home, pick up those bags and head for the airport. After a

quick flight we'd be in Geneva and skiing before I could say

the awakening script.

Fast forward 24 hours!!

In the last issue of LCCH News I

As the nurse said, " It could have been a lot worse, we had

was introduced as the Birmingham

someone in here this morning with two broken arms and she

Co-ordinator in waiting, now I have

won't be able to eat Christmas dinner". True as the

taken the role on in earnest.

statement was, as I looked down at two exceptionally

swollen and painful knees, I didn't particularly feel like the

I wish David all the best with his

lottery winner she implied. Day 1 (can you believe it??) and

Nottingham courses. Over the last

the dreams of 'crisp, deep white snow' had been replaced

few months he has been allowing me to steadily take over

with the 'sheet ice'. Having seen both a brother and a

more of the roles that a co-ordinator fulfils so that it has thus

partner fall on their head, shoulder and arm I was beginning

far proven a smooth transfer of responsibility.

to feel nervousness creeping in as we tried to make a

descent back to the safety of the chalet fire and hot

And what a responsibility. The calendar is bulging with

courses, we have two Diploma courses on the go with a

third scheduled to start in September. Two Certificate

Almost home I tried to avoid a nasty ice patch, changing my

courses will be running before August. Master classes in

path at the last minute. The indecision caused my skis to

`Hypnosis in Psychiatry' and `Life coaching skills to enhance

plant in a pile of snow and in slow motion my body appeared

your practice' in June and much more in the pipeline.

to continue to move and separate from my legs at the knee.

There is pain and then there is PAIN!!! As I was lying there

Alongside this I am now lecturing with the college and my

Christmas day with two legs in metal braces suspended in

practice is doing well. It's all very invigorating and I have

the air I got time to reflect back over the interesting week I'd

been glad to see more and more of the recent students

had. I realized just how many times I had used techniques

taking up the role of tutors and assistants on the Course

from the course. Learning the script verbatim had proved to

be a real winner as I used them to guide my journey through

the discomfort. I found it useful to visualize someone else

Any current / former students of Birmingham who wish to

calmly saying the words taking me deeper and more relaxed

submit pieces for the LCCH News are always welcome so

with them. Dissociation of my knees was a common theme

feel free to get in touch. Equally anyone who would like to

as you would imagine.

train as tutors/supervisors on Course weekends is more than

Hypnosis proved useful in so many areas. First, when the

doctors needed me to relax so that they could fully assess

the damage (not an easy task when you are in agony). Then

there was the hourly ice, the swelling, the need to remain

still for days on end, the difficulty getting off to sleep when

your legs are encased in metal and every movement hurts.

It's such a great feeling when you sleepily climb out of bed,

But, most importantly, keeping spirit high when pain and

see the suitcase packed and the reality begins to dawn -

discomfort gets you down. It was tempting to beat myself up

'we're off on holiday today'. Crisp, crunchy snow, sunshine

for choosing such dangerous hobbies, so ego strengthening

and stunning scenery - skiing, my sanctuary of happiness.

was needed in abundance. Finally, for those of you who

BUT WAIT! Neatly placed on top of the suitcase was the

know how unpleasant an MRI scan is, hypnosis again ruled

green unmistakeable LCCH folder. Back down to earth with

the day as I tried to use that awful drilling noise as an

a bang - The Exam!!

enhancer and imagined drilling into my favourite place of

relaxation (hey I was desperate!).

Sunday December 19th will always be remembered by the

Birmingham certificate group as THAT nerve wrecking day.

The good news is that

That day, my understanding family had to organize their

when I eventually

Christmas holiday around. That day, that marked the end of

returned home

weeks of chanting the scripts in the car, in the bath, at the

(reassuringly the airline

dinner table, in fact anywhere and with anyone that would

wouldn't take me until I

listen in the vain hope of remembering just the odd sentence

was capable of

or two come the day of the exam.

performing the 'crash

position'), I discovered

Of course the tutors say that you don't need to learn the

that I had passed the

scripts verbatim but......... well........ you do try - don't you?

exam (although credit

You convince yourself (I think it's called focused attention)

must also go to my

that you are definitely going to go blank in front of the scary

excellent tutor Matt K

examiner - who is going to be at least 15ft tall

for his inspiration). The

(hallucination?) - and you pray that at the flick of the

bad news is that I

autopilot button, the words will magically come out all by

appear to be on the

themselves leaving you only to worry about finding that

longest NHS knee

breath under all those layers of clothes (remind me to take

waiting list with my torn

the certificate in the summer next time). Inevitably the exam

cruciate. So, I continue

turned out to be nowhere near as bad as we had all made it

to use hypnosis to

out to be. For a start the examiner wasn't 15ft tall! She was

visualize being fitter,

actually very nice and full of smiles to calm the nerves. And

stronger and most

other than the fact that my hand ached from excessive

importantly to keep me

writing (if in doubt blind them with waffle appeared to be my

sane while I wait for

tactic towards the end of the written exam) it was an

the operation.

enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Little did I know that fateful morning of the exam just how

I was elated. Not only had I completed the exam and

much my certificate was really going to help me...............

remembered the Nowww deepener - I was about to return