Testimonials

Hypnotherapy for unhappiness

Rachael was my last stop. I am well educated, successful, and I was still deeply unhappy, somehow always managing to come just short of my goals in life.  I had sought help before and thought I’d dealt with my issues and had a mature attitude to life.  But still…. Rachael is hard (firm), she is honest and tenacious in getting to the  root of the self-beliefs I’d formed for good reasons long ago, to protect myself, beliefs that were not negative so to speak, but were holding me back in so many ways nevertheless. Beliefs that I honestly thought were healthy and good, but actually were not at all healthy for me. Things like: to be good person I must always help others before myself. Sounds great, but putting yourself last doesn’t help in business or relationships. It also made people respect me less. The subconscious beliefs I’d been operating under, half the time I hadn’t realised how these beliefs were affecting everything I did. Anyhow, Rachael was great, and she serves up a combination of hypnotherapy, coaching and talk therapy, physical exercises, breathwork, and homework, to get to the root of the issues and change them for good, and she does it with love and zero judgement. Investing in Rachael was one of the best investments in myself I have ever made.

Hypnotherapy for anxiety and depression

When I met Rachael, I had literally tried a dozens of different counsellors, reading self-help books, going to yoga, meditation… the list goes on with traditional and alternative therapies. Nothing could shake the permanent cloud that hung over me, the tears that would fall for no reason when I spoke about my past, my present or my future. I started to think that was just how life was. I met Rachael and I just really connected with her over our first coffee and thought I would give it one last go. Now, after my sessions with Rachael, I do not even recognise the person I used to be. Rachael helped me to navigate feelings, emotions and beliefs about myself that bound me and stopped me from achieving the things I wanted to because of fear, of failure…. of rejection… of myself. Within 6 months of working with Racheal, I got promoted, I bought a flat, I have not cried (other than at the movies), I took control of relationships, myself and my life. I am so grateful to Rachael for everything and feel like I am finally living my life, the one I dreamed of. As I write this, I imagine someone who was in my position reading it… thinking that it can’t be…. there’s no way… honestly there is. Life is a blessing and I can finally appreciate it. Rachael’s an amazing NLP coach and hypnotherapist (amongst other things). She allows you to work at your own pace, without judgement and without pressure. Working with Rachael has been life changing. Thank you so much from my soul.

Hypnotherapy for adolescents

Rachael did some work with my 12 year old daughter who was struggling to deal with a rather difficult divorce situation.  She was quite anxious at the idea of talking to anyone professionally, so we combined it with a massage and this helped to relax her and to put her at ease.  She came out of the session looking like the weight of the world had been lifted.  She commented on how easy Rachael was to talk and how and ‘wise’ Rachael is.  Almost overnight my daughter turned from a rather angry, hurt little girl into a much more grounded, understanding and open young lady.  She has been back several times to see Rachael for a massage and a chat.  From time to time when she is troubled by something she tells me it’s time for another massage! I knew I could trust Rachael to handle a very delicate situation with the great care of a professional but at the same time with the warmth and empathy which would enable my vulnerable daughter feel able to open up – and she did.  Rachael’s insightfulness and ability to identify the issues is combined with an ability to make one feel at ease and a genuine compassion and caring for the person she is working with. I will be eternally grateful to Rachael for the difference she has made to my daughter, and to our relationship.

Hypnotherapy for anxiety

I found DoChange because I was looking for help managing repeated bouts of debilitating anxiety and low mood. When I started my sessions with Rachael I felt I was at a point of crisis and felt hopeless but that quickly began to lift as I experienced the powerful benefits of hypnotherapy and NLP. I learned so much about myself and my ability to take control of what I was experiencing which gave me a new found sense of empowerment. Hypnotherapy gave me the opportunity to explore and move past negative memories and experiences that were still affecting me and dispel the negative beliefs I was holding about myself. I now have a new understanding about my emotional responses and coping techniques I can take forward in the future for any stress/ anxiety that might come up. The entire experience with Rachael was so positive – she is so warm, kind and caring in her approach – she really made me feel comfortable from the moment we met. I am so thankful for the experience I have had with DoChange and would recommend to everyone to go and see Rachael!

