If you’re suffering from anxiety, you're not alone, in England, one in six people report experiencing a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression. In 2013, there were 8.2 million cases of anxiety in the UK and the one-week prevalence of generalised anxiety in England is 6.6%.
We all experience anxiety, it's a normal human response to stress, new situations, or uncertainty. But when anxiety becomes persistent, it can become a mental disorder and can leave you experiencing generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety or negative thinking, all of which can leave you with which can give you intense physical and emotional symptoms, affecting your daily life.
The good news is change is possible. Hypnotherapy can help you overcome anxiety disorders and resolve the thoughts and reactions that create it. Hypnotherapy sessions gradually help break the cycle of negative thinking and dread, allowing you to feel calm and back in control again so you can gain a clearer perspective on life and boost your confidence and self-esteem.
If you’d like to discover exactly how hypnotherapy can help you overcome anxiety, we’ll explore everything you need to know about anxiety and how hypnotherapy works here.
Anxiety is the discomfort you feel when you are worried, tense or afraid - particularly about things that are about to happen, or which you think could happen in the future. Anxiety is a natural human response you feel when you are under threat. It can be experienced through your thoughts, emotions and physical sensations.
As humans, we evolved to have this response which helped protect us from danger; our remarkable system called 'fight, flight, or freeze.' If your brain perceives a threat, (real or imagined) it releases hormones to prepare you to run away, fight, or freeze (hide). You brain releases adrenaline and cortisol to prepare you for action to help you feel more vigilant in your surroundings. Your heart rate may increase, and blood is sent to where it’s most needed to help you fight or run away, your stomach may churn and breathing speeds up. It's our brain's way of gearing us up when it senses danger.
It's a useful reaction when you're in danger, but in modern life, physical threats are less common, and so this system sometimes misfires, especially when underlying anxiety and stress have been ongoing for a while, you might have been under stress and pressure at work, being asked to do more than you feel you have the resources to deal with, maybe finances are a source of stress – but the point is these things and the way you think and reflect on them builds over time, your internal thoughts can become overwhelming and you reach breaking point because anxiety increases levels of cortisol in response to worry. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is released in response to perceived threats or stressors. It plays a role in regulating the body's stress response and maintaining overall balance. And these elevated cortisol levels when you’re living with anxiety disorders can contribute to symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, more worry, fear and discomfort.
Anxiety can creep up gradually and affects your whole quality of life. It can impact your behaviours, emotions and physical well-being. It could be anxiety about losing control or an on going feeling of worry, tenseness and dread, which holds you back from taking part in everyday activities that you used to enjoy. Here are some common signs and symptoms of anxiety:
General Anxiety Disorder is a long-term condition causing you to feel anxious and worried about almost any situation rather than anything specific. You may not recall when you last felt relaxed. As soon as one anxious thought is dealt with, it is replaced by another, caught in a trap of negative thinking.
We can all feel worried or anxious from time to time, but if you’re experiencing generalised anxiety it is very difficult to control your worries and generally, your feelings of anxiety are more persistent affecting the way you live life.
Social Anxiety is another common issue associated with anxiety sufferers. A persistent, overwhelming fear of social situations, leaving you fearful of engaging with people in everyday activities, such as shopping or speaking on the phone.
It causes you to worry excessively about dealing with people before, during and after the situation. In addition to feeling fearful, anxiety can also cause you to be preoccupied with what other people may think, which can be severely affecting your confidence and self-esteem affecting our work and relationships.
Panic attacks are the common thread between many anxiety disorders. You may feel fine one minute and totally out of control the next, in the grips of a panic attack. It’s a very frightening experience producing very real physical symptoms, from rapid increase in heartbeat, palpitations, to a churning stomach sensation.
These physical symptoms are naturally unpleasant and with accompanying psychological thoughts of terror, make a panic attack a very scary experience. If you suffer with panic disorder, you begin to dread the next attack and quickly enter into a cycle of living in fear of fear.
