Anxiety Trauma Therapy West Midlands

15/10/2025

Insomnia, Sleep Issues , Misophonia
Client referral posted today ,
" Great, and effective hypnotherapist. Stuarts techniques really work and will change you're life for the better.
Hi my name is Neil. I came across Stuart Downing when I found myself seeking out hypnotherapy to treat problems I was having with my sleep due to living next door to previous neighbours who were very noisy and whom had kept me awake. Thankfully, after a couple of months, the neighbours had moved on, but unfortunately as a result, I developed an anxiety about getting to sleep, which in turn lead to me developing an insomnia which was caused by the anxiety. I had also developed Misophonia as a result, and had become hypersensitive to certain noises, such as any bangs or thuds. Even though the neighbours had left, my anxiety still persisted, which only caused me even more anxiety as I couldnt understand why I just couldnt relax as I knew the neighbours were no longer there. It got too the point where the anxiety around my sleep was so bad, that it really started to have a profound effect on my life. I felt I couldnt enjoy life anymore, I just wasnt happy. I had felt like I had lost the ability to relax, as a result it really started to effect my relationships with my family as I just wasnt me anymore, so to speak. Thats when I knew I had to do something as I felt it was destroying my life. I researched hypnotherapy. I was curious as to how it worked, and researched whether or not it would be beneficial for the issues that I was going through. I sought out a few hypnotherapists, thats when I came across Stuart Downing. I did my research on him, and discovered that he could treat issues around sleep/anxiety. I read his reviews, which were all positive. I booked a consultation with Stuart, who was very friendly and reassuring and explained how hypnotherapy worked and the methods he was going to deploy in helping to heal me. In the consultation, Stuart told me that I would only require three to four sessions at the most, which I was surprised about to be honest, as I felt so afflicted by my issues. What can I say? Well, after just one session, I already noticed a vast improvement in my sleep quality. I was sleeping longer and deeper, and waking up totally refreshed. Over the last few weeks of the sessions , my sleep and anxiety has just got better and better. I feel much less anxious, and lot more relaxed, like a weight has been lifted. I am so glad that I decided to invest in the sessions with Stuart, and would recommend it to anyone who is considering hypnotherapy. Stuart helped me learn that a lot of fear is irrational and totally unnessacary, and that I can rationalise with myself that I do not need to feel that fear. I have also learnt extremely effective relaxation techniques, which have really helped me. I f I ever experience any difficulties in the future, I will be sure to utilise these techniques. So, if you have any issue that is effecting you to the point where it is having a profound effect on you're life, then I would highly recommend that you book yourself a consultation with Stuart Downing, it can and will change you're life!
Neil 14/10/25

If you need help with sleep issues , contact Stuart 07825 599340
stuart@hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/hypnotherapy-services/hypnotherapy-for-sleep-disorders-Sleep Disorders and Insomnia Therapy Birmingham
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/reviews

Stuart Downing is a trusted hypnotherapist helping clients overcome their issues across the UK and worldwide. Read his reviews here.

19/02/2025

A jealous family
Member is more
Dangerous than a
hateful enemy.

10/02/2025

Insomnia and Sleep Issues
Lying awake at night, staring at the ceiling, feeling wired but exhausted?
If that sounds familiar , there’s a good chance your cortisol levels are out of control.
And here’s the deal: high cortisol is more than just a bad night’s sleep—it’s a serious roadblock to your health, energy, and your ability to hit the flow state.
Cortisol is your body’s built-in alarm system.
It’s meant to help you handle stress, but when it sticks around too long—especially at night—it can wreak havoc on your sleep.
Studies show that elevated evening cortisol is one of the biggest culprits behind tossing and turning, disrupted sleep cycles, and that feeling of being “tired but wired”.
When your cortisol levels are too high in the evening, your body stays in a state of alertness, making it nearly impossible to relax and fall asleep.
And poor sleep doesn’t just affect your mood—it drags down your entire health, energy, and performance.
The Cost of High Cortisol:
1. Disrupted Sleep
High cortisol messes with your body’s natural circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. You wake up feeling drained, no matter how long you’ve been in bed.
2. Increased Stress and Anxiety
Cortisol is linked to heightened stress responses. If your cortisol stays high, your body is constantly in “fight-or-flight” mode, which leads to more stress, anxiety, and mental fog during the day.
3. Blocked Flow State
Cortisol doesn’t just affect your sleep—it blocks your ability to enter the flow state. The flow state is where you’re fully focused and performing at your best, but high cortisol keeps your brain stuck in overdrive, making it impossible to focus deeply or think creatively.
Now, imagine what happens when you cut evening cortisol by 25%.
You’re not just lowering your stress—you’re giving your body the green light to relax, sleep deeply, and wake up energized.
Lowering cortisol improves your sleep quality, reduces anxiety, and opens the door for you to finally access the flow state.
When cortisol comes down:
1. Deep, Restorative Sleep
Lower cortisol allows your body to enter its natural rest-and-recover mode, improving sleep quality and helping you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day.
2. Reduced Anxiety, More Clarity
When your cortisol levels are balanced, you’ll notice less anxiety, better mental clarity, and an increased sense of calm. This sets you up for a more productive, focused day.
3. More Consistent Flow State
With cortisol in check, your mind and body can work together, making it easier to slip into the flow state—where creativity, focus, and high performance come effortlessly.
You don’t have to spend another night staring at the ceiling, trapped in a cycle of poor sleep and high stress.
Lowering your evening cortisol naturally is possible, and it’s the key to better sleep, more energy, and consistent access to the flow state.
Call Stuart - 07825 599340 to discuss your insomnia issue in more detail
Email - stuart .co.uk
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/.../hypnotherapy-for...
Client reviews - https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/reviews

