Ex-smoker urges others to stub out their habit
But 28-year-old Simon Arblaster successfully kicked his habit in less than an hour and a half.
Simon, who started smoking at the age of 14, tried to quit a couple of years ago, but did not succeed.
He said he had used nicotine patches as well as chewing gum but it was not long before he was having a drag again.
It was then he decided to try something different and visited Tessa Kirby, who practises neuro linguistic programming (NLP) and hypnotherapy from her centre in London Road.
NLP focuses on identifying patterns of thought that influence a person's behaviour.
Although Simon, who works for magazine firm Future, was sceptical about whether such a treatment would work, the 10-a-day smoker left the room feeling energised and has not yet craved another cigarette.
He said: "I just felt amazing. I left with my cigarettes in my pocket and knew I could easily have one. But I had no desire to smoke at all.
"Before, it was easy to give in to the cravings and I would think about smoking all the time. Now I still think about smoking but I can easily distract myself and forget about it instantly."
Tessa uses various techniques to change the way people think about smoking and runs sessions both with individuals and groups.
The sessions are split into two parts with the first section helping the individual to think about the practicalities of not smoking.
Tessa spoke to Simon, who lives in Twerton, about the rigours which might cause him to have a cigarette. He said his challenges included visiting his parents – who are both heavy smokers.
Tessa made him look at these situations rationally and recognise how his behaviour was merely habitual.
She said: "If your parents were to eat something disgusting and inedible, you wouldn't eat it too, would you? It is the same mentality and if you realise that you can get the same hit from a really deep breath as you can from a cigarette, then you will be a lot healthier."
The second part of the session involves hypnotherapy, not to be confused with the sort of hypnosis used in stage shows.
The technique is gaining acceptance as a medical therapy for helping people to overcome their addictions, fears, phobias, pain and other medical problems.
Although Tessa does not put her clients to sleep, she helps them to relax and to fall into a trance-like state.
Simon said: "I was the most relaxed I have ever been and when I opened my eyes I felt incredible. The glass of water I was drinking even tasted better than it did before."
Tessa, who was trained by Dr Richard Bandler alongside TV presenter Paul McKenna, charges more than £100 for a session at Energy by Tessa in London Road.
But on Sunday she is offering 1,000 people the chance to kick their habit for £25.
The three-hour mass event at the Pavilion in Bath will also be a major fundraiser for cancer charity Macmillan.
Tessa, who is a former smoker herself, said: "The success lies in helping people achieve the mindset of a non-smoker and that means that the change can be made for a lifetime.
"I know how difficult it is to stop smoking and I am looking forward to helping as many people as I can to keep that New Year resolution. I really hope we get a large response to this event.
"I am amazed at the number of people I have already spoken to who would love to stop smoking, but just need that extra help."
The event, which will take place from 2.30pm, has been organised by events company Fab. For tickets contact 0844 4154880 or visit www.fab-1.org.uk.
