Let's face it, sometimes it's hard for us proud Londoners to admit that we are in need of a helping hand beyond the immediate quick-fix. Can't stop smoking? I'll quit when I'm 40. Can't get a good night's sleep? I'll have another glass of vino before bedtime. Stressed at work? More fags and alcohol please.

But with the festive party season already in full swing, why not create some light at the end of the hedonistic tunnel by getting your mind de-toxed without the need for a two-week stint in rehab. Hynoptherapy - the much talked about alternative treatment of 2007 - is a natural phenomenon similar to being on auto-pilot, where you are awake yet completely focused on the hynoptists voice. Positive ideas can thus be planted in our subconscious minds helping us overcome psychological and medical problems.

And help is immediately at hand with the recent launch of Urban Clarity, a new hypnotherapy service aimed specifically at time-poor Londoners in search of drug-free therapy. Set up by City girl-turned-therapist Claire Hodgson, Urban Clarity aims to deliver fast, effective and long-term alleviation to a range of problems including stopping smoking, stress, insomnia, phobias and anxiety.