Jon is a Counsellor, Hypnotherapist, and practitioner of BrainWorking Recursive Therapy (BWRT), dealing with mind-related issues.
COVID-19 Update
***During the height of the Covid pandemic Jon moved sessions online using Zoom. Now that the peak of this has passed it is possible once again to have face-to-face sessions at the Body Matters clinic, but there is still the option of having online sessions***
Jon has an interest in people and society, and this is what led to him doing a degree in Economics and an MA in Social Anthropology. Since moving to Essex in 2002, he has undertaken volunteer counselling at Chelmsford and District Mind and Havens Hospice and given talks on Hypnotherapy at the Macmillan Cancer Support Centre in Southend University Hospital.
You can find out more about Jon Gibbs here.
Q&A with Jon
Is it correct that you offer a free first session?
That’s absolutely correct. The relationship between therapist and client is incredibly important – as both therapist and client have to feel comfortable working together to make changes. The free initial consultation allows someone to meet me and see where I work, to tell me about what they want to change and for me to explain the various kinds of talking therapies I offer.
What are the typical issues that people come for help with?
This really is impossible to answer! We, humans, are social animals, so a connection to others is essential to our well-being as well as our chances of survival – and clearly many issues revolve around relationships. Humans also have a tendency to imagine other people think and feel like we do – but of course, this isn’t always the case. Added to this - our closeness to others throws up other issues – for example the grief we can feel with regard to the losses associated with bereavement and divorce. I take a positive view, however – that like our ancestors before us, we have within us all the resources we need to survive and indeed flourish. People sometimes need assistance in finding these resources and making use of them.
Do you offer hypnotic gastric band technique for weight loss?
I don’t offer this technique. However, I do deal with such issues through a coaching approach that makes use of the techniques of BWRT® to allow for effective and lasting change. Phrases such as ‘weight-loss’ are unfortunate as our mind has a tendency to look for things that we have ‘lost’. Assisting a client to move to a more ‘healthy weight is certainly a positive approach.
Are you a member of reputable professional organisations?
Yes – and it is important to find a therapist who is! For a client, it can seem a little overwhelming to have these all listed, and for a therapist, it can feel pretentious to list all these, with their logos and the letters which they sometimes confer after one’s name. Briefly then, I am a member of the Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy, a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, and a member of the National Register of Psychotherapists and Counsellors. I am also registered as a Hypnotherapist with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council, and a Member of the Institute of Brainworking Recursive Therapy.
Can you tell us a surprising fact about hypnosis?
The highly-focused state of hypnosis can be brought about by a swinging pocket watch - although the well-known image of the swinging watch is mostly down to its use in movies. This technique makes use of ‘eye-fixation’ - the fixing of one’s eyes on a single point. When the eyes follow the arc of a moving pendulum it is very different from the way our eyes usually move – which involves jerky movements. These jerky ‘saccadic’ movements can be seen when we visually scan our environment and even when we read words on a page. Following the smooth movement of an object (such as a pocket watch) can induce a state of hypnosis. Hypnotherapists always tell clients that ‘All hypnosis is self-hypnosis’ – in other words the client always has control. Hypnotherapists merely assist and guide clients to change in the way that the client wants.
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