solution focused hypnotherapy

Need help with anxiety? I’ve been there. I understand.

Want someone to help with grief?  Can sadly tick that box too.

Need help with depression?  I get it.  I understand.

Weight loss, PTSD, phobias, addictions?  Yes yes yes and yes!

I’ve launched a new website, Clare Williams Therapies, for all those seeking help.

Please visit the site to learn more. Or here’s more information about what I do.

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy concentrates on the solutions, not the problems, so I will NEVER need to know about your past to help you get you to your preferred future.  Honestly. We don’t need to go there.  Ever. 

I can work with you to overcome those fears, lessen that anxiety, ease that grief, lose that weight, or whatever it is that’s holding you back.  I can work with you to achieve YOUR personal goals. And I can do that effectively and easily, because I use a technique called Solution Focused Hypnotherapy; and it works!

Having worked with the mind and body for nearly 20 years, I have seen the power of our minds in action.   We are the products of our own minds, of how they function.

Ever thought that our minds and bodies are interlinked?  Well, they are. 

Think about pain, for example.  If we are hurting inside (depression, stress, anxiety, work or family pressure), our bodies usually respond:  we’re tired; we ache; we’re not hungry (or, quite the opposite, we’re ravenous); our bodies hurt.  We often get back problems, neck complaints, or we can’t sleep.

If we are suffering from grief, our heart aches but we will also subconsciously be protecting our hearts from further pain, and the left side of our body might tighten up a bit, causing back or shoulder pain.  We will feel tired, not hungry (or ravenous) and ache all over.

If we are trying to do better at work, get a promotion, meet sales targets, the pressure we’re feeling on the inside might make us hold our body that little bit tighter, causing real life pain, tension or headaches. 

Depression can make us feel empty, numb, or ache all over. 

And so much more.

The upside is that you can change this.  You really can.  You can change it ALL.  We can literally create new neuropathways in your brain to change these old pathways, the way you currently respond.   And this can be done gently, easily and permanently, and at your own pace.

You can become more confident, more positive, more committed to achieving your goals, no matter how big those goals might seem at the moment.

So, whether you want to jumpstart your career, combat anxiety, lose weight, ease depression, stop smoking or learn how to overcome that fear of spiders that’s been haunting you for years, now is the time to do it. 

For the next year, I am offering Solution Focused Hypnotherapy at a reduced introductory price!  So, don’t delay… contact me now and let’s get you started on your journey to where you want to be!

WHAT IS EXACTLY IS SOLUTION FOCUSED HYPNOTHERAPY? (SFH)

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is a cutting edge, research based, relaxing and pleasant way to help reprogramme your mind.  Using a combination of talk therapy, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and trance, I will work with you to get you to where you want to be.  It’s psychotherapy at it’s very best. 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M IN TRANCE?  UNDER HYPNOSIS?

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind.  We go into hypnosis all the time.  Think of driving a car on the motorway, watching tv or going for a walk.  You may drift away from the car radio, a conversation with friends or your surroundings for just a moment?  It isn’t sleep, it’s not mindfulness, it’s a trance-like state that allow us to access our subconscious minds.

Whilst in hypnosis you will still be aware of EVERYTHING around you, and will be in complete control throughout.  It’s incredibly relaxing and calming – similar to daydreaming. It’s positive and always solution focused.

HOW CAN HYPNOTHERAPY HELP ME?

Hypnotherapy can help with:

  • Anxiety and stress
  • Depression
  • Phobias
  • Pain
  • Confidence and self esteem
  • Personal Development
  • Sleep Issues
  • Anger
  • Body Image and weight issues
  • Smoking cessation
  • Menopause
  • PTSD
  • Performance anxiety and/or work stress
  • Relaxation and so much more!

NB: Please consult your GP for advice, diagnosis and treatment for any medical conditions, and always inform your health professional before starting any alternative or additional therapies or treatments.

HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL I NEED?

This is a question I get asked a lot. The honest answer is “I don’t know yet”.  Because each person is different.  BUT Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is generally pretty effective and works quicker than other therapies.

