I was recently approached by a member of a local Patient Participation Group asking me to train volunteers at her GP surgery in listening skills, so that they could provide this service free of charge to patients. Her thinking was that many of the issues which people take to their GP have an emotional component which, if reduced through talking it over, would have a positive impact on overall wellbeing.

This thinking is not new and in fact forms the basis of the therapies that I am qualified in – Counselling, Hypnotherapy, Emotional freedom Technique and Bach flower Remedies all have that underpinning ethos; sort out the emotions and many physical symptoms can be reduced. If You think about it this makes perfect sense; when we are stressed we get tension headaches, stomach complaints, aches and pains particularly in neck, jaw and shoulder areas…. Whilst a GP should always be seen for any health issue that arises, and a complementary therapist will insist that this is the case, the impact of stress and worry can be greater than we quite often realise meaning that the reduction of these emotions can be mind blowing.

A recommended read on this subject is ‘It’s the Thought that Counts’ by Dr David Hamilton. He spent years working in the pharmaceutical industry and saw first-hand the reactions to patients taking placebos in relation to those taking an actual medicine. This demonstrated for him the power of the mind over the body and, in his book, he backs up his findings from his own professional material as well as quoting from the many studies that have been going on around the world in recent years, scientifically measuring brainwaves and physical responses which show a link between what is going on in our minds and how this impacts our bodies.

With this in mind, consider how much power you really have……worth a moment of anybody’s time.

Nicky Mason