16/09/2026
💚CPTSD & Relationships - 3/3 💚
Where can Solution Focused Hypnotherapy fit?
If you've recognised yourself in Parts 1 and 2, you might be wondering:
"How do I actually change these patterns?"
Understanding where a pattern came from can be valuable.
But you don't always need to repeatedly revisit painful experiences in order to begin developing different ways of responding.
This is where a Solution Focused approach can be helpful.
Rather than focusing primarily on analysing everything that has happened in the past, Solution Focused Hypnotherapy looks at where you are now, where you want to go, and what you can begin doing differently.
🌿 Working with your nervous system
When you've experienced prolonged stress or trauma, your nervous system can sometimes remain on high alert even when you're safe in the present.
You might experience:
• Hypervigilance
• Anxiety or panic
• Racing thoughts
• Difficulty relaxing
• People pleasing
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Shutting down or withdrawing
Hypnotherapy uses focused attention, relaxation, imagery and therapeutic suggestion to help you practise different responses.
The aim isn't to force your body to relax.
It's to create opportunities to experience and practise a greater sense of calm and control.
1. Building a greater sense of calm
If your nervous system is used to being "on guard", relaxation can sometimes feel unfamiliar. Gentle relaxation, breathing, imagery and body awareness can help you notice what happens when your body begins to settle. Rather than forcing relaxation, the process can be gradual and collaborative. The goal is to build more choice in how you respond to stress.
2. Changing your relationship with the inner critic
Trauma can contribute to a harsh internal voice.
You may hear thoughts such as:
"I'm not good enough."
"It's always my fault."
"I have to keep everyone happy."
"I can't trust myself."
Solution Focused work can help you develop a more compassionate and useful internal dialogue, while strengthening awareness of your abilities, resources and progress.
The aim isn't to pretend difficult experiences didn't happen.
It's to give the present-day you a stronger, more supportive voice.
3. Responding differently to triggers
Hypnotherapy cannot erase memories or guarantee that triggers will disappear.
Instead, guided imagery and mental rehearsal can be used to practise responding differently to situations that currently create anxiety, overwhelm or hypervigilance.
For example, you might rehearse:
• Pausing rather than immediately reacting
• Communicating a need calmly
• Setting a boundary
• Staying grounded during disagreement
• Recognising when you're becoming overwhelmed
• Choosing a response rather than automatically falling into an old pattern
The focus becomes:
"What would I like to be able to do differently?"
4. Developing healthier boundaries
If you've spent years putting other people's needs before your own, healthy boundaries can initially feel uncomfortable.
You can practise:
• Saying no without excessive guilt
• Asking for what you need
• Recognising your own needs and preferences
• Allowing other people to have their own emotions
• Tolerating someone else's disappointment
• Remembering that keeping someone happy isn't your responsibility
Small changes can create more freedom and choice.
What about body-based work?
Some hypnotherapy sessions may incorporate gentle body awareness—noticing breathing, muscle tension, physical sensations and changes in arousal.
This isn't about forcing the body to "release stored trauma".
It's about becoming more aware of your body's signals and learning ways of responding to them with greater calm and curiosity.
A gentle, forward-focused approach
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy isn't about forcing you to relive painful experiences or digging into memories before you're ready.
It's about looking at what you want your life and relationships to feel like going forward, and helping you develop the resources and responses that support that future.
If you're experiencing significant trauma symptoms, PTSD or CPTSD, hypnotherapy together with CBT techniques can help.
If you'd like to explore whether Solution Focused Hypnotherapy could be a useful part of your support, contact Amanda at [email protected] for a free 20-minute consultation.
You can learn to respond differently.
