The focus of many mind and body therapies is to establish the root cause of your problem and to replace nega tive thoughts or low self-esteem with feel ings of positive confidence.

Counselling
There is such a wide variety of different counseling techniques - everything from Gestalt therapy to transactional analysis - it is important to consider your own goals and personal philosophy when deciding which , to choose. A good therapist should have a thorough grounding in psychotherapy and certification by the relevant board.

Anyone who feels unable to cope or in need of someone to talk to may benefit from counseling. The aim is to help people to draw on their own resources rather than for the counselor to give direct advice. Some forms of counseling are referred to as `talking cures' which can be time-consuming as clients work through their difficulties. Whether counselors work on a one-to-one basis or with groups, all aim to pinpoint and work on specific problem areas.

Group counseling was pioneered in the First World War by William Trotter. He believed that a group provides its own dynamic force so that the counselor can interpret individual interactions within it. Group therapies now include bioenergetics, pioneered in the 1960s by an American, Dr Alexander Lowen, in which tactile experiences, such as massage, are combined with talking sessions.

Counseling has proved helpful in the treatment of work-related stress, phobias, grief after bereavement, emotional problems such as depression and, for couples, it can help to resolve relationship problems. Severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, usu ally require additional medical help and very intensive counseling.

Creative Visualization
The promotion of positive thoughts may be used therapeutically to diminish negative emotions and unfounded fears and enhance self-image. Pleasure-inducing scenarios, such as walking in the country or lying on a sunny beach can promote relaxation. Creative visualization has been known to have surprising effects on patients. For instance, people with a pollen allergy may respond to the mental image of walking through a flower-filled field on a summer's day by getting symp toms of hay fever.

One image that teachers of the Alexander technique use is that of a healthy person standing in silhouette with head and spine perfectly aligned compared to one of an ill person - stooped and round shouldered. By encouraging pupils to visualize themselves as the first rather than the second, the Alexander teacher fixes a posi-tive image in their minds. Visualisation may also be used to combat pain.Although a straightforward and easily learned technique, serious or chronic pain sufferers should see a trained therapist.

Hypnotherapy
Inducing a state of trance in which the mind becomes relaxed, focused and receptive to suggestion is known as hypnosis. An experi-enced hypnotherapist ran use this technique therapeutically to alter a patient's thinking.

Hypnotherapy was first employed by an Austrian doctor called Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), in the late 18th century (hence the word `mesmerise'). Although it was fashionable for a while, Mesmer had twice been discredited bv the time of his death, and hypnotherapy did not become popular again until the late 1800s.

Hypnotherapy is thought to be a powerful tool in the management of  stress-related disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and insomnia. Research has shown that, when hypnotised, people display unique brain wave patterns. These make them more receptive than normal to a hyp-notist's suggestions.

At the first session, a hypnotherapisr will spend time gaining the patient's trust and gathering information about the patient's life history and the problem to be tackled. The patient may be relaxed using soothing music and creative visualisation. Then, the hypnotherapist's voice guides the patient into a hypnotic state where long buried thoughts and memories can be brought to the surface of the patient's mind and explored in detail. The number of sessions needed will vary, depending on the nature of the problem.

Hypnotherapy is thought to be helpful in the treatment of migraine, skin problems, constipation, pain managcment, addiction, eating disorders and emotional problems such as depression.

Sex therapy
Psvchosexual problems are common and include impotence, reduced sex drive, pre mature ejaculation, failure to reach orgasm, vaginismus (sharp contraction of the vagina on contact) and sexual deviancv.

Sexual and relationship problems arc usually treated with techniques developed in the 1970s and 1 980s by the American sex therapists, William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson. Discussion is used to determine the problem. Many problems that appear to have a physical origin actually stem from a lack of communication. Once communica-tion has been re-established, the therapist may suggest simple pleasuring techniqucs to be practised at home. Sensual massage allows a person gradually to explore his or her physical sexuality so that repressed sexual feelings can be gently reawakened.

Sensate focusing allows people to receive pleasure through touch alone without the potential stress of inter-course. Both partners need to learn to express clearly what they find pleasurable before sex is attempted.

Biofeedback
By improving your awareness of how your body reacts when run down or under pres-sure, it is possible to compensate for any negative effects, such as a rapid heart rate.

Biofeedback aims to give the patient con-trol over his or her body. It does this with electronic devices that provide information about automatic bodily functions such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.

These devices use sound or visual aids to report back immediately the state of the bodily system so that eventually the patient can consciously exert control.

For instance, electromyography (EMG) informs the patient about their muscles. Sensors attached to the skin Measure electri cal activity in the muscles: when the muscles are relaxed, a low hum is emitted; when they are tense, the sound is higher in pitch. Therefore, when the muscles are tense the patient can practice relaxation. Conversely, patients paralyzed by stroke may be able to improve muscular strength by .learning to raise the low hum of their relaxed muscles.

Other devices used in biofeedback moni tor skin temperature, which is known to drop in stressful situations, and galvanic skin response (GSR), where the level of electrical conductivity in the skin is shown on a screen. High levels of GSR are linked to the excessive sweating caused by anxiety. Biofeedback machines are available for purchase, but it is better to start by attending sessions with a specialist.

Biofeedback call be used for stress-related conditions, asthma attacks and for reconditioning injured muscles, but should he avoided by those with endocrine disorders like diabetes.

Meditation
Meditation has a wide range of benefits and has been used as a path to relaxation for many centuries. It has been recorded that Buddhists have used meditation to clear their minds since the first millennium BC;. Meditation draws on the ability to induce a relaxed state by using techniques, such as deep breathing or a silent or hummed mantra (chant), which could he a single word repeated over and over again.

One of the simplest forms of meditation is known as zazen in which by focusing on breathing, the mind is diverted away from everyday worries. The meditator sirs cross-legged or in a chair with both feet flat on the ground and the back straight. This cre ates a physical equilibrium which makes mental focus possible. Breathing quietly through the nose, each in and out breath is Counted as one. This Continues until the meditator reaches a count of ten, and then the breathing cycle is repeated for about 15 minutes. Some Buddhist Monks will spend up to three years on zazen before moving to other meditation techniques. Vispassana meditation involves concentrating; on the movement of the abdomen while breathing .

Transcendental meditation uses the tool' of a mantra (the sound 'om' is commonly used) to trigger the relaxation response. The technique of endlessly repeating a favor word over and over again in order to induce a relaxed state is easy and can be practiced anywhere at any time - even on the bus train on a person's way to work. The physical benefits claimed for meditation include a healthier immune system as the body less stressed. It is also used in stress-related problems such as migraine, muscular pain asthma and high blood pressure.

Relaxation
Stress related illness is a growing problem in modern society - from migraine insomnia, to stomach ulcers and high blood pressure. A growing body of research exists to show that learning to relax can reduce, the physical and psychological effects of stress on the body. There are many relaxation techniques that can be practiced at home. Most of these involve learning to achieve a temporary state in which the breathing is slowed. heart rate is lowered and the blood flow decreased, thus allowing the body and mind to be revitalized and limiting the damaging effects of long-term stress. Research in US has shown that daily relaxation sessions may help to break destructive habits like alcoholism and smoking