Hypnotherapy for anxiety and depression

I went to see Rachael with fairly average expectations based on previous therapy experiences. Rach is an amazing listener and very good at what she does. She did a great job of driving to get to root issues without being pushy. I felt 100% at ease in her company – she was open, genuine and friendly in every session. I also felt that I could call outside of sessions if I needed to which, for me, really highlighted how much she genuinely cares and made it very easy to put my trust in her. I had not long stopped taking antidepressants when I had my first session and was very fearful of slipping back down that slope. But – while things don’t happen overnight and I know there will be challenges in future (and in fact I would like to continue to see Rach on an ad hoc coaching basis) – right now I can honestly say that I don’t feel I will need to go back to medication. Rach helped me enormously and is by far the best therapist I’ve worked with – I would 100% recommend her to family and friends.

Hypnosis for Negative Thinking

Rachael showed me how to overcome the negative pattern of thinking that had permeated my consciousness and as a result, I feel as though she’s given me all the tools I need to lead a much better life. I am incredibly grateful for her help.

Hypnotherapy for better relationships

I wanted to feel energised, positive, driven, happy, peaceful, and confident, I definitely achieved what I wanted – yes! Rachael knows her field extremely well. She is a good listener, amazing analyser, and a superb communicator. She is particularly talented in verbalising specific issues and recurring trends and offering solutions. It feels like she can feel and read through someone’s mind and soul, which is very helpful especially when the client is not good at expressing feelings or not good at finding the right words to explain what is being felt. I believe in her professional attitude and her capability to help others, especially if and when the others are ready to put in the necessary reciprocal effort to work on themselves. Thank you so much for your patience as I went through my ups and downs and strong and weak days.. You have really helped me find myself and my strength.

Hypnotherapy for lack of confidence and anxiety

I have met Rachael had a time in my life when I was spiralling downward.  For years I lacked confidence and hide without really knowing or understanding why, and constantly feeling ‘wrong; which affected all aspects of my life. For me, undertaking therapy with Rachael has been a life changing experience. She has helped me to regain confidence and discover my self-worth and awareness of the inner tools and talent I always had unknowingly. Rachael’s therapy opened the doors and led me to finally gain the confidence I needed and desire to seek further self improvement, development and thus enjoying life fully by being opened to new opportunities and challenges. My journey is not over yet but Rachel made the path to my success incredibly more accessible.

Hypnotherapy for confidence and anxiety

At the age of 44, having previously unsuccessfully sought to address some long-standing confidence and anxiety issues with a life coach, CBT therapist and hypnotherapist, I saw Rachael as my final attempt to resolve the issues that were having an increasingly detrimental impact on my social and professional lives.  It is no exaggeration to say that Rachael has, through her empathy, patience and above all her tremendous skills as a therapist, materially changed my life for the better.  I approach each day a happier and more confident person thanks to Rachael and would not hesitate to recommend her.

Hypnotherapy to overcome family trauma

I decided to see Rachael as I was feeling slightly lost and couldn’t get myself out of a constant feeling of being stuck in a hole. Even if something positive happened I could never enjoy it fully because I was enjoying the positive from the bottom of the hole. I also had unhealthy relationships with family members which were making me dread going back home for visits. These relationships were bringing me down too, I felt like I was getting nothing out of them just acting as the person who sorted out problems. I didn’t know what to expect from hypnotherapy but Rachael made the sessions so relaxed and comfortable. Each session you were greeted with a herbal tea and fizzy water and made to feel at home. Rachael is a very easy person to open up to and her ability to review discussions from the previous week and offer advice was amazing. I always left the sessions feeling enlightened in some way. I feel so much better than I thought I would. I feel so much more positive. Even during the times when I feel naturally fed up with something that has happened I just don’t feel as bad as before I had the hypnotherapy sessions. I feel so much stronger and I am able to give advice and support to friends that are going through problems. My relationships with family members are so much better. Since the sessions I have had the strength to have open conversations with family members talking through the issues I had with them. I can’t recommend Rachael enough. She is such a lovely person and you really feel like she has a real interest in you and takes enjoyment out of seeing people improve. If I were ever to experience a bad patch in life again I would definitely return to Rachael to help me through it.

