GARY HOLLAND · CONNECT HYPNOTHERAPY
Hello, I'm Gary
Clinical Hypnotherapist | DCH, DHP
I've been fascinated by hypnotherapy since I was a teenager, back when it was something rather unusual and very few people were practising it.
What began as curiosity developed into a lifelong interest in how our minds work and how people can make meaningful changes in their lives.
Over the years, I've worked with people from all sorts of backgrounds, helping them with personal challenges, unwanted habits, confidence, motivation and much more.
My approach is relaxed, friendly and straightforward. You don't need to know anything about hypnosis before we meet.
We'll simply start with a conversation.
HOW IT STARTED
A curiosity that became something much more
01 · CURIOSITY
A newspaper advert
My interest in hypnotherapy began in my teenage years. I've always been curious about the mind, human behaviour and things that aren't immediately easy to explain.
Then one day, I spotted a hypnotherapy training course advertised in a newspaper. It started the following week, so I signed up.
I wasn't planning to change careers. I already had a job I enjoyed. I simply wanted to learn more.
02 · BUILDING A PRACTICE
From learning to practising
But I found the subject fascinating, and before long I was working with clients myself.
I went on to develop a private practice and began giving talks and providing hypnotherapy sessions at health and wellbeing venues, including Forest Mere, the well-known health resort near Liphook.
03 · BACK IN PRACTICE
A shared interest
Other business interests eventually took me in different directions, but my fascination with hypnotherapy never disappeared.
I continued reading, learning and following developments in the field. In recent years, I've been able to devote more time to practising again, something I've particularly enjoyed sharing with my wife, Alex, who is also a clinical hypnotherapist.
THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH
People are endlessly interesting
One of the things I've enjoyed most about hypnotherapy is the extraordinary variety of people I've met.
Over the years, I've had the privilege of working with people from many different backgrounds, including elite sports personalities competing at the highest level, members of a professional rugby league team and a member of royalty.
Some came to me for help with performance, focus and motivation. Others wanted to talk about challenges that had very little to do with their public lives.
Whatever someone's background or achievements, we're all human, and we all have things we'd like to change or understand better.
What I enjoy about this work
I've particularly enjoyed working with people on weight management.
Someone might initially come to me wanting to change their eating habits or lose weight. But as they begin making progress, they may also notice changes in their confidence, outlook or how they feel about themselves.
For me, seeing those wider changes is one of the most rewarding parts of this work.
FROM THE 1990s
Hypno Relax · 25 minutes · Cassette
Hypnotherapy before the age of apps
Back in the 1990s, I produced a 25-minute hypnosis and relaxation recording called Hypno Relax.
I had 1,000 cassette tapes professionally produced, which I sold at my talks and through health resorts where I was working.
It seems rather quaint now, when you can download a relaxation recording onto your phone in seconds. But at the time, it was a way of helping people experience hypnosis and relaxation in their own homes.
I've always liked the idea that people can learn techniques they can use for themselves, rather than relying entirely on appointments with a therapist.
The technology may have changed considerably since those cassette days, but that interest has never really left me.
WHAT TO EXPECT
What it's like to work with me
You don't need to know anything about hypnotherapy before we meet.
I appreciate that booking an appointment with a hypnotherapist can feel a little unusual, particularly if it's your first time.
You might be curious, sceptical, nervous or a mixture of all three. That's absolutely fine.
I'm naturally quite relaxed in my approach, and I like people to feel comfortable being themselves.
We'll talk about what's been happening, what you'd like to change and what you hope to achieve. I'll explain how I work, answer your questions and make sure you understand what to expect.
There's no pressure to share anything before you're ready, and there's nothing you need to perform or get right.
I believe a good therapeutic relationship starts with feeling comfortable with the person you're talking to.
FIND SUPPORT
How I may be able to help
Weight management
Exploring eating habits, motivation and developing a healthier relationship with food.
Smoking cessation
Working with the habits and associations that make smoking difficult to leave behind.
Stress and anxiety
Helping people find ways to manage worry, tension and everyday pressures.
Confidence and motivation
Building confidence and exploring ways to approach personal challenges.
Sleep difficulties
Helping people develop a calmer approach to sleep and manage unhelpful patterns.
ON THE BOOKSHELF
A lifelong interest in hypnosis
My fascination with hypnotherapy doesn't stop when I finish seeing clients.
I've also spent considerable time researching and writing about the people and ideas that shaped the field.
HISTORY SERIES
Pioneers of Hypnotherapy
My Pioneers of Hypnotherapy series explores the history of hypnosis, from early figures such as Franz Mesmer through to the people and developments that helped shape modern hypnotherapy.
It's a subject I never seem to tire of, and there's always something new to discover.
Cover to be supplied
PRACTICAL WRITING
Calm the Itch
I've also written Calm the Itch, exploring hypnosis and self-hypnosis as ways of helping people manage persistent itching, particularly in later life.
Cover to be supplied
For me, writing is another way of sharing what I've learned and making potentially helpful ideas accessible to more people.
A LOOK BACK
A few highlights from my journey
01 · PEOPLE
Experience across different walks of life
From everyday personal concerns to elite sport and high-profile clients, I've had the opportunity to work with people whose lives and experiences are very different.
02 · RECORDING
Sharing relaxation beyond the therapy room
In the 1990s, I produced 1,000 copies of my Hypno Relax cassette, making guided relaxation available for people to use at home.
03 · WRITING
A continuing fascination with hypnosis
From my early training to writing books about the history and practical applications of hypnosis, my interest in the subject has never faded.
CLINICAL TRAINING
Training and experience
Clinical Hypnotherapist | DCH, DHP
My hypnotherapy training began many years ago, when the profession was far less widely understood.
Since then, I've continued to follow developments in hypnosis and therapeutic approaches, alongside my practical experience working with clients in private practice and wellbeing settings.
I bring that experience, along with a relaxed and practical approach, to the people I work with today.
A FIRST CONVERSATION
Shall we have a chat?
Choosing a hypnotherapist is a personal decision.
Qualifications and experience matter, but so does feeling comfortable with the person you're going to work with.
If you're wondering whether hypnotherapy could help you, why not arrange a free 30-minute discovery call?
We can have a relaxed conversation about what you're looking for, answer any questions and see whether working together feels right.