Lisa Murphy Counselling & Hypnotherapy

How to get rid of intrusive thoughts in 3 easy steps

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Do you struggle with intrusive, anxious, or negative thoughts?  Let me explain a great little NLP technique to show you how to get rid of them. The problem with intrusive thoughts is that it’s really hard to just ‘stop thinking’ them.  It’s like if I said to you ‘don’t think of a pink elephant standing in the corner of the room’ – then that elephant would probably pop right into your head and refuse to budge. So rather than just trying hard to get rid of unwanted thoughts, a much better strategy is to use your creativity to mess aboutContinue Reading

How to communicate better with your partner

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Are you and your partner having troubles in your relationship?  Are you having disagreements, or finding it hard to see eye to eye? When we ignore those trivial misunderstandings and little problems, they can fester inside and grow into burning resentments that often explode out during arguments, and it’s not pleasant for either of you. Here’s a simple exercise that will give you the chance to speak and be heard, help you to listen to one another, and to communicate more effectively. Couples Communication Exercise Put aside all distractions.  Turn off your phones, make sure any children or pets areContinue Reading

Anxiety – are you asking yourself the wrong question?

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People who struggle with anxiety can often ask themselves the question: ‘Why?’ They get bogged down in examining WHY they might be feeling anxious. But unfortunately, that ‘why’ question can lead them ever deeper into a maze of anxious thoughts: ‘Why? It’s because of that bad experience I had all those years ago’ ‘It’s because my parents did xyz’ ‘It’s because my work colleagues hate me’ Etc. And guess what these thoughts do? Make us conjure up bad memories or negative thoughts. Click below to view the video version of this blog:   Yes, it’s useful to explore the originsContinue Reading

Are your childhood beliefs holding you back?

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I have a friend who, until he was about 16, genuinely believed his Dad wrote ‘Help’ by The Beatles. Turns out, his Dad just liked kidding around. As children, we tend to believe without question the things the grown-ups around us say.  But what if those things aren’t so light-hearted? For some people, they were told very damaging things as they grew up, by the people who should have been protecting and nurturing them.  Things that basically translated as: ‘You’re not good enough’ ‘You’re not allowed’ ‘You don’t deserve love’ ‘You shouldn’t speak up’ And these beliefs can haunt themContinue Reading

7 ways to break up with anxiety

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Is your relationship with anxiety making you miserable? To celebrate Valentine’s Day, here are 7 ways to break up with anxiety… and start to fall in love with yourself. 1. Stop telling anxiety to stop Have you ever said to yourself ‘I just need to STOP feeling anxious’ – ? Try this: Do your best NOT to think of a pink sparkly elephant sitting in the corner. And whatever you do, don’t give it a fluffy yellow jumper to wear. And definitely don’t imagine it smoking a pipe. Our minds are constantly creating; it’s just how we’re designed. I findContinue Reading

Mindful Memories

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Last week I reached the age of 50. There’s something about reaching these milestone ages that makes me take stock of where I am, think about what I want to achieve in life, and reflect on the memories that have brought me to this moment. The thing is, when I think of the memories that really stand out to me in my life, they haven’t been the spectacular moments or the exciting times. They’ve been the quiet, reflective moments; moments in time where I just stopped and realised all was well in my world. Times like when I was sittingContinue Reading

Reduce your anxiety at the flick of a switch

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If you want a healthy body, then you probably know that it’s a good idea not to fill it with junkfood. But when it comes to having a healthy mind, do you pay much attention to what you’re allowing in? If you suffer from anxiety, you’re likely to be blessed with a very powerful imagination. You use that imagination to create all kinds of worrying scenarios that keep you in a constant state of ‘fight or flight’. So when it comes to external stimulus, you may want to keep a watchful eye on what you’re allowing into your fertile mind.Continue Reading

Relationship Counselling for Guilt

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Relationship counselling for guilt is something that I get asked about a lot around this time of year. And it’s not surprising, when you look at the data. According to a recent study, the second most common time for relationships to break up is two weeks before Christmas (the number one time is, believe it or not, Valentine’s Day!) So why do so many people need relationship counselling at a time of year that’s supposed to be so full of love and goodwill? Here are a few examples that may help explain. New Year, New (Single) You As the NewContinue Reading

Hypnotherapy for anxiety

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Hypnotherapy for anxiety: 5 reasons why it’s a good choice Hypnotherapy for anxiety isn’t generally the first thing people think of when they’re looking for help with anxious thoughts and feelings. In fact, you might think of hypnotherapy as something that usually happens onstage, with various people ‘falling under the spell’ of the hypnotist and being made to do ridiculous things in the name of entertainment. And that probably makes you feel even more anxious! There’s no need to worry however, as hypnotherapy is very different to stage hypnosis, and it’s actually an excellent choice of therapy for anxiety. CanContinue Reading

2 minute practice to help reduce anger and anxiety

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This simple daily practice will help you to reduce any anger, anxiety or stress that’s building up inside. It can be done anywhere – you could be out in public, waiting in a queue at the post office, or sitting in a traffic jam. All you have to do is develop a regular practice of checking in with your body. Just send your awareness within, scan around your body, and PAY ATTENTION to how you’re feeling. Reduce anger and anxiety Don’t leave it too late I don’t mean you should do this when you’re already at the height of anyContinue Reading