Rapid Transformational Therapy® or RTT® is a therapeutic approach developed by Marisa Peer. It uses hypnosis, guided reflection and therapeutic conversation to help people explore thoughts, emotions, beliefs and learned responses that may be relevant to their current difficulties.
​
At Cheshire Sobriety Clinic, RTT® is offered as one complementary element of a wider treatment programme for problematic alcohol or drug use. It is combined with one-to-one therapy, recovery planning, psychoeducation and ongoing support.
​
RTT® is not presented as a cure for addiction or as a replacement for medical, psychiatric or specialist substance-use treatment. Evidence specifically evaluating RTT® for alcohol or drug dependence remains limited, and no particular outcome can be predicted or guaranteed.
 
​​​​
People can develop patterns of substance use for many different and sometimes overlapping reasons. These may include habit, stress, social circumstances, physical dependence, difficult experiences, emotional distress, coping responses and beliefs about what alcohol or drugs provide.
​
During an RTT® session, you may be invited to explore some of these factors and consider how they relate to your present-day behaviour. The session may help you:
​

• reflect on thoughts, feelings and experiences connected with substance use;

• recognise automatic habits, associations or emotional responses;

• consider alternative ways of interpreting past or current experiences;

• strengthen motivation for personally chosen changes;

• develop more constructive coping statements and responses;

• focus on the recovery goals that are important to you.

 
​
​
​We use the term subconscious as an accessible way of describing learned habits, automatic associations, emotional responses and beliefs that may influence behaviour without being at the forefront of conscious awareness.
​
It should not be understood as a separate physical part of the brain or as a system holding a fixed percentage of a person’s mental capacity. Human behaviour is complex and influenced by interacting biological, psychological, emotional and social factors.
​
RTT® provides a structured opportunity to pay closer attention to some of these less immediate thoughts and responses. It does not establish that a particular memory or childhood experience is the definitive cause of an addiction.
​​
​
Hypnosis involves focused attention and guided relaxation. During an RTT® session, you remain conscious and able to communicate with the practitioner. You do not lose control and cannot be made to do something against your wishes.
​
People experience hypnosis in different ways. Some report feeling deeply relaxed, while others remain more alert and conversational. There is no requirement to reach a particular depth of hypnosis for the session to continue.
​
The practitioner may invite you to reflect on previous experiences, memories or emotional responses. Any memories arising during hypnosis are subjective experiences. They are not treated as independently verified facts, and the practitioner will not tell you that a particular event must be the cause of your difficulties.
​​
​
 
​​New clients will have an initial conversation with Dr Shyra Raj before their first RTT® session. This provides an opportunity to:
​

• discuss what you would like help with;

• explain the RTT® process;

• consider your goals and expectations;

• review relevant medical and mental health information;

• assess whether RTT® appears suitable within your wider programme;

• answer questions and obtain informed consent.

​​
You will receive information to read before the appointment, together with the relevant consent, waiver and terms and conditions documents.
​
You will also be asked to complete a confidential form at least 24 hours before the session. This requests information about your circumstances, relevant medical history, current support and the issue you would like to explore.
​
You may be asked to describe the changes you would like to make and how these could affect different areas of your life. This information helps Dr Shyra prepare therapeutic themes and suggestions that reflect your own words, values and goals.
​
Completing the assessment does not guarantee that RTT® will be offered. Where your needs would be better met by another service, we will explain this and discuss appropriate alternatives.
 
​
​​
​​An RTT® session can last for up to two hours. Sessions may take place online through Zoom or in person at one of our consulting locations in Cheshire.
​
Online and in-person appointments each have practical advantages. The most appropriate format can be discussed during your initial conversation. We do not claim that either format will produce a particular or equivalent treatment outcome for every person.
​
Initial discussion
​
The first part of the appointment will normally be used to discuss:

• the issue you would like to explore;

• what has been happening recently;

• what you would like to be different;

• the aims and boundaries of the session;

• any questions or concerns you may have.

You can ask to pause or stop the session at any point.
​
Guided hypnosis and reflection
​
Dr Shyra will then guide you into a focused and relaxed state using an RTT® induction technique.
You may be invited to consider memories, situations, emotions or beliefs that appear relevant to the issue you have chosen to explore. The session does not assume that every difficulty has one underlying cause or that a particular childhood event explains current substance use.
The purpose is to help you reflect on the meaning you have attached to certain experiences and consider whether some established responses continue to be helpful.
​
Developing alternative perspectives
​
Therapeutic conversation and guided suggestions may then be used to help you:
​

• question unhelpful assumptions;

• develop alternative perspectives;

• identify more constructive coping responses;

• reinforce your motivation and personal goals;

• imagine responding differently to future situations.