You can reduce anxiety by using some self-help techniques that help to calm your nervous system, for example, one of easiest ways to reduce anxiety is by practicing box breathing because the process reduces anxiety symptoms by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering your relaxation response. This physiological state counters the stress or "fight or flight" response, lowering cortisol levels, improving oxygenation, and stimulating your vagus nerve, which helps to promote an overall sense of calm and well-being when needed allowing you to reduce and manage the emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety.
You may find it useful to try different self-help approaches to find which works best for you, and that will also depend on the nature of your anxiety and your situation. Relaxing techniques like guided visualisation, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation and journaling are all useful tools you can use on a regular basis to reduce anxiety levels and restore balance in your nervous system.
Regular exercise, ample sleep, and a well-balanced diet contribute not only to overall well-being but also to keeping the nervous system in check. Establishing a daily routine, staying hydrated, and minimising stimulants like caffeine can also help you maintain a calmer nervous system. For others, seeking out professional support and guidance is needed to overcome anxiety long term.
Hypnotherapy for anxiety helps to bring about positive change not only by helping you reduce your symptoms of anxiety, but in your relationship with anxiety itself. In my practice, I work with clients online via Zoom using clinical hypnotherapy techniques which treat or alleviate your physical and psychological symptoms. Hypnosis itself creates deep levels of relaxation, reducing the impact of stress and reliving the symptoms of anxiety.
Yes, hypnotherapy really can work for anxiety because sessions can help you feel calm and in control again, whilst boosting your feelings of confidence and self-esteem. The good news is that hypnotherapy can help you break the debilitating cycle of constant worry and fear that keeps anxiety alive. Also, during hypnosis, you’ll experience deep states relaxation, which can help reduce your overall stress levels, promoting a sense of calm which helps you overcome negative emotions and alleviates the physical tensions you often feel as a result of being in anxious state.
Hypnotherapy sessions also help you learn strategies for long lasting change too, because hypnotherapy is a brain-based therapy. You’ll learn what causes anxiety and importantly how you can begin using your brain in a more positive way to reframe negative thoughts or beliefs in a way which can reduce symptoms of anxiety as you develop healthier habits of thought.
Hypnotherapy helps you to start seeing things from a different, more rational, and calmer perspective, which helps you then resolve the thoughts and reactions that normally create anxiety. So, as you take control of your thoughts, you gain control over your feelings, and as you feel better you gain control over your actions and behaviours, and these changes begin to create a happier, calmer more fulfilling life, allowing you to tackle challenges with more resilience and confidence.
Research is ongoing, and studies do suggest that hypnosis can help achieve remarkable success in alleviating anxiety, not only in anxiety disorders, but also in any problem where conditions are made worse by or caused by anxiety.
In my practice online, I’ve been specialising in helping clients online with hypnotherapy for anxiety since 2018, it’s been so rewarding to see and hear how the positive changes achieved has helped enjoy life again.
I went to Andrew full of anxiety and stress. When my sessions were finished I felt like new person. Cannot recommend him enough. I was doubtful at first that this treatment was for me but he was so easy to talk to and put me at ease. So glad I went to him!
LW, Berkshire
Andrew has really helped me to get my anxiety under control in a few short weeks, and given me the tool kit to deal with all that life throws at me. I now better understand how the brain works, and why certain things make me feel or react the way I do. Having this better understanding really helped with changing my perspective and outlook on life, thank you.
CD, Surrey
Before I started working with Andrew as I had crippling anxiety to the point I was afraid of everything. Andrew was kind and listened to my concerns, hypnotherapy was very relaxing, and it helped me understand why we get anxious and how to beat it. I am now a happier more confident person more my old self. I am so grateful to Andrew.
JS, Hampshire
Hypnotherapy for anxiety can be an effective solution for anxiety depending on a number of factors. Success and guarantees of success cannot be made, and won’t be by any reputable therapist because firstly, the success of therapy relies on your willingness to engage and commit to the process, and secondly, we also have to consider that everyone is different in terms of life experience and emotional heath, and this all plays a role in the results and outcomes of hypnotherapy achieved. Your desire and willingness to do something different in between sessions also contributes towards the changes you can experience. Hypnotherapy is client led, so you’ll be in control of how many sessions you feel you need to reach your desired outcome, but the good news is hypnotherapy can allow you to make changes in a relatively short amount of time.
