She has also since trained as a clinical hypnotherapist, giving her a valuable tool to support her patients, her team, and herself in a busy and often overwhelming environment.
“I trained as a dental hygienist in the Royal Navy, and later went to work and live in Zimbabwe and South Africa, where I was involved in oral health screening and education in schools. Many years later I returned to England and have worked as a hygienist ever since.”
We asked Linda to tell us more about her passion for clinical hypnotherapy, and how she got started:
“15 years ago, I trained as a clinical hypnotherapist having realised that my approach to treating anxious patients was something that I had a natural skill for, and I wanted to know more about communicating with phobic patients. I gained a first-class honours degree in clinical hypnosis, and off the back of this I was offered a scholarship to study for a PhD in hypnosis. So began my addiction to research in academic and clinical hypnosis.
“I have attained advanced clinical hypnosis skills, as well as a cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy diploma through the renowned Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis. I am a member of the Royal Society of Medicine and have twice won awards from the RSM’s Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Section. I am also a tutor on the UCL course for Hypnosis Communication and have twice presented at the UK Hypnosis Convention in London, alongside the top world-renowned hypnosis academics, and this year, with Derren Brown!”
When it comes to applying her extensive knowledge and practice into her job as a hygienist, Linda told us how she is able to support not only her patients, but her colleagues too. She said:
“I recently had a patient who needed an extraction of a molar tooth and could not have sedation or local anaesthetic. Utilising hypnosis, the tooth was successfully removed with the patient not being aware of any pain at all. The second extraction is booked in for a few weeks’ time.
“Working in a very busy mixed practice, I offer ‘mind massage’ to my fellow team members when things get too overwhelming, and we have a group relaxation therapy session after the practice meetings.”
Linda is incredibly passionate about the power of hypnosis within the dental profession and has many examples of how she has been able to put it into practice. We asked her to tell us why she thinks it is so beneficial within dentistry:
“My long-term goal is to see hypnosis accepted and readily utilised by the dental profession. We are a very stressed profession, and we work with anxious patients. By understanding elements of conversational hypnosis, the whole team can benefit.
“Anxious patients are subconsciously defensive through fear, and our approach as the dental team can so easily affect that. We have the ability to support an anxious patient into someone who is much more relaxed, feels listened to and understood, and therefore is much more co-operative. Developing a therapeutic alliance with our patients reduces the anxiety, the patient can actually engage, and the outcome is vastly improved.”
We asked Linda how she uses her skills and techniques to keep herself calm. She said:
“I practice mindfulness and self-hypnosis when working with patients; I’m very aware that my emotional state affects the patients, and if I am not careful, theirs can affect me. I also monitor my posture and hand grip on instruments, as the patient can pick up tension through the network of mirror neurons.
“Understanding hypnosis along with mindfulness is what has kept me non-stressed and enjoying my work with demanding patients, all these years!”
