Testimonials

Emotional Baggage

I found Stuart in Yellow Pages and I then looked at his website.

I was suffering from tremendous loss of everything good and bad I once had that I thought made my life feel normal. However throughout 2007 my world came crashing down and I wasn't quite sure what life was trying to show me. Having lived with an unloving mother who was mentally ill, I was abandoned by one of the strongest loves of all that of mother and daughter. Having no family, losing my home, losing my boyfriend and most importantly my closest friends through making bad decisions, as well as having an eating disorder the emotional stress was hurting and it was deep. I honestly could not see any hope ever, I was going to be stuck in this black hole of emotion and feel so numb to everyone and everything. I so longed to have back a sense of belonging to the world and start living not just existing day to day waiting for my life to fall back into place. Things had changed and I needed to accept my new life and let go of the old. I needed help and having looked and found Stuart I wasn't quite sure what to expect, I didn't think anyone could pull me away from all my questioning and heart ache but how wrong I was because Stuart did just that.

Having had only two sessions with Stuart my life has changed. The experience has been so good, I've finally stopped questioning life itself and the outcome is beyond belief, I feel like a completely different person. All that emotional baggage has lifted from me and I have become strong and positive inside.

Stuart I have you to thank for giving me my smile back.

Miss N, West Malling

Frightened of Dogs…

I had been frightened of dogs and especially large dogs for many years and I had lived my life constantly alert to avoid getting anywhere near dogs. I could never visit certain places such as parks, friends homes or walk down some roads where I live or go on country walks all because of my fear of dogs. Many is the time that I have had to walk a very long way round to avoid going past a gate or fence that had a dog behind it. I would often experience symptoms of panic at the very thought of meeting a dog. I would sweat, breathe fast, feel sick and shake all of which was very upsetting and completely out of my control. Once I thought I could control it by myself but I was wrong, it made matters worse. Then to bring matters to a head a very close friend acquired a rescue bitch which took me ages to accept because of the difficulties it caused me. Then the bitch had a litter of puppies and my close friend kept one. All of this made matters so difficult for me that our friendship was almost lost over it. I could not visit her at home or go anywhere near and I had to meet her daughters in the street to pass on presents. I valued our friendship so much but my fear had got hold of me and it completely ruled my life.

Soon after this I went shopping in West Malling before visiting a friend from work but I could not walk out of the car park because of two Alsatians in the back of a parked car. Already tearful and feeling sick I walked the long way round and eventually got to the shops to buy my friend some flowers only to find another huge Alsatian tied up outside the supermarket. I could not go in, I was rooted to the spot and I started to panic, I was in a terrible state. Fortunately my friend found me outside the supermarket, I told her I was petrified and she kindly and gently took me to her home. When we got there matters were compounded as I found that she too had a dog and I started to panic again. We went straight to the garden where I was able to contain myself with my friend being very calming and reassuring.

It was at this time that I met my friend's husband who is Stuart Richards, Clinical Hypnotherapist. Stuart helped to calm me and talked gently about hypnotherapy and how he could help me over my fear of dogs. I am so pleased I accepted his help because Stuart has given me my life back with confidence. No tricks, just a promise to help me and he did. I can now visit my friends who have dogs without any panic or fear, I stroke their dogs and feed them treats, I now enjoy country walks and taking the direct route to wherever I am going, I stop and talk to people who pass with dogs and I no longer worry if there is a dog approaching as I get to a bend in the road. I am not frightened of dogs anymore. None of my family or friends can believe it. Stuart said I would be successful and I have been. I have never looked back. Thank you Stuart, so much.

Mrs. A Snodland.

Endometriosis.

