Search
Close this search box.

Branches

Welcome to the London Branch

The London Branch supports the ongoing training of members from the whole of the South East of England. The following is a list of the areas/counties in this branch: London, Greater London, Brighton and Hove, Surrey, Kent, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Redhill (Sussex), Southampton (Hampshire), Uxbridge (Middlesex) and Watford (Hertfordshire).       

To book the London foundation training course in Clinical Hypnosis please click here

Council members

Maureen Tilford (Branch Chair) – T: 07711746915 E: tilford.maureen@gmail.com
David Kraft (Branch Secretary) – T: 07946 579645/020 7467 8564 E: dmjkraftesq@yahoo.co.uk
Charlotte Davies (Branch Treasurer) – E: charlotte.davies@doctors.org.uk
Other Council Members Peter Naish & Samantha Crone

About the London Branch

Previously known as the Metropolitan Branch, and then Mets and South, the London Branch has been training health professionals in hypnosis since 1952. Like the other branches in BSCAH, the London Branch runs a Foundation Training over three weekends. Trainees are encouraged, throughout the course, to practise the practical skills learnt in each module, and, it is for this reason that the weekends are spaced out over, usually, a three-month period. We also offer one day workshops and specifically-designed hypnosis courses for speciality doctors. In addition, we organise peer supervision for all members of the branch as well as past trainees. Courses are open to doctors, dentists, chartered psychologists, nurses and other allied healthcare professionals. UKCP- and BACP-registered psychotherapists and counsellors are also welcome to train with us, and applications are viewed on a case-by-case basis. The London Branch is committed to helping trainees begin to utilise hypnosis—both formally and informally—as an adjunctive tool within their own specific modality. We look forward to hearing from you and, if you have any specific questions you would like to ask, please do not hesitate to give one of the team members a ring/send an email.


Co-supervision

Do you feel isolated in your work with hypnosis? Would you like to join a group to discuss your work? This is an opportunity to give or receive support, share experience, even establish collaborative projects. If you would like to establish a group, send in an outline of how you would like your group to run: local meetings / teleconference /skype / e-forum, and which professionals you would like to attract and we will advertise it on this page. There are some groups running already so perhaps you would like to be listed on this page too. Let us know.​

IF THERE IS A TOPIC YOU WOULD LIKE US TO COVER, IF YOU HAVE SOME EXPERTISE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US, OR IF THERE IS A SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN FORMING OR JOINING, PLEASE CONTACT US.

Meet the training team…..

David Kraft (PhD BSCAH Accred.)

David Kraft runs a successful psychotherapy practice in Harley Street. London. He has been teaching on the BSCAH Foundation Training courses since 2013 and has very much enjoyed this experience. David originally trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy at the London Centre for Psychotherapy; however, after a period of time, he felt that it was important to develop a more integrative approach to treatment. As a result, he decided to train at the National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy: here, he formalized his psychotherapy training and this led to UKCP accreditation and two diplomas—the DHP (NC) and ADHP (NC). David has an MSc in Psychology from Kingston University, and is a member of The British Psychological Society, holding the designated letter MBPsS. David also has a diploma in Clinical Hypnosis (DCHyp) and an Advanced Certificate in Clinical and Strategic Hypnosis (A.Cert.CSHyp). In addition, he is a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a member of council for the Section of Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine. He is also an accredited member of The British Society of Clinical & Academic Hypnosis (BSCAH), a member of its National Council, and on the Academic and Accreditation Sub-Committee. David has been researching psychotherapy and clinical hypnosis for several years now, publishing regularly in academic journals. He has written over 25 articles on many subjects, including: phobic anxiety, covert sensitisation, anxiety disorders, sleep disturbances, hyperhidrosis, sexual disorders, IBS, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, agoraphobia, social phobia and panic disorder. David published his first book, ‘Birdsong in the music of Olivier Messiaen’ in 2013, and is completing his second book, a book of his poetry, which he hopes will come out in 2017. David is currently Honorary Secretary for the Mets and South Branch of BSCAH.