Hypnotherapy for exam confidence

Rachael was absolutely brilliant in accommodating my time-pressured request for therapy to cope with my performance anxiety. I called Rachael just under a week before my piano performance exam. While I understand that this one-off session by all means didn’t solve all my problems, Rachael did her best to maximise the outcome within the limited amount of time we had. Unlike the previous therapy sessions I had experienced with another professional in the field, Rachael’s method required a much more active role to be played on my part. I felt very present in the session and felt like while Rachael was guiding me, I was the one who actively had to go through the changes. It was exhausting but I definitely felt the mental change straight away. It was a very practical application that I learnt to execute on my own. During my exam, while I still experienced some level of anxiety, I managed to recall what I had been through with Rachael and succeeded to pull myself together, into a much more relaxed state and enjoy the experience.

Hypnotherapy for relationship breakdown and recovery

Rachael helped me through an extremely difficult time in my life and I can’t recommend her enough. The therapy was eye opening and addressed so many different things I wouldn’t have ever been able to string together. It’s given me hope and a positive outlook on life and for that I’m so grateful.

Hypnotherapy for body image

Rachael directs a lot of care and passion at you, but she is also willing to challenge you and she seems to know when you need this more direct approach! I had accepted that my body was always going to feel a certain way and with that came a sort of entrenched mentality about some things… well, Rachael showed me how to shatter that mind set, which was truly liberating and joyful!  I think I’m more aware now that if certain stresses come along & I may be repetitively behaving in a negative way, I can recognize it, then change it. Rachael went to great effort to ensure I was comfortable and could totally relax during the sessions, which meant I could engage much more in the therapy. There were moments when I found the therapy emotionally draining, but Rachael never gave up on being anything other than optimistic and determined.  Her zeal and energy drives you through the therapy and ultimately gets you to a palace where you feel equipped to make positive changes.

Hypnosis to Stop Nail Biting

Rachael’s very pleasant, straightforward approach avoided all the hypnosis clichés I’d been expecting.  The whole experience was more like a discussion with a friend than a treatment session, so the results were all the more remarkable.  I stopped biting my nails for the first time in 40 years from the moment I left the room.  Rachael’s approach also got to the crux of what caused the problem in a way that was revealing and (a complete surprise) totally enjoyable.  The best money I ever spent!

General Anxiety and Motivation

I found working with Rachel an incredibly rewarding experience. She is highly intuitive and extremely competent in hypnotherapy. Each session was different and evolved productively based on our progress. Rachel has a really great personal, honest and tailored approach and I’m very happy with the results!

Mindful Birthing/Hypnobirthing

“I was pregnant with my second baby when I came to see Rachael. Traumatic birth of my first child and difficult recovery period had an adverse effect on my ability to trust my own instincts as a mother and made me feel like I was not coping. I gained my confidence with time but being pregnant again brought back the anxiety and fear of not being able to cope with another baby. Rachael did an amazing job and through our long chats and hypnotherapy sessions she empowered me to have confidence and trust my own instincts and judgement. I now recognise the thought processes and behaviours which she uncovered within me and which were so destructive and caused so much anxiety. She taught me how to divert from them. I am confident now that after my second baby arrives I will be able to feel calm and relaxed and fully enjoy our first months together. This is so important. Thank you Rachael!!”

Hypnosis for fear of flying

“I went to Rachael to tackle my fear of flying – specifically my fear of turbulence.  As someone who has to fly fairly regularly for work, this was a big problem.  I was also passing up on overseas opportunities, simply to avoid flying. Rachael helped me tackle this head on.  We looked at why I have the fears, what happens when they arise and what I do to deal with the fears.  We went on to look at some excellent mechanisms for dealing with the anxiety. The sessions were great and I feel very different about flying now.  I’ve actually been enjoying flights! I’m hugely grateful to Rachael and would recommend her services to everyone.

Hypnosis to heal past pain & difficult history

“When I reached out for Rachael, I was feeling down and upset, but mostly I was questioning my own abilities and had low self-esteem.  I knew that I had to change my mentality and I needed some help, a facilitator.  I could completely trust Rachael and after coming to terms with myself I approached her.  She made it clear to me that she could help me, facilitate the process, but it was up to me to change.  It was important that she reminded me of that a few times, as I was resistant to changing when I felt scared.  I wished I could outsource it to her, but thanks to her reminders I could take ownership and use her valuable help to go on and change. The process wasn’t easy and I had to face a lot of my fears.  However, facing them with Rachael’s support was better ad achievable.  The result was letting go of many and building strength to face new challenges by myself. To illustrate how I felt about the process, I’d tell you the following – it was as if ‘I’ (my consciousness), talked to her and then she talked back to ‘me’ (my sub-consciousness.  By that I mean that she facilitated the link between I and myself.

