Upon reading yet another favourite blog of mine, my good friend and fellow hypnotherapist Sophie Nicholls has had me jumping for joy this morning…

No, she did not tell me Nottingham Forest have been bought up by a multi billionaire Sheikh and plan to bring in Ronaldo as the first signing.

No, she did not tell me that Stuart Pearce is coming to Bournemouth and he wants me to go to a Sex Pistols reformation gig with him.

No, no, neither did she tell me that Kate from The Apprentice is only going out with Phil because she considered me unavailable… Which I am, of course.

Instead, she shared her joy at the fact that a leading researcher in psychiatry and behavioral sciences is calling upon the UK based National Institute for Clinical Excellence (N.I.C.E) to “add hypnotherapy to its list of approved therapeutic techniques for the treatment of conditions ranging from allergies and high blood pressure to the pain associated with cancer treatment and bone marrow transplantation.”

I am delighted… Let me tell you some more…

In yesterdays Telegraph, this fabulous hypnosis article states that Professor David Spiegel, over at Stanford University, reckons that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence should consider making some wholesale sweeping changes.

Well three cheers for that! The article really champions hypnosis, especially in relation to surgery. Professor Spiegel is quoted saying:

“It is time for hypnosis to work its way into the mainstream of British medicine.”

The guy does not need to say anymore. He is now up there in my mind with Brian Clough, Paula Radcliffe, Milton Erickson, Stuart Pearce and all my other heroes! I want to kiss professor David Spiegel of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences… On the lips!

He goes on to say:

“There is solid science behind what sounds like mysticism and we need to get that message across to the bodies that influence this area.

“Hypnosis has no negative side-effects. It makes operations quicker, as the patient is able to talk to the surgeon as the operation proceeds, and it is cheaper than conventional pain relief. Since it does not interfere with the workings of the body, the patient recovers faster, too.

“It is also extremely powerful as a means of pain relief. Hypnosis has been accepted and rejected because people are nervous of it. They think it’s either too powerful or not powerful enough, but, although the public are sceptical, the hardest part of the procedure is getting other doctors to accept it.”

Not only is this a time for us hypnotherapists to revel and delight in receiving some bona fide support from the academic sector, it is fabulous news for the public who will benefit from hypnotherapy without the side effects of many other interventions.

You regular readers read and see all the wonder stories and anecdotes that I post here on this blog week in and week out… With more of this kind of support, we can begin to stop considering these cases isolated and seemingly miraculous and in fact, start moving to these things being usual and part of our regular healthcare experience.

The great news is that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has openly stated that it will “welcome submissions for hypnotherapy to be considered as an approved therapeutic technique on the NHS if it could be cost-effective and consistent delivery could be guaranteed.”

Sophie, thank you. Dr David Spiegel, thank you. The many hypnotherapists that I regularly come into contact with are all working very hard with consistency and persistency to see hypnotherapy make it’s way into the public sector and thus the public consciousness far more.