About a year ago my partner and I were going through a rough patch, so a family member suggested we go individually to see Stuart Richards at The West Malling Hypnotherapy Practice. I found going to Stuart very relaxing and his cheerful and friendly personality put me at ease straight away. After going to see Stuart on numerous occasions I noticed how positive I had become, not just about my relationship but life in general and I even found that I was no longer scared of flying which had been a big phobia for me in the past! A major turning point for me was Stuart working on my Endometriosis through hypnotherapy. It had been an on going monthly problem for me which included very painful and heavy periods, so when Stuart suggested we do some work on it, I jumped at the chance. I had been told by doctors that hormonal drugs or laser treatment were the only real options to ease the pain, but was something that I did'nt want to consider. After a couple of sessions working on this condition with Stuart, I started to notice my periods were a lot less painful and heavy and also that they had started to be regular. It was approximately 3 sessions later that I actually found out I was pregnant which was great news as I thought it would take a lot longer due to the Endometriosis. I really do believe that my hypnotherapy sessions with Stuart contributed to the success in my falling pregnant and becoming a much more positive person.

Ms G. West Malling, Kent.

Fear of Water.

For years I had a fear of water, I had attempted swimming lessons but they did not work and eventually I just gave up. So at the age of 46 I thought it was about time I conquered my fear and started to join in with my family when they went swimming instead of leaving my husband with the children on his own. My phobia was so severe that my husband had said I should not go in the water with the children as my fear was having a bad effect on them. I began swimming lessons and persevered until I reached a point where I seemed unable to progress any further. Unless I could release my fear of water I was not going to get any further; I had reached a crossroads of either giving up completely or of finding a way to finally beat my fear. Eventually I decided to seek the help of a professionally qualified hypnotherapist and am so pleased that I found Stuart Richards at The West Malling Hypnotherapy Practice in West Malling, Kent. I made an appointment to see Stuart a few weeks before I was due to go abroad on holiday with my family and some close friends. I had a couple more swimming lessons booked and hoped that I would be able to make some really good progress. My first swimming lesson after I saw Stuart went better than I could ever have imagined and the swimming instructor was amazed at my improvement. But the biggest change was seen on holiday. In the past the hotel swimming pool and the sea were a nightmare for me but this time my fear had gone. I astonished my friends and family by happily going into the swimming pool and playing piggy in the middle, jumping on and off lilos and most of all enjoying being in the sea with them. Maybe next year I'll invest in a snorkel! I would not have achieved any of this had I not seen Stuart Richards. From us all and especially me, thank you Stuart.

Julie, Larkfield, Kent.

Bulimia.

I went to see Stuart Richards in hopes that he would be able to help me overcome my nine year issue with bulimia. I had been desperate to stop this behaviour for years and had tried many different courses of action but had failed till this point. I had not had hypnotherapy before, but after research, felt that as my problem was really in my mind a therapy which worked directly on this area may work. I found Stuart to be very sincere, professional and always kind. It was a very difficult and distressing issue for me, one that I didn't discuss with anyone and so I was surprised and pleased that Stuart was so easy to confide in and so personable, his hypnotherapy left me feeling calm, relaxed and in control. Most importantly I have succeeded in beating bulimia!! For nine years it was a daily part of my life where I would usually vomit at least twice daily and overnight, now that was over! For me the hypnotherapy was such a release and the reasons for the bulimia no longer exist. I would truly recommend hypnotherapy for anyone who is struggling with a problem. I honestly never thought that anything was going to change how I saw myself and now I just feel like a different person. Stuart and his hypnotherapy were instrumental in changing my outlook on life and the decisions I make.

Mrs D. Hadlow, Kent.

Sexually Abused as a Child.

