Anxiety – can hypnotherapy help?

Over the last 12 years I have worked with hundreds of clients in hypnotherapy session who talk about their anxiety and how it manifests. No two clients are ever the same and their experiences are vastly different. How is it that such a small word can mean such a broad spectrum of experience?

It is true in my experience as a therapist that it is often the strongest people who find themselves in my therapy chair, often I am the ‘last resort’ after they have tried everything else. Often clients are nervous or unsure about what exactly it is that I will do in a session to help them – many clients say that they are worried that there is nothing that could help them manage their anxiety.

Anxiety is like a monster under the stairs

I often describe anxiety like the monster under the stairs; hidden from view, anxiety is often masked on a daily basis as people try their best to go through their daily lives without their anxiety showing.  It is exhausting and often debilitating.  When clients come in for hypnotherapy and coaching sessions, they are often at saturation point where they can not keep their anxiety hidden any longer.  Hypnotherapy sessions provide clients an opportunity for relief: they can say what they need to say about how anxiety is affecting them in a safe therapeutic space . Together we can work through the exact symptoms of their anxiety and explore strategies to help reduce those feelings that overwhelm. Just having the time and safe space to explore feelings and create new perspective can help clients take back control and begin to navigate towards feeling calmer.

How can hypnotherapy help?

During  sessions, I introduce my clients to the power of guided relaxation: a gentle way to help the unconscious mind reshape thought patterns that have contributed to anxious feelings. Deep relaxation is a method I use to calming the nervous system. If a client has arrived and feels quite anxious, hypnotherapy can help to reduce psychological  symptoms like rapid heartbeat or muscle tension; hypnotherapy also helps the brain to shift away from flight or flight mode. As clients relax, they often feel able to become more detached from anxious feelings and we can then explore how to desensitize triggers and break old cycles of obsessive thinking. Sessions can be a mix of strategies, desensitisation work for phobias or past trauma and hypnosis  to reinforce positive change. Some clients find imagery or visualisation works better for them; other clients do not create images and describe having. a ‘sense’ of something rather than anything tangible. Whatever way a client chooses to access hypnotherapy, I can work with them to create a calm mental space to discover new ways of reducing anxiety.

Freedom from anxiety.

Anxiety does not have to rule your life. Hypnotherapy offers a gentle approach to exploring anxious thoughts and feelings which can trigger unhelpful behaviour . By working with the unconscious mind, hypnotherapy can reconnect clients to their ability to  discover new strategies and de-escalate anxious thoughts. I often describe the unconscious mind is a reservoir of solutions; often overlooked as people are unaware that we all have this untapped resource . My role in your therapy sessions is to support you in re- discovering your unique abilities to create deep and long-lasting change.

Curious about hypnotherapy?

Perhaps you are curious about how hypnotherapy could help you? If you would like a chat on the phone, I offer a free, no obligation call. There is no pressure to book, just a conversation about how I work and discussion about your needs to see if I can help.

 

To book a phone consultation, please complete the contact form or email [email protected]