Testimonials

I would recommend hypnotherapy to anyone. After just four sessions with Stuart I really noticed the difference in me and so did my nearest and dearest. I had spent over eight years suffering with stress and anxiety, with the way I looked and being very negative about most things. I also have Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome which causes infertility, weight gain and other nasty symptoms which didn’t help.

My first session with Stuart was the longest as we were getting to know each other and I felt very comfortable discussing my issues in depth. The hypnotherapy it self was very relaxing and I woke feeling relaxed and positive, Stuart even walked me to my car to make sure I felt ok to drive, which I did. As time went by I could notice the changes in me, I was more positive and less stressed, I started going out with friends again and didn’t feel anxious, I also changed my diet and started losing weight.

Victoria. Chatham, Kent.

When I came to see Stuart I was suffering with extreme stress and anxiety which was taking over every aspect of my life… I didn’t know where to turn or what to do and then I found Stuart via his website, I then contacted Stuart and made an appointment to see him. It was amazing and within two sessions I had really calmed down and had learnt to control my emotions and was able to manage the situations that had been causing me stress and anxiety. I’ve also been able to give up smoking which is something I didn’t actually go to see Stuart about!! After two sessions with Stuart I just felt in the right head space because a lot of the situations which historically triggered me to smoke were now within my control. Thank you Stuart, the work you do is great and has completely turned my life around.

Michael, Medway.

I went to see Stuart because I have suffered from Irritable Bowel Syndrome for about 5 years. Because of an up and coming new job I really had to try to sort this out. The IBS would cause me anxiety when travelling and I had quite a tough interview process for my new job which involved travelling many miles. He also worked on my confidence which was a huge help in securing the job.

After seeing Stuart 2 or 3 times I was able to travel without anxiety and without my IBS troubling me. I really feel that I have turned a corner and my IBS is significantly better. I was able to look forward to my new job with confidence. During the sessions Stuart allowed plenty of time for discussion about my problems and made sure that I was comfortable about the process.

I would recommend Stuart to anybody with similar problems to mine.

David. Tonbridge.

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.

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.

I was desperate to find someone who could help me with my panic attacks and phobias, depression, fear of being far away from home and eating out socially that have ruined my life for the past 16 years. I have seen lots of specialists over the years from psychologists, herbalists, GPs, counsellors and spent a fortune and didn’t feel any better for it. I had seen a hypnotherapist in the past but it didn’t help so I was unsure about seeing another hypnotherapist but because I was so desperate I decided to visit Stuart.

I cannot put into words how different I feel now, a great weight has been lifted and my mind is much clearer. I cannot completely explain it but something massive has shifted. Stuart is a wonderful, caring, calm man who completely understands all what I have been through and knows the answers. I wished I had met him years ago and without hesitation I would suggest anyone who has any emotional, panic, mind baggage problems that is affecting their life to go and see him.

You don’t have to suffer anymore he can and will help you….he is amazing and I cannot thank him enough for giving me my life back.

Karen, 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.

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.

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 didn’t 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.

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.

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.

Mr W. West Malling.

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 behavioural 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

GCSE results

Hello Stuart it’s James. I got 4 As, 5Bs, 2Cs so I got into sixth form. Thank you so much for all your help. Thank you!

A Level results

Hiya it’s Liam. I thought I’d let u know I got 4 As in the end so I’m over the moon. Thanks for your help, I’m going to Medical School and I’m so excited. I’m sure I’ll see you again. Thank you.

After suffering two ectopic pregnancies my partner and I had no other choice but to investigate IVF. The nurse at the IVF clinic recommended hypnotherapy to compliment the treatment as she thought it would be introduced at the clinic in the future. I have visited Stuart with great success in the past for help with another issue, so I approached him once again for help.

This was our first attempt at IVF and I was determined to do everything I could to make it a success. I had two sessions with Stuart both of which started by establishing positive thinking which is so important for IVF success. During each session Stuart as always completely put me at my ease as he had done during previous sessions. Once again we achieved our goal because I am now the proudest, happiest mummy of a beautiful little girl.

My partner and I have already decided to have another course of IVF treatment and will definitely be calling upon Stuart for his help and support once again.

Ms. Baker, Kent

Dear Stuart,

I am so pleased to tell you that my sister’s wedding was a great success and an absolutely wonderful day. Thank you so much for all your help and encouragement in preparing me for my role on the day. The bride looked radiant and enjoyed herself from start to finish and it was so great for me to feel calm and in control as her matron of honour and to really enjoy the day. By the end of the evening the only thing bothering me were my sore feet in my glam new heels!

Your help and advice were invaluable. Thank you Stuart.

