Recently I received a phone call from an amazing lady who suffered a very debilitating stroke at the age of 52, and she was desperate for help to begin living her life again, and to understand the ways that she could make positive changes.
I discussed all the different NLP techniques that I would be using to help her regain some purpose and function in her life, something that she felt that she no longer had.
Having a stroke doesn’t mean you stop living
During lockdown this lady became very withdrawn, understandably, yet her strong character and willingness to overcome things, had her searching for ways to have a new and more fulfilling ‘normal’. She recognised that her main issue was having the confidence in herself and the abilities that she still had. A friend of hers had been to see me for a consultation at my Practice, with fantastic results, and after they had chatted, I then got a phone call:
“I really need your help, I cannot travel at the moment, can you come to me?”
Easy answer…yes!
Obviously home visits do incur an extra charge to cover my travel (it was a 120-mile round trip), but is often a much better option. Rather than having this lady arrive at my Practice exhausted from a journey, and possibly stressed before we even began, it meant she was in her own home and could be relaxed for our session.
So we set a date and time and I duly arrived at this lady’s home, which is in a beautiful ‘assisted living’ complex on the edge of a small rural town, with some absolutely stunning views. The flat was spacious and obviously built for purpose, yet she was desperately unhappy and feeling very unfulfilled.
All the staff are wonderful, all her neighbours are so sweet, but the issue is not with any of them. It was the overwhelming feeling of being a relatively young woman (she is younger than me), trapped in a body that has stopped her doing the things she did before her stroke! How frustrating must that be?
Empathy and practical help
I put myself into her position……not being able to just walk around easily, not being able to visit friends, not being able to enjoy the hobbies she had before…….
The most obvious thing about her, though, was not what she couldn’t do…it is what she COULD do. Using NLP techniques and hypnotherapy we worked through everything one point at time.
One thing she said to me had a huge impact “I have had a stroke, my body may appear like that of an older person, my mind is still young an active though – I hate being trapped” ………. these are the words that made my resolve even stronger to get her on the path to fulfilment, this lady wants to live again, not just exist!
I left her with the biggest pile of ‘homework’; firstly, to research young stroke victim clubs, to reassure her that she isn’t alone, and others are in the same position as she is, anyone can have a stroke, at any age! NLP therapy is all about recognising the positive in any given situation, and making new paths to successful outcomes.
Secondly, she had been offered a mobility van, and she needed to write to the DVLA to get her licence back, so we set the ball rolling there. Sure enough, she is well outside the time when they now deem her safe to drive again, and she is over the moon! Having a vehicle and the ability to get out and about will change her life immeasurably!
Getting out and about again
This lady is a very keen horsewoman, before her stroke, she had her own stables, and she also worked as a delivery driver, so she was always out and about! Something that a lot of us take for granted is jumping in the car, visiting friends, going on holiday etc. Following her stroke, she couldn’t do any of this, but now she will be able to, and the most fantastic thing is she will be able to visit her beloved horses… The joy on her face was priceless – my eyes leaked as much as hers.
Next, we tackled the subject of her mobility. She has full use of her right side, but her left side is not great. That said, there is a gym in her complex and physiotherapists on hand, ready to help her improve muscle strength. All I needed to do was chat to her, find out her first goal and then put motivational segments in her unique hypnotherapy recording. The rest had to come from her in terms of the willingness to use the recording daily, and the rest would follow.
Improving mobility
We chatted at length about her motorised wheelchair. This dear lady spends pretty much every waking hour in it, as she is afraid to transfer herself from this to her armchair as and when she needs to. It is functional, but definitely not comfortable, so we needed to change that for her. The fear of falling is very real to her, so I instilled confidence in her, to practise moving from one to the other when the carers pop in (something that they do every couple of hours throughout the day).
This, coupled with the physio sessions, would increase her body strength and also her strength of mind; she is one tough cookie, and I knew she would, ultimately, succeed!
Addressing unhealthy eating patterns
Another issue was her eating patterns. She was eating when she was bored, which was a lot of the time, and she wasn’t drinking enough water due to being afraid that she would need to go to the toilet more often.
She freely admitted that she ate long after she was ‘full’. The knock-on effect of this was that she was also heavier than is healthy for her, and the physical impact on using her legs was immense. As part of the hypnotherapy, I included ‘recognising when you are full’, ‘only eating when you are hungry’ and ‘recognising that sometimes it is not hunger, it is actually thirst, so no amount of eating will satisfy you’.
These are all things that many of us overlook, and often we need a factory reset, to get our brains back on the right track again.
Imagine my joy, when less than a week later, I received an email from this wonderful lady:
“I have realised that I am not finishing all of my meals now, I stop when I am full and I’m not eating if I’m not hungry.
Also. I had my first walking session today, the first time I walked, I was sat in my armchair, I got up
and walked to the toilet and back! I am no longer stuck in my wheelchair all day!”
Positive outcomes
NLP therapies use ‘positive outcomes’ as the key to any treatment. I instilled in her the goal of getting out and doing things again, and she is now planning a holiday, as she will soon be in the proud possession of a mobility van, and so, she will be able to drive herself and another friend who uses a wheelchair to the airport.
I am very much looking forward to hearing more updates from this amazing woman, as she reaches new goals, and definitely can’t wait to see her holiday snaps, and pictures of her back at the stables.
Do you need help?
Don’t be a prisoner of circumstance. Together, we can find ways to improve your life.
Email me at hello@naturallifeprogressions.co.uk. We can arrange a FREE telephone consultation to chat about your needs, at a time convenient to you. Every client is different, so I tailor the therapy to suit YOU, and I can assure you of absolute confidentiality at all times.
When you decide to proceed with the therapy your consultation will be approximately an hour long. This can either be via a Zoom video call, face to face at my practice, or at a place of your choosing, where you feel relaxed. I have even had consultations with clients at the beach! I never proceed with any client unless they are completely at ease, so an environment that you can fully relax in is crucial.