A traumatic experience may be over, but part of the mind and body can continue responding as though the danger is still present.
Memories, situations, sounds, physical sensations or unexpected reminders can trigger fear, distress or a need to escape. You may understand logically that you are safe while still experiencing reactions that feel automatic and beyond your conscious control.
I support people experiencing PTSD and trauma-related emotional responses using hypnotherapy, NLP, EFT and practical mindset techniques. Sessions are available in Reading, Didcot and online.
The purpose is not to erase your memory or pretend that something did not happen. What happened remains part of your history. The aim is to help reduce the distress attached to it, so the past no longer controls the present in the same way.
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What Is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder, usually called PTSD, is a mental-health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.
It may follow an assault, accident, abuse, bereavement, medical emergency, serious illness, natural disaster, combat experience or another situation involving intense fear, helplessness or danger.
Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. Some people recover naturally, while others continue experiencing distress long after the event. Symptoms may begin immediately or emerge months or even years later.
Only an appropriately qualified healthcare professional can diagnose PTSD. However, people can also experience significant trauma-related responses without having a formal diagnosis.
Common PTSD and Trauma Responses
PTSD does not affect everyone in exactly the same way. Common experiences may include:
- Intrusive memories or unwanted images
- Flashbacks or feeling as though the event is happening again
- Nightmares and disrupted sleep
- Avoiding places, people, conversations or activities
- Feeling constantly alert or on guard
- Being easily startled
- Irritability or sudden anger
- Emotional numbness or disconnection
- Difficulty trusting other people
- Problems concentrating
- Physical tension and exhaustion
- Feelings of guilt, shame or responsibility
- Anxiety or sudden fear
- Panic attacks
- Persistent low mood or depression
These responses are not signs of weakness. They are often the result of a protective system continuing to react after the original danger has passed.
Why Trauma Can Continue Affecting You
During a threatening experience, the mind and body prioritise survival. Your attention narrows, stress hormones are released and the nervous system prepares to fight, escape, freeze or protect you in another way.
Afterwards, reminders of the experience may reactivate that protective response. The trigger does not have to make complete logical sense. It might be a sound, smell, expression, location, date, bodily sensation or situation that shares something with the original event.
Understandably, people then try to avoid anything that might trigger the response. Avoidance can provide short-term relief, but it may also teach the mind that the reminder remains dangerous.
The person can become caught between unwanted memories and the effort required to avoid them. This can contribute to prolonged stress, disrupted sleep, withdrawal and constant overthinking.
How Hypnotherapy May Help
Hypnotherapy provides a calm, focused environment in which we can work with the automatic emotional responses connected to traumatic memories and triggers.
You remain aware, in control and able to stop at any time. You do not have to surrender control or be forced to describe every detail of what happened.
Depending on your circumstances, our work may involve:
- Reducing the intensity of emotional triggers
- Helping the nervous system recognise present-day safety
- Developing calmer responses to reminders
- Reducing hypervigilance and anticipatory fear
- Supporting more settled sleep
- Working with avoidance in a careful and appropriate way
- Reducing self-blame, shame or guilt and regret
- Rebuilding confidence and trust in your own responses
- Developing greater control over attention
- Helping you reconnect with ordinary activities and relationships
The objective is not to make you forget. It is to help the memory become something you can remember without being involuntarily pulled back into the original emotional response.
NLP, EFT and Other Approaches
I use an individual combination of Cognitive Hypnotherapy, NLP, EFT, EMIT and practical mindset work.
NLP can help us examine how the experience is being represented internally and how particular thoughts, meanings or triggers create emotional responses.
EFT uses focused attention and tapping techniques to help some people regulate emotional intensity. EMIT uses structured eye movements and attention to work with distressing emotional responses.
We may also work with your inner voice, particularly when trauma has left you blaming yourself, questioning your decisions or repeatedly asking what you should have done differently.
Elements of mindfulness can help you notice what is happening now without automatically being pulled into a past experience or a feared future.
No single method is right for everyone. I tailor the approach to your reactions, preferences, circumstances and ability to feel safe within the work.
