Why the recipe works

After a big hike with my son and my dogs this afternoon I decided to bake some well-earned scones (pronounced to rhyme with 'stone' or with 'gone', you decide). They came out well and my son and husband were very appreciative. My son asked: "How do you know how to make all these things?"

I explained that I had to look up a recipe, use the right ingredients and follow the instructions. By now fuelled by a heavy dose of carbs and sugar, it's struck me: To achieve most things in life, you need a bit of knowledge, the right ingredients, and some instructions. And perhaps that is why solution focused hypnotherapy is so effective for improving mental health.

As therapists, we give our clients:

1. The knowledge: From the very first session we share crucial information about how the mind works. It's based on a couple of centuries of the study of the human condition and therapeutic practice, and - more importantly - the very latest neuroscience.

2. The ingredients: We explain to our clients what ingredients they need to feel calm, confident, in control and able to achieve their goals - be that leaving anxiety behind, to forging a new path in life.

3. The instructions: We educate clients on how to source the ingredients they need and how to use them effectively. But crucially, we don't dictate instructions. No, what we do is even more powerful than that: We create the time and space for the client to connect with their own intellectual resources, so they work out their own user manual - one that works best for them personally, in their unique life.

It's because of that recipe, that solution focused hypnotherapy is a brief therapy - because once someone has the recipe and has put it into practice a few times, they have all they need to look after their mental health - or bake the scones - on their own!

And if now you really need to eat a scone, here's the recipe I used!