My name is Deborah Foyster and I am mother to grown-up sons. In the past, I was a Head of English in a Norwich high school (hence the letters BA Hons PGCE) after my name. The long hours, stress and workload made me ill. As a result, I searched for ways to help myself. I wanted to change my life and improve my health, and so discovered hypnotherapy.

Like many people, my only experience of hypnosis was watching it as entertainment on the television: I was very suspicious as well as very curious about it. I mistakenly expected a trance to take away all conscious control, so I felt quite nervous when I finally took the plunge and visited a local therapist. The result of that visit was to change my life.

I discovered more than relief from my illness. I discovered a wonderful way to make a difference: to alleviate suffering and to help people achieve their goals. Now I have a Diploma in Professional Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, (ASHPH) and an advanced Diploma in Hypnotherapy and NLP (ASHAH). Both these qualifications were earned with Distinctions. This means that I am able to provide therapy for children as well as adults, and to offer therapy for more complex conditions. I am registered with the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council and on the General Hypnotherapy Register.

In addition, I have been trained to help anyone to improve their lives in a variety of ways, from increasing confidence and motivation to helping people to beat addictions. You may be interested in resolving issues and experiences from the past, or in making childbirth easier by learning easy self-hypnosis to reduce pain and the length of your labour.

My main practice is carried out in a therapy room in Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich, but I am also able to visit clients who, for whatever reason, are unable to visit me.

Now I am determined to help others. Because of stage hypnotists, many people have a very distorted perception of hypnotherapy and how it affects people. All I can say to you is "Try it." You have nothing to lose finding out more about this powerful, natural therapy.

Deborah Foyster