I recently had the privilege of working with an amazing young person.

They presented with extreme anxiety that had arisen several months earlier resulting in their being unable to sit in quiet places without experiencing panic attacks. We didn’t know what the original reason for this was and we didn’t need to in order to be able to help.

With the GCSE exams looming we needed to change a few things so that sitting in a quiet exam hall would no longer be an issue. We also wanted to take it to the next level and not only be able to sit in the exam hall but also be able to focus on the exam its self and do justice to all their hard work.

As I mention we don’t need to know the root cause of a problem in order to fix it. Our brain’s primary function is to ensure our survival. Once upon a time when our early ancestors hunted and gathered and lived in caves our brain’s survival defaults were just what was needed to enable them to continue hunting and gathering and providing for their families.

Unfortunately (or fortunately in some instances, when we are genuinely at risk of loosing our life) our brain’s original default survival systems have not changed since the early days. They have not evolved to recognise that we now live very differently to those cave days. We no longer expend huge amounts of energy running from danger or fighting it off, and it’s not acceptable to “batton down the hatches” and wait until problems go away!

So why do we end up with situations like my client?

The brain interprets danger as anything that we are concerned or unhappy about. So it’s very often the story that we choose to tell ourselves about the events in our lives that determine whether our brain steps in to help us or not; worrying about passing exams, finances, relationships and more are enough to trigger the survival mode.  Often thoughts that we “just think” without being aware of their power or influence on our wellbeing.

We need to understand how our brain operates in order to see what we need to do to change the negative experiences that are dictating our lives and in this case potentially complicating our immediate future. So I make no apologies to my clients when I take time to explain to them why they are feeling the way that they do from the brain’s perspective.  We can then work together to make the changes that are needed to regain mental control and move forward without the problem.

In this case we worked together for 3 months meeting weekly to start with. It became apparent that my client who attended with his father was determined to find their old self. We established small changes that could be made to enable mental control to be regained. It was fun and an absolute pleasure to be able to work with such a dynamic young person.

Here’s what they had to say:

“I have finished my exams and feel they went really well thanks to your sessions over the last few months. Without them I think it would have been a different story.

You helped me to get through my exams and taught me how to manage my stress. Helping me to relax and focus on not only my exams but other things I enjoy such as sports. The things I have learnt from you I will carry forward and am sure they will help me in the future.
I would highly recommend your service to any young person suffering from exam stress. I wish I had seen you sooner.”

If you have a stressed teen then please do consider booking an initial consultation. Please don’t leave it until exams are looming. Let’s get it under control in advance.

holly@hollystonehypnotherapy.co.uk

07909951338