Meet the Therapist: Mark Moore
Mark Moore is a hypnotherapist in Loughborough
What attracted you to become a therapist?
After years of working with and managing people I became intrigued as to why people behaved in certain ways and reacted in the way they did in some situations.
I also saw how many people seemed to struggle with life, balancing the needs of family, work, social commitments and many seemed to put their own wellbeing last on their list of priorities
Where did you train?
I trained with Chrysalis over three and half years.
Can you tell us about the type of therapy you practise?
When counselling I use an integrative approach which means applying the most suitable modality for the client, this might be cognitive behavioural therapy, person-centred, psychoanalytical or other. This can change over the course of therapy; I’ll always be guided by the client’s needs and ensure I explain the approach being used.
With hypnotherapy I use I lot of metaphor often taken from the client’s world of experience.
How does hypnotherapy help with phobias?
I recently used hypnotherapy to help a client suffering with claustrophobia, awaiting to go on a waiting list for a kidney transplant she was unable to have go into an MRI scanner and couldn’t even use the elevators at the hospital.
I used regression to explore her past experiences of enclosed spaces and by helping them see that firstly the problem had been caused by a significant experience and then gradually desensitising them of the feeling we also learned that the fear was not specifically enclosed space but the fear of darkness they associated with them.
Five sessions saw the client helped enough to use the elevators, get an MRI scan and is now on the list for her transplant
What sort of people do you usually see?
I see a range of clients from 15 years to 77! Many present with anxiety and we work to find the cause of this so they can in turn start to address it.
I did my clinical placements with Turning Point working with substance and alcohol addiction and also with Cruse as a bereavement counsellor so these are both areas I have focused in.
Have you noticed any recent mental health trends or wider changes in attitude?
The noticeable change over the last twelve months is the number of men seeking help. I think conversations are opening up and also referrals. 50% of my clients are male and all my current male clients are referrals from other men, many of which came from leaving my business cards in men’s hairdressers!
What do you like about being a therapist?
No two clients are the same and it is a privilege to be given the chance to gain some personal insight into another person’s life, to share some of things that they might not share with anyone else and to feel I might be able to play some part into make their tomorrow better than their yesterday.
What is less pleasant?
Client’s who want me to “fix” them. I have had to explain to some that they are the expert in themselves, I can help them find the problem and help them explore solutions but they have to be engaged in their process.
How long have you been with welldoing.org and what you think of us?
Been with Welldoing for over a year now and I love the newsletters and range of subjects covered.
Do you ever suggest books or apps to clients?
Three books I often recommend are:
- Lost Connections by Johann Hari which I think gives a good perspective on depression and anti-depressants
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz which I was given by a wonderful hypnotherapy teacher and it just gives four very basic “tenets” for a simpler life
- Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
What you do for your own mental health?
Mindfulness meditation is a daily practice and I ensure I have plenty of time between clients.
I try to ensure I keep work life separate from all other aspects of my life and do a day’s volunteering each week to maintain a sense of gratitude.
You are a therapist in Loughborough. What can you share with us about seeing clients in this area?
I am based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, and see clients from these areas but also from Nottingham and Derby. There are three very large universities across this part of the East Midlands and all have been a source of clients.
What’s your consultation room like?
I have a private office in my garden at home, it’s not overlooked and is situated in a quiet cul-de-sac so clients can come and go un-noticed and park right outside. It’s simply and plainly furnished everyone seems to love my logo which is painted on the wall!
What do you wish people knew about therapy?
Therapy can take time and we should not wait until we are “broken” and then try to get fixed. We maintain our physical self, our cars and houses so we should check our mental and emotional selves as well.
What did you learn about yourself in therapy?
I have choices, how I respond to what I experience is my choice and to be aware of my own evolution, I have changed and will continue to change subject to my experiences.
