A Life overshadowed by change
Cathy, a 40 year-old woman, found herself at the crossroads. Life had thrown her two overwhelming challenges: an organisational restructure at work, and the breakdown of her marriage. While the grief process had been explained to her, she couldn’t shake the dark cloud of depression that formed over her every day. Small things triggered her sadness, leaving her in tears without warning. Focusing at work became nearly impossible, and despite her best efforts, she found herself in a downward spiral.
Understanding the pillars of depression
At Miracle Minds, I often explain to clients that depression is like a building held up by concrete pillars. These pillars represent the subconscious thoughts, emotional patterns, and past experiences that sustain depressive moods. To create lasting change, we don’t just treat the symptoms - we dismantle this structure at its foundation.
For Cathy, her depression was upheld by several key pillars:
Past orientation: Cathy continually referenced the past, and it was this ongoing reference that was keeping her stuck where she was.
Negative self-perception: She blamed herself for the marriage breakdown and doubted her ability to adapt at work.
Disrupted sense of control: The sudden changes in her personal and professional life left her feeling powerless.
Subconscious reinforcement: Her mind had unknowingly strengthened the depressive cycle, making sadness and hopelessness feel like her default state.
How hypnotherapy for depression helped Cathy reclaim herself
Cathy was seeing a psychologist but was still struggling to shift her emotional state. That’s when she turned to hypnotherapy for depression at Miracle Minds. Unlike talk therapy, which relies on conscious reasoning, hypnotherapy works directly with the subconscious mind - the part responsible for automatic thoughts, behaviours, and emotional reactions.
Session One: Releasing emotional overload with MEMI and hypnotherapy
In our first session, I incorporated Multi-Channel Eye Movement Integration (MEMI) to address the trauma she was carrying following the work restructure. This had an immediate impact, desensitising the images, thoughts, and emotions from the announcement. It enabled her to see it for what it was - something that happened in the past - so we could now concentrate on her future.
Session Two: Regaining control of your thoughts
Like most people running a pattern of low mood or depression, Cathy believed that external events controlled her emotions, leading to feelings of helplessness. Through hypnosis, we worked on shifting this belief, helping her recognise she could take responsibility for her own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours without overwhelming herself with things beyond her control.
Also, Cathy had a tendency to globalise her problems, making them feel large and inescapable. We enabled her to break these problems into smaller, manageable sizes, giving her a step-by-step approach to tackling challenges instead of feeling overwhelmed by their magnitude.
Session Three: Introducing a different perspective
Cathy relied heavily on rigid internal rules for how life "should" be, which often led to her overthinking. Using hypnotherapy, we worked on shifting her perspective so she now recognised her interactions with others as a misalignment and that she could accept and work with that. She began to let go of the need for absolute control over her external circumstances and instead focused on being more adaptable.
Cathy was also overanalysing her emotions and struggling to manage intrusive thoughts. Hypnosis helped her create a healthier mental framework, where she could decide what needed her attention and action, and what she could just park or let go.
Session Four: Dealing with uncertainty and avoidance
Cathy’s fear of the unknown had left her feeling paralysed. The certainty she once had with her work and marriage was gone. Through subconscious reprogramming, we helped her embrace uncertainty with confidence, viewing it as an opportunity rather than a threat.
We often avoid things that we know will bring us discomfort, but Cathy needed the confidence to deal with the difficult conversations she still faced in telling friends and loved ones, and the negotiations she faced with her ex-husband. Using hypnotherapy, we equipped her with the tools to remain in control of her emotions in high-stress interactions, allowing her to engage with challenges rather than avoid them.
Breaking free from depression
Within weeks, Cathy had noticed a shift. She could focus at work again, her emotional breakdowns became less frequent, and she found herself dealing with challenges as they arose.
By addressing the subconscious drivers of her depression, hypnotherapy helped Cathy dismantle the pillars holding her sadness in place.
Your journey to freedom starts here
If Cathy’s story resonates with you, know that you don’t have to navigate low mood or depression alone. Hypnotherapy for depression offers a gentle yet powerful approach to restoring emotional balance and breaking free from the cycle of despair.
At Miracle Minds, we can deliver depression treatment in Canberra or from the comfort of your own home via our secure telehealth facility.
Learn more about hypnotherapy for depression here. If you would like to understand more about how hypnotherapy can help with depression, please book a free 15-minute consultation using the button below.