Solution Focused Hypnotherapy in Nottingham: What is it and how could it help?

If you’ve been searching for support with anxiety, stress, poor sleep or menopause, you might be wondering whether Solution Focused Hypnotherapy could help you. If you’re looking for hypnotherapy in Nottingham or online across the UK, you might also be curious about what happens in a session and whether it’s right for you

Perhaps you’re worrying about all sorts of things, going over conversations in your head, or finding that your brain just won’t switch off when you want it to. Maybe you’re not sleeping particularly well, your confidence has taken a bit of a knock, or you’re just not feeling quite yourself at the moment.

If you’ve never experienced hypnotherapy before, you might be curious about how it all works. And you might have a few questions, too. Will I be in control? Do I have to talk about my past? What does hypnosis actually feel like?

I thought I’d explain a little more about the approach I use and what you can expect if you come and see me.

I’m Katie, a Solution Focused Clinical Hypnotherapist and Transformative Life Coach based in Cotgrave, Nottingham, where I offer face-to-face Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. I also work with clients online across the UK.

So, what is Solution Focused Hypnotherapy?

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is a practical, forward-focused approach which combines talking therapy with deep guided relaxation, alongside an understanding of how the brain works.

I know the word hypnotherapy can sometimes conjure up some interesting images!

Perhaps someone swinging a pocket watch in front of you, being put into a trance or somehow losing control and being made to cluck like a chicken!

That’s the sort of thing you might see in stage hypnosis, but it’s not what happens in my sessions. You’re not asleep. Instead, you’re in a deeply relaxed, focused state, and you’re in control throughout.

We spend time talking about what’s happening for you now, what you’d like to be different and where you’d like to get to. We then use deep guided relaxation to help reinforce the changes you’re working towards.

One of the things I particularly like about Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is that we don’t spend all our time looking backwards. It’s much more about where you want to go.

That might mean feeling less anxious, sleeping better, managing stress more effectively, feeling more confident or simply feeling more like yourself again.

How does Solution Focused Hypnotherapy work?

One of the things I find really helpful about this approach is understanding a little more about how our brains work.

We have an intellectual part of our brain which helps us think things through, make decisions, solve problems and see the bigger picture.

Then we have what we call our primitive brain, which has a very different job. It’s there to keep us safe and is constantly looking out for potential threats.

When it spots something it thinks could be a problem, it can trigger our stress response. That’s incredibly useful when there’s a genuine danger to deal with, but it doesn’t always get the balance quite right!

When we’re experiencing ongoing stress, anxiety or overwhelm, our primitive brain can become more active. We might find ourselves worrying about things that haven’t happened, replaying conversations, imagining everything that could go wrong or finding it difficult to switch off.

And when we’re in that heightened state, it can be much harder for our intellectual brain to do what it normally does so well.

Understanding what’s happening can be really helpful because rather than wondering “Why am I like this?”, we can start to understand that there’s a reason your brain is responding in this way. And then we can start working on changing those patterns.

This is where neuroplasticity comes in. Our brains are capable of changing and creating new pathways throughout our lives. We learn through repetition, so the more we practise a different way of thinking or responding, the more familiar that pathway can become.

It’s not about simply telling yourself to think positively. It’s about helping your brain develop some different options.

What does hypnosis actually feel like?

This is something I’m often asked about.

Hypnosis isn’t being unconscious or asleep. You’re still aware of what’s happening and you can hear me throughout the relaxation.

In fact, it’s a feeling that most of us experience naturally.

You know when you’re driving somewhere familiar and suddenly realise you’ve arrived without really remembering every part of the journey? Or when you’re sitting with a cuppa, looking out of the window and completely lose track of time? You’re just feeling nicely relaxed and absorbed in the moment.

The relaxation part of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is a little like that. I’ll guide you through the process and use imagery and suggestions to help reinforce the changes you’re working towards.

Will I be in control?

Absolutely. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about hypnotherapy.

You’re aware of what’s happening throughout the session. You can hear me, move if you need to and choose how you engage with the process. I can’t make you do something you don’t want to do.

And for me, that’s really important because I don’t do the work to you. We do it together.

You’re an active part of the process and my role is to help you understand what’s happening, give you some tools and support you as you make the changes you want to make.

Do I have to talk about my past?

No, you don’t.

Your past is part of your story, and we can acknowledge that without spending session after session going over difficult experiences.

