Denise Billen-Mejia 0:07
Welcome to Two hypnotherapists talking with me, Denise Billen-Mejia in Delaware, USA.
Martin Furber 0:13
And me Martin Furber in Preston UK.
Denise Billen-Mejia 0:15
This weekly podcast is for anyone and everyone who would like to know more about fascinating subject of hypnosis, and the benefits it offers.
Martin Furber 0:24
I'm a clinical hypnotherapist and psychotherapist,
Denise Billen-Mejia 0:27
I'm a retired medical doctor, turned consulting hypnotist.
Martin Furber 0:31
We are two hypnotherapists talking.
Denise Billen-Mejia 0:34
So let's get on with the episode. Hi, today Martin and I are thrilled to introduce our friend Larissa Bellotte, who is also a solution-focused hypnotist. But she does some other things as well. And Melissa, (Laugh) LARISSA, what do you what are you going to talk to us about today? I definitely wanted to hear about how you found solution-focused. But did you train together? Or were you in different time slots?
Larissa Bellotte 1:01
We didn't didn't train together. I think we might have trained at similar times, but in different parts of England, basically. Yeah.
Denise Billen-Mejia 1:08
That's right, you're further south.
Larissa Bellotte 1:09
So yeah, I got into hypnotherapy because I had hypnotherapy myself about 16 years ago or so for fear of flying. And, you know, it changed my life because my holidays were, you know, the journeys were enjoyable as well after that, because before that, you know, it could ruin the end of a holiday for me. So, yeah, it changed my life, which was amazing. I think a lot of hypnotherapists get into it for for that reason, don't they? It changed something for them. And yeah, so then I kind of, you know, always had this at the back of my mind this interest, but it didn't seem like it was achievable, until I got made redundant. And turns out, that, that was the best thing that could have happened to me. So here I am.
Denise Billen-Mejia 1:53
So when did you start your practice, officially,
Larissa Bellotte 1:56
About two years ago as a solution-focused hypnotherapist and you know, it's a constant journey of learning after that, isn't it. So, I've done various other bits and pieces since then and still developing what I'm doing and things like that. But yeah, it's just so enjoyable. I love it.
Denise Billen-Mejia 2:12
Do you see people in person, I mean physically in person, or on Zoom.
Larissa Bellotte 2:16
I tend to see most people on Zoom I have started seeing the odd person, in person, if they really would prefer, but I find it works really well on Zoom and it's generally easier for for people you know. I can see people I've my furthest client has been in New Zealand so you know it's good.
Denise Billen-Mejia 2:32
Yeah, that would be a long drive.
Martin Furber 2:34
You don't get much further than that do you?
Denise Billen-Mejia 2:38
That's good. So did you have to wake-up in the middle of the night to see that client?
Larissa Bellotte 2:44
We were doing, I think it was like 8 or 9am, my time and evening her time.
Denise Billen-Mejia 2:49
Oh, bearable.
Larissa Bellotte 2:50
Yeah, exactly. Yes. What about do you both see people in person as well?
Denise Billen-Mejia 2:56
Actually, this afternoon, I'm going to do an initial consult with somebody who's come to my state from another state and I'm meeting that person in a neutral spot because I don't have an office, I have a home office, but I don't want to do it here. And Covid made my other office go away, and I couldn't see anybody for a year, and it was a waste of money, and it is just so much easier for people, but often if it's a local person, I'll meet them at least once. Often it's somebody I know anyway or a friend of a friend.
Larissa Bellotte 3:28
Yeah, exactly.
Denise Billen-Mejia 3:29
I get accosted in the supermarket "Are you that lady that does hypnosis?"
Martin Furber 3:36
Yeah, no, I see in person and on Zoom as well. I do from my own place in Preston, plus The Therapy Company in Preston, the one in Blackburn and Zoom. I'm doing quite a lot on Zoom at the moment. Which again is great for around the country.
Denise Billen-Mejia 3:54
Or other countries, which is nice too.
Martin Furber 3:57
Absolutely yeah.
Denise Billen-Mejia 3:57
It allows you all to market for the largest community there is, the people that would do hypnosis where I am.
Martin Furber 4:05
I don't know how it goes on for other practitioners in the UK, who do other kinds of hypnotherapy, but for us as solution focused hypnotherapists, it's relatively easy to get insurance to practice abroad as well. For example, I can take on clients in any state in the USA as long as they sign a thing to say they understand the service has been offered under UK law. And our insurance covers us which is really surprising considering how litigious it is over there.