What I can tell you is that of past experience. I have worked with clients suffering from anxiety that in 6 sessions were ready to return to their “normal” life and quite happily manage their symptoms entirely on their own, successfully.  For others, it has taken a little longer, maybe 12 sessions. Depression and PTSD tend to take a little longer still.  Phobias are usually conquered in 3-4 sessions and a Smoking Cessation is done in one 2.5 hour session.  Yes, that’s right – I can help you give up in one 2.5 hour session!

All I need from you is a willingness to change, and commitment to making that change happen!

It’s important to remember that we are changing neuropathways that have been created sometimes over a lifetime.  We want those changes to last forever, and sometimes they may take a little longer to stick.

Also, good to note that no two people are the same, so whilst one person may take 8 sessions, you may well reach your goal much quicker!

WORKING ONLINE

All sessions with me are online.  I know I know, you probably feel Zoomed out.  Zoom fatigue is a real thing. You want to see someone in person, in real life, face to face.  BUT I have found this to be an incredibly effective and powerful way to treat clients.  Don’t believe me?  
Read on…

During the pandemic so many of us changed the way we work and working online became the norm.  Not only was I able to continue my work, but was also able to see the many benefits of working this way. Yes! Benefits!  Benefits for you!!   There is no need for travel or deal with the stresses it brings with it.  No traffic jams, congestions, busy times of day.  Can’t find someone to look after the kids?  Put a movie on, and join me in another room, somewhere quiet.  Working online means I can work with clients wherever you are.   If you (or I) have a cold, or have to self isolate, we can both remain at home, safe and warm, where we’ve been for all our previous sessions.  And you can do all our sessions from the comfort of your own living room, sofa, or duvet.   All you need is a working internet connection – it’s as easy as that.  The way therapy SHOULD be. 

REASSURANCE

By working online, we remove all additional pressures.  There are none.  It doesn’t matter if it’s raining or you can’t find your shoes. Lost your keys?  Doesn’t affect us!  All you need is a comfy quiet place and an internet connection.  And the best bit?  For the 2nd half of our session, you’ll be in trance anyway!  So I’ll only need you face-to-face so to speak for 20-30 mins, then it’s relax, lie down on the couch, a chair or in bed and let me take over. 

I have worked with many clients with anxiety disorders and this way of working has proved incredibly effective. 

HOW DO I BOOK?

Call me or message me on 07711882980 or email me on [email protected]

PRICES

INTRODUCTORY PRICE FOR ONE YEAR ONLY
SEPTEMBER 2021-SEPTEMBER 2022

All full paying clients will receive a relaxation audio and a gratitude journal!


MAKE THAT CHANGE AND MAKE IT LAST!

Trial – basic relaxation trance session – 30 mins:  £25

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy session
First session is 90mins, all subsequent sessions are 60mins : £60   *£70   **£80
(Discounts available when booking blocks of 6+ sessions)

Give up Smoking/Vaping
Single 180 min session : £150  *£175   **£200

Phobias (up to 4 sessions) : £175  *200  **250 

* Evenings (630pm & 8pm)

** Saturday appointments (10am & 1130am)

Please feel free to call me or send me an email if you have any queries or would like more information.

MY AVAILABILITY 

Tuesday:  0930am  1045am  1200pm  630pm*  8pm*

Thursday:  0930am  1045am  1200pm

Saturdays on request only:  10am*  1130am*

*these appointments incur an additional fee

Anxiety

Anxiety is simply a modern day symptom of fear, and one of the ways we protect ourselves from fear is by engaging our sympathetic nervous system.  If our brains think that for one reason or another we’re in some kind of danger, it will step in to help, releasing stress hormones to help us run away, fight, or freeze. These hormones make our palms sweat, our hearts beat faster and churn our stomachs. They get us out of what our brain perceives as the immediate threat, immediate danger.

This automatic response works great for us when there’s real danger out there, but unfortunately our system can also get activated when there is no real physical danger around. Think public speaking, letters from the bank or a night out with friends. These things aren’t dangerous as such, but may trigger unnecessary responses and leave us feeling incredibly anxious, even though there is no immediate threat.

This cycle of anxiety repeats itself over and over again, and starts affecting day to day living, leaving you feeling anxious at the smallest of things or battling anxiety on a daily basis.

