Why does the past keep showing up when I least expect it?
The past can arrive uninvited, in a sound, a smell, a moment that shouldn't matter, and your body reacts as if it's happening right now.
You aren't 'damaged'. Your body and mind just haven't yet learned that the danger is over.
PTSD can feel like something you should be able to shake off or leave behind you. Many people have already tried other therapies and medication and have started to wonder if anything can help. But it isn't your fault. Understanding what's actually happening in the brain is often what changes that, because once it makes sense, it stops feeling like a personal failing.
We don't ask you to relive what happened. We work gently, at your own pace, exploring how you'd like to feel and respond instead. Alongside a clear explanation of the neuroscience of PTSD, we loosen the past's grip and start building toward what's next.
What happens over our four sessions?
I work within a structured programme of four sessions (usually weekly, where possible) because meaningful change rarely happens in a single appointment. Each session builds on the last, giving your mind and body time to settle, learn and change.
Your first session starts with a conversation. We'll take time to understand what's been happening, what you'd like to be different, and answer any questions you have about the process. I'll then guide you into hypnosis, a calm, inward-focused state, rather like daydreaming, but with a purpose. You remain aware and in control throughout. Many people tell me it's one of the most relaxing experiences they've had in a long time.
Each session is tailored to you and builds on your progress, combining conversation, hypnosis and practical tools where appropriate. You'll also receive personalised audio recordings to listen to between sessions, helping to reinforce the work we're doing together.
What people often notice
People often come having carried this for a very long time. What tends to follow reaches beyond symptom relief: feeling less at the mercy of the past, sleeping more easily, and starting to feel safe in your own life again.
“I came to Melissa due to complex issues I have with PTSD. I have had many therapies and medications, however nothing so far had helped. After Melissa explained how it works and her focus on the neuroscience side of things, I was interested enough to try. After my first session I started to feel better about myself and my past, and with each session I have improved greatly. Melissa has by far been my best therapist to date.”
Is this the right approach for you?
PTSD looks different from person to person, and it's not something I diagnose, that sits with your GP or a mental health professional. Hypnotherapy can be genuinely helpful alongside recovery, particularly for the nervous-system side of things: hypervigilance, sleep, the sense of never quite feeling safe.
For some trauma, especially complex or long-standing trauma, working with a trauma-informed psychotherapist or psychologist, often using approaches like EMDR or trauma-focused CBT, is the right starting point, and I'll always say so if I think that's what would serve you best. I also seek professional supervision myself when working with clients who have PTSD.
Your free consultation is a chance to talk it through honestly, and to work out together whether this is the right next step for you, alongside other support, or on its own.
Ready to start your future?
Start with a free, friendly chatMelissa is an HPD Level 4 Clinical Hypnotherapist, registered with the NCH, BSCH and CNHC, working with adults, children and teens in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and online.