Trauma & CPTSD Hypnotherapy in Edinburgh

You don't have to keep living in survival mode

Difficult or overwhelming experiences can continue to affect us long after the event itself has passed. You might notice anxiety, heightened alertness, intrusive thoughts, difficulty trusting others, low self-worth, emotional numbness or patterns that seem difficult to understand.

Hypnotherapy can offer a way to work gently with some of these patterns, helping you develop a greater sense of safety, choice and control in the present.

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Why can trauma continue to affect you?

Your responses make sense in the context of what you've experienced

When we've experienced something frightening, overwhelming or repeatedly difficult, our minds and bodies can learn ways of responding that helped us cope at the time.

You might become more alert to potential danger, find it difficult to relax, struggle to trust people, keep others at a distance, or find that certain situations trigger reactions that feel much bigger than the situation itself. You may also experience difficulties with emotions, self-worth, relationships or feeling connected to yourself and others.

These responses can make sense in the context of what you've experienced. The difficulty is that patterns which were once protective can continue long after the original situation has passed, affecting how you experience yourself, other people and the world around you.

This can be particularly true following prolonged or repeated experiences, where there may be additional difficulties with emotional regulation, relationships, shame, guilt or a persistent sense of worthlessness.

Understanding these patterns can be an important first step towards developing different ways of responding.

How hypnotherapy can help with trauma

Creating more choice in how you respond

Hypnotherapy can provide a different way of working with some of the patterns that can develop following difficult or overwhelming experiences.

Rather than asking you to simply think differently, we can explore the automatic responses that may be affecting you in the present — and begin developing alternative ways of responding.

Depending on what you're experiencing, this might include working with:

FEEL CALMER AND MORE GROUNDED

Develop ways to manage heightened alertness, emotional overwhelm and the feeling that you always need to be prepared for something to go wrong.

BUILD A STRONGER SENSE OF SELF

Explore patterns around self-worth, self-criticism, people-pleasing and difficulty recognising your own needs, boundaries and choices.

CHANGE PATTERNS THAT DON’T HELP

Understand responses that may once have helped you cope and begin developing greater flexibility and choice in how you respond now.

What might be keeping you stuck?

When old patterns continue to feel like the safest option

ALWAYS BEING ON GUARD

You may find yourself constantly scanning for potential problems, anticipating what might go wrong or finding it difficult to fully relax.

BEING HARD ON YOURSELF

Experiences from the past can influence the way you see yourself, leaving you with patterns of self-criticism, shame or a sense that you're somehow not enough.

PUTTING EVERYONE ELSE FIRST

Keeping other people happy, avoiding conflict or taking responsibility for everyone else's feelings can become deeply ingrained patterns.

FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO LET GO

Even when you consciously know you're safe now, your thoughts, feelings or automatic responses may continue to react as though the past is still present.

A Personalised Approach

As a qualified counsellor and hypnotherapist, I understand that trauma is deeply personal, and there is no single way that difficult experiences affect us. That's why I don't use a fixed script or one-size-fits-all approach.

We'll take time to understand what's happening for you now, the patterns you'd like to change and what you would like to feel differently. From there, we can shape the work around your needs, your pace and what feels comfortable for you.

My approach is gentle, collaborative and focused on building greater choice in the present. We don't need to force you to revisit experiences or uncover things before you're ready. The focus is on understanding what is happening now and supporting you to develop new ways of responding.

You remain in control throughout the process, and we'll work together to find an approach that feels right for you.

FEEL SAFER IN YOURSELF

Develop a stronger sense of safety and steadiness, so you can feel more present and less governed by old patterns of protection.

What Can Change?

Making space for something different

FEEL MORE CONFIDENT IN YOUR CHOICES

Build greater awareness of your own needs, boundaries and values, and feel more able to respond in ways that reflect who you are now.

FREEDOM TO MOVE FORWARD

Reduce the influence of patterns that no longer serve you and create more choice in how you think, feel and respond to life.

Common questions about trauma hypnotherapy

Not necessarily. You are always in control of what you choose to share. We can focus on how your experiences are affecting you now and the patterns you'd like to change, without requiring you to go into detail about events you aren't ready to discuss.
Memories can be complex and changeable, particularly around difficult experiences, so we focus on what you know and experience in the present rather than trying to uncover or reconstruct memories.
Your wellbeing comes first. We can pause or stop the hypnosis at any point, and we'll work at a pace that feels manageable for you. The aim is not to overwhelm you or force you through an experience, but to develop greater choice and stability in the present.
No. Hypnotherapy is one therapeutic approach and isn't a replacement for specialist trauma treatments where those are indicated. During your initial consultation, we'll discuss what you're experiencing and whether hypnotherapy is appropriate for you. If another form of support would be more suitable, I'll tell you honestly.
Hypnotherapy may be helpful for some of the patterns and difficulties associated with complex trauma, such as low self-worth, emotional overwhelm, heightened alertness and difficulty with boundaries. However, I don't offer specialist treatment for PTSD or CPTSD itself. If you have a diagnosis or significant symptoms, we'll discuss your individual circumstances and whether hypnotherapy is an appropriate form of support.

Ready to change?

You  don't have to keep carrying this

Hypnotherapy may be helpful for some of the patterns and difficulties associated with complex trauma, such as low self-worth, emotional overwhelm, heightened alertness and difficulty with boundaries. However, I don't offer specialist treatment for PTSD or CPTSD itself. If you have a diagnosis or significant symptoms, we'll discuss your individual circumstances and whether hypnotherapy is an appropriate form of support.