Hypnotherapy in Edinburgh
Change can begin with understanding how your mind works.Hypnotherapy is a collaborative therapeutic approach that can help you change patterns of thought, feeling and behaviour that no longer serve you. My approach combines hypnotherapy with an understanding of the wider person, so the work is tailored to you rather than following a one-size-fits-all formula.
20 minutes • No obligation • Just a chat
What is hypnotherapy?
Understanding the mind behind the patternHypnotherapy combines therapeutic conversation with hypnosis to help you explore and change patterns that may have become automatic over time.
Much of what we think, feel and do happens outside conscious awareness. Our minds learn from experience, developing associations, habits and protective responses that can continue long after they were useful.
Hypnotherapy can create a different kind of space for working with those patterns. In hypnosis, your attention becomes more focused and your mind can become more receptive to new perspectives, possibilities and ways of responding.
My approach is collaborative and personalised. Rather than simply giving you suggestions, I take time to understand what is happening for you and why. We can then work with the underlying patterns while also strengthening the resources and responses you want to develop.
The aim isn't to take control of your mind. It's to help you develop more choice within it.
What does hypnosis feel like?
Hypnosis is often very different from what people expect. You remain awake and aware throughout the experience, and you can hear me, speak to me if you would like and respond whenever you want to. It’s very much like the body is sleeping and the mind is awake.
For some people, hypnosis feels deeply relaxing. For others, it can feel more like becoming absorbed in a thought, memory, image or experience — similar to the feeling of becoming completely immersed in a book, film or piece of music.
Your attention simply becomes more focused, allowing you to become more aware of your inner experience while becoming less distracted by everything happening around you.
You don't lose control, hand over your mind or become unconscious. You remain able to make choices throughout the session and can come out of hypnosis whenever you choose.
There is no particular way you have to feel for hypnosis to work. Some people notice physical relaxation, while others experience thoughts, images, sensations or simply a sense of quiet focus.
You don't need to “be good at hypnosis”. You simply need to be willing to explore.How hypnotherapy can help
Different reasons. One individual approach.Hypnotherapy can be helpful when you feel stuck in a pattern you'd like to change, whether that pattern affects how you think, feel, behave or respond physically.
Anxiety & Stress
Calm an overactive mind, develop new ways of responding to stress and build a greater sense of internal safety.
Sleep
Quiet the mental activity that keeps you awake and help your mind and body develop more settled patterns around sleep.
Confidence & Self-Esteem
Change unhelpful self-beliefs, strengthen your sense of self and develop greater confidence in everyday life.
Changing Habits & Behaviours
Work with the automatic patterns behind habits and create more choice around the behaviours you'd like to change.
What happens in a session?
Curious about what to expect?Every session is tailored to you, but there is usually a natural flow from understanding what's happening to exploring new possibilities and responses.
01 - Talk
We start with you.
We'll talk about what's bringing you to hypnotherapy, what you'd like to change and anything that might be important for me to understand about your experience.
02 - Understand
We look beneath the pattern.
Together, we'll explore the thoughts, feelings, habits or automatic responses that may be maintaining the difficulty you're experiencing.
03 - Hypnosis
We work with your mind in a different way.
I'll guide you into hypnosis and use an approach tailored to your needs and goals. This may involve therapeutic suggestions, imagery, metaphor, parts work or other hypnotherapy techniques.
04 - Reflect
We make sense of your experience.
Afterwards, there's space to talk about what you noticed and any thoughts, feelings or insights that came up during the session.
05 - Next steps
We build from there.
We'll consider what you'd like to focus on next and, where appropriate, identify practical ways to support the changes you're making between sessions.
You don't need to know exactly what you need before you come. That's something we can work out together.Is hypnotherapy right for me?
The right approach starts with youHypnotherapy can be helpful for many different concerns, but it isn't a one-size-fits-all approach — and you don't need to decide on your own whether it's right for you.
During an initial consultation, we'll talk about what you're experiencing, what you'd like to change and what you hope to get from therapy. This gives us an opportunity to consider whether hypnotherapy is an appropriate way forward and what kind of approach might suit you best.
