Discover the professional journey of Paul Osman, a former Probation Officer turned Hypnotherapist, as he shares his insights on hypnotherapy, the benefits of Virtual Gastric Band, the power of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), his Reiki sessions, and more. If you’re having weight issues, you don’t want to miss his exclusive MysticMag interview below.
Can you tell us a bit about your professional journey and what led you to become a Hypnotherapist?
For over 25 years I was a Probation Officer specialising in direct face-to-face work with sex offenders and perpetrators of domestic violence. I honed my skills to a high level and became a national trainer for the sex offender programmes in the UK. I was, and am, always keen to develop my skills in different areas. Hypnosis and hypnotherapy was one area that fascinated me. Probation only used CBT and frowned upon any other modality, however effective it proved to be. I saw both the limitations of CBT and the effectiveness of modalities like hypnotherapy. I left the Probation Service to develop my interest in other modalities, hypnotherapy being one of those modalities. I also offer EFT, often referred to as ‘tapping’, OEFT, the most advanced version of EFT, and Time Line Therapy, amongst others.
What is Virtual Gastric Band and what are its benefits?
Established in 2010, and now with over 2,500 trained practitioners in 16 countries, The Virtual Gastric Band is a psychology-based hypnotic weight loss programme, designed to simply and radically change how you think about food. The Virtual Gastric Band is not a diet and does not involve deprivation. This hypnotherapy weight loss programme focuses on resetting your eating habits; it highlights any unhelpful food associations and helps you to make small, realistic changes that you can live with easily.
It uses hypnosis and other psychology-based skills to train the client to think about food more pragmatically – and results in steady, sustainable weight loss – without dieting, and completely naturally. The Virtual Gastric Band alters your responses to food and encourages you to be satisfied with smaller portions. The new habits you will develop mean you can be free from thinking about food all of the time and will enable you to enjoy the food you do eat so much more! The Virtual Gastric Band weight loss programme has been featured around the world in multiple newspapers and magazines:
The Virtual Gastric Band has been shown in clinical trials to be 95% effective as against an 80% success rate with actual bariatric surgery. It convinces the client, through hypnosis, that a surgical band has been placed around the top of the stomach. It is more effective than any diet, slimming club, DVD, pills, or potions, and stops the client from yo-yo dieting for good. It can eliminate old eating habits, food cravings and help to gain a healthier relationship with food and stops overeating. Sessions are tailored to the individual needs of the client. Much cheaper than travelling abroad for bariatric surgery with none of the risks or discomfort of surgery. In these current times of limited resources, The NHS is very strict about offering bariatric surgery and many are turned away. There is little or no waiting time for The Virtual Gastric Band.
What different types or modalities of hypnotherapy do you offer?
I offer both content-free hypnotherapy, where the client does not need to disclose the issue(s) which brought her/him to therapy and content-specific hypnotherapy. Sessions can be face-to-face or online. Both are equally effective. I offer the Virtual Gastric Band. I help with overcoming phobias, stress and anxiety in its various forms from performance issues to feeling overwhelmed.
How can Neuro-Linguistic Programming help a person?
NLP helps us “learn how to gain more control over what we considered to be automatic functions of our own neurology.” Its methods and insights are gateways through which the client can approach situations from fresh, new angles. They help us re-evaluate the ways we handle tasks, engage in conversations, or respond – physically and emotionally – to the circumstances we are in. NLP is particularly effective in dealing with phobias, personal development and anxiety.
You also offer Reiki sessions. Can you tell our readers a bit more about that part of your work?
Quantum physics tells us that all matter is energy, vibrating at different frequencies. Consequently, thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations are all just energy. Negative experiences and trauma can cause an imbalance in the body’s energy field which can lead to illness, pain, and PTSD. Reiki, originally from Japan, is a form of energy healing. The technique uses Hands on healing through which3 chi or life force or energy is transferred through the practitioner’s palms to the client in order to promote emotional or physical healing. Reiki restores balance to your energy field.
What’s your favorite part about your profession?
Helping others to become the best version of themselves. Assisting others to deal with and overcome issues that have become problematic and held them back. I am always willing to go the extra mile to help my clients achieve this. I tailor my work to the individual client using an amalgam of therapies to establish the most effective treatment.
