Two things The Speakmans did that were negative
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Nik and Eva Speakmans or "The Speakmans" to give them the title of their ITV TV show have been helping a variety of people with fears and phobias. As self dubbed "Celebrity Therapists" they have had a great deal of success on this TV show. 100% success rate to be exact. I watched an episode all about OCD and saw a couple of things that I do not think were helping. I was surprised but perhaps that's what sets them apart from registered and qualified therapists (apart from their £1000 fee!) Here's what they were..
This Episode was number 19 and appeared first on ITV on Thursday 7th August 2014
So, in this episode as we always see there was a family therapy session. The Speakmans then appeared outside their house and Nik Speakman stated that he wasn't sure they would be able to fix this problem in an afternoon. This appeared to be partly to explain that the show was going to be a rollercoaster of excitement and also to show that this is how they work. They will fix you in an afternoon. I would never claim that you can come and see me and be free of all fears, phobias or anxieties in one session. No registered therapist would claim this either. It is simply not a reasonable way to help people. If you come to see me with something that you have held on to for years why would you only want to lose it and get on with your life if you could only do that in a couple of hours? Also how could I possibly know that we had dealt with all of your concerns in that short a time span? You may not even know for yourself.
I know of no therapist who would be making a claim like this. What I find hard to watch about it is the implication that it is the only way to get help.As a Clinical Hypnotherapist, hypnotherapy is a short therapy but even so, not just one session.
If you speak to a therapist for help and they tell you they can do it in one session then you should avoid them as they may well just want your money. How can they know how long something will take? Of course the Speakmans charge a huge amount of money for a private session so it is likely to take a few hours. When you work with a therapist over a number of sessions you have more time to understand what can change and for that change to happen when YOU are ready for it rather than within the therapist's time frame.
Ultimately, I am teaching my clients how to relax and let go and that is always much more effective when taken over a number of sessions. Most clients only see me for three or four sessions before they are ready to move on and do not need to work with me any longer. During this period I have recorded audio for them to listen to between sessions and taught them ways to help themselves when I am not around. This means that they understand that they can let go when they are ready.
The other thing that I found very disappointing was that after they had helped Jo to overcome her OCD (which of course is fantastic and to be applauded!) they took her into a shop that she struggled to go into and helped her to help herself to a lot of chocolate as a treat. As they use NLP techniques they must be aware of the fact that they may well be starting to anchor the good feelings to her eating chocolate which seems a very bad idea indeed. I work with so many people who reach for the chocolate in emotional times that this seems a very dangerous thing for them to do.
It is important to understand that the overwhelming success that the Speakmans have in helping people is not to be underestimated. Raising awareness of change is excellent. However, sometimes the fact that this is a television show, and the lack of adhering to professional standards does show and can grate a little. Nik Speakman in particular seems to have a habit of telling people how they feel rather than asking them. It can sometimes feel that people are being pushed into things before they are ready.
If you are looking for help and advice I would suggest that you always speak to two or three Hypnotherapists or therapists of your choice, and make sure they are members of a body such as the NCH and that they have the training and experience that makes you confident in the fact they can help you. Almost the most important aspect of chosing is making sure that you feel the person is right for you, so take your time and when you chose wisely you can look forward to success in helping you to lose fears and anxietys, OCD, Phobias or whatever you are looking for help with.
What is the difference between CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), Counselling and Hypnotherapy Read that here:
You can email me with any questions that you have on [email protected] or call me on 07980 233160
You can listen to a Free MP3 for relaxation on this site and also download my FREE "How to Stop a Panic Attack Download" to listen to whenever you would like. It helps explain your panic attacks as well as having a session to help you learn to start let go. I spend more time helping people with stress and anxiety than anything else so never feel that you need to live with overwhelming feelings that concern you. You can always ask for help to let them go and move on to the life you would really like.
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