SFH is proven to work incredibly well with reducing anxiety. It really does work. Using a combination of talk therapy and trances, small suggestions are made to help you manage your anxiety better, bringing down those all important stress levels and helping you make the right choices for you.  You will start sleeping better too, so starting each day in a more positive frame of mind!

“I’ve had anxiety all my life, but didn’t really accept it until recently. Clare helped me to realise what was causing it and showed me how to help myself. Clare recorded something to help me with sleeping which in turn has helped me to empty my stress bucket! I found the smallest thing would overwhelm me before but am now able to manage things. I’d definitely recommend this as a natural way to help overcome anxiety. Thanks Clare”

  • CD has grown so much in confidence since doing hypnotherapy with me.  She is self employed and was struggling to grow her business. She now has a much more prominent social media presence, with more followers, and runs a stall at local craft fairs.

“I had 6 sessions with Clare to tackle my anxiety which was affecting my sleep, day to day life, and general well-being. From the initial consultation, Clare put me firmly at ease. She is warm, knowledgable and shows no judgement. I instantly felt as though I could safely open up. The sessions alongside a sleep recording, provided by Clare, have made such a difference. My anxiety is reduced to the point where I have been able to begin to reduce my prescribed medication and almost at the point of ending completely. My work stress which has always been such a negative impact is heavily reduced to a reasonable, manageable level. I’m so happy to have had this experience and would wholly recommend Clare and Hypnotherapy. “

  • LB has since given up smoking on her own and has stopped all medication. She has also recently driven long distances with her children in the car – something she would avoid at all costs previously!

Depression

Depression is a mental health condition that can make you feel very down, low, unhappy.  You may struggle with simple daily activities like brushing your teeth, or lose interest in things that you used to enjoy.  According to the Mental Health Foundation, depression is the number one mental health problem worldwide.

Depression is common. Depression is treatable, and I can help you.

There are many signs and symptoms of depression. You may only have one or two of these, maybe many more, but it’s important to go to your Doctor/General Practitioner (GP) if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms for the majority of the day, for two weeks or more.

The signs of depression to be aware of are:

a low mood
feeling sad and/or angry
lack of energy
loss of interest or enjoyment in activities you used to like
difficulty concentrating
feeling tired more easily
low self-confidence
different sleeping habits (difficulty sleeping or sleeping more)
different eating habits (eating more or less than usual)
feeling guilty or that you are worthless

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is incredibly effective at easing depression.  By replacing previous behavioural patterns with more positive neural pathways, I can work with you to gently, and at a pace that you are comfortable with, move forward one step at a time.  Never focusing on the problems, sessions are always positive and forward looking. It is very safe, it is very gentle and it really does work.

“I started sessions with Clare during a time when my mental health had severely deteriorated due to an overload of anxiety, followed by a deep depression caused by a build up of stress in both my personal and professional life. I was struggling to manage my professional workload, cope with everyday events and not let family worries overwhelm me. I had got to the point where I felt ‘broken’ and needed to take some time off work.


I now understand how my brain works, what is going wrong when it isn’t and what I need to do before it gets to an unmanageable point again. I can recognise my limitations and have put in place some new ‘behaviours’ that have enabled me to manage the stresses I was not able to manage before.  This is long term change, and what I needed. Clare has supported me in retraining my responses and reactions to stress.  I cannot thank her enough. It really does work!  EB”

  • EB has now returned to work, recognised her limitations and put firm boundaries in place.

Phobias

Broken down into 3 or 4 sessions, Hypnotherapy can work to scratch out specific phobic templates in our brains and replace them with more positive ones.  This is done in 3-4 sessions and is a permanent change.

