Read client testimonials

Read what clients have to say about their experience of hypnotherapy with Richard in Cheltenham.

These emails and testimonials have all been reproduced with their kind permission.

Angela and her experience of Hypno-Band

Official Hypno-Band Weight loss system Licensed Practitioner

"Dear Richard...I am writing to let you know how thrilled I am with the Hypno-Band.

I have belonged to slimming clubs on and off for about 36 years now and my weight has yo yo'd up and down during these years!

Today I received my final session of Hypno-Band treatment and it has made an incredible difference to my life. I feel my self esteem has climbed from 3 to about 12/10 and I just feel a completely different person.

I am happier in myself and my attitude to food has completely changed for the better. I felt proud of myself today when I left half my jacket potato because I felt I had eaten enough to satisfy my appetite! Losing weight now seems so painless and easy now that I can eat what I like. I have so far lost 9 lbs and am looking forward to losing my first stone. I enjoy the fact that my clothes are now looser and I felt very proud the other day when a friend noticed I had lost weight and told me how good I looked.

I will keep you updated Richard with my weight loss and I would certainly recommend Hypno-Band to anyone as it is just amazing...

All the best...."
Angela E, Cheltenham, August 2011

Feedback from a mum about her 17 year old daughter

"My daughter has suffered with anxiety for years and has had several awful bouts of it, resulting in missing huge amounts of school in her crucial GCSE year.

After several years and several trips to the doctors and hospital to look for a physical reason for her nausea, I was recommended to Richard. I was told about him being a hypnotherapist and he had helped a friend.

Richard told us about a book he uses called 'Changing Limited Beliefs' which was like a course. He was really sympathetic but empowering and we both sat there feeling that for the first time in ages, she could overcome this awful debilitating 'thing' that seemed to be taking over.

She had a session a week for five weeks and along with this, read the book which had exercises in and helped to consolidate the sessions with Richard.

The biggest hurdle, and is still a little hurdle, is that she thinks this 'thing' is happening to her, but the anxiety, and emetephobia is coming from her. It is not happening TO her. This is by far the biggest revelation and, even I had thought at times it was an external thing or a physical thing that she had no control over. But 80% of this book/course is about understanding why she has come to feel and react like this. It is not a sudden light-bulb moment pinpointing why this has happened. It is just purely examining her personality.

She is still having the occasional blip and can still suddenly feel out of control, but she is so much more in control generally. She can logically think why she is feeling the way she is at a certain point and can put strategies in place to deal with it. She is contacting me less and less with distraught negative texts. She is going to her lessons and all her exams. She has even booked a holiday with friends in the summer.

The sessions with Richard, along with the book, which incidentally is hers to keep and go over as many times as needed for reassurance and guidance, have given me my daughter back in many ways.

We both understand now that we all have personality traits, and sometimes, even negative traits can be utilised to good use. But most of all, it is her who is in control. I also understand how to help - Richard took the weight off my shoulders a little. I used to think that I could help and tried to. But, I sometimes think we can be too helpful and enable the person to give the power to whatever the anxiety is all about. Of course I want her to be happy and stress free and would do anything for her. But, she knows that I am here for her, but ultimately, it is her who has to help herself. And I am absolutely pleased to say that this is what she is doing. I am so proud of her as she has worked so hard and is continuing to work hard. I know she still has struggles, but she is definitely moving in the right place.

We are both very grateful that we came across Richard and I would recommend him to anyone who is making their own lives debilitating."
Nicki and Alice, Cheltenham, March 2011

Help for anxiety, obsessions and OCD
"Dear Richard,
I just thought I'd send You a few words to thank you for all you have done for me.

When I first arrived at your door I was pretty much fed up with life, My OCD was causing me great problems and everything I had tried before had not really worked to any great extent.

During my initial consultation I felt for the first time in 16 years that someone actually understood what was going on in my head! I remember you saying to me "Has anyone ever said to you that you think too much?" its sounds so simple but it was true! yes all the time my head was whirling around with a million thoughts all going at one hundred miles an hour! During our initial sessions the work done about personality types was a big eye opener to me! I started to really understand more about myself...I started to notice things that I hadn't noticed before! And the things that I constantly worried about were gone!!!

It is hard to explain in words the change in my life! I feel AMAZING! In fact I feel better now than I have ever done! In just a few sessions you have done more for me than The NHS and many Psychologists have done in the past 16 Years!!!! My friends and family are so amazed with the changes that they have seen over the past few weeks! I feel I can go anywhere now! drive anywhere! or just relax and be happy!! My OCD has finally Gone!!!

I can never Thank you enough!"

