There are no magic cures. There are no magic therapists.

All psychological help is essentially self help.

FIRST AND FOREMOST is having the will the will to want to change a part of your life that isnt working. It makes no difference how much or how little determination a person has; without that will, all the best therapy and techniques in the world will be largely ineffective.

But start to actually want something really really badly, and its amazing how often you find the means to make it so.

Expectation is the other vital ingredient. A belief that a positive change will happen as a result of something youre doing. What a person expects has an uncanny habit of actually happening.

How often have you thought something would turn out badly... then it did? Well now is time to expect a positive outcome for a change.

Self help has often been criticised for trying to provide easy answers to difficult problems, and the only people who benefit are those selling the ideas. I dont think thats entirely true. Like most things in life; theres good and theres not so good, and Id like to think that here youll find the good!

Indeed, the answers are often simple, but putting those answers into practice can be a little trickier. Many self help products promise a quick fix, leading a person to believe they dont have to do very much in order to get results. Thats why they often fail to deliver what they promise; they dont encourage a person to make that effort.

Its like anything in life; first you put in some hard work, then you reap the rewards.

Consider learning something new; maybe a subject at college or university, or perhaps a self study course. I think youll agree, its not enough to listen casually to the lectures and browse through the books. A good therapist is like a good teacher and a good self help product is like a good book, but those alone wont guarantee a successful student. A certain amount of time and effort on your part is also imperative.

Sometimes however, all the will in the world just doesnt seem quite enough. You know what to do but cant quite make it work in practice. The subconscious mind is very strong, and when it thinks it knows best, its very hard to overrule.

This might be the time to enlist the help of a good therapist. Somebody to really assist your self help endeavours and help break through that mental barrier. Teaching you something you didnt already know, or giving you a better understanding or new perspective on something you thought you did.

But remember... theyre still only the teacher, and its you who must do the actual work.

As I said above, the stumbling block often lies in the subconscious mind. It thinks it knows best and resists trying something new. But its hard to get in touch with that part of the mind because, by definition, its below the normal level of awareness; sub-conscious. Hypnosis however, is extremely good at communicating with it, and sometimes thats all thats needed to start making real progress.

So if youve hit a bit of a mental block but dont feel comfortable seeking professional help in person, self hypnosis is something that can make a big difference.

There are many inexpensive downloads recommended throughout the site, and also many self help books.

These two important points as you use this site:

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What is Self Help: Confidence, Self Esteem, Panic, Anxiety ...