Denise Billen-Mejia 4:34
What is your primary focus of your practice right now? Do you have something that you're particularly interested in?
Larissa Bellotte 4:43
I still haven't found a niche. I'm kind of waiting for that to happen organically, if it does. What we can help with obviously, as you know, is so broad that I've just yeah, I've kept my options open really and I'm working with all sorts of things. I do tend to work with a lot of phobias, and I think that's because, as Martin mentioned before that I've got an article in the local paper about how I helped someone with a needle phobia. And so that gets me a few inquiries about phobias and things. And I do really enjoy working with phobias, I think because it's quite, quite quick and direct and yeah, just really effective.
Martin Furber 5:23
Yeah, I read the article in the Brighton Argos. I mean, not only was this lady able to then have her Covid-19 jobs, which obviously was essential, she then went on and had other things out of choice, Botox!
Larissa Bellotte 5:36
Exactly. Exactly. To be honest, I think it was more about that, than Covid jabs.
Denise Billen-Mejia 5:42
But, If that got her to her Covid jabs, then that's a good thing.
Martin Furber 5:46
But it's one thing getting rid of a Covid, getting rid of a phobia for something that's essential, like Covid. It's another thing altogether, when they actually then choose to go and have needles stuck in their face.
Larissa Bellotte 5:58
Exactly. Yeah, that's true. That proves how effective it was. Yeah,
Martin Furber 6:01
I'd say so. Yeah. So that was about a year ago wasn't the article in the paper? Yeah,
Larissa Bellotte 6:09
It was, it was.
Denise Billen-Mejia 6:10
So this wasn't an article you wrote. This was an article they they interviewed you for that?
Larissa Bellotte 6:15
Yes. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So yeah. And it just got into the local paper. I actually didn't know it was in there until someone told me about it.
Denise Billen-Mejia 6:24
Did you do a press release?
Larissa Bellotte 6:25
I did do a press release. But I don't know if it's always like that with it with journalists. But I didn't hear about anything back. So I just presumed, you know, nothing had happened. Someone told me they'd seen it. So yeah, that was good. Yeah, yeah.
Martin Furber 6:39
Lovely. Excellent. So I would haveing a look at your website as well, Larissa. As Denise said earlier on, I'm a bit of a stalker. Now, I was just taking a look. And I mean, obviously I know about solution focused hypnotherapy. Denise does and our regular listeners and viewers do as well. But I was reading something about the control system. Yeah, another way of accessing the subconscious mind without using hypnosis trance. Tell me more.
Larissa Bellotte 7:09
Yeah. So it's again, it's Yeah, I love that way of working as well. So I use use both depending who I'm seeing and what it's for. And also, I have to check that they can work in that specific way. Because it's very different. And as you say, there's no trance, no actual hypnosis. So it's all done through conversation using ideomotor responses, which I'm sure you know what that is, but the listeners might not. So it's getting a signal back from the subconscious mind, really.
Martin Furber 7:37
Okay.
Larissa Bellotte 7:38
So yeah, it's very different, but it's very specific and very direct. So I use it a lot with things like phobias. I mean, you can use it for anything really, that you can with solution focused. But it is, yeah, it's I think it's a surprising way of working sometimes because people that come for hypnotherapy are expecting hypnosis.
Denise Billen-Mejia 7:58
Are they expecting the swinging pocket watche and the whole thing?
Larissa Bellotte 8:02
Oh, yes, yeah, we do actually, in the control system, we do do some kind of, how would you say, kind of exercises just imagination exercises to just check how open someone is to it. So it's almost like some of the things that stage hypnotists might do to check someone's susceptibility, or if they're open enough, you know, to do that,
Denise Billen-Mejia 8:28
I think that, sorry for correcting you, but it's not that they are superior. It's just that type of hypnosis, they are going to be able to cooperate with the hypnotist whilst being watched by 25 other people.
Larissa Bellotte 8:42
Exactly.
Denise Billen-Mejia 8:43
Or 100 other people. Whereas many people can't. They will be just as good subjects, but not in that situation.
