Rotorua allure offers new home for renowned hypnotherapist

Business Lifestyle

A renowned hypnotherapist who has helped thousands of people across the country to lead healthier lives has set up shop in Rotorua for a better lifestyle, and to help locals achieve their goals.

Knowing he could work from anywhere, hypnotherapist Richard Kellow, recently decided he’d had enough of Auckland’s rat race and was looking to settle down somewhere that could offer him more of a balanced lifestyle.

“Rotorua has so much to offer in that it’s big enough to have that city vibe, but you can also bike to the supermarket, walk in the forest and go out to the lakes. Rotorua offers that better quality of life, where you can just slow down a bit and enjoy reconnecting with nature.”

Richard knows firsthand what a difference living a balanced lifestyle can make.

About 15 years ago, he was working in a high-pressure finance job in London and found himself eating, drinking and smoking to curb his stress.

“My thing was chocolate – I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But it got to a point where I could eat an entire block in two minutes, and I wasn't even enjoying it.

“I had tried different diets, but nothing ever seemed to stick long-term. As a bit of a last resort, I went to see a hypnotherapist.

“I went along with a healthy level of scepticism, as I think a lot of people would do, but I was blown away by the instant change in my mindset.

“I then went back to help stop smoking and to help me deal with the stress of my job and over a period of 12 months, I lost 30kg. Now, I can enjoy a couple of pieces of chocolate in the same amount of time that I could eat a whole block beforehand.”

This mind shift led Richard to reassess his lifestyle and he decided a fresh start would do him good.

“I came to New Zealand and initially it was just going to be for a few months as a bit of a circuit breaker, but when I got here, I absolutely fell in love with the country and stayed.

“At the same time, I started thinking about my career and while I was good at my job in finance, it wasn’t really a passion of mine. And that’s how I ended up retraining as a hypnotherapist and set up Kellow Hypnotherapy.”

This year marks 10 years in business, and in that time, Richard has helped more than 2000 people across Aotearoa.

Specialising in weight loss, Richard guides people into a natural state of deep relaxation, where, through positive suggestions and visualisation, he can implant the idea of a virtual gastric band around your stomach.

This allows people to feel fuller after eating smaller portions and reduces the urge to overeat.

But beyond the numbers on the scale, Richard’s work is about promoting resilience, mindfulness, and emotional wellbeing.

“The work I do is about changing a person’s relationship to food, unlearning some of those harmful beliefs and addressing the underlying reasons why they may be turning to emotional eating.”

While his client base has predominantly been women, in recent years Richard has seen a rise in interest from men.

“Most of the men who come to see me are driven by a desire to improve their overall health. While they might still want to fit into clothes or feel more confident, there is definitely a focus on being more active, feeling energised, and looking after future health or current health if they have issues with blood pressure, diabetes, or cholesterol.

“I am also one of only a handful of men practising hypnosis full time in NZ, so the rise in male clientele could be because they feel more comfortable speaking to another man – and one who has been in the same place they’re in.”

Find out more about Kellow Hypnotherapy here.