geoff baxter

reproduced from Comet 24 newspaper 08 May 2007

Geoff Baxter with reporter Rebecca Findley

SMOKING is fun, I am still young, it eases stress - stop! Finally, I had tired even myself of excuses.

And with the smoking ban looming into view the decision to quit seemed ominous. But anyone who says, 'Go on then, just quit like that, it's easy!' has obviously never smoked - or given up so long ago that they might have forgotten how hard it is, and it is hard!

Cigarettes have been there throughout my life, including crafty smokes behind the school, dates, nights out with friends, holidays, bonding with work friends on a break, times of stress - Mr Marlboro never let me down!

But lately I have been getting tired of the control he has over me.

Gone are the days when journalists smoked fags at their desks, nobody else on the Comet newsdesk smokes.

Plus I am supposed to be doing a charity run with friends in three months, and even though I am relatively fit, I can't help thinking that giving up my addiction of 10 years will help me run that extra bit quicker.

There is also the fact that many friends have managed to kick the habit and my boyfriend is a fitness freak who can't even bear to look at a cigarette.

And, of course, from July 1, I will no longer be able to have a cigarette in a club or pub.

It will be New York all over again as their smoking ban came in way before ours and I remember shivering outside bars in the snow to the disgust of passers-by.

And if smoking is not trendy in New York or Barcelona any more then it's time to quit in my eyes.

And not even Holly Gollightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's or Carrie from Sex and The City could persuade me otherwise.

Although Kate Moss may puff away in defiance of the ban and over 3,000 people have signed an online petition on the government website, the law has been laid.

So, it is down to me and the ability to let go of what the stick symbolises.

Having heard a number of friends rave about how hypnotherapy had cured them overnight I put my cynical self in touch with Geoff Baxter.

Geoff is a clinical hypnotherapist and performance coach who works on recommendations from satisfied customers, of which he has many.

Geoff seems to know what he is talking about so I go with the flow, pleased to see there isn't a shiny silver jacket in sight.

We talk about why I want to give up, my routine, and, most importantly, the reasons why I smoke.

He notes that it is not enough to want to stop, but to address the issues behind why you started.

It is an addiction, it is not rational, and so it is hard to put a stop to by using just the rational mind.

After discussing this at length he starts to tell me what the hypnotherapy will be like and, much to my surprise, I go into a state of relaxation and find it impossible to talk.

He then starts the therapy. I close my eyes and he begins to reinforce messages and conjure up images based on insight gained through our conversations.

I can still remember a lot of the key phrases, yet at the same time it was a blur.

But I was definitely in a trance and I loved every second.

As soon as I started to come out of it I realised that I wanted to give up, that I was a non smoker - I felt free.

I am able to call him anytime I feel I might crack and am able to go back for top-up sessions.

But judging by my instant disgust at the lingering smoke on my coat that won't be happening.

But what is hypnosis? Still in a happy daze I quizzed Geoff about how it worked.

He said: "Hypnosis is a natural frame of mind. It's getting you into a frame of mind where the symptoms I give are easily accepted.

"It's a combination for two things - direct suggestions and visualisations."

Although he treats many issues, from weight control to public speaking, he has seen an influx of people wanting to give up smoking lately because of the impending ban.

He said: "I just want to emphasise that hypnosis is a naturally occurring state and it's very far removed from stage hypnosis.

"It's hypnotherapy, not hypnotism. It works on basic scientific principles to put you in a state of mind that's good for you."

So, there you have it. I am now an official non-smoker.

I may have some obstacles coming up, including the bank holiday weekend drinking with friends and my "routine" fags, but I know now that I have the willpower to do it.

Plus, more money in my pocket means more money to spend at Topshop - I wonder if Geoff also cures addictions to shopping...?