Mrs Glover, Maidstone

At the age of 16 I noticed that I sweated more as a teenager in the armpit area and was diagnosed with Hyperhydrosis. After trying various deodorants both off the shelf and prescription, I was referred to a surgeon who said they could carry out an operation that would effectively cure me of my problem, this being an ‘Endoscopic Transthoracic Sympathectomy. Basically, certain nerves are cut along the thoracic chain of the spine that control sweating. I was warned that I would cease to sweat in the armpits as well as the hands and with this would come very dry skin. This did not prepare me for how this really would make me feel. Post op, I was just happy to be relieved of my initial problem. After spending my teenage years wearing two tee shirts some days to cover the sweat patches, this was a miracle! The dry hands bugged me but not to the extent that it was a problem at first.

After two and a half years I began to realise how much the dryness of my hands was really getting to me, even more so than the sweating which was the initial problem. I also learnt that there were other things I could have tried that would have localised the side effects to the problem area only and would not have included my hands; this made me feel regretful and extremely low.

To describe what I mean, dry hands sound like a trivial matter that a lot of people deal with. Wrong! That kind of dryness is caused by the elements, the environment drying them out. My problem was that there was zero moisture in my hands; no sweat at all. You need that moisture to grip things, touching dry surfaces or textures feels awful, like when you get out of a long bath and your hands feel wrinkly and tight. I began to realise how reliant I was on hand cream, I would apply it every thirty minutes and every time I had to wash them, or touched something wet, the hand cream would be washed off and I’d need to reapply or it would feel so uncomfortable. It controlled my life. I had a tube of cream in my pocket 24/7 and this was beginning to grate on me mentally, knowing that my operation was irreversible and that this new problem outweighed the severity of the original, led me too feel depressed. After months of feeling down and stressed over the matter I spoke to my aunt who suggested that I consult a registered and well qualified hypnotherapist. I was sceptical but took her advice.

I first came to Stuart after seeing his ad in the canteen at work for help with quitting smoking, so I gave him a call and left a message on his answer phone. Sure enough, I received a call from him later that evening, we spoke about my problem and my feelings and he assured me that we would start to sort this out; a weight was lifted off my shoulders. We made an appointment to meet and less than a week later I went to meet Stuart at his clinic in West Malling. I was made to feel comfortable and didn’t feel nervous at all. I felt excited yet on the whole still sceptical about hypnotherapy. We spoke some more about my issues and then discussed the treatment. I felt happy with what Stuart had told me about the treatment and what he clearly explained about hypnotherapy, this helped a lot and I agreed to let him treat me. First we did some relaxation exercises and then proceeded with the hypnotherapy session itself. All I can say is that any scepticism about hypnosis disappeared very quickly. I felt good things I had never felt before and after the treatment I felt so much better. I came away a different person. I ceased the obsessive use of hand cream that day and I felt that I was less stressed and the problem was not ruling my life any more. I was not completely cured because I still had to use hand cream regularly but the fact that it was not nearly so often and I could feel relaxed about it all was what I had wanted for so long. Thank you so much Stuart.

Richard W. Larkfield, Kent.

For years, every evening and every weekend the consumption of alcohol had become a seriously bad habit for me. I wanted to break this addiction and despite gearing myself up not to drink any alcohol during the week, my willpower would cave in on the first night, as soon as I walked through my front door I found it impossible to resist the desire, the need, to open a bottle of wine. I decided to seek Stuart Richards help to see whether he could help me quit drinking.

We had an initial chat over the phone to outline my problem and when I went to see Stuart for my first appointment we immediately established a good rapport. Stuart completely understood what I was going through, that I wanted to change my behaviour, to be positive, to take control and to be more alert. I was given the choice of refraining from drinking so much wine or cutting out alcohol altogether. I opted for the latter as I wanted to put aside all old patterns of behaviour and excuses which included convincing myself that it was ok for me to drink, that I actually needed it to relax me. In fact it was actually preventing me from doing pretty much anything else and I found I could not remember some things I had said or done. I was also suffering regular hangovers and spending quite a bit of money on booze.

Stuart helped me to reach in and access my unconscious mind in order to tackle and overcome my addiction and I felt so comfortable with him, in a completely relaxed and safe state. I have not touched a single drop of alcohol since my therapy with Stuart and I can honestly say it has made the biggest and most positive difference to my life. I do not think about alcohol at all and I do not miss it. I feel I have finally conquered alcohol and that makes me feel so proud of myself.

I would like to say a big thank you to Stuart for giving me the opportunity to break old habits and for showing me new beginnings.

