All client details have been anonymised to protect confidentiality.

Have you ever felt consumed by an emotion you couldn't quite name, something that followed you into every relationship and quietly pulled it apart?

That was James. He knew something was wrong. He just didn't know what.

Every relationship he entered somehow fell apart, and deep down he knew he was the common thread. 

He was sabotaging the connections he wanted most, almost without realising he was doing it. 

His self worth was low, his relationships were suffering, and underneath it all was a restless, unnamed feeling he couldn't shake.

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

The journey through four sessions of hypnotherapy

In the early sessions, James began to explore what was really happening beneath the surface. 

What emerged was a pattern of jealousy, intense, consuming, and triggered by the smallest of things. 

Even the tiniest perceived slight could send his mind spiralling, and once it started, he couldn't seem to stop it.

But as the work deepened, something more significant began to surface. 

The jealousy, it turned out, wasn't really about jealousy at all.

In session three, everything changed. James discovered that the feelings he had been experiencing were rooted in his childhood, specifically in the devastating loss of his mother.

That loss had left behind a profound fear of abandonment that he had carried, unrecognised, ever since. 

The emotion he thought he understood turned out to be a mask for something much deeper, a second emotion, sitting quietly behind the first, that had been driving his behaviour all along.

What made this even more significant was understanding that his unconscious mind had been trying to keep him safe all along. 

The jealousy wasn't a flaw or a weakness, it was a protection mechanism. But the very thing designed to protect him had been pushing away the people he loved most.

It was a powerful session. Tears flowed as James began to understand that none of this had been his fault. 

The guilt he had been carrying, for pushing people away, for not being able to hold relationships together, began to lift.

By session four, the shift was profound. The invisible boundaries James had imposed on himself and on those closest to him were gone. 

In their place was something he hadn't felt in a very long time, peace.

The outcome

In four sessions of hypnotherapy, James moved from a man who couldn't sustain a relationship to someone finally able to accept love without fear. 

His daily life became calmer, more productive and more open. For the first time he was able to be happy with himself, and with whoever came into his life.

The jealousy that had ruled him for so long hadn't been about jealousy at all. It had been a little boy, terrified of losing someone he loved. 

And now that little boy finally felt safe.

Frequently asked questions

Can hypnotherapy help with jealousy?

Jealousy is one of those emotions that can feel completely out of control, even when you know it's causing damage. Hypnotherapy can help by exploring what is really driving the jealousy beneath the surface, because very often it isn't actually about jealousy at all. As James's case shows, what appears to be jealousy can sometimes be rooted in something much deeper, and working with those underlying emotions can create change that feels both surprising and profound. 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.

Why do I keep sabotaging my relationships?

Relationship sabotage is more common than people realise, and it rarely means there is something fundamentally wrong with you. More often it is the unconscious mind trying to protect you from a similar pain it has experienced, abandonment, loss, rejection or betrayal. 

Hypnotherapy can help you understand where that pattern began and work gently towards changing it, so that you can show up in relationships the way you actually want to.

Can hypnotherapy help with low self worth?

Low self worth often sits at the heart of patterns like jealousy and relationship sabotage. When we don't feel truly worthy of love, we can unconsciously behave in ways that confirm that belief. Hypnotherapy works at the level where those beliefs were formed, which means the changes can feel deep and lasting rather than surface level. Many clients find that as their sense of self worth improves, everything else, their relationships, their daily life, their outlook, begins to shift too.

How many sessions of hypnotherapy will I need?

Every client is different, and Lesley will always discuss a realistic plan with you before you begin. James's case was resolved in four sessions.

Sometimes the unconscious mind moves faster than expected, and when the root of an issue is found and released, the changes can happen quickly and naturally.

About Lesley Ford

Lesley Ford is a multi award-winning hypnotherapist based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. With years of experience helping clients untangle complex emotions like jealousy, anger, anxiety and low self worth, Lesley is passionate about helping people understand themselves more deeply and live their lives more freely.

Lesley works from her practice at the Isbourne Centre in Cheltenham and also offers online hypnotherapy sessions for those who prefer to work from home.

Find out more about Lesley

Book a free consultation with Lesley