just 4/6 sessions on average will get valued clients back in the driving seat, feeling confident, calm and a lot happier.
When I watched videos of Joe Griffin using the Rewind Technique to cure first a chap with a shark phobia and then a young girl with awful traumatic experiences, practically in one session, I was completely awestruck. I have to pinch myself after some of my own sessions when I have made great progress with a vulnerable person.
Human Givens Therapy is like a dance with the Therapist and client moving together to find paths to travel and natural rhythms of emotions to work through. HGT helps clients reveal to themselves changes in behaviour that make a real positive difference to their lives.
I was already qualified and working as a Hypnotherapist when I qualified as a Human Givens Practitioner. I studied for 18 months with a mixture of online courses and residential teaching in London and Bristol. Our tutors had decades of experience and we were all rivoted during the course. A tricky exam and then delight at being awarded my Post Graduate Diploma, merit. The Hypnotherapy Certificate in Counselling Skills gave me great tools to use when delivering Guided Imagery, the HG method of Hypnotherapy. Working with the subconscious is fascinating and brings great rewards for clients.
Working with everyday people who need a helping hand with their mental health is the best job ever. My client list is growing as I fine-tune the services I can provide for people who have been directly affected by all that has happened since March 23rd. Fear of Furlough, redundancy, remote working, health anxiety, weight gain, agoraphobia and a growing influx of teenage girls with body image and anxiety disorders with only their phone for a company for 6 months is going to keep me very busy, especially as I’ve also just had a young person’s suicide and an autism charity approach me to help where I can.
These mental health difficulties can be solved. Better to get in there early before more severe mental health issues ensue. Think about what people have been spending their money on these past 6 months? Stuff on Amazon. Meals out, exercise classes or equipment, puppies, garden projects. Things people don’t really need.
How about improving mental health? Just 4 sessions can make all the difference. Counselling is an amazing experience. Clients learn about who they really are. They find out how to like themselves more. Putting those demons back in the past where they belong is a wonderful thing. To be free. Feel great. Get control back in peoples’ lives.
There will be waiting lists for free therapy. How long should people wait to get help? Many Therapists have brought their prices down or can offer concessions. Expect to pay around £40- £60 per hour-long sessions. There’s often a good deal of flexibility.
Have a look at the sites below and see if Human Givens Therapy looks like the counselling model for you, your family or employees or give me a call on 07553 350516. I’m always happy to have a chat.
www.counselling-directory.org.uk
I’ve learned such good listening skills throughout my career and life and I’m delighted to share them with you. Trial and error, practise and lovely feedback has convinced me I must be doing something right. A bit about how challenging communicating can be when listening is not put into practice.
I guess it started when I was a child. As much as I loved my Mum and Dad to bits, communicating with them was a huge challenge. Remember some of these:
“Because I told you so”
“Don’t answer back”
“Go to your room, NOW!”
“Wait till your father gets home”
“Children should be seen and not heard”
“I don’t care about what you have to say”
Seriously and this was only in the 1970s.
These phrases condition a person to repeat them in later life and to find it very difficult to communicate with other people. Luckily I went into a sales role aged 18 and had some brilliant residential training which grew my confidence and taught me how to build rapport and gather information. Essential for gaining trust, being genuine and closing that sale.
As I navigated my way through young adulthood I realised that I could easily become triggered by the words people would use and the way they did not listen and this would lead to anger and anxiety. Finally, just six years ago, things changed. I studied to become a Hypnotherapist and then a Human Givens Practitioner. During my training, I had some great counselling and I can say, with my hand on my heart, that I am now a mentally very well person with a clear mind a resting heartbeat of 53 and I’m super happy. Now I help clients to feel the same.
