“Why am I feeling like this?”

Hi!  I’m Jill and I spent 30 years as a Primary Teacher and senior leader in education. It was rewarding, fulfilling work that I loved, but like many people in demanding roles, I found myself saying “I’m fine” when I really wasn’t. There was loss in my life, work pressures, family responsibilities, friends who needed support and health challenges I wasn’t fully acknowledging. I kept telling myself I just needed to be more resilient, more organised, more capable.  That this was just how life was. 

The warning signs were there. I just wasn’t listening.

I wish I had sought help before I got to the point of feeling overwhelmed. More than that, I wish I had understood what was happening in my own brain. If I’d known then what I know now about how our brains respond to stress, how the primitive brain tries to protect us in ways that often don’t help, how the stress bucket works, maybe I could have handled things differently.

When I discovered Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, something clicked. This wasn’t just another coping strategy or talking therapy. This was neuroscience. This was understanding how my brain actually worked and why it was responding the way it was. That knowledge was genuinely life-changing for me.

Why Solution Focused Hypnotherapy?

After experiencing the difference this approach made in my own life, I knew I wanted to help others access this understanding too. My education background, with all those years of coaching, mentoring, helping people learn and develop, felt like the perfect foundation. I’ve always been passionate about developing life chances and mental health.  I was always there for the staff, the children and their families.  Now I am here for anyone who needs support.

What drew me specifically to Solution Focused Hypnotherapy was that it’s based on current neuroscience research. It’s not about focusing on problems or unpicking the past. It’s about understanding what’s happening in your brain right now and giving you practical strategies to move forward. It’s empowering rather than dependent. It focuses on solutions, not symptoms.

What do I love about this work?

The absolute privilege of this work is witnessing people’s lightbulb moments. That instant when someone realises, “Oh, that’s what my brain is doing! I’m not broken, I’m not weak, my brain is just trying to protect me in a way that isn’t working for me.” Once you have that understanding, everything shifts.

I get to see clients start to recognise their own needs and formulate their own strategies. People often don’t know what they really want until it starts happening. They come to me with one goal and then surpass it in ways they never imagined. That never gets old.

My education background and varied life experiences help me connect with clients of all ages, dealing with all sorts of challenges. I’ve worked with children struggling with anxiety, young adults facing exam pressures, working parents juggling everything, people managing chronic pain and individuals who seem to have everything they ever wanted but still don’t feel that calmness or happiness they expected.

Why would you want to work with me?

Many of my clients are looking for something different from traditional counselling. They want to understand what’s happening now, rather than focusing on the past. They want practical strategies and tools they can use. They want to move forward rather than backwards.

What they all have in common is that they’re ready for things to change. They might not know exactly what that change looks like yet, but they know something needs to be different.

What is my approach?

I believe it’s essential to choose a therapist that suits you as an individual. Everyone experiences stress and anxiety in their own unique way, and everyone’s path to feeling better will be different too. That’s why I offer a free initial consultation.  That means we can meet, I can explain how the brain works and how solution focused hypnotherapy can help, and you can decide if this approach and working with me feels right for you.

I work both online and in person from my practice in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, because I want to make support accessible in whatever way suits you best.

What is the journey ahead?

If you’re reading this and thinking “I wish I’d known about this sooner,” I completely understand. But the truth is, it wasn’t the right time for you then which is why you didn’t notice it. The question is whether it is the right time now?

Do you want to understand what’s happening in your brain instead of feeling confused by your own reactions?

Do you want practical strategies that actually help you live your life rather than just coping mechanisms?

Do you want to feel like yourself again or perhaps discover a version of yourself you didn’t know was possible?

If you’re nodding along, I’d love to meet you at a free initial consultation. No pressure, no commitment.  Just an opportunity to understand what’s possible and see if this is the right path for you.

Because everyone deserves to understand their own brain. Everyone deserves to feel calm, capable, and in control of their life. Sometimes, all it takes is understanding what’s really going on to make that possible.