Rob's Blog

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...

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 ...