Hypnosis for better relationships

I approached Rachael after a string of dating issues/ failed relationships. I had convinced myself that I was doing something wrong and needed help ‘fixing’ myself. Rachael straight away reassured me and made me feel at ease. During the initial sessions, my eyes started opening to my behavioural patterns in all aspects of my life and how they influence both what other people see me to be and how they treat me. In actual fact, I had been in a vicious circle for years with habits that did not suit or help me at all. They only pulled me down and hindered me. Once Rachael identified these, she gave me exercises and many things to think about both during and after sessions. Within a few weeks I was much more confident and genuine, something a lot of people who know me were able to see and comment on. Despite initially only attending for relationship help, my whole life is glowing with confidence and optimism. I really am looking forward to the future and its potential now that Rachael has helped me open the doors.

Hypnobirthing (Mindful Mamma)

“It was a really wonderful experience that will help me through the final months, let alone the labour so thank you very much.”

Intense negative emotions and anxiety – Testimonial

Rachael was recommended to me through a family member. I was somewhat sceptical that hypnotherapy could help alleviate the intensely negative emotions and anxiety I was feeling at the time. I found that the sessions were more than just ‘hypnotherapy’ though. Rachael was very adept at highlighting and unpicking the knotty web of beliefs which was making me very unhappy. She then used the hypnotherapy, very effectively, to positively re-program some of these beliefs in a way that by-passed my resistant analytical mind. I totally recommend Rachael for her gentle, caring, firm and incisive approach to therapy. I am a very different, less anxious and happy person as a consequence

Gaining self confidence

I had reached a point in my life where it was time to admit my attempts at building my self-confidence were failing and incredibly short time. Having spoken to Rachael previously about life in general and concluding that she, not only knew what she was talking about, but also radiated happiness and confidence, so I decided to take the leap and sign up for some hypnotherapy sessions.  Although I felt a bit weak asking for help to begin with, Rachael was very reassuring during the whole process so those thoughts melted away very quickly.  Rachael is incredibly easy to open up to, professional and non-judgemental. While I came in to the sessions believing there was a confident, interesting person within me, Rachael’s skills got that person out of its hiding place and allowed me to show my best self off to the world.  Following the work with Rachael, I am the person I wanted to be and so much happier for it !

Negative relationship with Money

Rachael is an astute and highly skilled practitioner who is adept at seeing clearly and getting to the root of an issue.  I can wholeheartedly recommend her

Confidence to invest in own business

I feel the hypnotherapy really helped me and my confidence is so much better than it was. I quit my part time job about a year ago and now I’m making more money doing just [business] alone 🙂   ‘My fiance’ and I are getting married in 3 months time so that’s all very exciting! I’m feeling positive about the future and just wanted to say thank you for being part of my journey. I hope your hypnotherapy business is going well and that you’re busy.

Hypnosis for Procrastination

“Rachael’s coaching was excellent, she helped me to rediscover my natural innate brilliance through her solution focused questioning, I would highly recommend her as a coach if you are truly serious about success.”

Hypnosis for Anger Management

It was very difficult for me to ask for help. But from my first meeting with Rachael, I felt at ease and reassured that she would be able to help me.  Rachael is an excellent therapist and a very warm person in general. Without her help I would not be where I am now with my healthy home and work life. I would recommend Rachael in a heartbeat.

Hypnosis for Body Confidence & Fear of Eating

“Rachael’s combination of sympathy, pragmatism and professionalism is invaluable. She is neither a passive audience, nor an intrusive presence. I felt incredibly safe in her hands. Through our conversations, I was able to explore my emotions and experiences more fully, better understanding myself so that I could better overcome obstacles in my life. I also learned some really valuable techniques related to building confidence which have stayed with me. I would heartily recommend Rachael to anyone who wishes to change – no matter how great or small the desire for transformation, or how remote a possibility it seems – this will be a stepping stone on your journey.”

