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"I started to smoke in 1963 and stopped on 10th February 2006. Although I felt I still enjoyed my cigarettes (which I had first tried with my friends at school when I was 13 years old), I did know that I now had fewer friends to enjoy my pleasure with as more and more had stopped smoking. I also realised that most of my girlfriends did not smoke and that I was usually the odd one out when I went out with them.

I had tried to stop smoking several times but a little voice in my head kept persuading me back and despite the fact that I would have thrown my cigarettes away earlier I would make a trip out sometimes late at night to buy some more.

Last August (2005) I spoke to a friend who I would consider smoked about the same as me, and she told me that she had made an appointment to see a Hypnotherapist, Julie Woodcock in Huddersfield and intended to stop smoking. I saw her again in January and was amazed that she had gone through with it and more to the point was now a non smoker and without preaching was telling me how easy it had been and how there had been no cravings or unpleasant side effects.

I thought to myself that if she could do it so could I and that week telephoned for an appointment to see Julie Woodcock in her Leeds office. After our initial telephone conversation I was sent a CD to listen to and I made a point of playing this every day in advance of the appointment and must admit to finding it very relaxing and several times I did drift off but woke at the end of the track.

On the day of my appointment I smoked as many of my cigarettes as I could and just before leaving home cut the few remaining ones in half before setting off for Leeds!

On meeting Julie I was shown into an office where we sat and chatted for some while and where I also paid the balance of the fee. I have to admit to being apprehensive as it was a lot of money to pay out but I told myself that if this really does work I would have recouped my financial investment in a little over 8 weeks and the other benefits would far out weigh this.

The hypnosis session commenced and whilst I did feel extremely relaxed a voice in my head was saying how silly I was for being there and at times I really had to concentrate on the reason for being there.

The session did not seem to last as long as I expected and when Julie told me that I was now a non smoker I must admit that I remained sceptical and wondered if I had just thrown my money away.  Julie had already said that the session came with a guarantee and that I could return if I didn’t stop smoking - and I really did think that I would need a further session.

I walked to the car and on my way passed a cigarette kiosk and thought to myself that I could not be bothered to go in to buy some cigarettes and kept on walking. On arriving home I had no cravings and this continued throughout the following day. That evening friends came for dinner and unusually two of the ladies actually smoked. To my surprise this caused me no problem and I was amazed that whilst I myself did not want a cigarette their smoking also did not bother me.

It is now three months since I smoked and I honestly cannot believe how easy it has been. I continue to listen to the CD three or four times a week and would recommend this as an aid to relaxation in nomal life."

Debbie Aspden