Dr Samantha Crone BDS MFDS RCS(Eng)

Samantha graduated from St Bartholomew’s and The Royal London Hospital School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1997, gaining a Batchelor of Dental Surgery degree (BDS) and subsequently gaining Membership to the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (MFDS RCS(Eng)) in 2002, following further training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Samantha has worked in general dental practice, cosmetic dental practice, special care dentistry, hospital dentistry and surgery.

A member of the British Association of Oral Surgeons, Samantha also holds a post as a dento-alveolar surgeon with the Surrey Dento-Alveolar Referral Service and in recent years has been involved in training and mentoring post-graduate dentists. She is also qualified to provide non-surgical facial aesthetic treatments such as botulinum toxin injections and dermal fillers.

Samantha trained in clinical hypnosis in her final year of dental school in 1996 and has successfully used hypnosis techniques throughout her career in dentistry. She has found hypnosis particularly useful in the treatment of anxious patients, those struggling with pronounced gag reflexes, needle phobias and dental phobias, all of which can prevent or limit the provision of dental treatment.

Samantha continues to maintain and update her skills in clinical hypnosis by attending courses and through peer review. She initially trained with The British Society of Medical and Dental Hypnosis Mets and South branch and is now an active member of BSCAH.

Maureen Tilford

Maureen worked as a GP in Norwich for 35 years. She became interested in the role of the mind in physical illness and the burden of emotional pain in the everyday life of many patients. She trained in hypnosis with the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis and applied hypnosis in her practice for many years covering a wide range of  problems as they presented in the primary care setting.  Maureen joined Primary Care Mental Health Education (PRIMHE) and through them completed a diploma entitled ‘Practitioner with a Special Interest in Mental Health’ at the University of Staffordshire.  She also took part in the training of final year medical students in mental health.

Dr Peter Naish (BSc, BSc, DPhil BSCAH Accred)

Following a degree in the physical sciences, Peter took another in psychology, finally moving to the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford for his doctorate. Along the way he acquired an interest in hypnosis. This was in the era of scepticism about the subject; the hard-nosed scientific community was of the opinion that it was little more than an example of social compliance, where one person feels the need to ‘go along with’ the expectations of another. Some researchers went so far as to say that the whole process was so ordinary that it was misleading to grace it with a special name of its own: Hypnosis. However, Peter’s research results began to convince him that there really was something out of the ordinary going on. With the advent of brain scanning that position has been vindicated; the hypnotised brain really does behave differently. Peter had a spell carrying out research for the Ministry of Defence and, among the topics he addressed, he became involved with the issue of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Intriguingly, PTSD victims tend to be highly hypnotisable, and Peter developed novel apparatus to reveal the nature of the parallels between PTSD and hypnosis. He continues to explore the links between trauma and brain behaviour. With his long and active interest in hypnosis Peter has been elected over the years to several relevant posts, including spells as President of the Section for Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine, at the Royal Society of Medicine, and Chair of Council for the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis. He is currently President of the BSCAH. He also chairs the Scientific Advisory Board to the British False Memory Society. He was invited onto the Board, because it was known that, carelessly used, therapeutic hypnosis can induce false memories; he is often asked to serve as an expert witness in cases where false memory or the misuse of hypnosis have been alleged. Peter is a strong advocate of the public dissemination of science, and he is a regular speaker at the major British science festivals. He has also lectured at the Science Museum, The Royal Society, the Dana Centre for the Brain and ‘Science on the Fringe’ during the Edinburgh Festival.

