Old Town Hypnotherapy

11/01/2026

One of the unhelpful things about mental health conversations is how quickly everything gets labelled.

Sad = depressed
Tired = burnt out
Unmotivated = broken

In reality, emotional states exist on a spectrum.

January flatness is often about:

depletion rather than illness

stress recovery rather than pathology

pressure meeting fatigue

Of course, depression is real and serious — but not every low mood means something is “wrong”.

What matters is how long it lasts, how much it interferes with your life, and whether it feels stuck.

Hypnotherapy can be helpful when patterns linger — when the mind doesn’t naturally lift once pressure reduces.

👉 If you’re unsure whether what you’re feeling needs support, you can explore how I work here:
https://oldtownhypnotherapy.co.uk/

09/01/2026

January has a particular emotional texture.

Not dramatic sadness.
Not crisis.
Just heaviness. Flatness. Fatigue.

Psychologically, this makes sense.
The adrenaline of December has gone. Routine has returned. Light is low. Expectations are high.

Many people quietly decide something must be wrong with them — when in reality, their nervous system is simply catching up.

Low mood in January isn’t weakness, and it isn’t always depression. Often it’s emotional exhaustion finally making itself known.

You don’t need to force positivity or “snap out of it”.
You need space for the mind to recalibrate.

Hypnotherapy works with the subconscious patterns that keep the system switched on, helping it settle rather than push.

👉 If January has felt heavier than you expected, you can read more or book a free initial consultation here:
https://oldtownhypnotherapy.co.uk/

07/01/2026

We’re taught that change begins with trying harder.

Psychology suggests something different.

Change often begins when the mind stops feeling under threat — when self-criticism softens and the nervous system can finally stand down.

That’s why pushing, forcing, or constantly analysing yourself rarely brings relief.

Hypnotherapy isn’t about control or positive thinking.
It’s about helping the subconscious update old patterns that no longer serve you.

If January has highlighted something you want to shift — anxiety, low mood, overthinking, feeling stuck — you don’t have to do it alone, and you don’t have to do it aggressively.

👉 You can read more or book a free initial consultation here:
https://oldtownhypnotherapy.co.uk/

05/01/2026

The idea that January requires a complete reinvention is psychologically unhelpful.

You don’t need a new personality, more discipline, or a better version of yourself.

What most people actually need is:

less pressure

fewer internal battles

and a way of working with their mind rather than against it

Lasting change tends to be subtle. It often starts with how you respond internally — not with dramatic external action.

If you’ve tried to change before and felt frustrated, stuck, or quietly disappointed in yourself, that doesn’t mean change isn’t possible.

It usually means the approach didn’t suit how the mind really works.

👉 If this resonates, you can learn more about my approach to hypnotherapy here:
https://oldtownhypnotherapy.co.uk/

03/01/2026

Willpower is massively overrated.

It’s a short-term resource, not a personality trait — and by January, most people are already depleted.

Cold, dark days.
Post-Christmas finances.
Work restarting.
Emotional hangovers from family time.

Then we pile on unrealistic expectations and wonder why motivation disappears.

From a psychological point of view, it makes perfect sense.

Change that relies on effort alone rarely sticks because effort lives in the conscious mind — while habits, anxiety and emotional responses live somewhere much deeper.

This is why insight alone doesn’t always help, and why people can know what they should do but still feel stuck.

Hypnotherapy focuses on those deeper processes, helping change feel more natural and less forced.

👉 If you’re tired of pushing yourself and getting nowhere, you can explore how I work here:
https://oldtownhypnotherapy.co.uk/

01/01/2026

January has a strange psychological weight.

We tell ourselves this is the moment everything should change — habits, mindset, motivation, energy levels — as if the calendar itself has magical properties.

But pressure doesn’t create change.
It usually creates resistance.

