Depression
Depression is more than feeling low for a few days. It can affect your sleep, appetite, energy, concentration and ability to enjoy things. It is a medical condition, so it deserves a proper assessment.
Please speak to your GP first. NHS talking therapies and, where appropriate, medication are the recommended routes. Simple Hypnotherapy is not a depression service, but some people find supportive counselling or relaxation helpful alongside their medical care, for example to ease stress or help with sleep.
Anger Management
Anger is a normal emotion. It becomes a problem when it feels out of control, damages relationships or leaves you full of regret. Sessions using NLP, Hypnotherapy and Counselling can help you spot the early warning signs, understand what tends to set you off and practise calmer ways to respond.
If anger involves violence or threats towards others, or anyone feels unsafe at home, a specialist service is the right place to start. Your GP can advise, and in an emergency you should call 999.
Trauma and PTSD
It's common to feel shaken for a while after a frightening or distressing experience. When flashbacks, nightmares, feeling constantly on edge or avoiding reminders don't ease with time, this may be post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
PTSD needs specialist assessment and treatment. NICE recommends trauma-focused therapies, such as trauma-focused CBT and EMDR, delivered by trained clinicians. Your GP can refer you, or in England you can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies. Simple Hypnotherapy does not offer specialist trauma therapy, so supportive Counselling or relaxation would only be considered alongside that care, and only where it is clearly safe.
OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts and repeated behaviours or mental rituals. These can take up a lot of time and cause real distress, and OCD is a recognised mental health condition.
Please speak to your GP about an assessment. The recommended treatment is CBT with exposure and response prevention (ERP), sometimes alongside medication. Simple Hypnotherapy does not offer OCD therapy. Relaxation or Counselling may help some people with general stress, but only alongside specialist care.
How you handle nerves, focus and self-talk can make a real difference, both in competition and when you're studying. NLP can help with goal-setting and more confident self-talk. Hypnotherapy can be used for relaxed mental rehearsal, a technique many athletes and performers already use.
Sessions work alongside coaching, training and study rather than replacing them, and better results can't be promised. If concentration or learning is a long-standing struggle, your school, university or GP can advise on assessment and support.
Addictions
Addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling or other behaviours can affect every part of life. Stopping some substances suddenly can also be medically dangerous.
Please speak to your GP or a specialist addiction service first. They can assess your needs safely and offer evidence-based treatment. Simple Hypnotherapy does not provide addiction services, although our stop smoking page explains the support available for giving up cigarettes. Free, confidential help is also available through the NHS, Alcoholics Anonymous and GamCare.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder are serious mental health conditions, and they can also affect physical health.
Please speak to your GP as soon as you can, because early specialist help really matters. The charity Beat offers confidential helplines and information. Simple Hypnotherapy does not work with eating disorders, and our weight management support is not suitable for anyone who has, or may have, an eating disorder.
Car Sickness
Motion sickness is a physical response to mixed signals from the eyes and inner ear, so it isn't 'all in the mind'. For some people, though, worrying about feeling sick adds a layer of anxiety that makes every journey harder.
Where travel anxiety plays a part, Hypnotherapy and relaxation techniques may help you feel calmer before and during a journey. A pharmacist can advise on travel sickness remedies, and you should see your GP if symptoms are severe or new.
Relaxation
You don't need a 'problem' to benefit from learning to relax. Many people simply want time set aside to unwind, or practical skills for switching off. Hypnotherapy offers guided deep relaxation, and Reiki is a quiet, restful experience. EFT and simple breathing techniques can be used anywhere once you've learned them.
Night Terrors
Night terrors happen during deep sleep. The person may scream, thrash about or look terrified, yet usually remembers nothing afterwards. They are most common in children, who often grow out of them. They differ from nightmares, which are vivid bad dreams that people usually recall.
Speak to your GP if night terrors are frequent, start in adulthood, put anyone at risk of injury or come with other symptoms. Where stress or poor sleep seem to play a part, relaxation-based sessions may help some adults alongside medical advice.
Personal Relationships
Relationships with partners, family, friends and colleagues shape how we feel day to day. Repeated arguments, finding it hard to say no or feeling unheard can all be painful. Counselling sessions give you space to explore what's happening, and NLP perspective exercises can help you see a situation from other angles and say what you mean more clearly.
If you are experiencing abuse or feel unsafe in a relationship, contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247, or call 999 in an emergency.
Couples and Relationship Difficulties
Couples sometimes look for support when communication has broken down, after a difficult event, or when the same argument keeps coming back. Sessions can offer a neutral space where each of you can talk and be heard. If you'd like couples sessions, please mention it when you get in touch so the arrangements can be discussed.
Specialist relationship counselling services, such as Relate, are another option. Couples sessions are not appropriate where there is abuse or coercive control.
Intimacy Concerns and Sexual Difficulties
Difficulties with intimacy or sex are common, and they can affect both confidence and relationships. The causes may be physical, emotional or both, so a GP check is an important first step. Many sexual difficulties have a medical cause that can be treated.
Where anxiety, stress or confidence play a part, discreet Counselling or Hypnotherapy may help some people feel more relaxed. For specialist help, your GP can refer you to a psychosexual service.
Chronic Pain and Arthritis
Living with long-term pain, including arthritis, can be exhausting and isolating. Stress and poor sleep often make pain feel harder to cope with.
Relaxation-based Hypnotherapy and Reiki may help some people feel calmer and cope a little better alongside their medical care, but they do not change the underlying condition. Keep following the advice of your GP, specialist or pain clinic, and seek medical advice about any new or worsening pain.
IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause pain, bloating and changes in bowel habit, and symptoms often get worse at stressful times. NICE guidance says psychological interventions, including hypnotherapy, may be considered for some people whose IBS has not improved with other treatments.
IBS should always be diagnosed by a doctor, because its symptoms overlap with other conditions. If you have a diagnosis and are interested in Hypnotherapy for the stress-related side of IBS, talk it over with your GP. Seek medical advice promptly about weight loss, bleeding or any change in symptoms.
Menstrual Problems
Painful or heavy periods, PMS and related symptoms can have a big effect on daily life. A GP or gynaecologist should assess them, as some causes need medical treatment.
Some people find relaxation techniques help them manage stress and tension around their cycle. Sessions are not a treatment for menstrual conditions and should only be used alongside medical advice.
Allergies, Hay Fever, Asthma, Indigestion and Stomach Ulcers
These are physical conditions that need medical diagnosis and treatment. Simple Hypnotherapy does not offer help for the conditions themselves, and complementary therapies cannot cure allergies, asthma or ulcers. Follow your doctor's advice, and never stop prescribed treatment such as inhalers or medicines.
Living with any long-term condition can be stressful. Some people find that general relaxation or stress-management support helps them feel calmer day to day, and that can sit alongside your medical care.
