Is it just me or do we sometimes fall into the trap of most professions? For example if you know a mechanic the chances are his car is the only one in the street that looks as though it is held together with rust and good prayer! And the decorator down the road - the paint on his house is peeling faster than the skin on a lobster coloured sunbather!

I sometimes sit back (making sure that I don't spill any of the red nectar from my bucket sized crystal glass) and look at myself and think - damn I could do with a good therapist. Then the other side of me kicks in and says "Whoa there boy, you do this all the time - just zap yourself and all is well." So why does it never seem that easy when you try?

If I analyse the theory I suffer the grave risk of spiralling in ever decreasing circles until I disappear into oblivion. I know that I am a good hypnotist because I believe I am and my clients reap rewards. I also know that there is more than a passing resemblance of hypnosis being confused as a placebo effect.

Even attending supervisory meetings, peer groups, and all manner of other CPD, I feel that the majority of them feel to me like a good old mutual back patting session. And guess what - this only happens when I ignore my instincts and work beyond the limits my body and mind are telling me about. I guess a good session with a hypnotist could be the answer.

After all - have you ever seen a barber cut their own hair, and make a decent job of it?

Now where did I put those scissors?