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is very much about looking forward. We’ll talk about what’s happening for you now and what you’d like to be different, but you don’t have to relive difficult experiences in order to move forward.

Instead, we can focus on what you’d like your future to look like and the small, meaningful steps that might help you get there.

And I think that’s one of the things people find refreshing about this approach.

What can Solution Focused Hypnotherapy help with?

People come to see me for lots of different reasons. I particularly support people experiencing anxiety and overthinking, stress and overwhelm, sleep difficulties, and low confidence and self-esteem.

I also work with people experiencing low mood and depression, fears and phobias, and challenges associated with midlife and menopause. I offer support for people living with chronic and persistent pain too.

Whatever has brought you here, you might know exactly what you’d like help with, or you might simply know that something needs to change but aren’t quite sure where to start.
You don’t necessarily need to have a neat label for what’s going on. Sometimes you just know you don’t feel like yourself and you’d like to feel different. And that’s OK.

A little about me

Before becoming a hypnotherapist, I spent more than 20 years working in HR, much of that in senior corporate roles. Somewhere along the way, I’d lost my confidence, my sense of purpose and my passion for the work I was doing.

I was already on a journey of self-discovery and had qualified as a Transformative Life Coach in 2023. During this time, I experienced anxiety, stress and overwhelm. After a couple of years of counselling, I decided to try hypnotherapy.

The difference it made was life changing. It helped calm my mind enough for me to think more clearly about what I wanted from life. I began to realise that I didn’t want to continue in a corporate HR role and that I wanted to do something that felt more meaningful to me.

That experience led me to train in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, graduating in January 2025. I loved learning more about how our brains work, why we sometimes get stuck in unhelpful patterns and how we can begin to change them. I was particularly drawn to the practical, forward-focused approach and the emphasis on recognising what’s already working and taking small, meaningful steps towards a different future. To me, it felt like I’d come home.

I still experience anxiety, particularly when life gets stressful, but I understand it much better now and I’m very good at managing it. I know what helps me, and I’m much better equipped to deal with those anxious feelings when they arise.

That’s a big part of why I love what I do. I know from my own experience how much of a difference it can make when you understand what’s happening in your brain and learn ways to manage things differently. I want to help other people find their own inner freedom from what’s holding them back, so they can feel calmer, clearer and more confident in their own lives.

What happens when you come to see me?

If you’ve never had hypnotherapy before, it’s completely understandable to feel a little unsure about what happens when you first get in touch.

That’s why I offer a free, no-obligation 45-minute initial consultation.

It’s simply a chance for us to have a chat. We’ll talk about what’s brought you to me, what you’d like to change and what you’re hoping to get from our work together.

I’ll explain how Solution Focused Hypnotherapy works and answer any questions you have. It’s also an opportunity for you to get to know me and decide whether my approach feels right for you.

There’s no pressure to decide whether you’d like to continue. If we decide we’d like to work together, sessions are usually weekly or fortnightly, depending on what feels right for you and what you’re working towards.

You’ll also have a relaxation recording to listen to between sessions, because I want you to have something you can use in your own time to support the work we’re doing together.

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy in Nottingham

I’m based in Cotgrave, Nottingham, where I offer face-to-face Solution Focused Hypnotherapy from my private therapy room, as well as online sessions via Zoom.

I work with people from Cotgrave and surrounding areas, including West Bridgford, Gamston, Ruddington, Keyworth, Radcliffe-on-Trent and Bingham.

My therapy room is a calm, private space where you can take some time for yourself and focus on what you’d like to change.

And if travelling to Cotgrave isn’t practical, online sessions mean we can work together wherever you are in the UK.

Could Solution Focused Hypnotherapy be right for you?

Maybe you know exactly what you’d like help with.

Maybe you’ve been struggling with anxiety, stress, sleep or confidence for a while. Or perhaps you simply have a feeling that something needs to change and you’re not quite sure where to start.

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you get in touch, that’s something we can work through together.

I know that sometimes the hardest part is taking that first step, whether that’s sending an email or WhatsApp message, or picking up the phone. My approach is gentle and relaxed, and I’d like you to feel comfortable asking questions and talking about what’s going on for you.

If you’re looking for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy in Nottingham, I’d be very happy to have a chat and see whether my approach might be right for you.

You can arrange a free, no-obligation initial consultation by contacting me at katie@katiedeacon.co.uk and we can take it from there.