david faratian
Hypnotherapy Gives Cancer Survivor Her Life Back
When Melissa Fox was recovering from breast cancer she turned to CancerCare in Barrow for help, not anticipating that it would completely change her life in more ways than one.
Melissa, who lives in Barrow, said the hypnotherapy she received to help her cope with the fact she’d had cancer also helped her to deal with a severe alcohol problem caused by personal problems.
A care worker, mum and grandmother, Melissa, said CancerCare had given her a second chance at life.
She said hypnotherapist, David Faratian, had saved her from self-destruction and helped her to realise that there was a lot to live for.
Melissa, who has been married twice and now lives around the corner from her daughter in Barrow, has recently had the ‘all clear’ from breast cancer following her treatment five years ago.
She said: “I felt fine even during my treatment for breast cancer but I had a lot of anxiety afterwards and, due to some other personal problems, I was drinking too much.
“I had heard about CancerCare and when I spoke to the team they suggested that hypnotherapy might help.”
CancerCare’s Barrow base is at the Trinity Church Centre on Warwick Street near Abbey Road. Free hypnotherapy, counselling, aromatherapy massage and other therapies are available to people affected by cancer.
Melissa, who was 14 years old when she moved from Guisborough in Yorkshire to Barrow with her family, said she didn’t know what to expect from the hypnotherapy sessions.
She said: “It’s not like what you see on TV where the hypnotherapist makes you do different things.
“David taught me various methods for coping with how I was feeling and behaving.
“He helped me to see that I didn’t need to drink to escape from my negative thoughts.
“He also gave me a recording to listen to and help me relax. I’m usually quite hyper but he showed me ways to relax. I saw him six times at his premises at Roa Island and he was very professional.
“We visualised situations where I might have had a drink and he helped me to react differently. Being under hypnosis and visualising situations felt very real.
“Another thing he helped me to realise was that I had recovered from cancer so why would I want to kill myself with drink? It was amazing. It really worked.
“I stopped wanting a drink. Now I can go for days without drinking and if I do it’s just a social drink.
“Being treated by David has made such a difference to my life. I’m not addicted to alcohol now and I don’t want to go back down that road again.”
Melissa attended Alfred Barrow Girls’ School and then Dowdales School in Dalton before leaving to work in various local factories including Blair’s in Dalton and Lister’s in Barrow.
She has a daughter called Hannah who lives close by in Barrow. She has three grandchildren named Dakota, 10, Amaya, 5, and Emelise, 2.
“I see them lots,” said Melissa. “I love them to bits.”
Melissa has a sister called Andrea and two brothers, Martin and Barry. She also had a brother called Anthony who has passed away.
Melissa is surprised and delighted with the success of her hypnotherapy treatment and said she would recommend it to others.
She added: “Life is so much better now.
“I don’t think I would still be here if it wasn’t for David and the hypnotherapy. He’s wonderful!”
David Faratian said: “It has been a privilege working with Melissa and helping her to reach a point in her life where she feels more empowered.
“Hypnotherapy has a very good track record in helping people to deal with any limiting belief, behaviour or emotion they were not born with.
To find out if you would be able to have hypnotherapy through CancerCare please email tct@cancercare.org.uk or call 01524 381 820 and ask for the Therapy CoordinationTeam.
Jedi Mind Power
In my practice, I come across wonderful people all the time who have unfortunately lost the ability to believe in themselves. Through unconscious coaching, anyone can train their unconscious minds to install new 'software' which can empower self-belief and confidence. You see hypnosis can achieve something quite special once it is fully understood. Our minds create emotions through the 'pictures' we create with our imaginations. Once a person 'sees' themselves failing in a certain situation then the mind obliges by creating the symptoms often associated with failing; fast heartbeat, dizziness, fast breathing. These symptoms are clearly symptomatic of adrenalin release but what is often underestimated is the power of unconscious thought to re-rehearse a different outcome under trance so that the person can access that more resourceful part of their system to experience a process without the same unpleasant physical feelings. Often it is not the fear which is the issue but the feeling of the fear. Someone who is scared of dentists isn't actually scared of dentists, more they are scared of the feeling of being scared. Once this is processed almost any phobia can be reprocessed and eliminated.
Introducing Lorraine. Lorraine approached me recently with an unusual request. She needed to perform a fire and ice walk for charity to raise money for cancer care. Naturally, the anxiety of walking on hot coals and then across broken glass was stimulating her 'panic centre', and the prospect of completing the task was overwhelming. Through a number of hypnotic techniques, Lorraine was quickly able to re-imagine the outcome of the task in hand with a clear sense of inner calm and control and this was how she was able to successfully complete the walk and raise the money for her cause. The power of human determination is referenced through the thoughts we generate and how those thoughts relate to our model of the world. Change the thought you change the emotion; change the emotion and literally, anything becomes possible…..
Here is the link for the event http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/walney/Video-Fire-walking-Walney-mum-braves-the-flames-for-cancer-charity-80b832f2-511a-47ec-b6e9-100b734099e8-ds
…..and Lorraine's recent letter following the event
Hi David,
I hope this finds you well, sorry it’s taken so long to put together! I just wanted to thank you for your considerable achievement in helping me to organise, control & face several huge challenges to enable & empower me to walk over glass & over hot embers!!! The fire walk was 20ft long, the embers were 1,236 degrees Fahrenheit!!! Because of your help I raised £150.00 for Cancer Care!
I know I couldn’t have done this without your hypnosis skills, I was a serious sceptic about hypnosis & how it would work for me, but you convinced me that I could do anything if I put my mind to it!! For this I owe you a considerable debt of gratitude! I really would recommend you & your services to anyone who wants to achieve their unachievable goals. I work with people who have disabilities helping to them to find work, achieve their goals / dreams so it was really refreshing to have someone instil this self-belief in me & help me to rearrange my everyday thinking, from the chaotic to a more organised / compartmentalised way of thinking & that my friend is some feat!!
Very kind regards & all good blessings be with you
Lorraine Buckley xx
To find out more about how hypnosis can help you with any limiting belief, behaviour or emotion, contact us directly through this website or by clicking on the link highlighted here.