Emily’s Story: From Surviving to Thriving – A Full Journey Through Solution Focused Hypnotherapy

When Emily first got in touch, she described herself in one word: “Exhausted.”

Not just tired in the physical sense — although that was certainly true, too. She was emotionally exhausted, mentally overstretched, and quietly overwhelmed. As a mum of two, juggling school runs, meals, constant laundry, and being the sole carer for her elderly father, Emily had become so used to putting everyone else’s needs first that she didn’t know what her own were anymore.

The Breaking Point

She told me: “I don’t even know what’s wrong anymore — I just know I can’t carry on like this.”

There wasn’t a dramatic event that brought her to therapy. It was a gradual unravelling: poor sleep, an anxious knot in her chest every morning, snapping at her children when she didn’t mean to, and a growing sense of dread that never seemed to lift. Her world had become very small, and very grey.

Emily: “I thought about therapy for months before I actually booked. I kept telling myself I should just cope better, that other people have it worse. But eventually, I just couldn’t ignore the way I was feeling anymore. I knew I needed help — I just didn’t know what kind.”

A Different Approach

When Emily arrived at her first session, she admitted she felt nervous and unsure.

Me: “What was it like for you, walking into the room for the first time?”

Emily: “I was scared you’d try to dig into all my past trauma straight away. That’s what I thought therapy was. But from the first few minutes, you explained that we didn’t need to go over everything that had gone wrong. We could start with what was going right — and that was such a relief. It felt like I could breathe for the first time in ages.”

That shift in focus — from what’s wrong to what’s working — is at the core of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. Rather than analyse or relive difficult memories, we aim to gently guide the client’s attention to moments of strength, calm, and potential. In doing so, the brain begins to rewire — building new, more helpful patterns.

Creating Safety and Routine

Over the first few sessions, we established a calm, predictable structure. Each appointment began with a short conversation about what had been better that week. This helped Emily train her brain to scan for positives — something the anxious mind is not used to doing.

Emily: “That part was weird at first. I was so used to telling people how bad everything was. But you kept asking, ‘What’s been better?’ and eventually I realised there were better things. A quiet coffee. A bedtime that didn’t end in tears. A walk without racing thoughts. And slowly, my focus started to change.”

As her awareness of these positive moments grew, so did her confidence. It was subtle — but meaningful.

Understanding Anxiety

Each week, I introduced a little more psychoeducation — helping Emily understand how her brain had been stuck in survival mode.

We explored the difference between the intellectual brain (which makes rational decisions) and the primitive brain (which is reactive, emotional, and can hijack us in moments of stress).

Emily: “When you explained the brain model, something just clicked. I wasn’t ‘failing’ at life — my brain was doing its job, it just didn’t know when to switch off. That changed everything. It gave me permission to stop blaming myself.”

Trance and Deep Change

Each session ended with guided hypnosis — also known as “trance.” It’s a light, safe, and deeply calming state where the brain is most receptive to positive suggestion.

Me: “How did you experience the trance part?”

Emily: “Honestly? I lived for it. It felt like the only time in the week when my mind wasn’t racing. I’d lie back, hear your voice, and drift into this space that felt like mental peace. I’d come out feeling like I’d had a reset.”

Over time, the effect of trance spilled over into her daily life, especially when paired with everything she was learning in our conversations.

Realising the Change

Around session six, Emily began to notice a shift in how she was responding to everyday stress.

Emily: “I didn’t snap when we were running late for school. I didn’t spiral when my dad needed something at short notice. I just… dealt with it. And later that night I thought, ‘Wow, I didn’t panic.’ It wasn’t dramatic. I just felt different.”

This is the magic of this work: change often feels ordinary when it arrives. But when you look back, it’s extraordinary.

A New Relationship with Herself

One of the most profound parts of Emily’s journey was her changing relationship with herself.

Emily: “I used to speak to myself so horribly. I’d call myself lazy, useless, a bad mum. I’d never say those things to someone else. But through our sessions, I started hearing your voice in my head — reminding me I was doing well, that I was strong, that I had resources. Eventually, my voice started saying those things, too.”

Impact at Home

Me: “What changes did you notice in your relationships?”

Emily: “So many. I stopped biting my partner’s head off. I could laugh with the kids again. I actually started enjoying being around people. I wasn’t constantly on edge, waiting to react. My whole house feels calmer now — not just me.”

She described one day when her daughter crawled onto her lap and said, “You’re not cross anymore, Mummy.” That moment stayed with her.

Emily: “It broke my heart a little, but also healed it. That’s when I knew this was working.”

Rebuilding a Sense of Self

Beyond managing anxiety, Emily began reconnecting with parts of herself she’d forgotten.

She started drawing again, something she hadn’t done since college. She reconnected with an old friend. She even started talking about exploring work again — on her own terms.

Me: “What does the future look like now?”

Emily: “Lighter. It’s not just about surviving anymore. I’m thinking about what I want, not just what I need to get through. I want to study something creative. I want to go away for a weekend without guilt. I want to enjoy my life — and now I believe I can.”

When Others Notice

Interestingly, many clients notice that others start to reflect their progress back to them — sometimes before they fully see it in themselves.

Emily: “My mum said I sounded like ‘me’ again. My friend said I looked brighter. Even the school mum I barely know said I seemed more relaxed. And I realised: it was working, even when I wasn’t consciously aware of it.”

Anchoring the Change

By the end of our work together, Emily wasn’t just feeling better — she had fundamentally changed how she saw herself and her place in the world.

Me: “What would you say is the biggest thing you’ve taken away from this experience?”

Emily: “That I’m not broken. I was just overwhelmed, and my brain didn’t know how to stop. But with the right support, I found a different way to be. I trust myself again. I feel steady. And I actually like who I’m becoming.”

For Anyone Considering It

Me: “What would you say to someone who’s struggling like you were, and isn’t sure about hypnotherapy?”

Emily: “Don’t wait. I wasted so much time thinking I had to tough it out alone. You don’t. This isn’t about digging up trauma or fixing something broken. It’s about creating space to grow. It’s gentle, powerful, and it works.”

Final Thoughts

Working with Emily was a true privilege. Her story isn’t one of dramatic transformation overnight, but of quiet, steady, deeply-rooted, long lasting change. That’s what Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is designed for.

We don’t fix people. We help them find what’s already working, strengthen it, and create space for something better.

If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or like you’ve lost a bit of yourself, know this:

Change doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t have to be painful. It just needs a safe space, a bit of support, and someone to help you look in the right direction.

Emily found herself again — and you can too.

Emily is a pseudonym for a client who gave the interview.

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