Hypnosis for Irrational Fears

“From my sessions with Rachael, I was able to learn and utilise techniques to help me overcome what I had begun to see as “Irrational Fears”. The most rewarding, tangible lesson that I learnt from our sessions was that I had the ability to bring about a change. To experience something that would normally “freak” me out and calmly deal with it. Thank you – it means a lot to me!

Hypnosis for Natural Weight Loss

”I was fortunate enough to work with Rachael to help with my weight loss. Having tried to lose weight in the past on my own, I knew I wanted someone to help me on the way and give me some internal emotional and mental support for my goals that was lacking. Rachael was a brilliant therapist – knowing exactly when to push me and when to listen. I wouldn’t have made the progress I did without her.  When I met Rachael, I wanted to form a ‘natural’ weight loss habit and that’s what she did for me. I left her feeling great and seeing the numbers on my scales moving steadily downwards without any crazy crash diets or gimmicks.  I would recommend Rachael and DōChange to anyone looking for hypnotherapy or help with weightloss. At every turn she will make you feel relaxed, supported and give you the results you’re looking for.”

Lack of direction & Hypnosis for Social Anxiety

“I hadn’t been feeling myself for a long time, months certainly. I felt under serious pressure at work and for the first time in my life I found myself feeling uncomfortable in social situations, struggling to make conversation. Sleeping was difficult and I seemed to spend my nights and days worrying. I felt like the wrong person was inside my head.  Out of the blue, I saw a hypno-therapy ad on a noticeboard. I took down the number and let it sit in my wallet for a few days before finally deciding to try it out. I regard most things in life with a healthy degree of scepticism and I admit as I made my way to meet Rachael for the first time I gave the experience about a 50/50 chance of having any sort of effect. Rachael immediately put me at ease and encouraged me to talk and relax. Our first session provided me with an opportunity to “bring out my dead”, verbalise the negative thoughts and emotions that had been on repeat inside my head. What felt like a few minutes was actually a few hours. I was out in the pub with some friends that weekend and noticed the banter flowing more easily than it had for a while. Over the course of the next three or four months I met with Rachael maybe 6 or 7 times. Each session was different and covered different areas, not necessarily by my design or Rachael’s, but whatever came up. Whatever needed to come up. Rachael often gave me a little exercise to do or a technique to try out, each designed to help with a particular aspect which I felt I needed help with, such as stress or handling difficult people and situations. There was no specific turning point, or at least no one single eureka moment but over a relatively short period of time things started to get a little better in my life. Work started to flow much better and I started to get recognised and praised more and be less hesitant. My sleep patterns improved and my social relationships got back on an even keel. I seemed to get my mojo back. That’s not all though. I felt more confident generally and started once again to really enjoy life. Wednesday night is salsa night these days. Rachael would say that I was the one who helped myself get through the door and I guess she is right, however I would say back that she was the person who helped me decide to make the move, pack my bags, pointed out the door and hinted to me where to get the key to open it. She is a skillful, effective and wise therapist who shows she genuinely cares through listening, observing, playing back and helping make sense of what modern life leaves us with in our heads. I genuinely feel Rachael has made a positive difference to how I choose to live my life. In the year…

Hypnosis for Feeling Stuck

I’m probably one of the most difficult clients for a hypnotherapist, because I also have expertise in what Rachael Hudson does. She has a special talent for helping me get past my intellectual barriers, right to the heart of what is important. With her direct and well considered approach and hawk-eyed ability to spot my little resistances, she has helped me to make more than one really significant breakthrough in managing my health and wellbeing. This has been so valuable in those areas where I’ve been unable to help myself. My admiration for Rachael is enormous. Not only is she deeply skillful and professional, but she has a sensitivity and compassion that makes it so easy to accept her help, and to feel safe. She can also be tough and insistent when it is needed. I like the way she keeps in touch and follows up to see how I’m doing. I trust Rachael with my most personal of issues, because I know she has absolute integrity. In my experience, Rachael Hudson is an excellent and highly effective therapist, and I want to recommend her wholeheartedly.

