In general, we all have a basic need to have connection with others. While there are a few exceptions, such as those on the autistic spectrum, the need for intimacy on some level is vital to our mental, emotional and physical well-being. This is why, for most people, solitary confinement or exclusion are such painful and cruel punishments.

If you are not fulfilling your need for intimacy, you are highly likely to experience some level of depression and anxiety. 

How do I fulfill my need for intimacy?

Many of us are lucky enough to have a partner or a spouse, with whom we can share intimate moments. From a gentle touch on the arm, to kissing and sexual intercourse, we are fortunate to be able to deeply fulfill our need for intimacy. This may seem the ideal, but even if you live alone, it is still possible to improve this area of your life. It is also true to say that relationships with a loved one may not always be running at their best, and the intimacy that once was there, may now be less.

In this latest blog in my series on meeting your psychological needs I am focusing on our need for challenge. 

Not everybody wants to climb Everest, swim the channel or run an ultra-marathon. Some people do these things without thinking, but they are not essential to everybody. When it comes to being creative, which is related to challenge, we don’t all want to become the new Picasso. While it may be true that we all have a novel in us, we might be perfectly happy to keep it there!

However on some level, there is a basic human need to be challenged. If we live a life entirely based on habit, a safe environment, comfort and casual social interaction, over time, it is very likely that our boundaries of what is safe will shift.

By Judy Sharp Dip Hyp; Dip PLT
GHR and CNHC registered

Hypnotherapy is simply the therapeutic use of hypnosis as a way of accessing the unconscious to resolve a very wide range of issues ranging from irrational fears and phobias to anxiety and depression; from emotional trauma to weight management; from challenges with relationships or money to giving up smoking. Or it can be used to harness the potential of the unconscious to provide motivation and positive suggestions to overcome stressful situations: exam nerves, driving test blues, yips on the golf course, giving presentations to large audiences ….

Have you ever been mesmerized by flames in a log fire? Or been lost in a beautiful piece of music? Have you been in a car on a rainy journey as the wipers slip-slapped against the windscreen? Then you have slid into “an altered state of consciousness” – precisely the “trance state” that is induced in a session of hypnotherapy.

The mind is like an iceberg

The mind is like an iceberg, with the 10% that shows above the surface of the ocean being the conscious mind, controlling our day-to-day activities and rational, cognitive functions. The 90% of the iceberg sitting quietly below the ocean equates to the unconscious mind. This is the control centre, the computer hard drive, and by by-passing the conscious mind, the hypnotherapist can access the unconscious mind. Not only does it monitor all the physical and biochemical processes that keep us alive, such as breathing and temperature control, it also influences our overall health and wellbeing. It is in the unconscious mind that all memories and traumas, feelings and emotions are stored, and it is here that the therapist works to find the real underlying emotional root cause of an issue.

Working with ‘Big-T’ and ‘small-t’ traumas.

Why both deserve our respect and attention.

By Ruth Anderson-Davis

EFT & Matrix Reimprinting can be helpful in releasing anxiety, stress, depression, low self-esteem, phobias, traumas, negative subconscious beliefs, grief or any past event you might need help moving on from.

Even physical conditions can sometimes have their root in the mental/emotional stress. Finding and gently releasing the root cause of emotional stress can bring great relief, healing and new perspectives to your life.