Daniel Knapper, June 1st 2010

Hypnotherapy for flying phobia and general anxiety

Jim flying certificate cheltenham hypnotherapy clinic treating fear of flying phobia scared of flying

"Richard, Richard, Richard!!!!!

I just wanted to write and say many thanks again for transforming my life and to let other people know my about my experience.

When I first came to you it was because I’d just entered into a new relationship with a girl who loved travel and adventure, but as I was scared of flying, I knew that for her and I to work, I would have to overcome this fear.

I remember on my first meeting thinking ‘this bloke’s alright; he’s just like an old mate’, but was hugely sceptical if you could help me. I was absolutely 100% convinced my fear of flying was due to being taken up in a plane by my uncle when I was a child. To keep it short, he lost control and it was as close to near death as you’re ever likely to get. However, I remember you saying “you’re not scared of flying; you’re scared of not being in control”. This did make sense to me and after asking how I’d feel like when I finished, you said “well, you’ll think it’s just a plane and have no worries”. I thought no chance, but let’s give it a whirl...and it meant I could have Monday mornings off work!

Anyhow, three months later, not only has my fear of planes almost completely vanished (there is still very slight apprehension, but nothing more than I would consider normal and would never stop me getting to where I wanted to go) I have also had my first flying lesson!

On top of this, there are so many small, but noticeable differences in my day to day being it’s incredible. I no longer have fear of public speaking, I no longer need to drink to excess, and I have even started my own photography company up. Basically, I now see things with absolute clarity; I know who I am and how to get what I want: there is no negative voice holding me back. Life for the first time ever seems easy.

Not only have you changed my life and opened up the world for me, you have saved my mum from OCD which has been the cause of so much misery. She calls you her angel. I won’t go that far...but you’ve transformed my life and my family’s lives and for that I’ll be eternally grateful.

All the very best
Jim Fear
Property Acquisitions Manager
from Evesham, May 2010

My experience of hypnotherapy with Richard

Angela consulted with anxiety and severe IBS. Here is her story in her own words...

"I first came to see Richard for help with irritable bowel syndrome. Having suffered with this for approx 20 years, it was not only a very embarrassing condition but also left me often in a lot of pain and discomfort and completely drained of energy. It robbed me of my confidence, self esteem and general feeling of wellbeing, and often made me a virtual prisoner in my own home, and even when I could go out, every trip no matter how small was meticulously planned around the availability of public toilets. Needless to say holidays abroad, trips on planes, coaches or trains were completely out of the question.

I am very lucky to have not only an extremely supportive, patient and loving husband, but also a very supportive family, but still there were many times I felt very isolated and very alone. Having consulted the very best doctors and specialists in the field of gastroenterology and finding no physical explanation for my symptoms, I began to look at alternative treatments. I have tried treatment with hypnosis in the past, but just as a way of feeling relaxed and less stressed about things. It did help with some of the symptoms but only temporarily for a few months and I needed to find a more permanent solution.

It has been quite a few years now since I looked at hypnotherapy for treatment and it was doing a search on google that I found Richard and learned from his informative website about something called Pure Hypnoanalysis, and there and then made an appointment to see him asap.

The day of my first consultation came and I was feeling quite nervous about meeting someone new for the first time, so I took my now daily dose of Imodium and crossed my fingers it would be alright, but I need not have worried, Richard greeted me with such a warm and friendly smile and a shake of the hand that I immediately felt very at ease, comfortable and relaxed. I was quite taken aback by his young age, but I now know that he has a maturity and knowledge of his craft that is way beyond his years. We had a long discussion where I told him how I was feeling physically and emotionally and decided from there that a course in Pure Hypnoanalysis was the answer I had been looking for. Richard explained the process in great detail and was only too happy to answer any questions I had for him about this.

The following week I looked forward to the first of my sessions and did so every week after that. It was a pleasure to go and see Richard and to know that he really did care that I got over this embarrassing problem. He was always very kind, supportive, sincere, compassionate and very very patient with me. I felt I could trust him immensely from our very first meeting, that I could reveal to him private things about myself that no one else new and that he would never judge me for it and what a wonderful release that was.

The whole process of therapy was a rollercoaster of emotions, but it was one of the greatest gifts I could have ever given to myself. I have not only been cured of something that has blighted my life for the past 20 years but I have learned so much more about myself in the process, the way I think about certain things and what makes me the person I am today, that alone would have made it all worthwhile.

Now my therapy has ended and I feel like a completely different person to the nervous wreck that first walked through Richards’s door. Not only has he given me back my life, the freedom to go where I want, when I want and to never worry about needing a toilet again, but ALL the physical symptoms of pain and discomfort etc have just disappeared. It truly is like magic, it’s the only way I know how to describe it, it’s just brilliant.

