How My Journey with Anxiety Led Me to Support Clients towards food freedom.
I remember the moment clearly.
I was driving with my daughters and our dogs in the car when suddenly a wave of terror came over me. My chest tightened, I couldn’t breathe, and I was certain I was dying.
I had no idea what was happening.
My eldest daughter, just eleven years old at the time, called an ambulance. Looking back now, I can only imagine how frightening that must have been for both of my girls.
I was taken to A&E. Physically, there was nothing wrong.
But something clearly wasn’t right.
That moment became a turning point in my life — one that ultimately led me to discover Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and shaped the work I do today.
Living with Anxiety Without Understanding It
Looking back now, I can see that anxiety and low mood had been present in my life long before that panic attack.
As a teenager, I struggled with what I now recognise as depression. At the time, I didn’t have the language for it and didn’t receive support. I simply believed I had to live with it.
During my teens I also developed glandular fever and was later diagnosed with chronic fatigue. Again, no one explained the potential link between illness, stress and mental wellbeing, so I continued to push through the exhaustion and low mood.
When I was eighteen, I experienced another significant life challenge. A riding accident left me on crutches for over a year and I had to learn to walk again. It was both a novel and incredibly difficult experience at such a young age.
Looking back now, I can see how much resilience that time required.
Despite these challenges, I went on to complete a degree in civil engineering and later spent several years working on yachts in the Mediterranean. The sunshine and outdoor lifestyle seemed to help, although I was still masking a great deal of fatigue.
When I returned home, I struggled to stay in jobs for long. Eventually, with the support of medication, I built a successful career in HR within a large property company.
From the outside, life appeared settled. I married and later had two wonderful daughters.
But motherhood brought challenges I hadn’t anticipated.
Postnatal Depression and Trauma
My first birth was traumatic and afterwards I experienced severe postnatal depression. I felt incredibly isolated and overwhelmed as a new mother.
When I became pregnant again, I now realise that I was carrying trauma from my first birth, although at the time I didn’t understand it.
Looking back, I can also see that I developed obsessive behaviours during that period. I found myself cleaning compulsively and struggling to leave the house unless certain tasks had been completed.
At the time, I simply kept going.
Like many people, I believed I just had to cope.
Discovering Solution Focused Hypnotherapy
Following that panic attack and my visit to A&E, I became determined to understand what was happening to me.
That search led me to Solution Focused Hypnotherapy.
The impact it had on my life was profound. I began to understand how the brain works, why anxiety develops and how our thoughts can become trapped in unhelpful patterns.
Gradually, my anxiety began to settle. I started to feel clearer, calmer and more in control.
With that clarity came the courage to make decisions that previously felt impossible.
I left my marriage, rebuilt my life and eventually started my own business.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy didn’t just help me recover — it completely changed the direction of my life.
When Food Anxiety Became Personal
Years later, another life experience would shape my work even further.
During the COVID pandemic, my eldest daughter developed anorexia.
As a parent, it was one of the most frightening and isolating experiences I have ever faced.
When someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, the instinct is to try and fix things. I tried repeatedly, but eating disorders are complex and I soon realised that deeper understanding was needed.
I also became aware of how lonely it can feel to be the person supporting someone through this struggle. Often the focus quite rightly remains on the individual experiencing the eating disorder, but those supporting them also need guidance, understanding and support.
That experience led me to train with the National Centre for Eating Disorders, where I gained my Master Practitioner certification.
During my training, another realisation emerged.
Like many people, I had spent years navigating a complicated relationship with food. I had been a prolific dieter and had internalised many of the messages our culture sends about weight, control and food.
When someone develops an eating disorder, the language around food within the home has to change completely. Food becomes the central focus of life — quite literally because it becomes the life-saving solution.
Understanding Anxiety Around Food
One of the most important things I now help clients understand is that anxiety often plays a role not only in the development of eating difficulties, but also in recovery.
The brain is designed to keep us safe, and it naturally resists change.
If certain eating behaviours have become a coping strategy or perceived safety net, then changing those behaviours can trigger anxiety. The brain interprets the change as a threat and raises the alarm.
That alarm is anxiety.
Understanding this can be incredibly powerful. Instead of fearing anxiety, clients can begin to recognise it as a natural part of the brain adjusting to new patterns.
Learning how to work with that anxiety — rather than fighting against it — is often the key to lasting change.
Supporting Both Individuals and Families
Through both my personal and professional experience, I have come to understand that recovery rarely happens in isolation.
Those supporting someone with food struggles often feel frightened, exhausted and alone. They may feel unsure what to say, how to help or whether they are making things better or worse.
I deeply appreciate how lonely that role can feel.
My programmes are therefore designed not only to support individuals experiencing anxiety around food, but also those who are supporting someone they love.
Ultimately, my aim is to help people find freedom from food struggles — creating a healthier, calmer relationship with eating and with themselves.
How My Journey Shapes My Work Today
My personal experiences — from depression and panic attacks to supporting my daughter through an eating disorder — have shaped the therapist I am today.
I understand how frightening anxiety can feel, because I have experienced it myself.
But I also know something incredibly important.
When we understand how the brain works and learn the tools to support it, real change becomes possible.
Anxiety doesn’t have to define your life.
With the right support, it can become the beginning of a new chapter.
If you or someone you love is struggling with anxiety around food, you don’t have to face it alone.
You can learn more about my programmes and how I support clients here.