Mrs W East Malling

My daughter had a sleep problem since birth, not being able to sleep without me or my husband with her. This had been going on her whole life, ten years. We visited the GP many times and she was given some sedative medicine that didn’t help and she was referred to a team of child psychologists. We visited them for over 5 years and they helped to a certain extent but it wasn’t until we took her to see Stuart that we saw a major improvement in just a few sessions. Stuart helps her feel relaxed and confident and she looks forward to seeing him every time. I know we will get there with Stuart’s help and I wish we had known him years ago. Thank you Stuart.

Mrs H West Malling.

One word….INCREDIBLE! I went to see Stuart about a food phobia which was becoming a hindrance whilst socialising with friends and clients. At first I was sceptical, I honestly thought it was not going to work, but amazingly after just ONE session I was cured. Stuart made me feel so relaxed as I was quite nervous about being hypnotised. At the end I had another appointment booked which I thought I’d need but ended up cancelling it as I no longer did. This whole process is life changing for me, I now don’t need to worry about what restaurants we book or making sure my dietary requirements are noted at dinner parties and work functions. I have recommended Stuart and hypnotherapy to a couple of my friends, one who has a phobia of flying and another that wants to stop smoking, I know he is the answer to their problems.

Lucy Kings Hill .

I went to see Stuart Richards because I was desperate. I had battled with Social Phobia since I was 11, IBS and severe anxiety. I wasn’t enjoying life anymore and was finding even the most routine daily task full of fear of either having an IBS attack, or a panic attack to the extent that I didn’t want to go out and I would cancel occasions, even having friends over was just too much, and I wanted to just hide and stay in bed. It was taking over, and controlling me. It wasn’t just affecting me it was affecting my husband and my two children under five. I couldn’t explain what was happening to me, I didn’t have the answers – before the children I had a good job in London, and was confident and full of life. I had become someone I didn’t recognise anymore, I was completely lost.

My initial conversation with Stuart was brilliant. He was sincere and kind and made me feel as that I wasn’t alone. The first meeting with Stuart was lengthy, and I found I could talk to him with ease, and he understood that these fears were real and didn’t just label me as being ‘depressed’ or ‘it’s all in the mind’.

The therapy seemed daunting at first, afterwards I felt amazing. I felt so relaxed, and had the best night’s sleep I had had in months. After a few sessions, I managed to not only go to events but I really enjoyed them including a Wedding, a concert at the 02, and the biggest obstacle was a night away with a friend, something I haven’t done for five years. I did all of these things and had a great time. If I go back to the beginning of 2011, there is no way I would have gone, and would have made excuses, and then be consumed with guilt of letting friends down.

I feel as though I have been on a long journey, and if it hadn’t have been for Stuart I wouldn’t have got back to being me, and finding peace of mind. He has helped me to recognise my ‘stage fright’ and being subservient as part of the old symptoms. I am now released and relaxed. Stuart has been a huge support, and has taught me vital techniques and to have self-belief and confidence in the tools of the mind and that every part of us needs to heal, including our mind. Stuart is caring and a true professional, and now a friend.

Lisa, West Malling.

After suffering two major panic attacks on long haul flights, just the thought of a family holiday abroad made me feel sick. After my last episode I never wanted to step foot onto a plane again and knew that it would affect not only myself but my whole family too. I knew I had to do something about it but really was at a loss as to where to go or who to turn to. After discussing my fear of flying with a friend, she recommended me to book a hypnotherapy session with Stuart who had helped her with her own issues. Being somewhat sceptical and not really understanding how hypnotherapy worked I put off calling Stuart for several weeks, then one day I finally plucked up the courage to pick up the phone. After speaking to Stuart and describing my issues over the phone I immediately felt at ease with him and knew this would be beneficial for me, even before meeting him and arranged a day to visit Stuart. To say it made a difference would be an understatement. I felt confident in myself like I hadn’t in years and the improvement with home life towards the people around me (friends and family) was noticeable to others even after just one visit. I continued with the hypnotherapy for a few more visits and Stuart uncovered other issues in my life that I hadn’t realised were relevant. The change in me was quite remarkable in how I felt and how people perceived me. I felt great and decided to book a short break to Spain, as flying had now become a challenge to me rather than a fear. Safe to say I went to Spain, came back in one piece and actually enjoyed the experience rather than being fearful of it. The hypnotherapy had worked on my fear and has also been so beneficial in other areas. The changes within have been positive in a massive way. I continue to visit Stuart as I feel his hypnotherapy has made such a positive difference in my life and I enjoy the benefits of a ‘top up’ from time to time. If you are thinking about calling Stuart, don’t think, just do it – you won’t regret it.