My work is collaborative, which means you're an active part of the process. I won't simply tell you what to think or how to behave. We'll work together to understand the patterns you're experiencing and find ways of creating meaningful change that feel right for you.
Sometimes that may involve hypnotherapy on its own. At other times, therapeutic conversation, counselling approaches or a combination of techniques may be more appropriate.
You don't have to arrive knowing exactly what's wrong — just knowing that something needs to change can be enough to begin.
How many sessions will I need?
Change doesn't have to take foreverThere isn't a set number of sessions that everyone needs. The amount of support you need will depend on what you'd like to change, how long the pattern has been present and what feels appropriate for you.
Some people come for a small number of focused sessions around a specific goal, while others benefit from having more time to explore something that has deeper or more complex roots.
We'll discuss this together at the beginning, and I'll give you an honest sense of what I think would be helpful. You can then decide what feels right for you.
The aim is meaningful change - not endless sessions.
Focused concerns
Some goals can be addressed in just a few sessions.
More complex patterns
Some changes benefit from more time, particularly when longstanding emotional patterns are involved.
Your pace matters
We'll review your progress together rather than following a predetermined programme.
Frequently asked questions
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Yes. Hypnosis doesn't involve losing control or handing control of your mind to someone else. You'll remain aware of what's happening, can communicate with me throughout the session and can choose to stop at any point. Hypnotherapy is a collaborative process, and you remain an active participant throughout.
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Most people can experience hypnosis, although the experience varies from person to person. You don't need to be particularly suggestible, imaginative or able to switch your thoughts off. Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention that most of us experience in everyday life, such as becoming absorbed in a book, music or a journey.
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Yes. Most people remember the session and remain aware of what is being said and what is happening. You may become deeply absorbed or notice that your attention shifts inwards, but hypnosis isn't the same as being unconscious or asleep.
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That's absolutely fine. There's no particular way you need to experience hypnosis. Some people relax deeply, while others remain physically quite still but experience thoughts, sensations, memories or a sense of focused attention. You also don't need to be able to visualise clearly for hypnotherapy to be effective.
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Yes. You remain in control throughout the session and can communicate with me whenever you need to. If something doesn't feel right, we can pause, change direction or bring the hypnosis to an end. Your comfort and consent are important throughout the process.
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No, although there can be some overlap. Counselling generally provides space to explore your thoughts, feelings, relationships and experiences through therapeutic conversation. Hypnotherapy incorporates hypnosis alongside therapeutic work to help you engage with patterns of thought, feeling and behaviour in a different way.
My approach can draw on both hypnotherapy and therapeutic approaches where appropriate, depending on what you need.
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Yes. Hypnotherapy can be carried out effectively online using a secure video call. You'll need a private, comfortable space where you won't be interrupted and a reliable internet connection. The therapeutic work and hypnosis itself can take place in much the same way as an in-person session.
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Sessions are 50 minutes, although the exact length can vary depending on the type of session and what we're working on. Your initial session is purely discussion to understand what has brought you to hypnotherapy and what you'd like to achieve. Hypnosis begins from session two.
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This depends on your goals and circumstances. Some people benefit from a small number of focused sessions, while more longstanding or complex issues may benefit from longer-term support. Generally sessions are weekly. We'll discuss this together and review your progress as we go rather than following a fixed programme simply for the sake of it.
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Hypnotherapy isn't appropriate for every person or every situation. During an initial consultation, we'll discuss your circumstances, what you'd like help with and whether hypnotherapy is an appropriate approach for you.
If I feel another form of support would be more suitable, I'll tell you honestly and help you consider the most appropriate next step.
Ready to explore what could change?
A calmer mind. A different way forward.If there's a pattern in your life that you'd like to understand or change, hypnotherapy could offer a different way forward.
We can start with a free consultation to talk about what's happening for you, what you'd like to achieve and whether hypnotherapy feels like the right approach.
There's no pressure to commit - just an opportunity to have a conversation and see where it leads.20 minutes • No obligation • Just a chat