Hypnotherapy is a deep physical and mental relaxation process entered into, whereby a state of intensified attention and receptiveness is reached thus “by-passing” the critical faculty of the conscious brain. In the “trance” state, the client’s unconscious mind receives suggestions for changing old behaviour patterns and replacing them with specific directions for current desired outcomes. These are given by the practitioner on the client’s behalf to enlist an agreement between the client’s unconscious mind and their conscious desires. The client always hears the practitioner’s voice, and is always in control of the situation. The work is effective because it is based on the universal qualities and prime directives of the unconscious human mind. Some are listed here:

• *to save, protect, maintain, and heal the physical body
• *to store and organise all memories and emotions
• *it is the domain of imagination, emotions and creativity
• *it works on the principle of least effort, finding the path of least resistance
• *it enjoys serving and needs to have clear positive desires to do so

NLP is a model built on a combination of the best elements from earlier empirical models of psychology. The title Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) encapsulates the three main components involved:

• *The Nervous system through which experience is processed via the five senses
• *Language and non-verbal communication which organise our internal representations of our world, and give meaning to them
• *Developing awareness of our neurological Programmes and how to utilise them consistently in ways which foster excellence in order to achieve our chosen goals.

Essentially NLP explains how we process information from the outside world, create an internal representation of it, and respond physiologically and emotionally to arrive in certain “states” which subsequently influence behaviour and shape personality. The NLP model is used in business, education and therapy to achieve constructive change, employing the language of the mind to consistently realise our desired outcomes.

Alexander Technique is about learning how to cooperate with human design so that we can enjoy our life pursuits, and are able to realise our goals with comfort and physical ease. The learning involves developing awareness of ourselves, and of a very particular physiological relationship between our head and spine which facilitates optimal movement.

The Alexander Technique is used to change harmful and ineffective physical habits which eventually manifest in chronic pain and injury. The undesirable behaviours and habits are usually caused by some form of negative thought or fear which lies hidden from the person’s awareness. The practitioner is trained to detect where the misdirected effort and energy lies and to direct more constructive thinking and moving. Technical problems for musical instrumental players are often due to the player having an inaccurate internal map of their body, and non-constructive practising habits. People are given instruction on more healthy and efficient ways of thinking and moving with their instrument and/or voice.