(Non-specific phobias may take a little longer to overcome. )

Examples of a few specific phobias:-

  • Claustrophobia – fear of being in constricted, confined spaces
  • Aerophobia – fear of flying
  • Arachnophobia – fear of spiders
  • Emetophobia – fear of vomiting
  • Erythrophobia – fear of blushing
  • Hypochondria – fear of getting sick
  • Zoophobia – fear of animals
  • Aquaphobia – fear of water
  • Acrophobia -fear of heights
  • Trypanophobia – fear of needles
  • Agoraphobia – fear of going outside
  • Escalaphobia – fear of escalators
  • Trypophobia – fear of clustered shapes
  • Gephyrophobia – fear of bridges or tunnels
  • Amaxophobia – fear of driving a car


“After having a phobia of going down on escalators for around 20 years, it was beginning to rule my life and my family’s life, so I really needed to do something about it.

Planning a day out shopping, a holiday involving a trip to the airport, or god forbid a trip to London which would mean going on the underground escalators. I was really fed up with having to allow extra time to find the stairs and plan alternative routes to journeys that don’t affect most normal families!

Just the thought of having to go towards a down escalator would send my heart pounding, my pulse racing, bring on a hot sweat, not to mention the ‘oh mum do we really have to go and find the stairs?!” type of comments…  and I haven’t even mentioned the fear of vertigo!

I would stand at the top of an escalator, (with my husband saying ‘you can do it – just step on’) and try my best to step on, miss several steps, get pushed from someone behind me (that was expecting me to just step on and move). Then I’d start to feel sick, dizzy and disorientated, and then I couldn’t coordinate my limbs to even step on if I tried – my legs would go like jelly and I would sometimes even end up crying!!

I once collapsed in a complete heap at the top of a Paris Metro at rush hour as I physically couldn’t get on, and another time I had to ask a security guard in Sports Direct to turn off the escalator so I could walk down it!

I’d spent recent years telling my husband and kids that I needed to see a hypnotherapist and get this phobia sorted, bet never got round to it, or even believed that it would work, until I met Clare, who has changed my life!

I really didn’t know what to expect, but the whole process was so much simpler and more comfortable than what I perceived it would be like. In fact Clare helped me to sleep like a baby, relax, ease overall tension, calm down, and helped me to see clearly, think rationally, make me more sociable, put things into perspective…. and that’s even before we got to the escalator phobia! 

Then as if by magic, she said ‘right you’re cured – go and have a lovely shopping day out with your daughter. Go up and down as many escalators as you want’. At this point I was still not convinced it had worked. So, I organised a day out with my daughter and hey presto – I went down 10 escalators that day – 3 of them on my own, and then I did it all again a couple of days later, completely on my own to make sure I could still do it!!

I can highly recommend Clare and the whole hypnotherapy process. Her voice is very calming and reassuring and makes you feel completely at ease. I have already referred some friends – so what are you waiting for – book today and change your life too!” LS

  • And a text received on Saturday 9th December 2021

  • “Just thought I’d let you know that I’m at LGW having just returned from Zante, and guess what I did on the way out and the way back?”  “Escalators?”  “YES!!  On the way out from the north terminal, it was a very long and steep one too! I’m very impressed with myself!  Saved lots of time too! Thank you again!!!”

Pain

Having come from a background of bodywork, I have seen many clients suffering from pain, not from bad backs as such, but from destructive thought patterns that have “held” muscles in unhealthy states for far too long. In fact, many of you reading this right now will have sore shoulders, maybe up to your ears or tender backs?  Yes?  Well I’m guessing that most of them will be due to unhealthy brain patterns, rather than physiological problems.

You see, when we hold our bodies in certain ways, we restrict the movement, and over time this will lead to pain.  Why do we hold our bodies in such ways that inhibit movement?  Well, we do that to protect ourselves, to hold us together, quite literally.  We are not aware we are doing it – it’s all happening subconsciously.  Cue the brain patterns…

When I was studying for this qualification, we had to complete an insane amount of case studies.  One of my PAIN case studies was a friend, we’ll call him Dave. Dave is a father of 2. He and his partner are both self employed, and at the time of these sessions both of his children were causing him a huge amount of anxiety and stress.  Dave suffered with a bad back, deeming him bed bound from time to time and in constant pain.   Dave was sceptical. He didn’t think that a few sessions of hypnotherapy would help his back. It was a physical complaint, not a neurological one.  But the good friend he is, he humoured me and signed up.