Larissa Bellotte 8:48
Exactly. Exactly. So obviously, this is a much more relaxed environment. And I'm not getting them to do anything silly, but it's just to check how their imagination works. And just to check that I can get those responses from the subconscious mind. And then when that's the case, it's this way of working, it's almost like you negotiate with the subconscious mind is, you know, the subconscious has got these patterns of, you know, thinking and behaviour that have been put in place for whatever reason, you know, things learnt as a child or because of a situation that someone's been through. And it's just kind of getting the conscious message through to that, through to the subconscious, that it's time to change that. That that strategy is no longer serving them. So it's, it's a very different way of working but I really enjoy it.
Larissa Bellotte 8:49
So I'm just thinking about for anybody listening and watching, we're saying this isn't hypnosis, but it is. It's not the formal hypnosis, they may perceive, but the whole procedure, the whole process, it is a form of hypnosis.
Martin Furber 9:38
Is it closer to Ericksonian.
Larissa Bellotte 9:50
What he did was so was so varied, wasn't it so naturally to some to some extent, but it's yeah, it's just done through conversation, and the difference as well as that, because it's done through conversation, the first session, I usually say leave two hours, because you don't know how long it's going to take, or how, you know, open to change the subconscious is. Sometimes, you know, it comes up with with barriers, and it's just kind of putting those barriers to rest, so that you can do the work.
Martin Furber 10:23
Yeah, it strikes me. Like you said, about waiting two hours. A bit like, if you read a book, a really good book that you're absorbed in. You put it down, and then you're driving along, and maybe an hour later, you're suddenly remember some bits of it and replay it out in your mind, or maybe imagine it in a different scenario, and replay it out and that kind of thing. Same with a TV programme that you've watched, or even a movie you can think about, start to think about it an hour or two later.
Denise Billen-Mejia 10:53
Change the ending?
Martin Furber 10:54
Yeah, yeah, that kind thing. Why shouldn't it have ended like this? That kind of thing. I'm thinking it works in the subconscious the same way. Because similarly, if you bring that up, after two hours, it's been playing away in your subconscious.
Larissa Bellotte 11:07
Yeah, the same with solution-focused, you need that that space in between sessions, don't you, to really, for the changes to take effect really.
Denise Billen-Mejia 11:15
Is there a particular kind of issue that you use that technique for?
Larissa Bellotte 11:20
Again, no, it's, you know...
Denise Billen-Mejia 11:23
Just something about the clients that they think maybe this way is the best way?
Larissa Bellotte 11:27
I think, generally, if someone comes with something really specific, like, you know, like a phobia or a needle lady. Yeah, exactly, then I probably tend to go the control system way. And if it's more, you know, solution-focused is so broad, isn't it, and you know, someone will come to see you for something, and then it starts to change so many other things in positive ways, as well. So, you know, I've had a couple of clients recently who, you know, they just didn't feel right. They just wanted to make some changes. And so we did, I saw them in the solution-focused way because it is so broad. And I know solution-focused, you can get specific as well, but to now use the control system for that. Just because it's, it's different. And I really enjoy working that way.
Martin Furber 12:15
It sounds like a really good add-on. I mean, there's never any harm in increasing your toolbelt in the ways that we can help people.
Larissa Bellotte 12:23
Yeah, exactly.
Martin Furber 12:26
I can see where you would use that instead, with certain things, because, I mean, again, with solution-focused, though the first half of the session is every bit as important. I mean, I know, Denise, you'll agree won't you? The pre talk's as important as the trance. Because all that time we're getting them into that left prefrontal cortex, making them more amenable to the positive suggestions we're gonna bombard them with.
Denise Billen-Mejia 12:53
I don't really like that bombard. I do understand this, we are showering them with suggestions.
Martin Furber 13:01
Showering, showering them. That's me told! I get where you're coming from, because I do in the pre-trance section beforehand, when we start to sort of explore the miracle question and that kind of thing, you can see people already slipping into that more relaxed state.
Larissa Bellotte 13:24
Exactly, yeah, yeah. And the other thing I like about it as well, because in the first session, you kind of get them to access the negative feelings. So in the session, you can see how that changes. So you can keep, keep going, well not keep going back to it, but at some point, we test it and you, so you kind of get some feedback as well, which I quite like. Yeah. So it's, it's interesting.
Martin Furber 13:48
It sounds it.
Denise Billen-Mejia 13:51
So what is your next plan, all of us are building, gradually building...If you're sensible, you get this to work. And then you add another thing to it. What's going to be your next thing do you think
Denise Billen-Mejia 14:03
?