Stuart Downing is a trusted hypnotherapist helping clients overcome their issues across the UK and worldwide. Read his reviews here.

25/01/2025

Anxiety , Stress , over thinking and worry
Worry and intrusive thoughts can start to take over life and create feeling of
fear in everyday life . Often a consistent anxious state and panic can present .
Call Stuart 07825 599340 to discuss your issues around anxiety and how therapy can rapidly help you cope and resolve the underlying issues
Online Zoom appointments
stuart@stuartdowning.co.uk
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/.../hypnotherapy-for...
What our clients say - https://stuartdowning.co.uk/client-reviews

Stuart Downing is an expert life coach offering life and business coaching in London, across the UK, internationally, and online coaching.

17/08/2023

05/04/2023

Hypnotherapy successfully treating IBS symptoms
Online appointments available
Call Stuart - 07825 599340
Email stuart@stuartdowning.co.uk

Hypnotherapist Antonios explains what IBS is and how hypnotherapy can help.

11/06/2022

Exam anxiety is the experience of feeling an intense moment of fear or panic before and/or during an exam or assessment.
Do you feel like your mind freezes during exams? Do you find yourself thinking “I really can’t do this”? Does your heart race fast or do you find it hard to breathe during exams? Fear of failure ?
Most people feel anxious when taking an exam, but research shows that some people are more likely to suffer from exam anxiety than others
Exam stress comes under the grouping of a performance anxiety. Exam stress gets in the way because nobody can think clearly whilst those fight-or-flight hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) are coursing through the body.

There are two types of anxiety:

Low anxiety: students who experience low anxiety may feel a little nervous about an upcoming exam but are still able to focus their attention on their studies or the questions asked during the assessment. Usually low anxiety students are not struck with intrusive thoughts or feel debilitated by the exam.

High anxiety: students who experience high anxiety show an immediate anxiety reaction when exposed to the feared test situation. They attempt to avoid the situation by not showing up to the exam, or may endure it but with extreme fear. High anxiety can tip some into a sense of panic: “I just really can’t do this!”

Students with either high or low anxiety can respond to tests in different ways. But research shows that managing anxiety effectively can actually help with exam performance.

The challenge is to recognise when your anxiety has increased past an optimal level so that it starts to impact your ability to complete the exam - this is a high level of anxiety.

Some physical responses of high anxiety include a speeding heart, damp hands, shortness or rapid breath, and feeling queasy.

The physical response is usually experienced in high levels of anxiety when the “fight or flight” response is triggered. This is how our bodies respond to a perceived threat – and while uncomfortable, it is not harmful.

Impact of high anxiety on performance
Research has shown that people who experience high levels of anxiety in exams can also see their performance decline in evaluation situations.

These people tend to perceive exams as threatening and respond with intense emotional responses, making it difficult to focus on the task at hand.

Assessment situations also evoke worry responses that interfere with effective performance on cognitive and intellectual tasks. This then impacts on the person’s chance of performing their best on the exam.

Exam anxiety may also interfere with your ability to show your academic and cognitive capabilities.

Zoom online appointments available
Call Stuart - 07825 599340 to discuss your exam anxiety issues and how hypnotherapy and integrative techniques can help you overcome this fear
stuart@stuartdowning.co.uk
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/hypnotherapy-services/hypnotherapy-for-anxiety-disorders
What our clients say - https://stuartdowning.co.uk/client-reviews

11/06/2022

Health anxiety is an obsessive and irrational worry about having a serious medical condition and the recent Covid episodes have in some cases contributed to this disorder
Many people with health anxiety are often unable to function or enjoy life due to their fears and preoccupations. With health anxiety there is the misinterpretation of discomfort and normal bodily sensations as dangerous.
The covid pandemic has made contacting doctors difficult, leaving sufferers in emotional agony. Reassurance from medical professionals never proves to be more than a temporary help. The doubt and the questions soon return.Each scan of the body produces uncertainty and doubt, giving the imagination opportunity to create stories. As you imagine the worst, your body’s alarm system sounds off in the form of symptoms of anxiety (racing heart, tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, jitters, tingling, lightheadedness, nausea, stomach discomfort, sweating, headaches, etc.) giving your imagination additional fuel to create great works of fiction.
The symptoms are real. The thoughts are false.

