Amanda contacted me after years of struggling with eating and was wondering if hypnotherapy could help with her difficulty in swallowing. It was steadily getting worse to the point she was genuinely fearful for the future. She was aware that it was not physical as she could eat breakfast with relative ease (always eating the same thing). Lunch was more of an issue. But by dinner time, eating had become a huge source of stress.
She had experienced something similar in her early 20s but her GP had been very dismissive. Over time, the symptoms had resolved on their own. This time, she was aware that this was not going away and she had to do something about it. She thought hypnotherapy may help.
Another big motivator for her was the fear of passing the behaviour on to her two children. She had started to notice one of her children also starting to struggle at dinner times.
Amanda had just two sessions which were both conducted online. The first is what I call the chemistry session which is designed to help clients decide if my approach works for them. It is a slow start but facilitates a quicker finish.
We then did just one therapeutic session where several memories popped up of having choked on sweets as a child. We used one simple but powerful therapeutic technique under hypnosis that allowed Amanda’s mind to recognise that whilst the risk was real at the time, that time has passed and no longer posed a threat.
Amanda also received a personalised recording that she could use to further embed the therapeutic work we did in the session.
When following up with Amanda just a few days after the second session she was ‘delighted’ with the results. Meals were now enjoyable and she was embracing her love of food.
Hypnotherapy is a powerful form of therapy and time and time again, can help resolve issues that have been detracting from people’s quality of life in a very short period of time.
If you are experiencing something that is detracting from your enjoyment of life, let’s chat
I have a strong belief that the body and mind need to be on the same page for full health. And this is never more true than when someone is trying to conceive and experiencing unexplained infertility.
The story below comes from a lovely lady who had been trying for some time to conceive. She was visualising her life with a baby, created vision boards with all the lovely things that she would buy, but still no baby. We had one session together and her story, in her own words, goes like this…
“My husband and I had been trying to conceive for several months without luck. It was really starting to get me down. I confided in a friend that even though I was desperate for a baby, I was also feeling stressed and overwhelmed in my business. I was worried how on earth I’d manage to juggle a baby as well. She suggested this was why I was not conceiving.
I spoke to Caroline, a hypnotherapist in Salisbury, and aside from working on the key issues of stress and anxiety we focused on conception for a short time at the end of the session. After the session I felt so much more relaxed. Things which would have added stress previously didn’t bother me. I continued to use some of the visualisation techniques we’d used in the session, particularly after intercourse. I couldn’t believe it when just a few weeks later I took a pregnancy test and it was positive!
After months of negative tests it felt like magic! I’m certain it wasn’t a coincidence and that feeling more relaxed and less worried about my business definitely released a lot of tension from my body.
When we were trying to conceive so many friends had said- ‘it will happen when you’re relaxed about it.’ Any woman who has been in the position of having several months of negative pregnancy tests will understand that that does not lead to a feeling of relaxation about the issue, it only makes you more anxious and worried that something might be wrong. The hypnosis finally helped me to let go of the tension I was holding and the mental anxiety I was harbouring about how to juggle family life with my business. I could literally see a way for the two to work together harmoniously and I feel like I have a really clear vision to work towards. It really feels like hypnotherapy was a key that unlocked something inside me.”
And one of the things I love about what my clients learn though the hypnotherapy we do here in Salisbury is that it helps them in other areas of their lives. Her story continues…
“I’m more relaxed about my workload. Instead of panicking about how to get it all done, or feeling overwhelmed I know I’m in control of it. And if the feelings do come back I have strategies to bring back the feelings of calm. And I’m pregnant!!
In addition, I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you Caroline! I was starting to just feel so depressed every month with another negative pregnancy test again. It feels like magic that I had only one hypnosis session, did some visualising and was able to fall pregnant just weeks afterwards, but I know it wasn’t. You were able to bring out of me some of the best qualities about myself which had somehow got lost in the midst of all the anxiety and stress of running a business. You’ve helped me to see how my life can be, without stress, a clear and realistic vision to work towards.
Thank you!!!”
Kath had one child and had had been trying to give her a sibling for over 6 years. Not only had no sibling appeared but she had actually stopped ovulating. There was no physiological reason the doctor’s could find for the infertility and she was put forward for IVF. But there was a long wait. At her whits end, she decided to try hypnotherapy.
