How this Fareham practitioner is a tour guide in your brain

And according to Vanda Varga, from Fareham this quote is fact. ‘Everybody has an ability to do whatever they want with their mind,’ she says.

Having spent the majority of her career in conductive education – a system of learning by which individuals with neurological and mobility impairment learn to specifically and consciously perform actions – Vanda says learning and understanding neurology has changed her life.

She is now teaching and helping others change their mindset and outlook by going back to basics in the brain.

Vanda, who is originally from Hungary, explains: ‘I help you understand how your mind works. I help you understand it so you can turn it into your best friend instead of your worst enemy.

‘Neuro linguistic programming (NLP) is all about that – it’s about your mind and how it has the ability to revive itself called neuroplasticity.’

In Hungary, Vanda, 36, studied conductive education for several years. She says: ‘It is a unique way of working with people with neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, Parkinsons, multiple sclerosis, and stroke injuries in childhood and adulthood. Anything that is to do with the brain but has physical manifestations.

‘After I graduated, I moved to Birmingham and was working at the National Institute of Conductive Education as a rehab specialist, called a conductor. I absolutely loved it and learning about the brain, how it works and how these conditions impact your body and mind.

‘What I really loved about conductive education is that it doesn’t just focus on the part of the body that’s affected but it’s very holistic and looks at the whole person. We don’t just focus on a tremor or your inability to move your arm, but your whole body.’

In 2016, Vanda moved to Fareham and started working at the Rainbow Centre – a charity which supports people affected by neurological conditions.

‘I was in charge of the adult department and I loved it,’ she says.

‘I then had back problems which got more serious. It was really the turning point in my life when I had to stop and listen to my mind and what it was telling me about my body. All these alarm bells kept going off.

‘I started looking for something which I could transfer my field of expertise into. Then I came across NLP and it seemed like a match made in heaven.’

Three years ago, Vanda started her business as an NLP practitioner, hypnotherapist and personal growth coach.

NLP provides practical methods to change the way you think, view past events and approach life. It therefore teaches you thoughts, feelings and emotions are not things that are, or that you have, but things you consciously do.

Through practising techniques, such as mantras, and addressing sub-conscious thoughts, you can change neurological pathways and therefore your mind. She says: ‘I see myself as a tour guide in your mind. We all tend to use brain programmes that were established in childhood so I make sure they’re up to date and that you have the right strategies for your future.

‘What I love about NLP and hypnotherapy is that the changes happen very, very quickly. Instead of seeing you for months and months and talking about the negative stuff that happens in your life, I see you for a few sessions for a few weeks on an intensive basis so we can implement the changes.’

Vanda continues to work with those with a neurological condition but also carers and anyone who wants to change their mindset. She also offers phobia treatments and has helped many clients overcome their fear of needles recently. Vanda adds: ‘There are many different ways of helping someone with a phobia and it depends on what the underlying cause is. There is a difference between the vaccine and a needle. We have to find the underlying cause, whether it’s the vaccine itself or the place where they are getting the vaccine.’

Vanda offers a complimentary first consultation. For more information, go to vandavarga.co.uk.

What is neuro linguistic programming?

NLP is a pseudoscientific approach to communication and personal development founded by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in California, US, in 1975.

By the late 1970s, the movement had developed into an industry and provided a global market for NLP. Today, there are several courses and practitioners teaching the basic principles of NLP.

Bandler and Grinder claim there is a connection between neurological processes (neuro-), language (linguistic) and behavioral patterns learned through experience (programming). Therefore, they stated that these can be changed to achieve specific goals in life.

They claimed NLP can treat problems such as phobias, depression, tic disorders, psychosomatic illnesses, near-sightedness, allergy, the common cold,and learning disorders.

Some techniques within NLP focus on satisfaction, not dissatisfaction and emphasises that it is up to the individual to change what they’re not happy with.

For example, it’s helpful to set goals which are positive. Think with your glass half full and focus on what you want to have.