Larissa Bellotte 14:03
Well, the thing that I'm working on at the moment is workshops. So I want to put together some one hour workshops that I think to start with, I'm going to start doing a few kinds of free workshops just to kind of, you know, it helps to get your name out there, you know, if you can help people in some ways as well
Denise Billen-Mejia 14:22
On the more common generic sort of issues like a workshop on weight control, workshop on anxiety?
Larissa Bellotte 14:30
Yeah, different workshops for different things. And the other thing I want to do once I've kind of, you know, had a bit of practice and got my confidence up in those ways is I've got a couple of contacts who, you know, in the corporate world who've kind of said, would you come and do workshops for us so, so that's kind of the long term goal, which is exciting, but if I'm honest, slightly scary, because I'm not used to doing that kind of thing. But you know, you have to put yourself out there, don't you?
Martin Furber 14:59
Absolutely, you do. I saw as well, you are an IEMT Integral Eye Movement Therapist. Yeah. Is that is that the same as EMDR? Is it similar? Or
Larissa Bellotte 15:09
it's it's different? I to be honest, I don't know that much about EMDR. But I'm told that similarity is that, you know, it's done using eye movements, but it is different. I know, EMDR is often used for trauma, isn't it? Where IEMT is again, more... Well, I don't know if it's more broad, but you know, that's my understanding of it. But again, yeah, it's one thing that I did train in. But to be honest, I don't really use it very much. Just because, yeah, I've just been concentrating on solution focused and the control system. So yeah, it is something I did. But um, yeah, I haven't haven't really gone down that route.
Martin Furber 15:49
No, no, I just wondered if it was similar to EMDR? Because I'm a great believer in that.
Larissa Bellotte 15:55
I mean, it is amazing. Like by, you know, moving your eyes, when you're with specific things in mind. It does change how you feel about them. I mean, it is incredible. But yeah, that's yeah, again, when I did that course, there's another course to follow that one. And, you know, maybe one day, but he can't do everything can you, not at the same time?
Martin Furber 16:17
Yeah, I know. It all goes on forever and ever doesn't it?
Larissa Bellotte 16:21
It really does. It opens this whole new world. I mean, it's amazing, isn't it? You can just keep going. It's so interesting.
Martin Furber 16:28
Yeah, it's all... I mean, I think I'm speaking on behalf of all three of us here. But it's all to do with changing those, you know, those beliefs that are all set within the subconscious, isn't it?
Larissa Bellotte 16:41
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Denise Billen-Mejia 16:43
Yeah. If you think the techniques, if you know, the techniques that you're using are working, you don't need to go look for the next shiny object. A lot of things that that are marketed as new are remarkably similar to others, yeah.
Martin Furber 16:59
I like anything to do with computers, isn't it. That reinvent the wheel and wrap it in software? Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's like, I've seen it, I've noticed that certain people taking certain parts out of say, CBT, and marketing that as if it was some unique kind of thing. Whereas if you look at the original CBT, it was very complex set of things wasn't it? A very sort of complex set of tools.
Larissa Bellotte 17:28
Yeah, yeah. I mean, even solution focused has got so many different, you know, NLP and CBT, and so many different things to it, doesn't it? But I mean, why not? If you if you find that the combination of things that work and yeah, and half of it is is your rapport with the client as well, isn't it?
Denise Billen-Mejia 17:48
That's 99% of it!
Larissa Bellotte 17:51
If you've got some of the, you know, some great tools, and then you're just, you know, you've got that connection with people.
Denise Billen-Mejia 17:57
Yeah, but you can have the greatest tools in the world, if you haven't got rapport, you've got nothing.
Martin Furber 18:01
Yeah, if you haven't got that good, strong therapeutic alliance, forget it. I mean, and that can happen. And you know, we can all feel totally comfortable with absolutely everybody. We can't expect our clients to either. You know, sometimes there just isn't that rapport there for whatever reason, maybe even just because of distance, and that person isn't comfortable on Zoom or something, it could be something as simple as that.
Denise Billen-Mejia 18:29
And that's why I always ask clients for two sessions to commit to two sessions before before they decide it doesn't work.
Martin Furber 18:40
So what else? What else is lined up down south there at the moment, Larissa, in terms of hypnotherapy and stuff, wasn't there some big event going on something?
Larissa Bellotte 18:53
What the I've just been to, or no.
Martin Furber 18:57
Have you just been so on? Or is there one coming up?
Larissa Bellotte 18:59
Because I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to steer the conversation around to my award. But you know, I got that award last year.
