Client Stories

Debbie – Driving Phobia

Debbie has an incredibly demanding role in a high pressure environment. In her work role she is strong and confident when working with her clients.  But she struggled when it came to the managerial element of her role and had been avoiding opportunities for promotion. Once she left her place of work, low self esteem prevailed.  However,  her main reason for contacting me was due to a developing driving phobia.

She had noticed it was escalating. She had started to experience panic attacks and realised she was starting to avoid going out to certain places.

Getting started

Debbie had a total of 6 sessions with me spread over 3 months. In this time she achieved a “significant improvement” with the problems she was experiencing.

“Caroline is unique! She was able to help me ‘peel back the layers’ and address some deep rooted issues which quietly niggled away in the background. In the first session with Caroline I was apprehensive but after that, I couldn’t wait to see her again to have the next one!” said Debbie.

This is also quite common and I often refer to some of my clients as onions! Layers build up over time and the one at the top becomes the dominant one. As you work through these therapeutically, others then emerge which have been ‘buried.’ But they are still ‘niggling away’ in the back of the mind and impacting on the quality of life.

During our last session together – a special one that I love doing as it really ‘hands over’ the tools to clients to use in their life going forward, Debbie noted numerous differences in her life. She felt more relaxed and had taken action on a legal matter that had been weighing her down for a long time. She was driving – and enjoying it! Even driving at night which was one of the things she had started to avoid. In work, she had noticed that she was no longer feeling vulnerable in management meetings and, “My senses are more alert. I even think I am standing taller!

Quite simply, I’ve found my mojo! I am less anxious, more confident and feel big smiles inside!

Emily – Self-sabotage

Emily came to me after being referred by her singing teacher. Whilst giving the external impression of being a confident singer, inside she was experiencing anxiety about letting people down. She had become aware that she was starting to self-sabotage things she know she could do.  She was sabotaging her relationship also.  The need to control everything dominated, leading to, “a constant battle in my head about not letting go”.

Largely due to all of these emotions, Emily experienced a sick feeling in her stomach a large percentage of the time.  She was also experiencing problems with weight control.

As is typical with anxiety, things had escalated over time and she had experienced her first panic attack.  This was the catalyst to getting some help.

Getting started

“I didn’t really have any expectations before I came to see Caroline.  But some of the things that my subconscious mind revealed were surprising.  They were  so deeply hidden that I couldn’t have predicted or tried to ensure that they were part of the process.”

Again, this is quite common as so much is stored away at a subconscious level that we are not consciously aware of.  That is one of the benefits of being in a trance state – it allows access to different parts of the mind. Many people are very wary of this and have developed misconceptions of hypnosis from seeing stage shows. I asked Emily to describe how it felt when she was hypnotised:

“It was a feeling of total relaxation, on the edge of sleep but conscious.”

The result

Emily had 5 sessions with me and deems her situation to now be “resolved”. Here is her story in her own words.

“I am now able to consider my responses to other people’s behaviours in a way that gets me the response or change that I want. I have my confidence back which has enabled me to seek out a dance class that I have now joined, something I never thought I would be able to do as an adult. My relationship with my husband has also significantly improved as I have been able to be more considerate of his feelings which in turn brings out a more positive side to him too. I have now lost 3 stone even though that wasn’t’ the initial reason for seeking therapy.”

These additional benefits are quite common with clients. The mind is such a powerful resource that when it is not functioning at its best, the ripples spread out through the body. When emotional problems are resolved, a more ‘homeostatic’ situation is restored.  In this, people often experience new levels of energy, new desires to eat differently, exercise etc.

Emily had one last comment to make:

“I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you for a fantastic experience, the wonderful support and for giving me the tools to seek a path I’m happy to journey forward on. Plus the added bonus of forging a new friendship.”

The feeling is mutual!

Kara – Coming off Anti depressants

Kara came to me with the explicit wish that she wanted to be free of taking anti depressant drugs.  She had a goal of “reaching the happiness I’ve always been chasing”. She had been taking Citalopram for 4 years following being diagnosed with depression.

“Before having hypnotherapy, I tried several times to come off of anti-depressants. I tried weaning myself off gradually (as directed by my GP) and I also tried ‘cold turkey’. Every time I ended up having a break down and would end up taking the anti-depressants again. Because I tried and failed so many times, I lost confidence that I would ever be free of the tablets and I believed I was reliant on them.”

The result

Her story continues in her own words…

“Caroline took me on a journey to allow me to overcome this belief that I was dependent on anti-depressants. In fact, the anti-depressants were actually preventing me from achieving my goal of reaching happiness! Thanks to Caroline, coming off anti-depressants was achieved and I’ve never looked back!

