When you set out on a journey, you never quite know where it might lead!

David Newton, the founder of Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training (CPHT) launched his first training school back in 2002. He had become a very successful hypnotherapist and, back in the late 90s, had become aware of the ‘scientific revolution’ and in particular the work of Marcus Raichle.

David says:

“Raichle discovered that when we are in a trance state the brain is working hard to come up with solutions. I was particularly pleased with one of the very first research/neuroscientific programmes that said that the more enjoyable therapy was the more successful it was likely to be.”

David went on to say:

“There was also confirmation of Blaise Pascal’s assertion that ‘People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they themselves discovered than by those that have come to the minds of others.”

These comments set some of the foundations on which our current course is structured:

• We need to have fun in the therapy room
• It’s not for us, as therapists, to tell the client what to do – the client has the answers suitable for themselves
• We need to show the client the path, but it’s up to them to walk it.

Those Light Bulb Moments

A big part of our teaching isn’t about hypnosis, although obviously, we cover that. We also teach students how to structure a session and, using psychotherapy, gently encourage the client down a path that leads them to have light-bulb moments of clarity. This is done through positive questioning which, in turn, leads to positive decisions and actions.

From David Newton’s early beginnings, CPHT now has more than 30 schools scattered across the UK and abroad, so we must be doing something right!