You may have health anxiety if you:

constantly worry about your health frequently check your body for signs of illness, such as lumps, tingling or pain

are always asking people for reassurance that you're not ill

worry that a doctor or medical tests may have missed something

obsessively look at health information on the internet or in the media

avoid anything to do with serious illness, such as medical TV programmes

act as if you were ill (for example, avoiding physical activities)

Anxiety itself can cause symptoms like headaches or a racing heartbeat, and you may mistake these for signs of illness.

Hypnotherapy could help you to resolve health anxiety ,addressing the fear and changing the behaviours in the unconscious mind

Hypnotherapy could help you to stop the endless checking, googling, worrying and fear.

Health anxiety needn’t be a life-long behaviour. You weren’t born like it and you needn’t continue to suffer. Plenty of people have found hypnotherapy to be an effective means of escaping this condition.

Zoom online appointments available

Call Stuart -07825 599340 to discuss your healtha anxiety issues
stuart@stuartdowning.co.uk
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/hypnotherapy-services/hypnotherapy-for-anxiety-disorders
What our clients say -
https://stuartdowning.co.uk/client-reviews

08/06/2022

Anxiety , over thinking and worry
Worry and intrusive thoughts can start to take over life and create feeling of
fear in everyday life . Often a consistent anxious state and panic can present .
Call Stuart 07825 599340 to discuss your issues around anxiety and how therapy can rapidly help you cope and resolve the underlying issues
Online Zoom appointments
stuart@stuartdowning.co.uk
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/hypnotherapy-services/hypnotherapy-for-anxiety-disorders
What our clients say - https://stuartdowning.co.uk/client-reviews

04/06/2022

Separation and attachment anxiety
If your child has separation anxiety, he/she might have recurrent and excessive distress about anticipating or being away from home or loved ones, he/she might refuse to go to school, get repeated nightmares about separation, or even have headaches, stomach aches or other symptoms when he/she separates from you or other loved ones. There is a danger in not treating separation anxiety in children, as it can be misread by teachers as a lack of ability to focus in the classroom.Hypnotherapy for separation anxiety for children is effective as it trains the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Within a few hypnotherapy sessions, they will be able to adapt themselves to the new situation. Many parents have reported that it is far more effective than conventional talk therapy, which doesn’t treat the problem where it arises
Early attachment interactions are thought to shape people’s attachment patterns later on in adult life. For example, a secure adult has a similar relationship with their romantic partner, feeling secure and connected, while allowing themselves and their partner to move freely. On the other hand, a loss of a romantic partner such as divorce may trigger depression among people high on attachment anxiety, because their anxiety relates specifically to separation and abandonment. Those who suffer from panic attacks often have a history of childhood separation anxiety. The sudden arousal of the social separation can lead to panic attacks. The panic attacks and separation anxiety make one feel as if the center of one’s comfort or stability has been abruptly removed.

It's not unusual to have some degree of separation anxiety as an adult at certain points in your life (e.g., after the death of someone close to you or when experiencing other losses). This would be considered episodic separation anxiety. However, adult separation anxiety disorder is a recurrent and persistent problem that is not linked to anything objective that is going on in a person's life at the time.

Typical symptoms of adult separation anxiety disorder are:
Recurrent excessive worry about separating from a place or a person that you are close to (like a spouse)Persistent and recurring fear about losing people close to you or that something bad will happen to them (when there is no objective reason for feeling this way)Recurrent reluctance to go to school or work or go elsewhere due to fear of separating from someone close Persistent and excessive fear of being alone Persistent and excessive fear or reluctance of going to sleep without having someone who is close to you in the house or nearbyRepeated complaints about headaches and other physical symptoms when you are separated from the person or people that you are close to Recurrent nightmares about separationThis anxiety causes significant impairment in one or more major areas of your life (e.g., your relationships, work life or in other significant areas).These symptoms last a month or more, and they are not attributable to any other physical or emotional causes.

There are many ways to treat adult separation anxiety. Clinical hypnosis is a safe and effective form of therapy. It allows you to relax enough to get to the unconscious causes of the problem. You maintain a dual awareness of the here-and-now as well as whatever comes up in the clinical hypnosis session. It also allows you to discover if you are being triggered by other prior events in your life.
Fortunately, research shows that a person’s attachment system, along with his or her sense of security, can be changed for the better. For example, a relationship partner who acts as a reliable security figure can restore a sense of felt-security and help the person function more securely. Effective treatment via reflective awareness and cognitive re-appraisal can facilitate neuroplasticity changes in the patient’s non-conscious mind and increase capacity for secure attachments.
With Clinical Hypnotherapy, I will help you to break down the walls of this self-created prison – with rapid results.
You will achieve all that you desire, no more living in the shadows of life.
You’ll release your mental block, laugh more often and become the person you knew you could always be.
You will grow greater self–confidence, self assurance ,create opportunities, express yourself, realize your ambitions, goals and dreams… become the person you always knew you could be.
Become the Person You Always Knew You Could Be.

Zoom online appointments

Call Stuart - 07825 599340 to discuss how neuroplasticity can rewire your addictive issues
stuart@stuartdowning.co.uk
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/hypnotherapy-services/hypnotherapy-for-anxiety-disorders

What our clients say - https://stuartdowning.co.uk/client-reviews