About Carl
Professional Hypnotherapist
I started out as a Computer Scientist, but soon left that, wending my way toward the investigation of corporate corruption, firstly for the Royal Hong Kong Police and later for consulting firms such as Arthur Andersen and Deloitte in Sydney, Jakarta and London.
My interest in mindfulness began on a beach in Java. I’d picked up the Indonesian language and whilst chatting to some local fishermen I was smitten with how much happier they were than me, despite my cameras and comfy Isuzu 4X4.
Maybe something similar has happened to you?
Driving home to Jakarta I put it down to the stress of late night / early morning calls with clients in Europe and the USA. But the memory of their laughter and the smiles on their faces still niggled away at me in the weeks that followed. I desperately wanted to feel as free and joyous as they did.
I subsequently studied neuroscience and hypnotherapy with the Clifton Practice in Bristol, the National Council for Hypnotherapy, and the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. More importantly I’ve helped clients achieve the goals they have set themselves. I love this work.
Reflecting on the many decades of my working life I know I was right to leave the computing industry as I have always enjoyed working with people.
I’ve included a brief introduction to some of the ideas behind brain science below. I hope we can soon meet for your free introductory session so I can help you understand any issues that may be affecting you and what, together, we will do about it.
“The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky.”
Lewis Carroll
“I keep six honest serving men,
They taught me all I knew.
Their names are:
What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who”
Rudyard Kipling
Some Brain Science
Some people, like me, enjoy the phrase “there’s what you know, what you don’t know and what you don’t know you don’t know”. So I have included a few notes on the brain science at play when we work together.
The popularity of books such as ‘Origins’ and ‘Sapiens’ indicates people’s increasing interest in our evolution. All animals evolved to succeed within their environment across many millennia. As Homeo Sapiens we evolved between 100 and 35 thousand years ago, and our brain is perfectly suited to helping us survive as hunter gathers in the savannah. We felt the release of feel-good brain chemicals such as serotonin when we behaved in certain natural ways.
For most of us today’s environment is very different. It would even be unrecognisable to my grandfather, who was born, lived and worked in a Yorkshire village. Whilst he had didn’t even have a phone I truly don’t know how many ways people can contact me – Messenger, What’s App, 3 emails, Instagram and so on. We drive on the M25 and A1, we have bills, tax, rent or a mortgage, insurance, and the list doesn’t seem to stop.
Evolutionary Psychologists have reflected on how all this impacts upon us. The primitive brain, in particular the Amygdala, is great at saving us from lions and bears but not helpful as it takes over when you hear someone has said something spiteful about you. You can’t stop thinking about it all evening. But after some REM sleep it bothers you less.
Understanding this and many other aspects of our minds helps us recognise we are not ‘broken’ and paves the way for enhancement in our lives. Our sleep improves and we laugh more.