Anxiety
Hypnotherapy for anxiety in Bristol
Anxiety is a natural part of being human—it’s your mind’s way of trying to protect you from danger. But when it becomes overwhelming, it can keep you stuck in cycles of worry, fear, and avoidance. For some, anxiety is linked to specific situations, like public speaking, exams, or big life events. For others, it’s more persistent - showing up in everyday life as social anxiety, generalised anxiety, or panic attacks. Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety completely (which isn’t possible or necessary), the key is to change your relationship with it so it no longer controls your life.
Using hypnosis, along with techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), I help you develop a healthier response to anxiety, allowing you to feel calmer, more in control, and free to engage fully in life.
How Hypnotherapy Can Help You Manage Anxiety
Hypnotherapy is an effective tool for reducing anxiety and building lasting resilience. It is a collaborative process - I’m here to guide you, but the real transformation happens as you practice between sessions. My goal is to equip you with tools that you can use long after therapy ends, so you feel empowered to manage anxiety on your own.
One of the most powerful techniques I teach all my clients is self-hypnosis. This allows you to reinforce the work we do together, helping you manage anxiety in daily life and build lasting resilience.
During our sessions, we will focus on what works best for you. Everyone experiences anxiety differently, so we’ll tailor each session to your needs. These are just some of the ways we might work together:
🔸 Create Space from Anxious Thoughts - Instead of being trapped by overthinking, you’ll learn to observe your thoughts with greater flexibility, reducing their power over you.
🔸 Regulate Your Nervous System & Emotions - Anxiety often stems from an overactive fight-or-flight response. Using hypnosis, breathwork, and relaxation techniques, we’ll help calm your nervous system and manage emotional overwhelm with ease.
🔸 Build Resilience & Self-Compassion - With CFT-based techniques, we’ll help you cultivate a kinder inner voice, so you can navigate anxiety without self-criticism.
🔸 Create a Felt Sense of Safety - Through hypnosis and relaxation techniques, we’ll help shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight mode, reducing automatic fear responses.
🔸 Break the Fear of Anxiety Itself - Anxiety about feeling anxious can create a vicious cycle. Together, we’ll work on shifting this response so anxiety loses its grip.
🔸 Reduce Avoidance & Safety Behaviors - While avoidance provides temporary relief, it reinforces anxiety in the long run. We’ll gently challenge these behaviors, allowing you to build true confidence.
🔸 Use Systematic Desensitisation - By gradually imagining anxiety-provoking situations while staying calm, we’ll retrain your brain’s response, making real-life experiences easier.
🔸 Develop Psychological Flexibility - We’ll help you move towards your values and goals, even in the presence of anxiety, using ACT techniques.
Anxiety isn’t something to fight—it’s a natural response that has become overactive. By working with your mind and body, rather than against them, you can develop greater ease and confidence in daily life.
How Many Sessions Will You Need?
The number of sessions needed varies:
🔸Short-term anxieties (e.g., exam stress, wedding nerves) may only need up to 4 sessions in addition to the initial consultation
🔸Persistent anxiety (GAD, social anxiety, panic disorder) typically benefits from at least 4 sessions beyond the initial consultation, allowing us to address different aspects of the issue. After these initial sessions, we’ll review your progress. You may choose to continue with additional sessions, take a break to practice the techniques on your own, or book occasional top-up sessions when needed for ongoing support.
Your First Steps to Feeling Better
I know that reaching out for help can feel daunting. That’s why I’ve made it as easy as possible for you to take the first step. The video below is a chance for you to meet me before you even make the first contact, and I'm also offering a freebie to get the ball rolling in helping you reduce anxiety.
💡 FREE Turning Around Anxiety Workbook – A helpful guide with practical exercises to start reducing anxiety today.
What’s included in the FREE Turning Around Anxiety Workbook:
🔸Short imagination experiment audio
🔸Video on focusing your mind in a positive direction
🔸Simple tasks to help you help you shift from anxiety to control
Please enter your name and email address to receive your FREE Turning Around Anxiety Workbook.
Ready to take control of your anxiety?
If you're ready to make a change, I'm here to help. Get in touch to discuss how hypnotherapy can work for you.
Email: info@bristolhypnotherapy.co.uk
Call or text: 07851 307 062
Book a free 15-minute chat: Click here