By Rachel Kinney, Hypnotherapist & Psychotherapist at Acorn2oak Hypnotherapy
As a Solution-Focused Hypnotherapist, I have the privilege of supporting people through many different challenges.
I have worked with clients seeking help for issues such as anxiety, phobias, weight management, migraines, IBS, depression, skin conditions, pain management, endometriosis, sleep difficulties, cancer support and confidence building. While their concerns may differ, each person arrives with one powerful thing in common: the decision that they are ready for change.
Choosing to make a change in your life takes courage. It can feel daunting to reach out for support, and I deeply respect the bravery it takes for clients to take that first step. Being trusted to guide someone through that process is something I never take for granted. In many cases, the journey toward positive change becomes one of the most empowering decisions a person makes for themselves.
One client who particularly stayed with me was a 17-year-old boy called Max, who had been diagnosed with chronic spontaneous idiopathic urticaria. His symptoms were so severe that the condition had become completely debilitating. He had been forced to leave sixth form college, stop playing football and withdraw from spending time with his friends. Even sleep had become almost impossible because the symptoms were so intense and distressing. In many ways, the condition had turned his own home into a kind of prison.
During one of our early conversations, I asked whether the sensation felt similar to prickly heat – I remembered experiencing that myself once while on holiday. Max explained that it was far more severe. He described it as feeling like boiling water being poured over his skin from head to toe. Hearing that description made it clear just how overwhelming and distressing the experience must have been.
At the start of our work together, I wasn’t entirely sure how much hypnotherapy would be able to help with such a challenging condition. However, one of the reassuring aspects of the approach I use is that it carries no harmful side effects. Because of that, I felt confident that while we explored ways to support Max, the process itself would be safe and certainly would not make his situation worse.
At the start of each session, Max would share what had gone well since we last met. Our focus was always on his strengths – what he could already do and how life might look if he felt even slightly better. Over just two months of weekly sessions, the small changes he put in place gradually moved him closer to the future he wanted.
By session seven, Max arrived with exciting news: he felt cured. For the first time in eight months, he had slept through the night without his skin condition disturbing him. As the sessions helped his nervous system recognise that he was safe, his body was able to rest and reset, and his symptoms began to fade naturally.
A couple of months after our final session, Max messaged to say he had started an apprenticeship and passed his driving test. It was wonderful to see him moving forward and achieving his goals.
Acorn2oak Hypnotherapy was the recipient of a special Enterprise Accelerator grant of £500 from Warrington Chamber Plus. Find out more about Enterprise Accelerator here.
If you’re curious about how hypnotherapy could help you or someone you know, I offer a complimentary discovery call to explore whether this approach might support you. Get in touch via my website or email to begin your journey.
07903 152222
rachel@acorn2oakhypnotherapy.co.uk
acorn2oakhypnotherapy.co.uk