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Hypnotherapists say they can treat anything from a phobia about insects to a smoking habit.
SARAH FOSTER finds out more.
 
When Darren Chivers had a horrific motorcycle accident, it wasn't just the physical scars that needed help to heal. His confidence plummeted and his anxiety levels soared as he tried to deal with the crash which claimed two of his fingers. The 39-year-old from Stamshaw, Portsmouth, felt stressed and didn't want to leave the house. But instead of going for more counseling or confiding in friends, Darren turned to a hypnotherapist. 'I needed to get a bit of confidence back and get back into the world. It's all right having your mates around you but 1hadn't worked in nine months. 1 needed a bit of a boost,' he explains.
 
Darren started seeing Paul Alland in May after finding his website. And by getting him into a relaxed state, Paul says he's worked on changing Darren's sub-conscious mind in order to make him feel more confident and outgoing.
 
For anyone who's seen a stage hypnotist at work -in particular Matt Lucas's Little Britain character Kenny Craig – It's tempting to think of a swinging watch or a 'look into my eyes' moment.
 
But Darren says it's not like that: 'The first time I went to him was for stress and anxiety and I was a bit anxious about it to be honest. 'I've seen hypnotists on the television but it's not like that at all. He just put me into a relaxed state of mind. It must have changed my mindset because something's clicked. I'm a bit more confident now and I'm going out a bit more. This is the only thing I've done, so it must be working.'
 
Paul from Fratton, Portsmouth, sees people for all sorts of reasons -including phobias about flying or spiders, and to treat those who want to lose weight or quit cigarettes. 'When people start smoking they're not just getting addicted to nicotine,' he explains. 'There's a pattern that occurs in their sub-conscious. They do these things again and again, like having a cigarette after a meal, and what you do is change that pattern of behaviour by getting them into a deep state of relaxation. The conscious mind is distracted and that's when you can talk to their subconscious and change it.'
 
Paul charges £60 for the first session and £50 for subsequent sessions and works from home or at a client's house.'Alternative therapies as a whole are becoming more popular,' he says. 'A lot of people don't want to put tablets down their throat. More people are willing to give them a try. Hypnotherapy has been around for years and it's still here and that's great.'
 
Darren adds: 'I didn't smoke so in that respect I didn't think I would ever go to a hypnotherapist. But there's only so many pills you can take. There's only so much counseling you can have.'