Her story, in her own words
“Prior to having ICSI treatment, I commenced a course of hypnotherapy with Caroline Cavanagh.
Caroline used time line therapy, with the aim of identifying the possible cause of my infertility. During the initial session it became clearly evident that when I was aged five there were several traumatic incidents. These were predominantly related to starting school and my mother giving birth to my second brother, releasing feelings of fear and insecurity. Other incidents that came to light were an issue of bullying at nursery school and a week long hospital stay, during which time I only saw my parents once a day.
I found the treatment very relaxing and was reassured that I was completely aware of my surroundings and in control at all times.
Following the sessions I was very relaxed and slept well afterwards, although I had quite vivid dreams.
Caroline gave me exercises to do regarding bonding and strengthening the relationship between me now and me aged five. I felt this helped relieve a lot of internal anxiety and also improved my confidence socially.
Shortly after commencing our work together, I started ovulating again.
When I commenced my ICSI treatment I felt quietly confident that it would work. I was also surprised at how calm I felt throughout the treatment and that I didn’t experience any physical side effects.
I am now 36 weeks pregnant and can’t wait to meet my baby.”
Lesley was facing fer fifth diagnosis of cancer. This time it was potentially terminal. She wanted to know if hypnotherapy could help her cancer.
These words have come directly from her.
“I have known Caroline in a professional capacity for 10 years. Caroline has a wonderful trait – integrity. In everything that she undertakes she approaches it with sincerity, professionalism, honesty, decency and truthfulness.
In 2012 I had a personal crisis related to my health. I was in deep despair and felt that I needed to help myself deal with my illness both physically and mentally.
I had had clinical hypnosis about 5 years ago – through someone I had researched on the internet – to give up chocolate. That worked and still does – so I believed that Caroline could help me to help myself.
I had around 6 sessions during 2012/13. My medical prognosis was not good and I was at an all time low mentally. Caroline helped me to manage this very difficult period in my life. Her skills enabled me to find the way forward and now all I can say that I have exceeded my medical prognosis and I am in good health, leading a full and active and very happy life.
I’m not one to gush – but I really could not have coped without Caroline’s input. She facilitated my medical outcome by working with me under hypnosis. I have an awful lot to thank her for and words just don’t seem to be enough.
If you are at a crossroads in your life – physically or mentally, you have the power within YOU to change. Caroline can help make that happen.”
If you are facing a medical challenge, hypnotherapy may help alongside traditional treatment. The mind is powerful and when you direct it, the results can be phenomenal. If you are curious, let’s chat.
Caroline had suffered from asthma from an early age and had been hospitalised with it a number of times. She could not leave the house without having an inhaler with her. It had got to a stage where finding that she was without an inhaler would instantly result in her starting to wheeze. She wanted to know if hypnotherapy could help her asthma and reduce her reliance on ventolin.
Here is her story.
“I could understand why I could get wheezy when rushing about but I hated being so reliant on having a ventolin with me all the time. But I would panic and start wheezing and realised one was empty or there was not one in my coat pocket.
I had read a bit on using suggestions in hypnosis but didn’t think hypnotherapy could help with asthma. Imagine my surprise when visiting Caroline, a hypnotherapist in Salisbury started talking to me about anger! I didn’t consider myself an angry person but the more I thought about it, the more I realised I did have a pretty short fuse.
In the sessions we went back to things in my childhood and I realised that my dad had pushed me really hard to be successful. As an adult I could see that he was trying to live his life through me. He wanted deflected glory from my success. I had bottled up all this resentment at being made to do things I didn’t want to do as a child.”
“It was a very emotional experience but the difference I felt at the end of the session was amazing. I genuinely felt lighter as if a weight had been lifted. It was still tricky to go out without an inhaler close by at first but it didn’t take long to notice that I wasn’t using it. Slowly the confidence grew and I increasingly left the inhalers behind.
I also noticed that I just felt calmer. There is a much longer fuse before I ‘blow’ and my relationship with my Dad also changed for the better. I used to go through a ventolin about every 6 weeks. It has now been over a year since I went to the GP for a repeat prescription.
It’s hard to comprehend how an emotion I had unknowingly bottled up could have such a physical impact. However, the evidence is undeniable.
I suspect the boundaries for how hypnotherapy can help reduce illnesses are almost limitless and have encouraged lots of people to now look at alternatives to just keep taking drugs.”