About Max

Thoughtful, calm, evidence-based support.

I am Max Allchin, a qualified Hypno-CBT therapist and coach. I work with a small number of clients at a time, because real progress comes from genuine attention.

Hello. I trained in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy and I work with a small number of clients at a time, because I believe that real progress comes from genuine attention, not from trying to see as many people as possible in a week.

I have spent much of my working life at the British Library, which has given me a deep appreciation for ideas, for careful thinking, and for the power of language to illuminate experience. I am also a member of the Chiswick and Barnes Poetry Stanza, which tells you something about how I engage with the world: with curiosity, precision, and a genuine interest in what lies beneath the surface.

My approach to therapy is the same. I am not here to fix you. You do not need fixing. I am here to help you develop a clearer, kinder, more flexible relationship with your own mind.

I prefer realism to optimism. I will not promise that everything will be transformed. I will tell you honestly what I think is likely to help, how long it might take, and what your part in it will be.

Credentials

“

I think the most honest thing I can say is this: with the right support, people change. Not all at once, and not without effort. But they do change.

— Max Allchin

The Approach

What is Hypno-CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy is a structured, evidence-informed approach that combines the practical tools of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with hypnosis as a vehicle for deeper, more lasting change.

CBT helps us identify and work with the thoughts and behaviours that maintain difficulties. Hypnosis creates a state of focused, relaxed attention in which the mind becomes more open and receptive to new ways of thinking and responding.

Together, they are particularly effective for anxiety, stress, phobias, and patterns of thinking that have become habitual and unhelpful.

Practical

How sessions work

Format

50 to 60 minutes

Sessions are conducted either in person in Barnet or via video call. Most people find that a course of between four and eight sessions is sufficient for a meaningful shift, though this varies.

Who I work with

Adults only

I work with adults. I do not offer crisis support or emergency services. If you are in acute distress, please contact your GP or a crisis line in the first instance.

Practice size

A small caseload

I run a deliberately small practice. This means I am not always able to take on new clients immediately, but it also means that when we work together, you have my full attention.