ANXIETY AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

I have a special interest in helping people manage anxiety and stress so they can live a life they enjoy, with positive ways of coping with life’s ups and downs.

Through my:
  • Hypnotherapy training and practice
  • Pharmacist training and practice
  • Psychology degree studies
  • Training as an Anxiety UK Approved Therapist
…I have gained extensive knowledge and experience in helping people manage anxiety and stress.

Understanding Stress

Most people experience stress at some point. Stress is a normal response of the body to a threat, designed to energise you and help you take action. This is known as the fight/flight/freeze response – a survival mechanism that allows rapid reaction to life-threatening situations.
However, the body can overreact to non-life-threatening stresses such as:
  • Traffic jams
  • Work pressure
  • Family difficulties

Stress can be both good and bad:
  • Good stress motivates you to focus, accomplish tasks, and perform well
  • Chronic or overwhelming stress can harm both physical and mental health. Small daily stresses can accumulate, creating a persistent feeling of stress

Understanding Anxiety

Unlike stress, anxiety can linger even after the problem is resolved.
Anxiety may be:
  • Rooted in a past experience
  • Triggered by a specific situation or activity
  • Generalised, with no apparent cause

Physical Symptoms
  • Faster, irregular, or noticeable heartbeat
  • Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
  • Headaches
  • Chest pains
  • Loss of appetite
Mental Symptoms
  • Feeling tense or nervous
  • Difficulty relaxing
  • Worrying about past or future
  • Feeling tearful
  • Trouble sleeping
Behavioural Changes
  • Not enjoying leisure time
  • Difficulty looking after yourself
  • Problems concentrating at work
  • Struggling in relationships
  • Worry about trying new things
Often, anxiety manifests as:
  • Racing heart
  • Feeling jittery
  • Difficulty focusing
  • Panic attacks

Types of Anxiety

Some diagnosable forms include:
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Social anxiety
  • Performance anxiety
  • Panic disorders
  • Phobias

How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Helps

During our sessions, I help you to:
  • Understand how your brain and thoughts create anxiety
  • Learn to change unhelpful thought patterns
  • Gain a greater understanding of anxiety
  • Move towards a healthier, happier you

Solution Focused Approach

We will:
  • Talk about how you want life to be and how you want to feel
  • Create a personalised plan with small, achievable steps toward your preferred future 
  • Explore the chemicals your body produces that help you feel calm, confident, and happy
  • Learn how to generate a steady flow of these chemicals for a more balanced life

Talking Therapy

I will ask specific, solution-focused questions to:
  • Challenge negative, unhelpful thinking patterns
  • Rewire your brain to react in a positive, calm, and helpful way
  • Identify changes that help you achieve your goals and become the person you want to be

Hypnosis

Each session after the initial consultation includes hypnosis. This is a deeply relaxing and enjoyable state where your mind can focus on positive solutions.
  • Hypnosis works at a subconscious level, helping you develop new, healthier responses to life’s challenges

Relaxation and Coping Tools

You will learn relaxation and coping techniques to use in everyday life, building your personal anxiety management ‘toolkit’.
  • Includes a FREE relaxation download

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy puts you back in control so you can enjoy your life again.

 
”I definitely recommend Caroline. She helped me with my anxiety, issues with my appearance as well as my phobia for needles. I now know how to cope with my anxiety, feel more confident in situations I previously struggled with and have also had 6 travel injections without crying or panic attacks!! Caroline made me feel at ease and more relaxed with every session, thank you so much!" SF (Plymouth)
 
"After trying, unsuccessfully for quite a while, to overcome my negative issues, I found Caroline’s help of great benefit.  She is very encouraging and open to looking at problems and their causes with a positive and fresh approach. Each step is explained and discussed clearly. I now feel a much stronger and more positive person, able to deal with my issues, using the techniques she has given me. It’s been a very beneficial experience and I’ve learnt to take control and relax again." DT (Plymouth)
 
"Having suffered for a while from anxiety related to my upcoming driving test, I decided to try hypnotherapy. Caroline took the time to call me and explain what it was, how it worked, and the benefits of it. Because I got such a good feeling from this initial consultation, I decided to go ahead and give it a try. Unlike any other therapy I have ever experienced, Caroline focused on the positives, making me feel uplifted and happy after each session. Instead of labelling me as "suffering from low self-esteem" or "depressed", she made me feel like a normal person who needed help overcoming one of life's stresses. She helped me gain confidence in my own abilities, and to overcome the overwhelming nervousness I felt when thinking about my test. I ended up passing first time with only two minors. 
In the past, I feel as though therapists didn't really seem to care about my situation. I have been put on waiting lists for months or been told that my full-time job would be a problem because they only work school hours. Caroline was extremely accommodating and managed to work around my busy schedule, which was so helpful. I could not recommend her more!" MH (Plymouth)