Most people don’t fail at New Year’s resolutions because they’re lazy or undisciplined. They fail because they’re trying to force change at a conscious level, while the subconscious mind quietly carries on doing what it’s always done.

Real change tends to happen when the nervous system feels safe enough to let go — not when it’s being shouted at.

If January already feels heavy, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
It means you’re human.

Hypnotherapy works with the subconscious patterns that drive behaviour — without relying on willpower, pressure, or self-criticism.

👉 If you’re curious about a gentler way to change, you can find out more here:
https://oldtownhypnotherapy.co.uk/

28/12/2025

Grief at Christmas: Finding Moments of Joy with Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy 12/28/2025 -

Grief at Christmas: Finding Moments of Joy with Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy Maddy Boardman HPD, DHP, CBT (Hyp), AfSFH. Clinical Hypnotherapist.

08/12/2025

Bonnie in clinic today offering extra therapy cuddles.

05/12/2025

When you’re grieving, the basics become difficult.
Sleep. Eating. Getting through the day.
Your brain is working overtime processing emotion, memory, and meaning — it’s exhausting, even when you’re sitting still.

So what actually helps?

🔹 Routine — small, predictable habits calm the nervous system
🔹 Movement — not to “get fit”, but to regulate emotion
🔹 Rest — real rest, not collapsing
🔹 Connection — even one safe person makes a difference
🔹 Hopeful thinking patterns — tiny steps forward, not forced positivity

In solution-focused therapy we don’t ask you to relive the pain — we help you find what gives you moments of steadiness so you can slowly rebuild your life around your loss.

If you’d like to talk, book a free consultation:
👉 https://oldtownhypnotherapy.co.uk/

Even small steps count.

05/12/2025

What Helps When You’re Grieving?

05/12/2025

Today is International Volunteer Day — but let’s be honest, volunteering isn’t about being saintly or endlessly giving. It’s about connection, purpose, and feeling part of something bigger than the four walls of your own worries.

A lot of people assume volunteering means long hours or being a “do-gooder”. It doesn’t.
It can be incredibly small, incredibly simple, and incredibly grounding.

And here’s the psychological truth:
helping someone else can stabilise your own mental health.
Not because you’re avoiding your problems, but because:

🔹 It shifts your focus out of your own head
🔹 It boosts dopamine and connection
🔹 It creates a sense of meaning
🔹 It breaks the cycle of loneliness
🔹 It gives you a reason to get up and out

Even micro-volunteering — tiny, low-commitment tasks — can make a meaningful difference.
You don’t need to sign up to anything huge. You don’t need to be “on form”. You don’t need to be the world’s most extroverted human being.

Sometimes volunteering is simply:
✔ Answering a community call-out
✔ Checking in on someone vulnerable
✔ Offering a lift
✔ Helping an elderly neighbour with a small task
✔ Supporting a charity online
✔ Sharing lived experience
✔ Donating an hour of your time

If you’re struggling with low mood, loneliness, or a loss of direction, volunteering can be one of the gentlest ways to reconnect with life again.

If you’d like support with your mental wellbeing — or you’re not sure where to start — you can book a free initial consultation here:
👉 https://oldtownhypnotherapy.co.uk/

You don’t have to be in perfect shape to help someone else.
Sometimes that tiny act is what helps you too.

04/12/2025

One of the most hurtful things people in grief hear is:
“You should be over it by now.”

Grief doesn’t disappear.
It evolves.
It changes shape.
But it remains part of you — because love remains part of you.

The idea of “moving on” is outdated and frankly cruel.
Instead, we help people move forward, carrying their memories with them while slowly rebuilding their lives.

At Old Town Hypnotherapy, our solution-focused approach supports you to:
✔️ Find strength in what still helps
✔️ Reduce overwhelming emotional spikes
✔️ Reconnect with your future in a gentle, realistic way

If you need support, book a free consultation:
👉 https://oldtownhypnotherapy.co.uk/

No deadlines. No pressure. Just human understanding.