London College of Clinical Hypnosis News Autumn 2003

NEWS FROM SCOTLAND

With this knowledge and further training courses I have since

ADVENTURES IN HYPNOTHERAPY

completed, I once again decided to make another change in

life. This time in the same career but in a different country. I

Andrew Johnson

wanted another change and I really wanted to have an even

better lifestyle and meet lots of new people and see lots of new

places without travelling too much.

I find it harder and harder to remember

what life was like before training in

At the young age of 18 I visited Spain and fell in love with it. I

Hypnotherapy and it now seems to me

said I would love to live here, but circumstances prevented this.

that all that went before, although

Now, many years later, I have decided to come and live in Spain

incredibly important, is now like a

along with my wife Margaret and continue my career there.

dream.

I told a lot of my friends of my decision, including Angela and

In 1995, after a huge change in my life

Graham. Angela suggested we meet for a meal before we go

due to divorce, financial problems etc.,

and she suggested I meet with Michael Joseph from the

I found myself at a crossroads. I had

London College of Clinical Hypnosis. We did meet and he

two choices - either continue to live the

appointed me as the Director of Training for Spain. Is it not

way I had always lived and just hope that things got better, or

funny and strange how things turn out in life?

take a leap of faith and change everything and make things

better.

The training courses start early next year in The Costa Blanca,

Spain. Yes, training in hypnosis in the Spanish sun, a beautiful

I sold everything I owned, moved into a bed-sit and set about

country with friendly people and of course a siesta. Do not be

changing the way I was. In early 1996, I found the advert for the

fooled by the normal holiday resorts in the Costa Blanca, the

LCCH and after an interview in May (and then a long wait) I

courses will be held near Torrevieja a Spanish fishing town not

started the course in Glasgow mid-September 1996.

a tourist area.

I knew from the first moment that I had found my direction in life

There are thousands of British people living in Spain as well as

and since then I haven't looked back. I had my first paying client

thousands of other nationalities, either retired or working. They

for stopping smoking on New Year's Day 1997 and decided to

all have one regret, not having moved here earlier. I have the

put my mind to going full time later that year. Once again, this

strange feeling I myself will say that shortly.

changed my life drastically, as I had to give up a family

business, a company car and a good pension, never mind my

I am looking forward to another new start and perhaps lots of

wages!

my friends from the UK will come over and see us. We have

been here only four months and already we have lots of new

I had been warned that my adverts would take a little while to get

friends. I have been a guest on a national English-speaking

a reaction, and, sure enough, it took eight weeks to get my first

radio station and I have been invited to be a guest speaker at

phone call, but after that they started to build up quite nicely.

several organizations, the four months have been like four

weeks and we still have to unpack believe it or not.

Over the last seven years, I have also trained in EFT and now

teach it with www.seft.org; become a Reiki Master with Angela

The house (or two houses should I say ) has seven bedrooms,

Trainer; started teaching relaxation classes in local health

two kitchens, several bathrooms, and a fantastic swimming

clubs; recorded a range of hypnosis CD's; worked closely with

pool surrounded by orange and lemon orchards with fantastic

Ayrshire Cancer Support; taught meditation in Greece for six

views of the Torrevieja salt lakes and the Mediterranean in the

months; worked in a clinic in Brighton, and am now about to

distance. No, I am not doing bed and breakfast, but don't tempt

open my own clinic here in Ayrshire.........PHEW!

me.

This all came about from sitting in a bed-sit in 1995, reading a

book on positive mental attitude and looking up to see a

quotation I had pinned on the wall months before. The quotation

came from Mark Twain and simply said:

"The secret of success is making your vacation your vocation"

Angela will be holding a Reiki lll course in January at her own

house in the countryside near Sterling. There is an opportunity

to get away from it all at a Reiki l course too, to be held in April

at Winston Lodge, near Biggar.

To catch up on your Masterclass credits there is an opportunity

to attend (in Glasgow) on `Psychodrama and Action

Techniques" on 6th March, followed by `There's Nothing Wrong

Now, with a lot of hard work and planning, the future looks

With You' on 7th March 2004.

good. The company name is `Perspective Espana'. We look

forward to meeting all the new students and tutors and we are

Graham Watts will be running workshops for therapists on how

both very sure the LCCH will provide excellent training, Spain

to incorporate Yoga Therapy in their own work. He will be

will provide the excellent weather, and us a very warm Scottish

running a Yoga `Meditation and Focus' course on 25th January.

welcome".

A new Practitioner diploma starts on 21st February, 2004.

Autumn 2003

London College of Clinical Hypnosis