​​
This process is sometimes described within RTT® as reframing. It should not be understood as erasing memories, permanently rewiring the brain or guaranteeing that an established behaviour will stop.
​

​The final part of the session may include therapeutic suggestions based on the goals and language discussed with you. These will be incorporated into a personalised hypnosis recording. The recording is intended to support continued reflection and reinforce the themes covered during the session. It does not guarantee that new beliefs or behaviours will become permanently established.
​
​
​
You will normally receive a personalised recording lasting approximately 15 to 20 minutes. You will be encouraged to listen to it regularly, usually once each day for 21 days, as part of the agreed programme.
​
You should listen only when you are in a safe and appropriate place. Do not listen while driving, cycling, operating machinery or carrying out any activity that requires your full attention.
You may stop listening and contact us if the recording causes unexpected distress or discomfort.
​
We will normally contact you the day after the session and again at around seven days to ask how you are getting on. This contact will usually take place by email or text.
A brief follow-up appointment will usually be arranged at around 21 days. This provides an opportunity to:
​

• discuss your experience of the session and recording;

• review any changes you have noticed;

• consider areas in which you continue to need support;

• decide whether a further RTT® session is appropriate;

• coordinate the RTT® work with your wider therapy programme.

​​
A second session will not automatically be assumed to be necessary or effective. The decision will be based on your goals, experience, preferences and continuing suitability.
​
​
​
RTT® is not delivered in isolation within our principal treatment programmes.
The wider Cheshire Sobriety Clinic approach may include:
​

• individual therapy sessions;

• motivational and behavioural work;

• exploration of substance-use patterns and triggers;

• harm-reduction or abstinence-focused planning;

• emotional regulation and coping strategies;

• relapse-management planning;

• psychoeducation;

• involvement of family members where appropriate and with consent;

• liaison or signposting to medical services, if required. 

​​
The content of the programme is adapted to individual circumstances. Not every person will require or be suitable for every element. We do not regard alcohol or drug problems as having one universal cause. Treatment planning considers relevant biological, psychological, emotional, social and environmental factors.
​
​
​​
Research specifically examining RTT® as an intervention for problematic alcohol or drug use is currently limited.
There are no large-scale, peer-reviewed clinical trials establishing RTT® as a standalone evidence-based treatment for alcohol dependence, drug dependence or addiction. We therefore do not claim that RTT®:

• cures addiction;

• resolves a single underlying cause;

• works within a fixed number of sessions;

• is faster or more effective than established therapies;

• prevents relapse;

• guarantees abstinence or controlled use;

• replaces medical detoxification or specialist addiction care.

​​
RTT® draws on hypnosis and a range of therapeutic ideas. Evidence relating to an individual component cannot automatically be treated as evidence that the combined RTT® method is effective for addiction.
​
Internal audits, individual case studies, practitioner observations and client testimonials may provide information about personal experiences, but they do not establish that the same outcome will occur for other clients.
​
We include RTT® because some clients value the opportunity to explore automatic beliefs, emotional responses and personal experiences alongside their conscious-level therapy. Its use is based on individual choice, informed consent and an assessment of suitability.
​
​
​
Every person’s circumstances and response to treatment are different. Outcomes can be influenced by factors including:

• the nature and severity of substance use;

• physical dependence and withdrawal risk;

• mental and physical health;

• readiness and motivation for change;

• social circumstances and relationships;

• engagement with the programme;

• other professional or medical support;

• events occurring during and after treatment.

​​
For these reasons, Cheshire Sobriety Clinic cannot guarantee a particular outcome from RTT® or from the wider treatment programme.
​
What we commit to providing is:
​

• an honest explanation of what the service does and does not offer;

• an individual assessment of suitability;

• appropriately qualified and insured practitioners;

• clear boundaries and informed consent;

• confidential and respectful care;

• regular review of your goals and progress;

• recommendations for alternative or additional support when appropriate.

​
​
 
Cheshire Sobriety Clinic provides private outpatient therapeutic support. We do not provide crisis intervention, medically managed detoxification or medically monitored withdrawal.
RTT® and the wider programme are not substitutes for medical assessment, psychiatric treatment, prescribed medication or emergency care.
​
Stopping alcohol or benzodiazepines suddenly can be medically dangerous for someone who has developed physical dependence. Do not make an abrupt reduction or stop without obtaining appropriate medical advice.
​
RTT® may not be appropriate where someone is acutely unwell, intoxicated, experiencing withdrawal, in immediate crisis or experiencing significant mental health instability. Suitability is considered individually, and further information or input from a GP or another professional may sometimes be recommended.
​
In an emergency or where there is an immediate risk of harm, call 999 or attend A&E. For urgent medical advice, contact NHS 111 or your GP.
 
 
 
​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A free and confidential consultation provides an opportunity to discuss your circumstances, learn more about our approach and ask questions.
​
There is no obligation to begin treatment, and no particular outcome will be promised. Where our service is not appropriate for your needs, we will explain this and discuss other forms of support.
 
 
​​​​​