A Gentle Approach to Trauma and Healing
By Neha Malhotra
“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.” — Akshay Dubey
Understanding Trauma
Trauma can deeply impact how we think, feel, and respond to the world around us. It doesn’t always present itself in ways we can easily identify, and for many, it may be impossible to express why they feel the way they do, only that something beneath the surface is holding them back.
For some, trauma stems from a single distressing event, while for others, it builds over time through repeated stressors. Life often keeps moving until something triggers those unresolved feelings, bringing them back to the surface.
Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) offers a gentle and effective way to process these emotions and move forward, without the need to relive painful memories.
What Trauma Does to Us
Trauma changes the way the brain works. When we experience something distressing, our brain often moves into survival mode – fight, flight, or freeze. While this is helpful in the moment, trauma can leave us stuck in these responses, even long after the event has passed. We may find ourselves overthinking, feeling emotionally overwhelmed, or constantly on edge, even when there is no immediate danger.
A simple way to understand this is through the concept of ‘the stress bucket’. Imagine your mind as a bucket that collects every worry, challenge, and unresolved emotion. Over time, if you don’t find ways to empty it, the bucket overflows, leading to feelings of overwhelm or re-triggering past traumas. Hypnotherapy helps not only to lower the level in that bucket but also build your resilience, helping you to better manage and prevent it from overflowing in the future.
Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy and How It Supports Healing
Just like a well-trodden path in a forest, our brain forms habits and responses based on past experiences. Hypnotherapy helps clear the old, and form new pathways, allowing for healthier ways of thinking and feeling.
Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) is a modern blend of talk therapy and hypnosis, grounded in neuroscience. It is designed to help clients shift their focus away from past difficulties and towards building a more positive future.
How SFH Works
Talk therapy within SFH is goal-oriented and forward-looking. Instead of analysing past trauma, sessions focus on what is already working well and what small steps can help create positive momentum. This approach empowers clients, helping them feel more in control of their own progress.
Hypnosis is the second component of SFH, guiding clients into a deeply relaxed state where the subconscious mind becomes more open to positive suggestions. This helps to rewire negative thought patterns, process unresolved emotions, and develop new neural pathways for calm and confidence.
The combination of these two elements creates a holistic approach, working with both the conscious and subconscious mind to bring about deep, lasting change.
How SFH Can Support Trauma Healing
One of the unique benefits of SFH is its gentle and non-invasive nature. Many people struggling with trauma may not fully understand or be able to express what is holding them back. SFH helps people process emotions and regain a sense of control without needing to revisit painful memories.
For children, SFH provides a safe and gentle way to support emotional wellbeing through relaxation and guided imagery, helping them develop healthier responses to stress.
For adults, SFH helps break free from cycles of fear, anxiety, or negative thought patterns that trauma can create. By shifting focus from what feels overwhelming to what is possible, SFH strengthens resilience and helps clients build confidence in their ability to move forward.
Benefits of the SFH Approach
- Focuses on moving forward – Acknowledging your past while helping you take positive steps toward the future.
- Builds on your existing strengths – Shifting focus to what’s already going well helps you realise you have a foundation to build upon.
- Grounded in neuroscience – Understanding how the brain processes stress and forms habits helps break negative cycles.
- Collaborative and client-led – We work together to set goals and shape sessions around what feels right for you.
- In addition to supporting trauma recovery, SFH offers a holistic approach to mental well-being. It can help reduce anxiety, improve sleep, boost confidence, and enhance emotional regulation, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to create positive change.
A Typical Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy Plan
Every client’s journey is unique, but here’s what a typical SFH process looks like:
Free Initial Consultation
- We start with an initial consultation where we explore your current well-being, what you hope to achieve, and any questions you have. This session is also an opportunity for you to see if SFH is the right fit for you.
- This session also includes a discussion of medical history, how SFH works, and the neuroscience behind why we feel what we feel.
- We’ll outline a plan based on your needs and decide on the best way forward.
Regular Weekly Sessions
- Sessions take place once a week and include a combination of talk therapy and hypnosis to reinforce positive change.
Ongoing Support
- As part of the process, I provide recordings and practical exercises tailored to reinforce the work we do in sessions. These help deepen the changes made in therapy and support progress between appointments.
- We’ll check in on your progress and adjust the approach to ensure you get the most from your sessions.
About Me
I’m Neha Malhotra, a fully qualified Solution-Focused Hypnotherapist and the founder of Poise Hypnotherapy. I’m passionate about helping people feel positive and more in control of their own lives. My approach is gentle, supportive, and based on the latest research in neuroscience. I provide a safe and non-judgmental space where clients can make meaningful progress toward lasting emotional well-being.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is seeing clients regain a sense of calm and confidence, often in ways they didn’t think possible.
The Impact of Hypnotherapy
Healing is about learning to live with the past in a lighter, more manageable way. By shifting your focus to solutions and building on the strengths you already have, hypnotherapy can help release the grip of trauma and support healthier, more confident relationships, both with others and with yourself.
One client shared: “Since starting hypnotherapy, I feel more in control of my emotions and no longer let anxiety dictate my decisions. I feel lighter and more optimistic about the future.”
If you’re ready to explore how hypnotherapy can support your healing, I’d love to help.
Visit Poise Hypnotherapy or get in touch for a free initial consultation.
Head to the parenting section to read more articles about managing trauma.
