A therapist wants to tackle young people’s mental health problems by introducing new coping methods into schools.
Aishling Doyle believes the UK is in the grip of a ‘mental health pandemic’ and wants to give children and teenagers the tools they need to succeed in modern society .
Aishling, who previously worked as a teacher and suffered from bouts of depression herself, has first-hand experience with the many techniques that can be combined for maximum effect.
While she offers them online and now in-person at her Broad Street Practice in Stamford, she also plans mental health workshops to run in local schools.
Aischling said: “During my teenage years, my own mental health went through ups and downs. I tried a lot of things, but a combination of hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and meditation helped me completely regain my mental health.” Many people have taken advantage of this and have experienced the feeling of a veil of depression being lifted.
“I was fascinated by how much impact I could have. I started using CBT tools to deal with the negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors I was having. Within a few months, It was like this day and night.”
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Aischling studied at Harley Street College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy and is registered with the General Hypnotherapy Council. She launched her business Exist Better online and joined Broad Street Practice in November.
She said: “Once I started training, I realized that everyone should be able to use these techniques, so I decided to organize workshops for schools.
“If we can provide these tools to children and teens at a young age, we can address the mental health pandemic that we’re experiencing. It’s very important to bring these things into schools. I think it’s important. There’s a huge emphasis on exercise and nutrition.”But we also need to focus on a healthy mind.
“There’s a lot more anxiety now, and I think some of it is related to phone use, but we have to learn to live with technology.
“50 per cent of mental health conditions occur in children under 14 and 75 per cent in people under 26. We must do more to help children before they get out of hand. You have to, you can get yourself out of this.”
Cognitive behavioral therapy analyzes a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Aischling says you can get better results when combined with hypnosis and learn tools for life in just a few sessions.
“People may be nervous about hypnosis because they think it’s about someone controlling their mind, but you’re always in control. It’s just a relaxed state and a positive You become more receptive to change,” Aishling explains.
This month she hopes to host a workshop on self-hypnosis at Blonde Beat on St. Paul’s Street. This technique can be used to address a variety of issues such as anxiety, low mood, habits, and phobias.
Aischling added: “I’ve worked with people who are skeptical, but I don’t think that prevents the technology from being effective. All I need is an open mind and a willingness to work with me.”