Denise Billen-Mejia 19:05
You talk about it girl!
Martin Furber 19:06
I didn't know you'd got an award.
Larissa Bellotte 19:09
Yes, I did prestige award for I think... Gosh, I should know this shouldn't I! Just like it was Holistic Therapist of the year for this region in England. Yeah. And I've recently gone to the award ceremony. Sorry, I thought you were referring to that.
Denise Billen-Mejia 19:26
No
Martin Furber 19:26
No
Larissa Bellotte 19:28
So yeah, that was the that was great.
Denise Billen-Mejia 19:31
Send us a picture. We'll add it to the end note of this.
Larissa Bellotte 19:35
I've just received them actually. I've just received them yesterday.
Denise Billen-Mejia 19:39
How many how many clients you see in a given day? Do you have kids?
Larissa Bellotte 19:42
Yes, I do.
Denise Billen-Mejia 19:43
I think what interrupts the flow of your day? Is what that the question really was.
Larissa Bellotte 19:48
Yes, it's trying to fit everything around your school pickups and all that so yeah. And Wednesday is the day where I where I have more time and at one point, you know what, on busy weeks I see quite a lot of clients, but I tend to try not to see more than, you know, three clients a day or three or four because it means tiring, it can be really tiring. I think there was one day where I saw five clients and yeah, it was, it was a bit much really.
Martin Furber 20:21
Yeah, I think you need at least an hour in between clients, personally for me. Yeah. Just just to reach out, just to process everything you've said, and get your notes updated.
Larissa Bellotte 20:32
You have to prepare for the next one. Yeah, because it does take time. I think, you know, people have said to me before, like, oh, yeah, well, you know, you're on a good wage, but thing is, okay, if you get a certain amount per hour, you're putting a lot of work in either side.
Denise Billen-Mejia 20:47
It's three hours for each session.
Martin Furber 20:49
Yeah, I say three hours as well.
Denise Billen-Mejia 20:54
And you know, I make a new audio for each session, I get feedback on that session a few days later, and I make a new audio that they use until the next session.
Larissa Bellotte 21:05
Okay,
Denise Billen-Mejia 21:05
Using the audios. Are your audios music backed as well?
Larissa Bellotte 21:09
Yes. Yeah. And I think it helps actually because, you know, it's the same music that you use in the sessions and they get used to music just sending them into that relaxed state.
Martin Furber 21:19
Well, I, in my face to face in-person sessions, I have the music playing as they walk in the room. It triggers the sub conscious immediately. They associate that music with falling asleep at nighttime, they feel safe, they feel secure. As soon as they walk in the room, they hear that music very, very low. And then when we get to the trance part of the session, I turn the volume up.
Larissa Bellotte 21:41
That's a good idea.
Denise Billen-Mejia 21:43
Do you use any hypnotic techniques? Or the things that you've learned? Because your a hypnotherapist, with your kids? How old are your children?
Larissa Bellotte 21:52
My daughter's seven. Yeah, so I've just, I've made her, her own recording. So she either chooses that or the music. No, not every night, but when she wants to.
Denise Billen-Mejia 22:03
Are those more sort of affirmations?
Larissa Bellotte 22:07
Yeah, I've made a kind of more kid friendly one, I kind of Yeah. And I use her name in it and things and you know, she likes that one. But yeah, she's quite young. So yeah, haven't used too many techniques or anything with her.
Denise Billen-Mejia 22:21
Hopefully she's not too traumatised by life yet.
Larissa Bellotte 22:25
She's a very happy little girl.
Martin Furber 22:28
Say she should be of an age where she enjoys a bedtime story anyway, won't she?
Denise Billen-Mejia 22:33
And she's got a great imagination!
Larissa Bellotte 22:35
Yes. She, just yeah, give her a book, and she'll Yeah, she loves reading. So yeah. Yeah, it's great.
Martin Furber 22:42
Yeah. Well, that's always a good thing, isn't it?
Larissa Bellotte 22:44
Yeah, but her imagination is so yeah, she she won't watch any films or anything. Anything slightly scary. She'll, yeah, she doesn't like so. At the moment, it's ideal. really. She doesn't really want to watch film she just wants to read. So I'm sure that will change, but...
Martin Furber 23:03
Talking of sleep, sleep deprivation, and one thing and another.
Denise Billen-Mejia 23:07
You mean, the kind that we just got visited upon us.
Martin Furber 23:10
Yes.