Since having hypnotherapy my life has changed in every way possible – ending a bad relationship, new home, new job… But thanks to Caroline, during this challenging time I have remained free of anti-depressants, have continued to be focused and have made my own choices using the techniques she has taught me. Not only has Caroline allowed me to achieve a life free of anti-depressants, she has also helped me to be able to live a happy life without depression, anxiety and stress controlling it. I now have a clear, positive outlook of life, with visions, goals and choices.”

“Caroline has exceeded my expectation in every way possible. I have achieved more than I could ever have imagined after my hypnotherapy sessions with her. Hypnotherapy was almost a last resort for me and I couldn’t see any other option. I knew I couldn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve without help. Without Caroline’s professionalism, patience and integrity I would still be living a life controlled by depression, anxiety, stress and pure misery! Thank you for not only giving me my life back Caroline, but for also allowing me to see life in a completely new light!”

I always ask clients if they have any suggestions on how the my services in Salisbury could be improved. Kara’s answer to this question…..”A glass of prosecco on arrival!” Hmmm, Kara, I will have to think on that one for a while!

Sharon – Low Self-esteem

Sharon first came to me with a list of things she wanted to work on. This is not uncommon.  The starting place for me is to work out if all of the areas she was wanting to change were being supported by one single root. What became evident was this root was very low self-esteem.

Her childhood had not been the happiest.  A struggle to form lasting friendships/relationships had been a consistent theme throughout her life.

The work Sharon and I did together was to address some of the deep rooted beliefs that were no longer serving her.  We also included a lot of practical exercises and activities for her to build skills that her family situation had not supported her learning naturally. These exercises were then things that she took away with her to work on between sessions.

Key, was for her to now take charge of her own life rather than feeling as if she was always destined to be a victim. For her, placing trust in someone was a huge ‘ask’ but session by session, that trust grew and so did she!

The result

Sharon’s work with me spread over 7 months, culminating in 13 sessions. We would have a number of sessions close together and then a time period when I didn’t see her. These quieter times allowed her to work on the exercises we’d discussed.  She increasingly became more comfortable with the new skills she was developing.

Here are Sharon’s own words:

“Caroline helped me put a lot of things into perspective. Her exercises helped me to focus on my individual anxieties and stresses.  Our sessions also allowed me to finally come to terms with how I chose to react to the things I could not change.

Her understanding, patience and guidance throughout my hypnotherapy with her helped me understand myself.  I believe I changed my perceptions of my issues more than a talking therapist could. Through our work, she encouraged me to abandon procrastinating words such as ‘but’ and ‘try.’  Although frustrating at first, once I began to change my language, it helped me to refocus my way of reacting to adversity.  I realised it was myself who had become my biggest barrier!  I no longer had the excuse not to evolve into a more centred person with better clarity in my life. For that I highly recommend people come to her for the focus and calm that they need.

That, and her beautiful dog Sapphire is a joy.

Sharon has now joined a choir and is exploring her options of changing career.  She is also re-igniting an incredible artistic talent she has been suppressing.

Maryanne – Abusive Relationship

Maryanne was referred by her close friend who had worked with me.  Thus she already had a good insight into hypnotherapy and was excited to get to work on her challenges.

Hypnosis, however, is a very personal experience.  After her first experience of hypnosis, Maryanne described it as, “The most relaxing thing I have ever done. It was not scary, just a very personal deep relaxation.”

Maryanne was experiencing a lot of negative thoughts.  She had very low self esteem after many years of abuse, both from her mother and a partner. Now in a loving marriage, the past was prohibiting her from enjoying what she now had and also stopping her from moving forward in her career. She was also very focused on the impact her past was also still having on her son.  She was very aware that, as a parent, our state will ripple out to touch our loved ones.

The result

We had just 4 sessions together and then I didn’t hear from Maryanne for a while. When we got back in touch she told me the following:

“I have managed to let go of false beliefs around relationships that I have had stemming back years. By focusing my thoughts in a positive way, I imagined a new job and car, both of which are now a reality. I am much more positive and believe totally our thoughts create things and what we think we will attract to us.”

The power of positive thought is very strong. However, it was letting go of the old beliefs that she had created that provided the platform from which new beliefs could grow. And having beliefs that things could change, that the future was not controlled by the past or pre-destined, allowed her to start creating her own reality rather than just accepting ‘her lot.’

“Caroline you are an inspiration. Even throughout your own life challenges you have made time for myself and have turned my son’s life completely around. He was reluctant at first but was drawn back to you and I will be eternally grateful for how we now both are changing our lives.”