Mike James (Juniper Fox Therapy · Psychic Tarot)

There is a particular kind of tiredness that no early night seems to fix, the sort that comes from a mind that will not stop narrating. Mike James, who runs Juniper Fox Therapy, spends the weekend at the Guildhall doing something about exactly that, through restorative group hypnosis sessions anyone can drop into.

What group hypnosis actually feels like

If your only picture of hypnosis is a stage act, Mike’s work will surprise you. There is no clucking like a chicken and nobody loses control of anything. A group hypnosis session is closer to a deeply guided rest: you stay aware, you can open your eyes whenever you like, and the work happens in the settling rather than in anything dramatic. The aim is to quiet the running commentary long enough for your nervous system to drop a gear.

Quieting the negative self-talk

The thread through Mike’s sessions is the voice most of us carry that is quicker to criticise than to encourage. His group work is built to ease that self-talk down, so what is left is a steadier baseline: less noise, more calm, and a bit more room to feel confident and emotionally level. People tend to describe the after-effect as feeling lighter rather than fixed, which is honest, and part of why it lands.

Who tends to find it useful

You do not need a diagnosis or a goal to take part. Some people come because stress has been sitting on them for months; some are curious about hypnosis and want a low-stakes way to try it; some just want half an hour of genuine quiet in a busy weekend. All of those are fine reasons to sit in.

What to expect at his session

Turn up, get comfortable, and let Mike guide the rest. There is nothing to prepare and nothing you need to bring. Because it runs as a group, it is an easy, no-pressure way to experience hypnotherapy before you ever consider anything one-to-one.

Something to try before you come

Here is a scaled-down version of what Mike works with. Tonight, when the mental narration starts up, do not argue with it, just name it: “that’s the commentary.” Naming a thought as a thought, rather than treating it as an instruction, is a small act of separation, and it is the same move his sessions build on at depth. Do it for a few nights and you will start to notice the gap between you and the voice.

Mike is one of over 70 readers, healers and stallholders at the Mind Body Spirit & Wellness Weekend, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September 2026, at Stockport Masonic Guildhall. His sessions, like every talk across the weekend, are included with entry.

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