Denise Billen-Mejia 23:11
Because of daylight savings flippin time.
Martin Furber 23:13
You were talking about sleep deprivation and what have you. And I dug up something on it as well to confirm everything we've been saying. It was, sleep deprivation and obesity in adults, Cooper et al 2018. From the original 92 original studies and eighty reviews, blah, blah, blah. Basically, in a nutshell, if you're too sleep deprived, you're fatter.
Martin Furber 23:40
That is with
Denise Billen-Mejia 23:40
That's the cortisol. Yeah, it's definitely one of the things in, I have a programme coming out very soon, hopefully, before this airs. A large portion, because I market generally towards women, because that's tends to be the people I've seen. I haven't met a woman yet who doesn't want to lose weight, even if she's skinny. I think just self-acceptance, and a realistic approach to what your body is supposed to look like at whatever age you are. And making sure you're getting enough sleep and doing all the other self-care things. So really, just about every programme I run, that's a group programme, is really just self-care branded with a different emphasis on a particular thing.
Larissa Bellotte 24:34
Yeah. I mean, sleep is the key to everything, isn't it? Really? Yeah. Yeah. There's so much to it. Have you read the Matthew Walker book about sleep?
Denise Billen-Mejia 24:42
Yes, yes, I did. Um, I did a programme, oh, gosh, almost two years ago. And that was, I had prizes every day, drawing every day. And I had two copies of his book to give away because I was so impressed by it.
Larissa Bellotte 24:48
I read it twice. Back to back it was just so interesting.
Denise Billen-Mejia 25:01
Yeah.
Martin Furber 25:02
What's this one?
Larissa Bellotte 25:03
It's called Why We sleep, by Matthew Walker. Yeah, really interesting. And about sleep as well, do you know Huberman? Andrew Huberman does all these podcasts
Denise Billen-Mejia 25:15
Frequently with David Spiegel.
Martin Furber 25:17
Yeah, I was just gonna say, I thought I heard the name.
Larissa Bellotte 25:19
Yeah. But he's recently done a podcast probably a few weeks ago now on sleep. It was really interesting, especially, you know, our explanation, Martin about, you know, REM sleep. And he goes into more detail about the sleep cycles and spindles. And it's really interesting, I'd highly recommend that.
Martin Furber 25:38
Yeah, because it's true, isn't it, if you don't get if you don't get the right kind of sleep and the right amount. I mean, I always say that's the difference. If you go to bed with a petty argument from the daytime on your mind, and you sleep properly, you process it, you wake up the next morning, thinking, oh that was a bit over the top, I'll go and buy them a coffee or something. If you've not slept properly, you wake up the next morning, and you're still ranting and raving about it, and you get an even more wound up, and on it goes. You know, that's a simple analogy I use all the time. But but it's true. It's true.
Denise Billen-Mejia 26:11
One of the useful facts about sleep when you have teenage boys, particularly, you know, the pre-adolescent, very early adolescence to remind them if they sleep longer, they will get taller if you want to be tall, you need sleep.
Larissa Bellotte 26:29
Definite and they need a lot of sleep at that age don't they, you know because their brain development.
Denise Billen-Mejia 26:37
They're programmed to it, and of course their circadian rhythms tend to go goofy too. So they do tend to go to bed later and sleep longer in the day.
Martin Furber 26:44
Yeah, I mean, I can remember as a teenager I couldn't get out of bed in the morning. It was horrendous.
Larissa Bellotte 26:50
Yeah. The interesting thing I learnt on the Huberman lab podcast about sleep which I didn't know, is that, say you normally sleep from 10 till seven for example, if then one night you go to bed at 12 and you sleep till nine you don't kind of start at the same point as you would if you went to sleep at 10. Like you miss out that first whatever the sleep pattern is at that time,
Denise Billen-Mejia 27:21
There is actual truth to the old saw, an hour before midnight is worth two after. Which was I heard constantly from my father. There is actual evidence now that there is a difference in the quality of sleep we get. I don't know what other cues may be feeding into that. I used to do shifts of course, as an ER doctor, I worked a long night duty and it definitely has affected my health.
Larissa Bellotte 27:45
Yeah, yeah.
Martin Furber 27:47
Yeah. And the night shifts absolutely mess with your body clock.
Denise Billen-Mejia 27:51
Completely. But somebody's got to be up doing them, that's the problem.