I never thought in a million years I would ever feel this excited about life again, but I truly feel like I am 24 again and not 44. The possibilities that are open to me now are endless but I shall never forget Richard, no matter where I go, at home or abroad, I will always remember that it was he who got me there and without all his endless help and support all the way through I would still be stuck behind my own front door. I shall be eternally grateful to him for the rest of my life.

I would not hesitate to recommend Richard to anyone seeking relief from any ailments they may have; you just have to be brave and take the first step and call him."
Angela, 18th October 2009

A family of non-smokers

"Dear Richard, Steve, Christine and myself would like to say a BIG thank you for giving us the confidence and making us believe in ourselves so we could become non-smokers.

A month has now passed and we are proud to say that it is the best thing that has happened to us. We have just come back from our first holiday together as non-smokers and it felt so great not having to stress out about having our last cigarette before we boarded the plane, infact I don't think we even gave it a thought, for this we have you to thank. I am trying hard to get all my smoking friends to come and see you, you come highly recommended.

Our friends and families are so pleased for us and it makes us feel proud that we have achieved something that infact was so simple to do, thank you once again, best wishes"
Ali and Steve, Cheltenham, September 2006

September 2007 update

"I just thought I would drop you a quick line to let you know that we are still Non smokers. Steve, Christine and myself hit the 12month mark last Friday and are very very proud that we have at last kicked the habit well and truly..."

Pure Hypnoanalysis - my experience by Kelly

"I came to Richard with, what I thought to be, a fairly trivial comfort eating problem but, after the initial consultation, it became clear to me that this was just a symptom of an underlying problem that I needed to work through in order to resolve my insecurities and low self-esteem.

The free consultation was brilliant! I was expecting a ten-minute questionnaire but Richard spent as much time as was needed with me to talk through my concerns and to explain the options available to me. His knowledge is amazing and certainly inspired me to undertake a course in analytical therapy. Richard was very supportive and offered advice throughout the sessions. I truly felt that he understood my problems and cared that they were important to me – I never felt embarrassed or that I said the wrong thing.

Richard must see many, many clients but he has such an easy, unhurried manner that you to feel as if you’re his only client of the day! It’s that kind of support and care that helped me to open up and work through my issues. He is someone I could trust.

Thank you so much, Richard, for your unending patience and understanding, the endless supply of tissues! and for giving me the courage to reach the end – it was pretty hard for me to do it but I’m so glad I did!"
Kelly, Cheltenham, 17th October 2008

Hypnotherapy and how it helped me - by Liz

"Hi Richard

It's been 8 months and I know I said thank you and all that, but I wanted to let you know how much you have changed my life and how grateful I am to you - It's like my eyes have been opened for the first time in years - To go from being almost unable to go to any kind of public event (particularly in the last 3 years - any I did go to were preceeded by weeks of anxiety and pain - enjoyed only when they were over!) couldn't get on a flight, basically every social opportunity was feared and every holiday an ordeal - to where I am now...I feel about 25 living inside a 44 year - I have for the first time since I can remember discovered the ability to enjoy the moment!

From the initial appointment when you explained what the therapy process was and how long you thought it might take I felt extremely at ease - (to be brutally honest your age and laid back approach really helped me) - I didn't feel that I could shock you with anything I said and I never felt that you were judging me even when I was struggling. You retained the ability to be friendly and approachable but also firm when I needed it and I think this really helped me through the therapy process - I felt that you really cared whether I got through it and would stick with me until I did. I felt I could trust you from our first meeting and that was key to the successful completion of the therapy. Your delighted response to my thank you email was further confirmation to me that your clients really matter to you.

I can't thank you enough"
Liz, Cheltenham, December 2008

Got my confidence back says Sam

"Hi Richard, I just wanted to say I am so thankful to you for all your help with getting to the root cause of my phobia. Last Saturday I walked down the aisle utterly composed and calm, no sudden feelings of panic or needing to run out the room despite there being almost 100 people watching my every move! It was everything I hoped my wedding would ever be. I could have cried with relief as when I contacted you back in March, I cannot begin to explain how terrified I was of making a complete and utter fool of myself at my own wedding!

I really do feel like a new person and the hypnotherapy has allowed me to work through so many embarrassing, yet deeply rooted beliefs and emotions which needed to come to the surface in order to be free once again.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend hypnotherapy (particularly with yourself) to anyone trying to overcome a phobia of any kind."
Samantha, Cheltenham, June 2008

For other testimonials specifically related to symptoms (e.g. stopping smoking or anxiety) please navigate the pages on the left.

Press Clippings