I was quite worried about seeing Stuart as I had seen on TV many cases where hypnotists had made members of the studio audience act in strange and humiliating ways. However, I needn't have worried! Stuart explained all this and was very gentle. We had a long chat to get to know each other and I warmed to him very quickly. I had suffered sexual abuse as a child, been divorced (messily) and married again to a woman who had herself been sexually abused as a child. All this baggage was becoming a burden, with self dislike and doubt manifesting at every turn. Voices inside continuously told me I was useless and was bound to fail. Stuart very slowly got me to unravel all of this into a coherent stream, so that even before hypnosis I was aware of just what a tremendous burden it was that I was carrying. On to hypnosis - I won't go into details, and Stuart wouldn't want me to. I will say, however, that you are aware of all things and words when under hypnosis, and, as Stuart says, any attempt to make you do something contrary to your nature would be bound to fail, as you would immediately snap out of the hypnosis to ask what he thought he was doing. No such worries with Stuart. Suffice it to say that a stopper came out of me and all the poison, negativity and baggage poured out in a black stream. I felt as if I'd been asleep for a hundred years, and could easily have slept for another hundred. Life since has been completely amazing. I am positive, happy, assertive, and most surprising of all - my taste buds have improved just as they did when I gave up smoking so many years ago. Don't ask me - ask Stuart. Thank you most sincerely Stuart for giving me my life back. You will always be in my thoughts.

Mr R. Medway.

Emotional Release.

I was going through a difficult time in my private life and at work, events happened between myself and my partner and things had to change. Firstly I went to see a counselor to try and solve the problems, but I found that this did not help. I was introduced to Stuart Richards via friends of my parents who themselves had benefited from going to see him. I went to see Stuart to help me manage my anger, to relieve stress and to help take control of my feelings and emotions. I found the whole experience very calm and relaxing and I believe it has helped me get my life back on track. I found Stuart to be a very approachable and likeable gentleman and I would certainly recommend him to anyone who feels they need to achieve a more focused and positive direction in their lives; he certainly did it for me.     

Mr W. West Malling.

Pre - Surgical Operation.

Dear Stuart,

I am so pleased that I came to you for hypnotherapy at a very difficult time in my life. I was able to be calm and positive about my illness and operation and I am sure this aided the positive result.

Janet. Kings Hill, Kent.

Social Phobia.

I saw Stuart a year ago when I thought I had no other options available to me. I didn't really believe in hypnotherapy and didn't for a second think it would help me. I was suffering from a phobia of sick and anything relating to sick. I would have panic attacks when I went out as I was scared of picking up bugs and germs from public places and people. If somebody at work was sick I would have to have time off until I considered it safe to return to work. If a member of my family was sick I would have to go to stay at friends' houses until it was safe to go home. I wouldn't drink alcohol as I associated alcohol with being sick and I didn't like eating in restaurants. I was always feeling panicky and worrying about when the next panic attack was going to happen. My GP had referred me to a behavioral therapist but this didn't do anything as all he wanted to know was why I was like that, if I knew I could have addressed it myself! This phobia really was controlling me life, it was affecting me at work and my relationship was suffering. I never slept as I was always worrying about being sick, therefore this made me a grumpy miserable person to be around. I went to see Stuart thinking I might as well try it as I've tried everything else. On my first meeting we sat for a long time, Stuart made me feel so relaxed and comfortable. We just sat there talking about the problem and how it affected me on a day to day basis. I spent the entire time crying. After 'waking up' from hypnosis I felt so relaxed like I had been asleep for a few days. It was an amazing feeling. I couldn't remember a thing about being under hypnosis. On the way home I stopped and met my boyfriend in the pub ( a place I would normally try to avoid ). Everything slowly drifted into place and I felt a lot more relaxed and slept a lot better, I found that whenever I had stomach ache I didn't think I was going to be sick. The true test was when someone was sick!!! This happened at New Year, my boyfriend was sick and instead of moving out I was standing outside the door asking if he was ok and still sleeping in the same bed. AMAZING!!! I still don't like the thought of sick as I'm sure no body does and the thought of it still makes me feel a little on edge but I deal with it in a completely controlled way. Stuart has completely changed my life for the better and I will never be able to thank him enough. I will continue to see Stuart a few times a year just for general relaxation as I felt so wonderful after last time. I recently went to see him as I was having trouble sleeping after a seriously stressful time in my life and again I'm now sleeping a lot better.

Katie. Westerham, Kent.