3 sessions in I bumped into Dave and we chatted about how our sessions we going together. He was amazed how the sessions had lowered his anxiety, helped him with the kids and even improved his sleep.  I noticed he was making more time for himself, he seemed calmer. Not once did he mention his back, so I probed him. “So, how’s your back been Dave?” I said in a curious voice, knowing the answer already.  His jaw dropped and he grinned from ear to ear.  Needless to say, the constant back pain is a thing of the past and Dave is now a hypnotherapy convert! 😉

“Clare has always told me I hold all of my stress in my back. She’s my massage therapist too.  I was a little sceptical but decided to keep an open mind and try a few hypnotherapy sessions with her to help release it. I did all the things Clare asked me to do alongside the sessions which were actually enjoyable and found myself making progress with each session. Clare pointed out a lot of things throughout the sessions that I had not thought of and things really began to make much more sense for me and my understanding increased tremendously. I am happy to say that I have been helped so much by Clare, I’ve had 8 sessions and feel in such a good place that I do not need any more sessions currently. I would not hesitate to return for more sessions in the future. Thank you Clare for persuading me to give it a try. I will always be so grateful to you. You have made a huge difference to my life.  TB “

  • TB no longer suffers the way she did.  She is able to disassociate the stresses of work with the tension in her back. She now has firm boundaries in place and works well within them.

“Firstly, in terms of pain relief, I went in open minded, but really unsure as to how a zoom session could aid the chronic pain I have been suffering with for a long time. Having had no experience with hypnotherapy, I was amazed at how instantly at ease Clare made me feel. I was really quite overwhelmed by the way she was able to almost immediately access and get to the heart of resolving these issues. It was a hugely positive experience. 

After our session I immediately felt relief in my hip pain, which had reduced to none in my left hip (the one which has recently been most problematic) and now the next day, my hips feel nearly normal. Even better than they did immediately after treatment if that’s possible! The improvement is staggering. 

Secondly in terms of Clare’s holistic connection, she absolutely nailed the broader picture and made me see that the chronic and (until recently) multiplying issues I had are very much interlinked. And more importantly that they can be controlled, improved, and possibly even cured. 

As someone who days ago scooted round on her bottom picking toys up because my hips hurt so much, today I have been literally bounding up and down the stairs! It’s honestly nothing short of miraculous!” SH

HEAR WHAT OTHER CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY

“Working with Clare was so uplifting. Her cheery manner and positive vibes were felt even through a Zoom call. It was great to focus on positive things and reprogramme my brain to find even more of the good. I’m usually a glass half full kinda girl anyway but sometimes things get in the way…mainly stress!!! And this can be hard to shake. Having help and making time to work on reducing reactions and anger to small triggers has been awesome and has noticeably reduced. Now I can breathe before I react…thank you Clare.” CPR

“Working with Clare took me on such an incredible journey.  Anxiety struck when I became a mum for the first time with a baby born a month early. I’d never really had anxiety before and had no appreciation for how crippling it could be. I learned ways to manage it silently, mainly by hiding. I said no to invites out, or said yes and made my excuses last minute. At work I hid it well. In a role where I set an example of a confident communicator I was actually terrified every single day and it was exhausting. Sunday nights were the worst, dreading Monday morning and the train journey in to the open plan office where I often sat wanting to cry.

When Covid hit, my role became remote and I was in my element. No train journey, no busy office, no invites out. So when the rules eased I started to panic, and there was Clare to hold my hand. She listened, she got it and vitally she helped me see this wasn’t just my own ‘silly’ response, this was real. She made sense of the responses in my body, she helped me connect with those reactions not dismiss them.

When I started seeing the impact of life and work on the mental health of my team at work I knew I needed to step up and offer support, but that meant taking me the furthest I’d ever been out of my comfort zone. Clare supported me with hypnotherapy sessions, both teaching me about the process and creating a healing journey.

The outcome was a presentation about mental health to over 150 engineers over zoom. I told my story, I supported them in sharing their stories, I offered a toolkit of ideas and resources and that day made the biggest difference I’d never dreamed I could make. 

That event was a huge step for me, while also in the background loads of much smaller things were changing too, thanks to the sessions with Clare I learned and healed so much more.” MA