Hypnotherapist uses mind control to strengthen Denise Van Outen's relationship

Watch hypnotherapist, Aaron Calvert, make Denise Van Outen and Eddie Boxshall believe they are the other person!

Denise Van Outen and Eddie Boxshall have experienced various kinds of therapy during the making of their podcast Before We Say I Do, but none of the experiences have been quite so strange as their recent encounter with hypnotherapist Aaron Calvert.

Previously a doctor, Calvert transitioned to being a full-time hypnotherapist around six years ago, combining his practical approach of psychology with the hypnosis element.

But what exactly is hypnosis? And how can it help improve your relationship?

Described in the dictionary as ‘the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person apparently loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction’, Calvert says it works well in a therapy setting as it can help people achieve positive changes very quickly.

“Relationship hypnotherapy offers couples a unique perspective removing the stresses and worries of everyday life to give them a clear mind, free of preconceptions to allow them to hit the reset button on their mental state and their relationship,” he told Yahoo! after the recording.

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He continued: “One of the other things it can do is allow us to see things more clearly - it can amplify the feelings to help you be more present.”

When it came to hypnotising the Celebrity Googlebox pair, Calvert said he took things “a step further” than a typical hypnotherapy session by hypnotising them to believe they were each other!

While in this state, Van Outen and Boxshall were asked to reveal their pet peeves about one another. Van Outen, who was hypnotised to become Boxshall, mentioned the annoyance of being left in the dark at the end of the night.

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“When she wants to go to bed, she just turns all the lights off and I'm still sat there watching the telly,” the West End star said.

“I’m sat downstairs – you can’t see the lights from upstairs!”

This somewhat surreal incident wasn’t just for entertainment; Calvert says it shows that the pair do have a keen awareness of what winds each other up!

“A heated debate ensued which demonstrated to them that on some level, subconsciously, they are aware of what they do in the relationship to annoy the other person,” he said.

The experience of being her other half was one that was certainly very strange for Van Outen, who said it was all a bit confusing!

“That was weird for me, because I was confused,” Van Outen told Calvert.

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“Because I was saying she, but I know, I’m the ‘she’! It was really confusing me that I was trying to understand how I was talking about me.”

For Boxshall, who didn’t actually remember becoming his other half, the body-swapping exercise was really beneficial as it gave him closure on past issues.

“The things that we're going back to what we picked up on, I don't feel angry if I'm thinking about it now,” he admitted.

Calvert, who believes that hypnotherapy is about making long-lasting, positive change, said the session with the celebrity couple went really well.

“They both entered into it with such an open mind and the results I think surprised the both of them,” he said after the session.

At the end of the session, Boxshall admitted that he had originally been a bit of a sceptic about the benefits of hypnotherapy, but was now a total convert.

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“I didn't want to say to Aaron that I was a sceptic, but I think I sort of am,” he said.

“I had it in my mind that now I can't be put into a hypnotic state, but I've definitely come around like having clarity about us, and about certain situations.”

While Van Outen said it was a very “dreamlike” experience, she did find it really beneficial, especially when Calvert got the pair to imagine their future life together.

“I feel really positive — I feel like it was a really good thing to do!” she stated.

“The nice thing about it is that the ending for us was the same. We got that happy ending of us both being together, which meant that by the end of it, we were completely in tune with each other.”

As their sixth and final therapy session, the pair reflected on their journey, which involved various types of therapy. Boxshall said, despite some misgivings about it all at the beginning, he was really happy to have gone through the experience with Van Outen.

He said: “I must admit, for someone that was unsure, that sort of had to be talked around into going down this path of seeing a few therapists to iron out what I didn't think we had any problems with, I'm really, really happy that we've done this!”

Hear what happens when Denise Van Outen and Eddie Boxshall get hypnotised in the final episode of Before We Say I Do. Listen now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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