Hypnosis for Relationship Issues

I was at a point in my life when I’d try anything from crystals to chanting, but thankfully NLP proved to be something completely different. On the day of our session I was hesitant, expectant, nervous and excited; and of course not entirely sure what to expect. What I did hope for though was a change, and I was ready for that as I’d spent many years of my life feeling empty and trying to find something to fill the void. ….Fundamentally, with Rachael’s approach, the change comes from within the client and being ready to make that change is the first positive step. During our session there were plenty of tears, plenty of laughs and huge amounts of soul searching, but I came out of it refreshed, as if I’d woken up after a very long nightmare. I’d never really realised how shockingly awful I’d felt about myself and life in general until Rachael and I had our session. The really strange thing is since my first session with Rachael, it’s not just how much better I feel inside, but also the comments I’ve had from other people “You look ten years younger”, “where have you been on holiday?”, “What’s happened? That’s a very cheeky smile”, I’ve even given up smoking! I consider myself very lucky to have had the chance to work with Rachael. Life changes for the better every day, and each day I wake up ready to enjoy that day rather than rolling over and trying to catch up on the sleep I was losing having nightmares.”

Hypnosis for Social Anxiety

“Following the hypnotherapy I had with Rachael, I was able to view the way I felt and thought about my life in a more positive and objective way. Rachael helped me to see that the ability to change is within us all. Hypnotherapy really helped me to learn to challenge my ingrained ways of thinking. Within a few months I felt I went through a big change – thank you Rachael!”

Hypnosis for Self Confidence & Relationship Issues

I went to Rachael at a time when I felt particularly low. She helped me to overcome issues with my self-confidence and the effect that had on my personal relationships.  We began by speaking about problems I wanted to deal with and how those may have arisen so that Rachael had a thorough understanding of the triggers we had to work on. I was pleasantly surprised by the hypnotherapy treatment: both in the way it worked; and the results it achieved. I had been cynical about this type of therapy but was intrigued and was in a place where I wanted to do whatever I needed to, to help myself feel better. I found hypnotherapy deeply relaxing and it cleared my mind in a way I’d never achieved alone. Very quickly, I was able to calm myself down when I was feeling anxious by using techniques Rachael had taught me.  The results, after just six sessions, were better than I could have hoped for. I felt I had the courage to find some direction. I immediately ended a bad relationship and embarked on a healthy, happy new one! Not only this, but I felt generally confident and less anxious. Rachael is a calming influence, a great listener and guides the way to finding your own direction.

Hypnosis for Feeling Stuck & Lack of Confidence

Early last year (2010) I had an NLP Breakthrough session with Rachael. I entered the session feeling quite unsure about what to expect and I also felt slightly hesitant and nervous about doing something so new to me. Rachael immediately put me at ease and discussed some practical points about the session duration, confidentiality etc and then she gave me an overview of what to expect from the session and some insight into NLP. This make me relaxed and keen to get started. We talked a lot about my reason/s for being there and what I was aiming to achieve from the time spent together. Although I initially found it quite difficult to open up and be honest, Rachael had a comfortable way of encouraging me and made the experience very ‘safe’. I was out of my comfort zone during some parts of the session, purely because it was a new experience for me, but throughout Rachael was supportive.  I left the session feeling uplifted and it was very thought provoking. It made me think a lot about my approach to certain areas in my life in respect to the past, the present and the future. Afterwards, I felt positive and optimistic and realised it was something I should have done a long time ago, but I also think this is down to Rachael’s expertise. I would recommend Rachael as someone who has the ability to make you feel at ease, open, honest and relaxed. She is extremely knowledgeable about NLP and even during emotional moments, I was able to be myself and speak about some difficult memories with her encouragement. It has stayed with me and I still refer back to our session during difficult times.

Hypnosis for Deep Insecurity & Anxiety

Hypnotherapy has helped me channel what was already inside of me and learn to bring them to the surface effortlessly. It was the most natural means of progression into a different “me” and was not imposing in any way. It was relaxing and was up to me to involve myself fully in order of achieving my goal..  My hypnotherapist (Rachael) made me feel very calm and relaxed and felt like someone I have known for years. I was at ease to discuss issues about myself that I would not usually share, but was a vital piece of the puzzle in unlocking my subconscious and guiding me on the right path.