There are a number of emotional and physical benefits which can be achieved with hypnotherapy for anxiety, and after supporting numerous clients navigate and overcome their struggles with anxiety online, the benefits of hypnotherapy is unique for each client, however, there are some common benefits and positive changes which are often experienced, which are fundamental in overcoming anxiety long term, having built a foundation for lasting well-being through our sessions together.
Here are some of the common benefits you can expect from hypnotherapy for anxiety:
The key difference between hypnotherapy and talk therapy is that hypnotherapy allows you to address your issues both consciously and subconsciously, by combining talk therapy with hypnosis. This dual approach utilises the relaxed state of focused attention during hypnosis to access and work your subconscious mind, without the often critical and negative chatter of your conscious mind, Hypnotherapy can help you build healthier habits of thought at a deeper level which allows you to change the repeating patterns and behaviours that have kept you stuck in the past, whilst addressing issues on both cognitive and subconscious levels for positive lasting change.
Many people choose hypnotherapy after trying traditional talk therapy because if your problems were simply at the conscious level, you may well have talked and worked through them by now having come up with solutions to change them. So, by combining positive talk therapy with hypnosis, we can help you make powerful change at your subconscious level too, which helps you condition your thinking and create healthier more positive patterns of thought and behaviour to overcome unwanted behaviours, habits and beliefs.
It’s also worth noting, and many clients are pleased to know that because my therapeutic approach is Solution Focused, after the initial consultation and assessment, having understood the problems, issues and goals, we move forward. This means, unlike traditional talk therapy, we take a future-oriented, positive approach, which means we don’t analyse the past any further. Sessions are focused on your solutions, future goals, strengths and skills which we combine with hypnosis. This positive approach allows you to build self-efficacy, and sets specific, goals or steps forward efficiently. And, unlike traditional therapy, provides a briefer and more optimistic path to achieving your desired outcomes and changes.
When you start hypnotherapy, you’ll start by discussing your specific goals, issues or concerns with your hypnotherapist. It’s a chance to explain exactly what’s happening for you right now, in a supportive and confidential way. Importantly you’ll also discuss the changes you want to achieve and your goals for the future when things are better, so the approach can be tailored for your needs.
During this initial session, you’ll learn what triggers anxiety and how your brain works when you are anxious, and why you think, behave and suffer in the way you do and more importantly what can be done to help you. Importantly, you’ll begin to learn simple strategies to calm you, lift your mood and manage your feelings in a more productive and helpful way which supports the positive changes you wish to achieve. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how hypnotherapy works and what we’ll be doing in subsequent hypnotherapy sessions to help you achieve your goals. We don't use hypnosis in this first session, but you will receive my hypnotic relaxation audio track to listen to at home, which sets the wheels in motion for your subsequent sessions and helps you fully relax and sleep deeply.
After your initial consultation, hypnotherapy sessions combine positive talk therapy with hypnosis. Typically, you can expect to be discussing your progress and I’ll be encouraging you to express yourself positively, focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on your problems. We use solution focused questioning to help you consider your future differently and refine the next steps or solutions that can help you move forwards. We often combine this with elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) depending on your needs. This all helps you build more helpful patterns of thought that support positive your desired changes and you’ll be pleased to notice as the beneficial changes occur; especially in the way you respond and think about the things which used to cause you a problem, in the past.
Once we’ve finished talking, we consolidate our work with hypnosis, for online hypnotherapy it’s best to relax in a comfortable chair with your head resting back, or if possible, lying on a comfortable bed or sofa. We use soft background music and I’ll guide you into a relaxed state, where you can simply enjoy listening and relaxing your mind and body, allowing your mind to focus on and further absorb and reflect on all the things we’ve discussed. As you relax, you enter a state of trance where your subconscious mind is more open to receive the positive suggestions being made for your benefit, without the conscious critical mind getting in the way. Hypnosis is extremely relaxing and uplifting, and you will be aware of everything around you remaining in control.
