Caroline Prout is a highly successful Inspired To Change hypnotherapist, with her own thriving practice in Thrapston; if you’ve been treated by her or met her at business events you’d recognise her by her infectious energy, positivity, big smile, lively intellect and enthusiasm. So it may come as a surprise to know that just a few years ago Caroline was suffering with ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and was struggling just to get through each day.
Caroline was treated by Gary Johannes, Inspired To Change principal hypnotherapist, and she has agreed to share her story in the wish to give more hope and another choice to those still looking for answers.
“Before seeing Gary I had been struggling with ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) for about 3 years. I lost count of the various tests and hospital departments I went through before my diagnosis and every one of them seemed to strip away more of my confidence whilst the uncertainty and frustrations of my illness made my anxiety levels soar. The diagnosis left me in limbo – the only thing the GP was able to offer me was anti-depressants and a condition which still held lots of stigma. I was determined not to let it define me and I started searching for solutions.
I saw a homeopath and a nutritionist who helped me enormously and I returned to work. But it was taking all my energy to survive each day – and it was “survival” in my mind. I felt like I was thinking through porridge, I often stopped mid-sentence because the words just wouldn’t come and when they did they were often the wrong ones; the pain in my hands was particularly bad and my handwriting deteriorated beyond even my own ability to read it.”
Every day I made it through a full day of work felt like a small victory. It took every ounce of energy to get through those days and by the time I got home it was a struggle to get out of the car and into the house. I had no energy left for the rest of my life.”
Caroline said that at the point of trying Gary she had all but lost hope of getting her life back, but, because Gary offers a free initial consultation, thought she would see what hypnotherapy might be able to offer her.
“For me hypnotherapy was the final piece in the jigsaw. I had spent a lot of time (and money!) focusing on “you are what you eat” and hadn’t really considered that “you are what you think”. Going to a therapist sounded too much like I was being told “it’s all in your mind” and I’d heard that too often over the past few years. But Gary explained to me exactly what had been going on in my brain, not only to do with my anxiety but also how that could be affecting me physically too.
The chemical reactions that take place in our minds when we are suffering from stress and anxiety can have a physical impact on our bodies which had been feeding a vicious cycle – my condition was making me anxious which released chemicals into my body which actually made my condition worse which fed my anxiety further and on and on…
It was like a lightbulb being turned on – in all the years and all the specialists I’d seen no one had ever explained it to me like this before. It finally made sense!
Working with Gary was not at all how I thought it would be. He made me work hard but in such a positive way – he challenged me to think about how I wanted to live my life without letting me dwell on my condition, a tough thing to do when you’ve been living with it for so many years.”
Caroline quickly started to feel the benefits and as she began to feel better realised that she wanted to make a fundamental shift in her life so she could manage her condition, balancing her drive (Caroline freely admits that before ME she lived her life at 120%) and looking after her body and mind. This led to an unusual twist after her treatment finished.
“I realised I could help people in the same way that Gary was helping me. After a few conversations with Gary I enrolled at the Clifton Practice of Hypnotherapy Training school to become a hypnotherapist myself! And I haven’t looked back – I now run a successful hypnotherapy practice, balancing my days the way I need them and helping others have their ‘lightbulb moments’. It is so rewarding and my energy levels are so much better!”
About using hypnotherapy Caroline says “I felt I had been written off by the health professionals but my journey has proved them wrong! My life is now completely different to how it was before the ME in a way I would never have imagined. Hypnotherapy helped to give me back my confidence, move beyond the challenge and get my life back on track.”
If you’d like to find out how hypnotherapy can support ME and other physical ailments please do book an initial consultation – it may give you the lightbulb moment you’ve been looking for, just as it did Caroline.
Want to find out more?
An Initial Consultation is FREE and is advisable so that we can discuss how hypnotherapy can help you and dispel any fears or anxieties you may have about it. This also includes a therapy CD for you to take away with you.
Call or text Caroline on 07729 801247 email:caroline@inspiredtochange.biz
The number of sessions required depends on your individual needs and circumstances and will be discussed at your initial consultation.
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