Anxiety

Over years of working in Hypnotherapy those clients who have consistently reported greatest success, both in the short and long term, are those who presented with anxiety. The approach I use is Conversational Hypnotherapy which lies somewhere between hypnosis and talking therapy.

Anxiety. It seems to be permeating every aspect of our existence these days, its adaptation not keeping up with our fast paced, hi tech, rapidly changing world. It doesn’t have to dominate our day to day however and if we choose to make the effort to do something differently, we need not live like prey animals.

It is unfortunate that over time hypnotherapy has come to be almost exclusively associated with stopping smoking and behavioural issues, perhaps at the expense of how beneficial it can be within mental health. Thankfully the tide is now turning with growing realisation of what hypnotherapy has to offer.

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Hypnotherapy and Mental Health

Anxiety is not something we want to eliminate, it is a necessary and natural response to a perceived threat and trying to banish it is like trying to stuff balloons into a cupboard.

Rather, we want to:

  • get it in perspective, retain it as a useful response
  • recalibrate an overly sensitive alarm system
  • expand the non-anxiety you have, of which you may not yet even be aware.

It is perfectly reasonable to join a gym in order to boost/maintain physical health. Although we know that improved physical health has a knock-on effect for better mental health, we relatively rarely consider the value of tending to or joining an equivalent ‘brain gym’. Here, in my experience, is where the value of Hypnotherapy excels. You don’t need to have a specific problem needing solved to benefit from regular, or even occasional, hypnotherapy work, to keep your mental health in good shape.

Hypnotherapy, Anxiety and Associated Conditions

In addition to specific problems that hypnotherapy can target, it can be very effective in managing:

  • imposter syndrome
  • self-doubt
  • relationship difficulties
  • past trauma
  • difficult emotions
  • performance anxiety
  • rumination
  • insomnia
  • stage of life transitions
  • perfectionism
  • excessive ‘checking’
  • inability to ‘switch off ’
  • acclimatizing post covid
  • low mood
  • catastrophising
  • procrastination

… to name but a few.

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My Therapeutic Approach

The way I work is solution focused, drawing on various schools of psychotherapy, positive psychology, cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy, Ericksonian methods and more. When I realised the effectiveness of working conversationally, talking with someone rather than at someone, I trained further to become a Master of Conversational Hypnosis. This is mixed with more traditional trance work as and when appropriate.

Conversational Hypnosis: How does it work and what will we do together?

Over analysis and conscious thought often block our access to unconscious resources. We all drift in and out of a hypnotic brainwave state naturally every day, in this state creativity/imagination is high and we are more open to new ideas/suggestions, and we are better able to formulate new ways of thinking.

By recognising and using these brainwave shifts I will guide you to find your own best unforeseen solutions. If the necessary resources are absent from your past experiences then we will work to establish them and/or where appropriate refer you to another of our trained health professionals or relevant specialist.

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Traditional or ‘Deeper’ Trance Work

  • Is time you have to explore more deeply your inner, ‘higher’, self
  • You will always be aware of what is happening, usually very pleasantly, in a safe, caring environment
  • Could be compared to entering a ‘dreamlike’ state of consciousness where thoughts, ideas and answers spontaneously come to you rather than you going searching for them (which is when they elude you).

Getting Started

To book an appointment, or chat about possibilities, queries, options, please contact
lindy@hypnoscotland.co.uk