I understand how the issues of stress and anxiety can creep up and affect your life. My own journey has had its ups and downs which became the catalyst that led me to invest in myself and train to become a professional therapist to help others transform their mental wellbeing. So, I understand you need support from someone that listens and cares.
Today, I'm an experienced professional and qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist and I'm passionate about my work. I've helped hundreds of clients like you around the world transform their life, using a powerful combination of solution focused psychotherapy with hypnosis, creating lasting and positive changes so they can live life to the full. If you’re ready for change, I’d love to help you too.
Hypnotherapy does require several sessions to help you overcome anxiety, although it’s common to begin noticing some positive changes quickly, even after the first session. For example, many clients notice their negative thinking and worry reducing and they’re able to sleep better. Changes can be small to begin with, but hypnotherapy can help you feel calmer and more in control in relatively short period of time.
The reason hypnotherapy requires multiple sessions to work effectively is because it helps you reshaping the way your mind thinks and reacts. Think of it like learning a new skill – just as you wouldn't become an expert after one practice, your mind needs time and repetition to make lasting changes. During hypnotherapy sessions, your brain is encouraged to create new, positive pathways, so the more you practice these new ways of thinking, the stronger these pathways become, gradually replacing old, less helpful patterns. It's like training a muscle; the more you work on it, the stronger and more automatic the positive changes become. This is why consistency, practice, and repetition for hypnotherapy to provide long-lasting results.
With the right support change is possible. Hypnotherapy is tailored to your needs and combines talking therapy with hypnosis to create the long-lasting solutions and change you need. Here's how it works:
It's FREE and we use this time to see if we're a good fit, answer your questions and ensure hypnotherapy is the best approach to achieve your results.
Together we explore your needs and create a personalised treatment plan to achieve the changes you are looking for and we'll get started with individual sessions.
No more living with Anxiety and Stress, as you take control of your thoughts, you gain control over your feelings, actions and behaviours so you live life to the full.
When it comes to choosing a hypnotherapist, there are several things which are important to explore to ensure you receive the best support and results from your time and investment. In my practice online, I understand this and that’s why I like to offer a free initial chat to explore things before you make a commitment to therapy. It’s also important to ensure you have good rapport with any potential therapist, so you feel at ease and feel able to openly discuss your needs, concerns and progress to achieve the best results from your sessions.
If you’re in the process of looking for a good hypnotherapist, here are some helpful questions to have in minds during your initial conversations or enquiries before committing and paying for subsequent sessions:
Online hypnotherapy is very effective for anxiety related conditions. In fact, some people prefer working online with their therapist because they are more relaxed and comfortable in their own space or home. Sessions follow the same process as in person sessions and as with any therapeutic approach, the success of therapy then relies on your willingness to engage and commit to the process. Several research studies support the efficiency of online therapy. Results have consistently shown that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for a wide range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, stress and depression. The quality of therapeutic outcomes is comparable, ensuring clients receive the same level of care and support.
Yes, hypnosis is just as effective online as it is in-person, and it does not require being in the same physical room with the hypnotherapist. Online hypnosis works when you have a quiet comfortable space where you can fully relax. When you work online, your therapist will need to monitor your progress, so you'll need to make sure you can be seen from your device or laptop once it's time to begin the hypnosis. Being relaxed in this way help you achieve a deep state of hypnotic trance where your subconscious mind can consider your solutions discussed and is more open to the positive suggestions being made by your hypnotherapist for positive change.
Typical hypnotherapy sessions last between around 50 – 60 minutes. Approximately half the session is talk therapy followed by relaxing hypnosis for the remaining time. Shorter or more extended sessions may be recommended based on your specific gaols and the therapeutic approach required.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help with other mental health conditions, which are often cause by or made worse by stress and anxiety such as depression, panic disorder, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and insomnia. Hypnotherapy can also help you increase your self-esteem and confidence, overcome fears and phobias, stop procrastination, and manage chronic pain.
If you have any queries or questions about Hypnotherapy our would like to read 2024's most frequently asked questions on Hypnotherapy.
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