Eastern Counties

Branch Secretaries: Les Brann • T: 01245 460 868  • E: les.brann@nhs.net
Cathryn Woodward • E: clwoodward@doctors.org.uk

Meet the Trainers​

Cathryn Woodward​

Cathryn has been a Consultant in Clinical Oncology at West Suffolk Foundation Trust and Addenbrooke’s Hospitals since 2004, specialising in Breast and Urological cancers. She completed her Foundation Course training in Hypnosis with the Eastern Branch of BSCAH in 2012 and followed that up with the Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis and Stress Management in Stafford University in 2014. After using hypnosis with patients attending for cancer treatment, Cathryn became involved in teaching on the Eastern Counties Foundation Course and is also the Honorary Secretary for BSCAH.

Katherine Piccinelli​

Katherine is a consultant paediatrician who has been at West Suffolk for 9 years. She has a special interest in oncology and palliative care, and also works closely with the local childrens hospices. Katherine has been using hypnosis in her work for 4 years, having trained on the West Suffolk course. She uses it for CYP with chronic pain, tics, sleep problems and generalised anxiety.

Lancs & Cheshire

Branch Secretary: Linda Dunlop – E: ldunlop76@aol.com
Branch Chairman: Adrian Hamill
Branch Representative on Council: Ann Williamson – E:ann@annwilliamson.co.uk
Branch Treasurer: Michael Wevitavidanalage – E: wdamichael@hotmail.com

The Lancashire & Cheshire Branch covers the northwest of England and includes Cumbria and part of North Wales. We hold our Branch meetings at Warrington General Hospital (Lovely Lane, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 1QG. T: 01925 635911) in Thewall House (the postgraduate or education centre) which is on your right as you enter the hospital. Currently car parking costs £3 for up to 5 hours.

These meetings are usually on the first Sunday of the month and start at 10am with an hour of peer supervision, led by a senior member of the Branch, when members are encouraged to bring current cases for discussion by the group. This is followed by a talk given by a Branch member or an outside speaker and finishes around 12.30pm. Branch meetings count as CPD for 2.5 hours. We also run regular Foundation training and occasional one day workshops on selected topics.

​Feedback from our Foundation training is always very good “The APPLIED nature of the entire training was highly relevant and enjoyable. Being taught by experienced health professionals cannot be substituted. So many examples / anecdotes/ cases were presented throughout the training which “brought it to life” and made it real” Student 2019 training.

Dr Cath Potter (BDS; M.Med Sci (Clinical Hypnosis); Dip Psy (OU); Dip Con Sed)

Cath Potter qualified at Manchester Dental School in 1980 and has worked in the Community Dental Service, General Dental Practice and part time at Birmingham Dental Hospital. She recently worked for Salford PCT as Senior Dental Officer and outreach teacher and the University of Manchester as Senior Clinical Teaching Fellow for the Control of Pain and Anxiety postgraduate Diploma and MSc. Cath was one of the first people to be appointed as an outreach teacher in restorative dentistry and has supervised 4 F year students at Ordsall Clinic in Salford since the beginning of the innovative Manchester outreach programme. She has recently retired from her position as Senior Clinical Teaching Fellow in Behavioural Sciences at Leeds Dental Institute where she was year 1 lead and module organiser for a number of modules throughout the BChD curriculum. She also has a special interest in the treatment of anxious patients using hypnosis and Inhalation Sedation. Cath has recently obtained a PhD investigating the relationship between hypnosis and Inhalation Sedation.

Dr Ann Williamson (MB ChB BSCAH Accred.)

Ann was a General Practitioner for thirty two years and has used hypnosis for more than twenty years to help her patients deal with stress and anxiety and to help them facilitate change in how they live their lives. She is an accredited member of the British Society of Clinical & Academic Hypnosis, a certified NLP Master Practitioner and has had training in brief solution oriented therapy and other approaches. She has been involved for many years with teaching Health Professionals how to use hypnotic techniques both for themselves and within their own field of clinical expertise. She runs stress management, personal development and brief psychological interventions workshops on request, as well as seeing private clients for therapy. She has also lectured at Manchester, Chester and Salford Universities as well as in Canada and Europe. She has written three books: on stress management, smoking cessation and on brief psychological interventions in clinical practice. She is also co-editor of A Handbook of Contemporary Hypnosis published by Wiley in 2011 and has contributed to several other books and journals. She is also a Reiki Master Trainer and has an interest in creativity and exploring one’s emotions through the arts. For more details please visit www.annwilliamson.co.uk

