🧠The Science Behind Hypnotherapy for Anxiety Relief
(By Claire Roach DSFH, HPD, AfSFH, MNCH – Clinical Hypnotherapist, Ironbridge, Shropshire)
Anxiety can feel overwhelming — like your mind is constantly running a “what if” script you can’t turn off. If you’ve ever found yourself lying awake at night replaying worries or struggling to switch off during the day, you’re not alone. Millions of people experience anxiety, but what many don’t realise is that hypnotherapy has a strong scientific basis for helping the brain find calm again.
🔍 Understanding Anxiety: A Brain-Based View
When we feel anxious, our brain’s primitive emotional mind takes over — it’s the part designed to keep us safe from danger. It releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, preparing us to fight, flee, or freeze. This is incredibly useful if you’re facing real danger, but not so helpful when your worries are triggered by emails, work, or social pressure.
Over time, repeated stress keeps this primitive part of the brain switched on. The logical, rational part — the intellectual mind — becomes less active, which makes it harder to think clearly or see things in perspective.
This is where Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help.
🌿 How Hypnotherapy Helps Calm the Brain
Hypnotherapy works by guiding you into a deeply relaxed, focused state — a bit like daydreaming or that moment before sleep. In this state, the brain moves into a natural trance (scientifically measured as the alpha/theta brainwave state).
During trance:
- The subconscious mind becomes more open to positive suggestion and new ways of thinking.
- The nervous system shifts out of “fight or flight” and into “rest and digest.”
- The brain starts to process and reframe anxious thought patterns, allowing calm, rational thinking to return.
This process has been supported by neuroscience. Functional MRI scans show that hypnosis can change activity in the areas of the brain linked with emotional regulation, self-awareness, and problem-solving. It helps the brain literally “rewire” itself — reducing the overactivity of the amygdala (the anxiety centre) and strengthening the prefrontal cortex (the rational thinking centre).
đź’¬ What Makes Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Different
Unlike traditional forms of therapy that focus on problems and their causes, Solution Focused Hypnotherapy helps you look forward. We focus on what’s working well and build small, achievable steps towards calm and control.
This positive approach encourages the production of serotonin and other “feel good” neurotransmitters — helping to restore balance in the brain naturally.
Over time, clients often report:
âś… Feeling calmer and more in control
âś… Sleeping better
âś… Thinking more clearly
âś… Reacting to challenges with greater ease
🌼 What to Expect in a Session
Every session begins with a relaxed conversation where we focus on your goals and progress. You’ll then enjoy a guided hypnotic relaxation, allowing your subconscious mind to absorb positive suggestions that support lasting change.
Most clients find the sessions deeply relaxing — and often describe feeling lighter, calmer, and more optimistic afterwards.
đź’« Start Your Journey to Calm
If anxiety has been holding you back, hypnotherapy can help you take back control in a gentle, natural way — backed by science and tailored entirely to you.
I offer a free initial consultation (either online or face-to-face in Ironbridge) where we can discuss how hypnotherapy can help you move forward.
đź“ž Get in touch today to start your journey towards calm, confidence, and control.
Contact Claire on 07940034263 or email Claire@bridgetherapy.uk