We were Police Officers for many years before finding a fascinating new way of helping people. While trainers at the Metropolitan Police Training School in Hendon, we pioneered the use of NLP and hypnosis in a unit dedicated to improving the performance of students who were failing their training. Over a three year period we developed a learning system based on NLP principles that could guarantee an improvement of 10-30% with only two and a half hours of coaching. Simultaneously I (Trevor) was establishing a hypnotherapy clinic that I ran in the evenings and weekends – a busy three years!

I discovered that many of the principles I’d developed with students who were scared of exams or had poor study skills, applied just as much to members of the public with a wide variety of presenting problems – and that they could be helped quickly too. Often it comes down to us not understanding how our brains work, and how to help them work better, so we’re often left at the mercy of a mental programme that runs for a positive reason, but with a negative effect. I believe that all such programmes, from smoking to phobias, to anxiety disorders, to confidence issues can all be changed. From this emerged the approach we’ve come to call Cognitive Hypnotherapy.

We hope you can tell that the principle of service is important to us. Our mission statement has become:

“Serving the public by creating a network of ethical and competent practitioners of Cognitive Hypnotherapy.  Serving our students and members by providing cutting edge training and quality support”.

We’re committed to the evolution of Cognitive Hypnotherapy as a source of health, personal empowerment and a greater understanding of human potential. Through the provision of a professional and competent service to the public we also aim to achieve ethical prosperity for all our members.

The Principal Trainer

Trevor is the originator of Cognitive Hypnotherapy and the Training Director of The Quest Institute. He is a practising Hypnotherapist in Cambridgeshire, England and is the former editor of the Hypnotherapy Journal of the National Council for Hypnotherapy.

Trevor has gained a reputation as one of the leading experts in the theory and practice of hypnotic language, and his integration of modern scientific discoveries into the practical aspects of therapy has made him one of the key figures in the modern therapy field.

He is a Fellow of the National Council for Hypnotherapy and in 2003 received their Researcher of the Year Award for his groundbreaking book Wordweaving volume I: The Science of Suggestion. He was a Keynote speaker at their international conference in 2006, and in 2007 received their highest honour, the Hartland Memorial Award, for his outstanding contribution to Hypnotherapy.

"I don't stand at the front of the room because I've found all the answers. I'm there because I'm passionate about the search for them."

Operations Director

Rebecca Silvester is an NLP Master Practitioner and Cognitive Hypnotherapist with many years experience in the training field. What her title really means is that it’s her organisational and people skills that keep Quest working. Don’t bother asking Trevor anything about dates, money, or planning, it’s Rebecca who’ll have the answer.

In addition to her role within Quest, Bex is a member of the UKCHO (United Kingdom Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations) comittee, in her capacity as chair of that organisation's training schools sub-committee, which assists and advises on developing training standards and policy.

Office Manager

Jan Gilbertson is Rebecca’s right hand woman as well as being a practising Cognitive Hypnotherapist serving the Newmarket area. Jan is a graduate of Quest so can also offer a personal perspective on the training.

Qualification Support

We know that taking exams can be a trial for many people so, in addition to the support offered by Trevor and Rebecca we also have Julie Gibbs. Julie is another Quest graduate with a practice in South London. Julie is available for guidance about the preparation of the Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma and has an email contact button in the website’s student area. She also runs two evening clinics on module 5 and module 8 weekends so she can answer any questions students may have.

Hospitality Director

Barney is probably the most popular member of the team with students. Since his unsuccessful beginnings in business as a stunt double for Lassie he’s found his real skill in making all who come on the course feel welcome and loved – especially if you’re carrying a biscuit.