Do I Have to Relive Everything?
No. Therapy does not need to involve repeatedly describing every painful detail or deliberately overwhelming yourself.
I need enough information to understand what is happening and what you want to change, but you remain in control of what you disclose. The work should be paced carefully rather than forced.
Some people need specialist trauma treatment through appropriately trained mental-health professionals. Established treatments for PTSD include trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and EMDR. Hypnotherapy, NLP and coaching may be used as complementary support where appropriate, but they are not replacements for necessary psychiatric, psychological or medical care.
Grief, Loss and Traumatic Experiences
Trauma and grief can overlap, particularly following a sudden death, accident, medical emergency or unexpected life change.
Grief itself is not a disorder. It is a human response to loss. However, traumatic circumstances can leave someone dealing with both the loss and disturbing memories of how it happened.
Where loss is central to what you are experiencing, you may also find my page on grief and bereavement helpful.
A Calm and Individual Approach
I have worked with anxiety, emotional distress, traumatic experiences and unwanted automatic responses for more than 18 years.
I do not use a standard script or assume that everyone should respond in the same way. We begin by understanding what is happening now, what triggers the response and what meaningful improvement would look like for you.
For one person, that might mean sleeping more peacefully. For another, it could mean travelling again, feeling safer in relationships, driving after an accident or being able to remember something without becoming overwhelmed.
Progress is individual. The focus remains on helping you feel safer, steadier and more able to live in the present.
Sessions in Reading, Didcot and Online
Appointments are available:
- In Reading from Monday to Friday
- In Didcot on Tuesdays
- Through online hypnotherapy using Zoom or Teams
Online sessions can be particularly helpful when travelling or entering an unfamiliar environment feels difficult.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can hypnotherapy erase a traumatic memory?
No. The objective is not to erase a memory. It is to reduce the automatic distress connected to it and help your mind recognise that the event is not happening now.
Will I have to describe everything that happened?
No. You decide what you disclose. I need enough information to understand the problem and work responsibly, but you will not be forced to recount every detail.
How many sessions will I need?
That varies according to the individual, the experience, current symptoms and whether other specialist support is involved. We can discuss this after understanding what is happening for you.
Can I have hypnotherapy alongside counselling or medical treatment?
Yes, where it is appropriate and the different forms of support work safely together. Please tell me about any current treatment before we begin.
Can you diagnose PTSD?
No. A PTSD diagnosis must come from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. I can support people with diagnosed PTSD and people experiencing trauma-related anxiety or automatic emotional responses.
Are online sessions available?
Yes. Sessions are available online as well as in person in Reading and Didcot.
Ready to Ask a Question?
If past experiences are continuing to affect your sleep, emotions, relationships or everyday life, you are welcome to ask a question before deciding whether to book.
We can briefly discuss what is happening, what you would like help with and whether my approach is appropriate for you.
Call 07807 540142 or Email today and working in-person and online
Book Your Session
Ask a Question
For online hypnotherapy for PTSD please do ask for details on how I can help you with this using on Zoom, Skype, Teams and other on-line technology
What is EFT?
EFT (emotional freedom technique) was developed by Gary Craig in the 1990’s and has it’s roots within acupuncture and kinesiology. EFT works by directly impacting on the body’s natural energy flow by tapping on the meridian points much like acupuncture and acupressure.
Some things to consider with EFT are that:
- It will often work on when nothing else will
- It is gentle, works quickly and is long lasting
- It can be easily learned by anyone
- It can be self applied
- No drugs or equipment are required
Important Information
Hypnotherapy, NLP, EFT and coaching are complementary approaches. They do not replace diagnosis, medication, trauma-focused psychotherapy or care from a GP, psychiatrist or appropriately qualified mental-health professional.
If you are experiencing severe distress, thoughts of harming yourself, suicidal thoughts or a mental-health crisis, seek urgent professional help through your GP or NHS 111. Call 999 or attend A&E if there is an immediate danger.
PTSD as defined by the NHS – HERE