Karen Mann - Hypnotherapy / Psychotherapy

Feature Article Satellite Times
So, how do you feel about spiders? What about snakes or cockroaches? Does the mere thought of them make you feel physically sick? Do you shake at the idea of them touching your skin? Good, because that's how I feel about worms, yes, WORMS vicious jelly-like writhing monsters. Have you seen the way they gang up, ready for the attack, ready to slither all over you, to burrow into your warm flesh... But, I have been told that help is at hand. Apparently hypnotism could be my answer. Sceptical and convinced that I will end up running around a room waving my knickers in the air a la Paul McKenna, I head off for a session with hypnotherapist Karen Mann. Can she really help me? "Absolutely, but I do think we should straighten one thing out first: hypnotists in the past have helped to raise the awareness of the public so that people do understand more about what hypnosis is. Unfortunately, the stage hypnotist will tend to use suggestions which are not terribly beneficial i.e. running around like a headless chicken. What a qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist will do is make beneficial suggestions. We will help with all sorts of problems from phobias to clinical/medical problems. For example: control of stress and anxiety, speech problems, increasing self confidence, enhancing sports/stage performance, weight control, even irritable bowel syndrome, psychosexual/relationship problems, anxiety at the dentist, and, of course, stopping people smoking. The list in endless." And worms? "And worm phobias." Karen assures me. "Although often the underlying problem is not the same as the problem which manifests itself.	Happy that my knickers will stay comfortably in place, I allow Karen to continue. There are, however, no swinging watches or whispers of 'you are under my power'. Instead, we sit in her office and she takes detailed notes of my medical history, then asks me to recount my feelings and fears about worms. When and how did this start? Are there any benefits to this fear? What would happen if you removed this fear? For almost an hour we discuss every aspect of my life and I realise that the whole thing is extremely therapeutic. "If you were to go to an ordinary therapist, you would find yourself in the same sort of situation. Often we get the problem out by doing just that, but if we can't talk it through in therapy then we can use the hypnosis and access the subconscious to change belief systems and inappropriate behaviour." Trained at the Institute of Clinical Hypnosis, Kings College London, Karen is not at liberty to reveal her client list, but she does admit to treating several celebrities - not particularly surprising when you consider that she is somewhat of a celebrity herself. An established TV, film and theatre actress and producer, you would have seen her playing the honourable Dorothy Paget opposite Rowan Atkinson in the recent BBC series Heroes and Villains and she has also written, produced and takes a major role in the film Love-lifting, which will hopefully be aired on TV later this year: "I actually think that because I have that stimulus and creativeness, I make a better therapist. I was interested in psychology because I thought it was something a good actor needed to know to play different characters, and then from that I just found it fascinating to go from the conscious to the subconscious."	But if working as a hypnotherapist is fascinating, so is being hypnotised. As she puts me into a deep relaxation (not sleep as people so often believe), soothing me with her voice, I am aware of absolutely everything around me: a cat meowing, birds in the garden, but I simply don't care. I am far too comfortable. Apparently some people do fall asleep, but according to Karen it makes no difference: you could think about your shopping list if you wanted, your subconscious would still take in the new suggestion - if you are willing. She regresses me back to my first day at school. "Were you frightened of the worms then?" I managed to mumble 'no' and she moves to another period in my life, where worms rear their ugly heads. In my mind's eye, I am looking at a fat ugly worm; I feel revolted, but Karen changes my perception and, gradually, the picture in my head becomes less and less threatening. I can't describe it as waking up, because I haven't been asleep, but, I open my eyes feeling calm and confident. Can all problems be treated so quickly, I wonder. "There are too many different things to make it possible to give a general answer", smiles Karen, "You need one session for non-smoking, but anything else depends on how deep rooted it is." My worms, it seems, were not as deep rooted as I'd thought; I leave the session happy, invigorated and looking for a friendly worm to chat to. But you know how it is, there's never a worm around when you want one.