24/07/2026
Many people ask me what actually happens during a hypnotherapy session. The answer is that every session is tailored to the individual and the issue they want help with. There isn’t a “one size fits all” approach.
For example, imagine a young woman who spends her life looking after everyone else. She feels guilty when she rests, finds it hard to say no, and always puts her own needs last. Logically, she knows she deserves self-care, yet emotionally she can’t seem to give herself permission.
In a case like this, I might use a technique called the Affect Bridge. The Affect Bridge gently follows the feeling rather than the story, going back to the earliest time that emotion was learned. We’re not trying to relive the past or recover forgotten memories. Instead, we’re helping the subconscious discover the original protective belief that was formed.
Perhaps, as a child, she unconsciously concluded that she had to be the strong one. Perhaps she believed that if she looked after everyone else, she’d be loved.
Those beliefs may have been incredibly helpful at the time, but years later they can become exhausting patterns that no longer serve us.
Once the subconscious recognises that the old danger has passed, it can begin to release outdated protective strategies and replace them with healthier ones such as, I can care for others without carrying everyone.
For me, hypnotherapy involves helping people understand why their mind developed certain protective patterns and then giving the subconscious permission to update them for the life they’re living today.
