How to recover from trauma with hypnotherapy

“I went to see Sally feeling insecure, weak and, really, I wasn’t in a good place. I was just faking it and wasn’t able to move on. Now I am not faking anything. I am in a much better place, ready to live fully again, without the fear.”

These are the words of a recent client, Louise, who came to me with PTSD. Her story follows below. 

Repsonses to trauma can differ

Trauma can be caused by events large or small, and even seemingly insignificant at the time. Our mind’s fight or flight response can be triggered by a single event, and kick in every time it’s reminded of that event, regardless of how firmly your logical mind tells you there’s nothing to worry about, much less react so strongly to.

Often, we carry a trauma that has repercussions our entire life, but would struggle to recognise what that trauma was, and even more to express it. Other times, we know exactly what caused the trauma and why we’re still carrying it with us.

Responses to trauma can vary dramatically from person to person, and no one individual is the same as the next. 

Louise, from Wilmslow, came to me when she realised trying to get her life fully back on track after breast cancer treatment was never going to happen if she didn’t address the trauma that was holding her back. Working together, we addressed not only the more immediate traumatic experience, but tracked back to an earlier event she’d held on to for years, in her subconscious, never really recognising the power it still held over her. 

Today, she’s lighter, brighter and moving on with positivity and renewed energy. Here’s her story.

Louise’s story: healing from trauma with hypnotherapy

In 2024 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and started on a long and arduous treatment protocol that included a lumpectomy and later a mastectomy. I approached the first surgery with positivity, after all this was something the surgeons did all the time and they were very relaxed about it, so I went in feeling fine. It wasn’t until I woke up that I realised it was a much bigger deal than I had expected. I was in a huge amount of pain and hadn’t realised how traumatised I was by it all until I started crying.

After the surgery the skin on my chest wall was super-sensitive; I couldn’t bear to touch it, so I didn’t. Even the touch of fabric against my skin was incredibly painful. My physio told me that if I didn’t address it, by repeated touch, it would become a much bigger problem, but I wanted to ignore it, so I did. This was sitting at the centre of my whole breast cancer experience and I was ignoring it.

It, of course, didn’t go away. My expectation of pain was so embedded that I couldn’t touch my skin, even though the actual pain wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. It was more in my head than it was physical. Because I couldn’t, wouldn’t, touch, or allow touch, my physio was unable to help me heal as I should have done and I ended up with a frozen shoulder – and more surgery.

I was stuck, both physically and mentally

I have always valued my mental health as much as my physical health and knew I needed to break the cycle of my traumatic response to something that was mostly in my head. A friend recommended I see Sally, explaining to me a little about how she works. I was intrigued. I have never known anybody before who had seen a hypnotherapist, but I gave her a call and after our chat felt that she could really help me.

At our first session we spent time discussing a lot of things around my life and my cancer experience. She understood not only the ‘touch equals pain’ issue, but could see how the trauma linked back to the lumpectomy, how it had been minimised by the surgeons and how because I was unprepared for the reality, this created, effectively, a PTSD response in me.

Creating Safety and Calm 

Once we had established where the touch-pain response stemmed from, she was able to use Brainworking Recursive Therapy to reform my memories around that whole experience. I can still remember it, but I am no longer scared; I can no longer feel the power of the memory of waking up in so much pain. When I realised this, I cried with relief. Now it’s actually really hard to remember how I for then and for so many months afterwards.

I immediately felt so much better and can now talk about the whole experience without getting upset. I am no longer stuck. I feel at last I can move forward with my life.

When talking with Sally I realised I was also stuck in the trauma of losing my lovely dad to MND, eight years ago. When it came to the end of his life, it all happened quite quickly and I wasn’t there. Every time I thought of him, that sharp grief and distress just came flooding back, overwhelming me.

Reframing the Emotional Impact

Sally explained that our subconscious has no understanding of time passing. It doesn’t know if the event happened eight years ago or yesterday. She gave me the tools to help me move forward out of this, with WSN – Warrior Settler Nomad. I love the idea of having a ‘team’ to help me out in any situation with confidence and strength. 

Now I’m not only physically stronger, but mentally and emotionally too.

My physio is very happy too – we have managed to get full mobility back in my shoulder!

Benefits Clients Often Experience With Hypnotherapy

Healing from trauma is deeply personal, but many clients report:

Greater emotional regulation. Feeling less reactive and more grounded in everyday life as stress responses calm down.

Reduced anxiety and intrusive thoughts. By updating subconscious associations, responses that once felt overwhelming become manageable.

Increased sense of safety and control. Clients often describe feeling more empowered and resilient, able to face life’s challenges without being pulled back into old trauma loops.

Are you ready to put your trauma behind you?

Trauma affects everyone differently. Hypnotherapy can be particularly helpful if you find that past distress still influences your behaviour, emotions, or sense of safety. If you’re unsure about what to expect or how it fits into your healing journey, a qualified trauma-informed hypnotherapist can discuss your goals and tailor the approach to your needs.

 

 Call me now for a free 20 minute telephone consultation, on 0161 374 0227, or complete the form here.

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197 Dane Road Sale M33 2NA

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