Rob's Blog

Ten years on and Facebook, LinkedIn and god knows what other social media tools still ask me if I'd like to connect with ex's and some people I'd really rather not have in my life. Each time the social media systems upgrade their tools they seem to become slightly more invasive and intrude further on my life. There are times when I feel I am battling Facebook, and that my life is being manipulated by the evil masterminds that choose what news I see. The only thing that's worse is not being able to get onto the net to check my feed. I recently bought a new car, which I have to say I am extremely happy with. My Buick Verano is amazing. However, for the first month I was greeted with a female voice asking, “Would you like to activate your Onstar membership?” She asked it in sultry tones which I did find strangely appealing. If I play my cards right I think I might be in with a shot at her. However, after a month of listening to her invitation the n...

I am often asked about interventions, and it's something I am not a great fan of. The fact is, no one quits anything unless they genuinely want to. Cornering a person and explaining that they have to quit using alcohol or another substance is often a disaster. While well meaning, the people involved in an intervention often have little experience of the substance in question, and may end up doing more harm than good. For example, in the case of spirits, quitting large quantities of alcohol very suddenly can induce seizures and even heart attack – not something which is generally considered a good thing. Additionally, there's often a judgemental element to interventions. An ultimatum is made, and the person at the center of the issue is placed in a position that creates more stress, and in some instances pushes them further into their addiction. A more productive approach is to deal with the person struggling with addiction in a one on one setting, where there...

I think one of the most dysfunctional and disturbed, not to mention disturbing, groups of people I know are therapists. In their various forms and shapes we have a strange collection of therapy types out there, and equally varied therapists to go with each one. One client came to me recently who had been seeing a therapist elsewhere. They had stopped seeing the therapist after showing up to their office to find it had closed, and that the therapist had been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility. While I would be the first to admit that my own stress levels sometimes get up there a bit, I don't think things have got quite that bad, yet. The psychiatrist in the great 1983 movie, Local Hero, is not so far from being true to life. Coincidentally, he should also have been locked up. You can watch the entire movie above. It's worth every minute. When I look through the feeds on my Twitter and LinkedIn accounts I can see a diversity of humanity that is truly...

Mental healthcare in BC got of to what might at best be called a shaky start. Here's short account of the first reported incident relating to mental health in this, the most beautiful of Canadian provinces. In 1850 British Columbia recorded its first case of insanity. A Scottish migrant who had recently arrived on a ship, assaulted Dr. John Helmcken, the local doctor at the jail in Victoria. From 2.bp.blogspot.com There is something wholly unsurprising about a Scotsman getting off a ship and promptly hitting someone. This may be a sad comment on my own deep seated prejudices, but the fact remains. I like Scottish people. I even like bagpipes. I used to spend every Christmas on the Isle Of Skye. As a result I can picture the scene with crystal clarity. A man stumbles down a gangplank onto the quay in Victoria harbor. He turns to a stranger, and says,”Fok, mahn, where the heel am aye?” A helpful passer-by says,“Canada.” “Wha?” says the new arrival and then punches him i...

I often get asked this question.  There are several answers, but the most obvious is that the medical profession does not really embrace hypnosis as a modality it recognises. While some hypnotherapist are concerned about this, it ceased to be an issue we were concerned with at Vancouver Hypnotherapy a few years ago. We adopted this position primarily because most of the clients coming through our doors treat the medical profession with skepticism, as a result of their own experiences. As such, our bookings calendar is increasingly full, and many of the clients consider the use of pharmacy a step backward, particularly when it comes to addiction. Increasingly the general public treats orthodox medicine as flawed. This is not to say that they reject the 'science' of medicine. They are merely appalled at the way it is delivered, and the extremely questionable practice of medicating someone as a solution to what is often a psychological or behavioural issue. Hypnotherapy is ...

Do you lie to yourself? Can you tell, at any level, if you are deceiving yourself? This is a fascinating broadcast that forces you to question yourself in an uncomfortable way. Have a listen, and then squirm a little. We've used many of the techniques you hear here, in a surprisingly effective manner. Listen to the broadcast and let us know what you think.

As a hypnotist I fall firmly into the camp of alternative healthcare systems. I value the fact that we are an unregulated group. The last thing I want is government regulation of my business. Equally I feel extreme disquiet when I look at some other hypnotists, and other systems of alternative healthcare. My clients need real solutions, not to have their chakra realigned. If we’re in the business of providing an alternative health solution, then let’s keep it real. So what do we have to offer that the conventional providers cannot provide? Who is this individual, and what could he possibly provide that a medical professional can’t? The truth is that modern orthodox healthcare has lost its way so thoroughly that even if it can provide help to some patients, there are many situations in which it is unable to actually deliver. The average time a visitor to a GP spends with their doctor is only 17 minutes. The orthodox channels of healthcare are so severely hindered by this l...

My client, a wealthy financier, said quite seriously “I only use the best stuff. Like my food, I like to eat organic. Everything. Organic vegetables, meats – I mean everything. If I could get organic cocaine, I would.” Great, I thought. Maybe a ‘Fair trade’ version would be next. And yet, this client was not unusual. It’s quite normal amongst cocaine users of a certain genre to have very high personal and ethical standards. Their use of cocaine is an anomaly in their lives. Often it’s the only anomaly. Most of my clients are extremely affluent and in the above case, he was maintaining a $1000 a day coke habit while remaining essentially a fully functional human being. For the time being. Not many people can do that for long. The heart eventually simply stops. I work with many drug users treating their addictions. I am a clinical hypnotherapist, and I specialize in addictions. From cigarettes across the spectrum to crack. Treatment requires a number of steps but is extremely effective. ...