What is Solution Focused Hypnotherapy?
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) is a modern blend of talking therapy and hypnosis, also known as trance. We discuss what’s going well in your life rather than what went wrong. The goal is to help you create a clear, positive vision of your future. Whether that’s life with less anxiety, managing stress, building confidence, or sleeping better.
We then use hypnosis to quiet the conscious mind and give your subconscious space to work on those positive changes, helping them take hold over time.
Why Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is different from other therapies
Unlike approaches that ask you to revisit trauma or unpack the past, SFH keeps one eye firmly on where you want to go. This future-focused model is backed by the latest scientific research and draws from Solution Focused Brief Therapy, CBT, and Ericksonian hypnosis.
In Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, we guide you to recognise your own internal resources by exploring how you have coped during difficult times. We then focus on life without the issue and identify small, manageable changes you can gradually build into your everyday life.
How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy works
So what does the science tell us about how SFH actually works?
The brain during trance
When you enter hypnosis, or trance, your brain often shifts from gamma waves, which are linked to full alertness, to alpha or theta waves. These states are associated with calm, creative thinking. In this relaxed state, your conscious thoughts quieten, and your subconscious becomes more open to positive suggestions.
These indirect suggestions are often subtle. They can appear as metaphors, symbols, or even contradictions. Because the subconscious is listening, it “goes to work” on these ideas. If it finds something meaningful, it begins transforming it into a positive change.
How neuroplasticity supports positive change
Over time, these positive changes, new thoughts, behaviours, and habits, support neuroplasticity in your brain. Neuroplasticity is your brain’s natural ability to reorganise itself. New, healthier patterns begin to form, and your brain literally starts rewiring itself. This means old, unhelpful habits and reactions can weaken, while new, more helpful ones grow stronger.
Research on hypnosis and meditation shows an increase in “cognitive-emotional flexibility”, meaning people can let go of old habits and form new ones more easily by shifting their thought patterns. (Brain Functional Correlates of Resting Hypnosis and Hypnotizability” – De Pascalis (2024)
In SFH, trance helps your brain focus on what is working and what you want more of. Your subconscious starts reinforcing these ideas. Over time, this creates lasting mental and behavioural shifts.
The power of positive psychology and hypnosis
Neuroplasticity also explains why small, consistent changes matter. Even tiny weekly adjustments can accumulate into meaningful transformation. This is why we focus on what’s been good and what you want to achieve. Each small success signals to your brain that new patterns are possible, making it easier to continue building positive habits.
Hypnosis and stress
Trance also helps regulate stress by influencing the HPA axis, your brain’s stress system. This system controls how your body reacts to stress, including the release of cortisol, your main stress hormone. When it’s overactive, you may feel anxious, tense, or exhausted.
During trance, your nervous system shifts into a calmer state. Alpha and theta brainwave activity helps quiet the fight-or-flight response. This allows the HPA axis to settle, reducing the intensity of stress signals sent to your body. Over time, repeated sessions can train your brain and body to respond to challenges in a calmer, more balanced way.
By easing the physiological response to stress, Solution Focused Hypnotherapy supports clearer thinking, better decision-making, and a stronger sense of control. It can also improve sleep, mood, and resilience, creating a positive cycle where calm thinking and healthy habits reinforce each other.
What happens during a Solution Focused Hypnotherapy session?
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy sessions with Mend Hypnotherapy are split into two parts:
Part 1 – talking therapy
We start with a gentle discussion. I ask you solution-focused questions such as, “What has been good about your week?” This gives you space to explore what is going well in your life and what is already working for you, even if these moments are very small.
We then explore what day-to-day life might feel like if small changes began to happen. This helps you imagine your preferred future and the simple steps that move you towards it. The power of this approach lies in small change. Even tiny shifts each week can add up to significant improvements over time.
Part 2 – trance
Next, you sit back and relax as you are guided into a calm, focused state. This trance state is completely natural. We enter it many times a day, often without noticing, such as when daydreaming or getting absorbed in a book.
You remain aware and fully in control throughout the relaxation. Through guided imagery, you embed the insights discovered in the talking phase.
Together, these two parts reinforce change: the conversation gives direction, and the trance helps your brain store and strengthen these new patterns.
What Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help with
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can support a wide range of challenges, including:
Anxiety and stress – helping you feel calmer and more in control.
Panic or phobias – gently reducing fear responses and building confidence.
Sleep problems, including insomnia – improving the quality and consistency of rest.
Low self-esteem and confidence – supporting a stronger sense of self and capability.
Habits and behaviours, such as smoking or other patterns you want to change.
Physical symptoms linked to tension, including IBS or chronic pain – easing the impact of stress on the body.
Why it works so well
Empowerment – You are not “fixed.” You discover and use your own strengths to create change.
Efficiency – Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is often brief, with many clients seeing results in 8–10 sessions.
Scientific basis – It’s grounded in neuroscience and brain science. Hypnosis works through measurable changes in brainwaves and neural patterns, not magic.
Safety and control – You remain in control at all times. The therapist guides and supports, but your mind is always in charge.
If you’re ready to take a positive step forward, get in touch for a free consultation. Let’s explore how Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help you reconnect with your strengths, calm your mind, and shape the future you truly want.
