For some reason I seem to be embracing alternative therapies at the moment. To be fair the acupuncture wasn’t exactly planned but I did then actively sign up for a confidence workshop which was due to include a spot of hypnotherapy.

I sat in the lovely reception thinking that frankly it beat a GP’s surgery. There was relaxing music and free herbal tea. Someone had lovingly completed the entire edge of a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle at the table in the corner, the box propped up to entice you to find some face bits. Unfortunately as a completer finisher this is my worst nightmare – who is going to be able to complete that in the ten minute wait for your therapist. I began to feel I wasn’t mindful enough for this place.

I felt guilty for looking at my phone so leafed through the alternative therapies magazine on the table in a confused manner. Behind me was a large board filled with the smiling faces of the therapists available – everything from yoga and acupuncture through to things I’d never heard of and didn’t intend to find out about. I was intrigued by the idea of Pete, the Declutterer, although I thought he sounded more like a superhero than a therapist.

The workshop that followed was quiet. I was hoping to blend into the background in a large group of people used to embracing alternative therapies but that wasn’t to be. The topic was “How to increase your confidence”. It turns out that of the three people in the room (not including the therapist) I was, well, the most confident. I had to take on the flipchart and pen role and everything.

Why was I there? I mean I come across as quite confident I expect. The trouble is I want to do this particular thing and instead of giving it a go I keep self sabotaging. I mean you can’t fail if you don’t try right? So I wanted to see if this might give me any food for thought and encourage me to focus my mind and my energies. Plus it might be quite interesting. I thought we would talk about the benefits of hypnosis and I’d reflect in a grown up way on the drive home.

What I didn’t expect was the therapist to hypnotise us. I mean it was only a little bit of hypnotism. No-one pretended to be a chicken or anything. But I was definitely hypnotised and you know what, I think I enjoyed it. I actually came away feeling energised. Whether it was to do with the hypnosis or just to do with the fact that I did something that was brave and positive I don’t know, but I definitely felt better. My hynotherapist (as I’m now calling her) uses her skill to cure people of phobias and bad habits. She helps people lose weight. Maybe she can help me believe I can actually do what I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. We’ll have to see.