In this interview, we speak with Debbie Waller, a highly experienced hypnotherapist, trainer, and author whose career has spanned over two decades. From launching Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training to publishing practical books like Anxiety to Calm, Debbie has dedicated herself to helping clients and therapists alike.
Her innovative approaches, such as the BLAST® technique for trauma and her unique goal modeling protocol, showcase her commitment to effective, client-centered care. With expertise in neurodiversity and suicide prevention, Debbie brings invaluable insights into working with diverse individuals. Join us as we delve into her inspiring journey and the transformative tools she offers.
What led you to pursue a career in hypnotherapy, and how has your journey evolved over the years?
I left school not knowing what I wanted to do with my life and ended up in a fairly standard 9-5 office job. It was fine, but I took a career break when I had my first child and decided I wanted to do something more in line with my interests when I went back to work. I did a degree course during my career break and decided I would like to pursue my interest in psychology. I was also looking for some kind of self-employment – by then we had two children and knew my eldest was on the autistic spectrum. She was in mainstream school but my work hours needed to be flexible for when she needed support.
I came across an advert for a local hypnotherapy school and went to their open day, loved it so much I enrolled.
It’s been a great career for me. Not only do I enjoy it but I can be full time or part time as family circumstances demand.
After a few years as a hypnotherapy teacher for another organisation, I opened my own hypnotherapy school, Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training. That was around twelve years ago now.
I currently split my time between writing, training hypnotherapists and seeing clients. I think it’s very important that a tutor or writer should do what they are teaching or writing about and, besides, I love seeing clients. It’s the job I trained to do. My practice covers everything from anxiety and phobias to self-care sessions and past life explorations.
How do your books, like Anxiety to Calm and The Hypnotherapist’s Companion, contribute to helping both clients and practitioners?
My first book was Their Worlds, Your Words, which was written in response to a question that was raised in the classroom by some of my students.
They wanted a framework for picking out the right bits of what clients tell therapists and using it to create appropriate hypnotic suggestions and metaphors. All my students get a copy of this one when they train with me so they have that guidance.
The Hypnotherapist’s Companion is a much broader approach to practice, it has information in it about running a practice, the kind of practical, legal and ethical issues that can arise as well as working with clients. I wrote this when I started getting involved with training hypnotherapy supervisors because a lot of the questions it answers came up in supervision sessions and might not be included in a basic practitioner course.
The third one, The Metaphor Toolbox, was a kind of celebration to mark my hypnotherapy school’s tenth anniversary. It has all kinds of original therapeutic stories and ideas in it and was co-written by myself and people who had been trained by me.
All these are intended to support hypnotherapists as they learn the skills they need and set up in practice, although I have been told that many more experienced practitioners use them too.
The most recent book was Anxiety to Calm, which was co-written by myself and my eldest, Rae. It’s a bit of a change in direction because it’s not aimed at therapists. It’s like a self-help book for those who are experiencing anxiety but extremely practical. We wanted a book that people living with anxiety could dip into for easy-to-use short term and long term ideas about reducing it, and I think we’ve succeeded. We also have sections on staying free from anxiety once you reach that stage, and on how to support other people with anxiety. We felt that last was important because often family and friends want to help but don’t know what to do for the best.
Can you explain the BLAST® technique and how it complements your work in hypnotherapy and stress management?
BLAST® developed from ideas based in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming) and a few other similar therapies. Neuroscience tells us that, in sufferers of PTSD and trauma, structures in the right side/hemisphere of the brain are overactive. They act as if there is an immediate threat even when there isn’t. Until recently, EMDR was the best treatment available but, as a more modern therapy, the BLAST Technique ® can take into account recent discoveries in how the brain works.
The BLAST Technique® uses movements with a light pen to help the memory access the left side/hemisphere of the brain, alongside suggestions which help you to reprocess the trauma. Afterwards, you can understand what happened and remember it, but without the physical or emotional response.
As said, it was designed to work with trauma and PTSD but I find it’s often useful for other issues as well, especially phobias and specific anxieties, or anger triggers. It combines really well with hypnotherapy. Clients find it works extremely quickly to remove an unwanted reaction that might have been in place for years.
What inspired you to develop the goal modeling protocol you presented at the UK Hypnosis Convention, and how has it impacted your practice?
My husband works in operational change in very large organisations, specifically benefits management, and we realised that in setting the right goals to achieve what people wanted and motivating people to reach them there was a lot of overlap in what we did. So I developed the goal modelling protocol from ideas about benefits management and created a structure that offered an interactive way of engaging and motivating clients. It provides a map of their situation which takes a holistic look at their situation and how their goals fit into that, and it will adapt to future changes. It’s got a lot in common with coaching as well as therapy and it allows me to work with clients who need help formulating goals as well as those who struggle to find long term motivation to make change.
Speaking at the Conference was a great honour, and that’s led to other speaking engagements as well which I love doing. For example I have recently given presentations on insomnia to a group of counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists, and one on aphantasia (lack of a mind’s eye) on behalf of a professional body for hypnotherapists.
How do your workshops on topics like neurodiversity and suicide prevention shape your approach to working with diverse clients?
A lot of the developments in my practice have come about because of my personal interests and experiences. My course on Understanding Autism was launched a few years ago to coincide with Autism Awareness Day. I wrote it because my eldest is on the spectrum and they have had trouble accessing therapy and support sometimes.
It’s not the therapy itself, more that not all therapists have an understanding of how difficult it can be for people on the spectrum to follow some of the necessary steps to get to therapy, or to make the best of it. So it talks about various issues that can come alongside autism and suggests how therapists can take simple steps like checking that lighting is not too bright or that air fresheners aren’t too strong, given that some people with autism are hyper-sensory.
Everything in the course, I’d done in my own practice, but I have also learned more from researching the material and keeping it up to date – and from those who have taken it, who sometimes suggest new ideas to include. I often learn a lot from people who take my courses!
I completed the training to be a QPR Suicide Gatekeeper many years ago at the time I felt it would be a good addition to my CPD and I’m glad I did. Suicidal thoughts and impulses can arise in people with all different presenting issues, and it’s good to know what to do if it arises. For example, lack of sleep can be a big factor in suicidality and it’s an issue that lots of therapists work with without being aware of the connection.
The Gatekeeper course gives information about suicide, dispels the myths, and gives you the courage and confidence to ask the right question if you think someone is considering ending their own life. I’ve asked that question a few times and, although it’s never easy, thanks to QPR I have always felt confident that I could help no matter what the answer was. The training has made me more aware of when people are at risk as well, so that I can help to keep them safe.
After we lost a family member to suicide I did further training to become a Suicide Awareness Instructor so that I could raise awareness generally and also educate other therapists to be able to help clients in this way.