Martin Furber 27:54
Yeah, I was I said my dad worked permanent nights for 30 odd years. It totally messed his up. Nick's Mum worked permanent nights. And she did it where it was seven nights on of 12 hours a shift and then seven nights off. And it completely messed with her body clock, even now, sort of 10 years after retiring.
Denise Billen-Mejia 28:13
When I stopped working, it took years before...It was as if my body knew it was 10 o'clock in the evening, and I was still upright, I was working, and I couldn't get to sleep till about four, about four you have a similar slump to that you do in the afternoon. But if I got to bed before 10 I could fall asleep before midnight. But if I was upright, it wasn't happening. It's very odd. But it took years and years. And now, I pretty decent way of going to sleep, in part because now I use hypnosis if I need it.
Martin Furber 28:50
I was reading all your useful hints for getting a good night's sleep. Denise that was, what was it published in? Daily Mail USA? Today or something I can't remember now.
Denise Billen-Mejia 28:59
USA Daily Mail.
Martin Furber 29:01
USA Daily Mail, right. Okay. I was reading it Denise has...
Denise Billen-Mejia 29:06
Nothing to do with the other Daily Mail. Not associated with the British one.
Martin Furber 29:10
I was reading, Denise has put a load of good information there, broke down into nice, bite sized pieces, about how you can get a better night's sleep. And one of the things that you mentioned on it though, I hadn't thought about it for years, don't look at the clock. I mean, we all used to have alarm clocks next to the bed didn't we. I can remember the digital one with the lights coming off it as well. And you'd be watching it you know, 12:01, 12:02. It was really strange. I don't suffer with those kinds of sleep... Not disorder, that's the wrong word. Sleep Problems that I used to have years ago. I used to say I have to get up at seven in the morning for work. I'd wake up at three, and then I'd try and get back to sleep and I couldn't, and I'd lie there and I'd go look at the clock. That was always the thing, we all had clocks in these days I don't know, most people I think use the phone as their alarm clock
Denise Billen-Mejia 30:07
Right, yeah one of the things that I was always very good at was just telling myself before I went to sleep what time I had to get up. The only time I set an alarm is if I have to catch a plane or something not because I won't wake up, but but the worry that I won't wake up, keeps me awake.
Larissa Bellotte 30:24
I'm exactly the same. I generally always wake up before my alarm but yeah, sometimes if I've got something important I'll put on to on my phone or something, just in case.
Denise Billen-Mejia 30:36
I know I want to sleep though it, but it's just knowing that that is going to be the thing wakes me up and I won't be dashing through TSA and begging to go through.
Martin Furber 30:44
It's really funny, isn't it. We were talking the other week about those that went before us. They sort of had everything right, in terms of a lot of the old wisdoms as in things like you know, eat fish it's your brain food. About sleep though yeah, an hour before midnight it's worth two afterwards and the other one of course was if you want to wake up at seven o'clock in the morning bang your head on the pillow seven times before you go to sleep.
Denise Billen-Mejia 31:11
I just tell myself I don't hit myself with pillows either.
Martin Furber 31:13
Yeah, that was an old one, it was nod your head on the pillow many times as the o clock you want to wake up at.
Larissa Bellotte 31:21
Really? I've never heard that before
Martin Furber 31:24
Yeah, yeah. I think that maybe...
Denise Billen-Mejia 31:26
It's becasue we're older than you Yeah,
Martin Furber 31:27
Yeah. I was when I was about to say
Denise Billen-Mejia 31:30
So, when are you going to start, before before we finish, tell us a little bit more about your workshops, like when do you think you'll be starting them, so people need to look out. Will they be in-person or whether they be Zoom? or hybrid?
Larissa Bellotte 31:46
They going to be on Zoom, I think I'm yeah, I don't know. Probably want to get them out there in the next kind of three, four weeks or something.
Denise Billen-Mejia 31:57
Thank you again, and we will see you again soon. Yes, lovely to see you, possibly in person who knows? If you're ever coming over this way...
Larissa Bellotte 32:07
Maybe one day.
Denise Billen-Mejia 32:18
We hope you've enjoyed listening. Please remember, this podcast is designed to give you an insight into therapeutic hypnosis and is for educational purposes only. So remember, consult with your own healthcare professional if you think something you've heard may apply to you or a loved one.
Martin Furber 32:34
If you found this episode useful, you can apply for free continuing professional development or CME credits. Using the link provided in the show notes. Feel free to contact either of us through the links in the show notes. Join us again next week.