Phyllis Alden

Phyllis is a clinical psychologist who has had wide ranging experience in helping patients suffering with many physical and mental health problems. In particular, for many years she specialised in the assessment and treatment of psychological difficulties arising from the diagnosis of cancer and the course of the disease from diagnosis to end stage. Phyllis has a particular interest in the assessment and treatment of conditions such as PTSD, acute and chronic pain, difficulties arising from illness and injury, and the long term effects of trauma such as RTAs, assaults, and torture. With respect to clinical approaches, she considers herself to be eclectic. However, within this she has tended towards the use of cognitive behavioural therapy as an approach. She has extensive experience in the use of hypnosis in the treatment of a wide range of clinical problems and has been involved in hypnosis training both nationally and internationally. She has also trained in EMDR, (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing). Phyllis has participated in the drawing up of professional codes of conduct for two professionally recognised hypnosis organisations, the British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis and the European Society of Hypnosis.​

Midlands

The Midlands Branch runs the only UK University Accredited level 6 & 7 course in Clinical Hypnosis & Related techniques in conjuction with Birmingham City University. Further information on the course can be found on the training page, alternatively please e-mail Hilary Walker at bscahmidlandsbranch@outlook.com

Midlands Committee:

Branch ChairShamsh Suleman
Simon BarnettCourse Leader
Jenny PageTreasurer

Trainers

Trevor Hadfield
Simon Barnett – (simon.barnett@btinternet.com)
Jean Rogerson – (emailjeanrogerson@gmail.com)
Kathryn Kinmond – (k.kinmond@mmu.ac.uk)
Jenny Page – (jennypage5372@icloud.com)

Branch Secretary: Hilary Walker – 

E: BSCAHMidlandsbranch@outlook.com

T: 07702492867

Northern Counties

​Branch Chair: Grahame Smith • E: grahamedsmith@doctors.org.uk
Branch Secretary: Dan Round • E: dround@theretreatyork.org.uk​

3 Module Foundation Clinical Hypnosis Training in Edinburgh

Trainers

Grahame Smith

Is current chair of BSCAH and Ethical chair. Past president of BSCAH (and BSMDH) and various roles in Northern Counties Branch past and present. He was Chair of BSMDH Ac and Ac and continued to serve on the committee after formation of BSCAH, stepping down to allow the committee to refresh. He is a Council member of the Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine Section of RSM. He uses hypnosis and related techniques to help patients with a wide range of problems as seen by GPs., though now no longer practicing as a doctor. (de registered in good standing!) He has taught on many courses over the years. Recently mainly at Queens Oncology Centre, Hull and the Retreat York, along with some ‘Taster days’. He remains an enthusiastic organiser and co presenter of BSCAH training. He was a GP trainer and educational supervisor for new trainers, and a prolific GP appraiser to 2011. His training includes the University of Sheffield Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis. When in practice, Grahame had an interest in quality issues and organisational audit. He was a surveyor for various GP organisational initiatives including Kings Fund (later HQS), CTQ Sheffield, and Leicester GP Blueprint. He gained the IoD Diploma in Company Direction and was one time board member of the local Primary Care Organisation. His earlier career includes anaesthesia, part time occupational health, and work in Southern Africa. He is married with three adult offspring and a granddaughter, and is a keen motorcyclist.​

Gillian Smith
Gill is a retired consultant psychiatrist, who has worked in the NHS and the independent sector. She has been using hypnosis within her clinical practice since 1982, and has been a trainer (with Graeme Smith) for Northern Counties for 3 years.​

West of England

​Branch Representative on BSCAH Council: Zoita Mandila • E: bscahwest@gmail.com www.bscahwest.co.uk