Olive Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy for OCD in Chester
Living with OCD can be absolutely exhausting. The intrusive thoughts, the compulsions, the checking, counting, washing, repeating, all to achieve a temporary wave of relief that lasts a few short moments.
As a hypnotherapist who has previously worked with those with OCD, I can help to quiet all that noise in your head and to reduce the obsessive behaviour that can lead to anxiety and stress. Be in control of your mind again, and find out exactly how hypnotherapy can help you below.
How can hypnotherapy help with OCD?
OCD presents physical symptoms, like the checking, the washing, the counting. These are actions that you might do to relieve the anxiety that’s caused by an obsessive thought. Hypnotherapy, specifically Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy, works so well for OCD sufferers because it’s a way for us to discover what’s causing the anxiety in the first place. It can help with:
1. Calming an overactive threat response
OCD generally comes from the subconscious brain, from a part that is confusing an intrusive thought with real, genuine danger. Our brain is very good at protecting us (sometimes a bit too good) and misreads our worries and anxieties for an actual threat. It's a survival instinct from when we all lived in the wilderness, with lions to fight off.
Hypnotherapy helps to calm this heightened state, allowing your brain to understand that the threat isn’t real, giving it a bit of perspective as to what is actually going on around you.
3. Reducing anxiety and overthinking
A lot of OCD is fuelled by anxious, repetitive thinking, going over the same worries again and again, just in different ways. Hypnosis helps settle a busy mind and creates space for calmer, more rational thinking to take over.
2. Breaking the obsession-compulsion cycle
​Every time you give in to a compulsion, it reinforces the idea that the obsession was a real threat, and the cycle continues. It’s the nature of the beast, unfortunately, and allowing that behaviour to take over isn’t a sign of weakness; it simply shows that you’re doing all you can to get through each day. But to break this pattern, it needs to be interrupted. Hypnotherapy allows us to work together to do this, so your brain gradually learns that it doesn’t always need to react in the same way.
4. Rebuilding confidence and control
Living with OCD for a long time chips away at your confidence, understandably. You might have a lack of confidence in yourself, your decisions, your work, your ability to get on with your day. As the compulsions ease, many of my clients find their confidence starts to come back too, alongside a renewed sense of control over their own thoughts and choices.
So how can I help?
Whatever your experience with OCD looks like, I’d love to help you. OCD looks different for each individual person (cleanliness or contamination fears, repetitive checking of things, needing reassurance all the time), and I can work with anyone to reduce the effects OCD is having on your life.
I always take a gentle, non-judgmental approach. I am open and friendly and can offer a welcoming space for us to figure out the answers. My role is to help you understand what’s going on and work with you to make lasting changes.
I completed my hypnotherapy diploma with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training (CPHT) and I’m also a certified member of the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH). Whether you've been struggling for years or have only recently started experiencing symptoms, I'd be happy to discuss how hypnotherapy may be able to help. You can view the kinds of sessions I offer here.
The hypnotherapy process for OCD
Initial consultation
In our first session, we'll talk through what you're experiencing, how OCD is showing up in your day-to-day life, and what you'd like to achieve from our work together.
I'll also explain a little of the science behind OCD, including how these obsessive-compulsive patterns form in the brain and why they can feel so automatic and hard to resist. Understanding the 'why' often brings a real sense of relief in itself.
Ongoing sessions
Sessions generally follow a similar shape, though we'll always adapt based on how you're feeling that day.
We’ll start by reflecting on all the positives you’ve experienced in the last week or two, and any progress you’ve noticed, however small it might be. Hypnotherapy is a longer-term solution that sometimes takes a few weeks. After all, we’re untraining your brain from what it’s learned to do to cope, and this takes time.
We'll then talk through any challenges that have come up, exploring practical, solution-focused ways to help you manage them.
The final part of the session is around 20 to 30 minutes of hypnosis. Hypnosis is a sort of trance that allows your mind to open and receive positive change through a combination of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and metaphors. The brain is much more likely to accept these positive thoughts while in hypnosis than when in a fully awake state. It's nothing like stage hypnosis, and you’re in a completely safe and private space, allowing you to fully relax.
Why choose me for OCD hypnotherapy?
I know that starting therapy can feel like a big step, so my aim is always to make you feel completely at ease, right from our very first conversation.
I trained through Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training (CPHT) and I'm a certified member of the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH), so you can be confident you're working with someone properly qualified and insured.
I take a warm, non-judgemental approach with every client. There's no such thing as an obsession or compulsion that's 'too much' or 'too strange' to bring into the room, and I promise you've probably not said anything I haven't heard some version of before.
I also have a dedicated therapy space in the form of a garden pod. It’s been specifically designed to feel calm and comfortable so you can properly relax and speak openly with no interruptions or distractions.
FAQs
What is hypnotherapy for OCD?
Hypnotherapy for OCD combines talking therapy with guided hypnosis to help calm the anxious thought patterns behind obsessions and compulsions, so you can respond to intrusive thoughts with a lot less distress.
Will I need to talk about everything that's happening in detail?
You can share as much or as little information with me, whatever you feel most comfortable with. As we get to know each other, you might find it easier to open up, but we move at your own pace.
How many sessions will I need?
The number of sessions varies from person to person, as it depends how extreme your OCD is and how quickly you respond to the hypnotherapy. I usually recommend eight to 12 sessions as a minimum, and we can review progress as we go.
How much do the hypnotherapy sessions cost?
The initial consultation will last for one hour and costs £60. Subsequent sessions also cost £60 for one hour, and you can book one at a time or a larger block in one go. You can view all my session prices here.
Where do the sessions take place?
All sessions take place at my home in Chester. I have a private and cosy garden pod that’s a dedicated hypnotherapy space and separate to the house.
Take back control with hypnosis for OCD
Living with OCD can feel relentless, but you can get your life back again. If you'd like to find out more about hypnotherapy for OCD or whether it could help you, I'd love to hear from you.
Get in touch today to arrange your initial consultation and take the first step towards a calmer mind.