By Helen Wilks, DSFH, HPD
“I’m a brand-new graduate from CPHT Bristol, having recently gained my Diploma in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (DSFH) and the externally accredited Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma (HPD) with the NCH. At 51, with grown-up children now giving me the space to follow a long-held dream, I’ve stepped into an entirely new career, and I couldn’t be happier with the choice I’ve made.
What drew me to Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) more than any other approach was its gentle, forward-looking philosophy. We don’t need to dig into the past and focus on the problem; we simply ask, “Where do you want to be, and how will you know when you’re there?” That resonates deeply with me. Throughout my own life, I’ve faced plenty of challenges, yet I’ve always tried to live by the attitude “everything happens for a reason” and to focus on what I can learn and how I can move forward positively. When I discovered that SFH is built on exactly that principle, I felt really excited to have found a structured and proven-effective way to help others both recognise and build on their own strengths.
One of the most encouraging things I learned early in my training is that research consistently shows SFH is equally as effective in the hands of newly qualified therapists as it is with those who have decades of experience (1). Success depends not on years logged, but on following the evidence-based, structured approach and creating a warm, collaborative relationship with the client. As a relative newbie, this gave me tremendous confidence. I don’t need decades of practice behind me to help people transform their lives; I simply need to apply what I’ve been taught with care, skill and genuine connection.
My own first-hand proof
While I was still a student, our lecturer asked for a volunteer to demonstrate the “swish”, a rapid technique for replacing an unwanted behaviour with a preferred one. I put my hand up immediately, as I had something I was feeling completely ‘stuck’ on. Like many new therapists, the thought of creating social-media videos filled me with dread: my face would tighten, my mind would go blank, I’d feel sick with nerves and look exactly as terrified as I felt. I wanted instead to feel relaxed, confident and completely myself on camera.
The lecturer did a simple 20-minute hypnosis session: relaxation, a short deepener, the “swish” technique, and a gentle awakening. It didn’t feel complicated. A week later, I sat in my therapy room and pressed record on my phone to test myself. To my astonishment, the fear had completely gone. I was relaxed, smiling, chatting away as though the camera wasn’t even there. That single session was yet another reminder (there are so many!) of just how powerful SFH can be, and it ignited my fascination with performance work.
My own first-hand proof
Once I completed the performance improvement module of my training and heard about studies demonstrating the astonishing efficacy of SFH for this, I couldn’t wait to put it into practice. My very first sports client was a keen golfer who had been struggling with a lack of consistency and overthinking for a few years. He knew technically what he needed to do; he just couldn’t reliably do it when it mattered.
Week 1
I started with the classic Solution-Focused “What’s been good?”, explained the intellectual/primitive mind model (and how overthinking drags us into the primitive mind right when we need that calm focus), and used the Miracle Question to clarify his goals.
Week 2
I used the ‘swish’ technique, and he chose to replace “thinking too much”, stiff hips and lifting his head too early, with emptying his mind, the rotating hip movement he knew he wanted, keeping his head down, calmly hitting the ball and a smooth follow-through. We also chatted about how to anchor an ‘emptying your mind’ trigger: he chose to touch the ball in his pocket before each shot as the trigger to put himself instantly into the intellectual mind. The very next day he played in a tournament – and to his delight and surprise, he won his division. He hadn’t ever placed in a tournament at the golf club he joined 3 years prior.
Week 3
We did a future-pacing reframe during hypnosis. He visualised every shot going exactly where he wanted, feeling proud and calm, hearing the compliments from playing partners, noticing the smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of the ball landing softly on the fairway just where he wanted it to. The following day, he finished 4th out of 130 players, 1st in his age division, and played, in his words, “the best golf in a long time”. Fellow competitors voiced their amazement at his success, and he attributed both weeks’ wins directly to hypnotherapy.
Week 4
We did a further reframe, this time adding rich sensory detail around his putting – feeling the perfect weight of the putter, visualising the perfect pace and line, hearing the satisfying sound of the ball dropping confidently into the hole. I also taught him how to practise visualisation on his own, emphasising the golden rule: always visualise the positive outcome you want, never the negative. The next day, he told me his putting was “really improved” and his partner had remarked on how well he was putting, even saying, “Don’t tell me you’ve had hypnotherapy for putting as well?!” Everything was clicking just as he’d imagined.
Overall, across the four weeks we worked together, his golf handicap was cut by 3 points from 17 to 14, and months later he tells me he is now still playing better and more consistently than he has in years. He is thrilled with the results, full of confidence and excitement for the game and his improvements.
The power of SFH in creating positive change
These early experiences (and many others) have confirmed everything I hoped when I chose this path: SFH is fast, graceful and extraordinarily effective, especially when someone simply needs to ‘get out of their own way’ and perform at the level they’re truly capable of. Whether it’s a golfer finally trusting their ability, someone able to fly on holiday for the first time in years, a parent of a special needs child overcoming anxiety, an executive finally gaining the confidence to move on from a stressful job, or a brand-new therapist happily recording videos, the same principles and techniques apply.
I may be at the very start of my career, but I have already learned that as a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist, I don’t just help people feel better; I help them move confidently towards the future they want. Whether at work, in sport, or simply in everyday life, it’s so rewarding to be able to empower and support clients to envisage their goals and then watch their preferred futures unfold in real time. I am also deeply aware that family, friends, colleagues and teammates also benefit greatly from my clients’ improvements. I feel incredibly privileged to be part of that process, and excited for all the positive changes I will get to witness as my client base grows.”
Helen Wilks
Solution Focused Hypnotherapist
Helen’s Hypnotherapy
Ferndown, Dorset
(1) Primary Supporting Study: Northumbria Police SFH Pilot (2024)
Full Citation: Barney, E., Treby, E., Johannes, G., & Seymour, K. (2024). Understanding how online solution-focused hypnotherapy can support the wellbeing of police personnel and treat symptoms of anxiety and depression. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X241228493
Key Findings on Therapist Experience: This peer-reviewed quantitative study involved 42 police personnel (officers and staff) treated for anxiety and depression using online SFH. 20 qualified SFH therapists delivered the intervention, including a mix of recent graduates and seasoned practitioners (from CPHT/AfSFH training pipelines). Results showed no significant differences in outcomes based on therapist experience.