Case Study: Claire, Anxiety, Overwhelm, Sleeplessness and Anger

All client details have been anonymised to protect confidentiality.

When someone you love is hurting, it can consume you completely. 

Claire couldn't sleep, couldn't stop the anger, and couldn't switch her mind off, even for a moment.

Her son had recently discovered his wife was having an affair, and the fallout had hit Claire hard. 

Beyond the grief of watching her son's marriage collapse, she felt deeply betrayed by her daughter-in-law, and she simply could not let it go. The anger wasn't just in this situation either, it had been spilling into her relationship with her husband and into many other areas of her life.

She was exhausted, overwhelmed, and worrying around the clock.

It was at this point that Claire came to see Lesley at Phoenix Hypnotherapy in Cheltenham.

The journey through six sessions of hypnotherapy

By the time Claire arrived for her second appointment, something had already shifted. She was sleeping noticeably better and found, to her own surprise, that the daughter-in-law was no longer dominating her thoughts. 

The grip of the obsessive thinking had loosened after just one session.

Session two brought a broader sense of balance, Claire described feeling more grounded in her outlook on life generally, rather than being pulled into the drama around her.

In session three, something deeper surfaced. Claire began to recognise that her reaction to this situation wasn't just about recent events, it connected to trust issues she had carried since childhood. 

This was a significant moment of self-awareness, and one that opened the door to real, lasting change.

Session four focused on the anger itself. Claire began to recognise that this wasn't isolated to the situation with her son, anger had been showing up across many areas of her life. 

Through her hypnotherapy sessions with Lesley, she was able to acknowledge just how much she had been carrying, and to finally release it. Not suppress it, but genuinely let it go.

By session five, Claire was feeling markedly better and had noticed a change in how she was showing up in her relationships, she was now able to say no to people she had previously felt unable to refuse. 

A quiet but powerful shift in her sense of self.

Session six brought the process to a close. Claire described feeling amazing, and expressed deep gratitude, not just for feeling better, but for having discovered emotions she hadn't known were locked away inside her. 

Emotions that were now, in her words, safely resolved.

The outcome

In six sessions of hypnotherapy, Claire moved from exhausted, angry and overwhelmed to sleeping well, feeling balanced, and understanding herself in a way she never had before. What began as a family crisis became the catalyst for profound personal growth. 

As an unexpected but welcome bonus, Claire describes her relationships with both her son and her husband as the best they have ever been.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can hypnotherapy help with anxiety caused by family problems?

Yes, hypnotherapy is particularly effective when anxiety is rooted in emotional overwhelm, relationship stress, or situations that feel outside your control. Rather than just managing the symptoms, hypnotherapy works to find and resolve the underlying emotional drivers, which is why clients often find that issues they didn't expect to address, like long-held anger or childhood trust issues, naturally come to the surface and can be safely released.

How many hypnotherapy sessions will I need for anxiety?

Every client is different, but many people begin to notice changes after just one or two sessions. 

Claire's case involved six sessions, which allowed time to work through both the immediate presenting issue and deeper patterns that were contributing to her anxiety. 

Lesley will always discuss a realistic plan with you at your initial consultation.

Can hypnotherapy help with anger as well as anxiety?

Anger and anxiety are often closely connected, both can be rooted in unresolved emotional experiences that have built up over time. 

Hypnotherapy can help clients explore where that anger is coming from, process it in a safe and supportive environment, and work towards releasing it. 

As Claire's case shows, anger that has been present for many years can still be addressed, sometimes the results surprise even the client themselves.

Will hypnotherapy work if my anxiety is affecting my relationships?

Anxiety doesn't just affect the person experiencing it, it can put real strain on the people closest to you too. Hypnotherapy can help by working through the emotions that are driving your anxiety, and sometimes getting close enough to the root of an issue is all that's needed to create real, lasting change. Many clients find that as they feel calmer and more balanced, their relationships naturally improve as a result. As with any therapy, results vary from person to person, and Lesley will always have an honest conversation with you about what you might realistically expect before you begin.

About Lesley Ford

Lesley Ford is a multi award-winning hypnotherapist based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. 

With years of experience helping clients overcome anxiety, stress, anger and a wide range of emotional challenges, Lesley is passionate about helping people discover and release the emotions that are holding them back from living life fully.

Lesley works from her practice in Cheltenham and offers both in-person and online hypnotherapy sessions.

Book a free consultation with Lesley