Meet the Therapist: Louise Squires
Louise Squires is a hypnotherapist in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, and online
What attracted you to become a therapist?
Having suffered with anxiety in the past, working in high pressure sales roles, whilst managing the demands of two young children – I understand how stress can impact every aspect of our lives, leading to weight gain, panic attacks, insomnia and negative self-talk.
I am passionate about helping people to realise their potential and become the best version of themselves.
Where did you train?
CPHT Birmingham Hypnotherapy Training
Can you tell us about the type of therapy you practise?
I specialise in solution-focused hypnotherapy based on modern, clinically proven, neuroscience based techniques.
I help my clients to understand how our brains work and why they get us stuck sometimes, and I teach my clients how to get their brain working better for them so they can achieve the outcomes they want. I guide them to find their own solutions to getting their lives on track feeling positive, confident, motivated and focused.
The best bit about solution-focused hypnotherapy is that I do all of this without any need to revisit the past or unpick old problems!
How does hypnotherapy help with symptoms of anxiety and stress?
I see a lot of clients with anxiety and stress. Solution-focused hypnotherapy gives them the ability to cope in different situations in a calm and effective way.
By speaking to the subconscious, during hypnosis, I help my clients control their anxiety levels and have a calmer, more confident approach to all situations.
Success can be aided by the use of a relaxation audio (which I send to every client) recreating the calm state experienced during the hypnotherapy session.
What sort of people do you usually see?
I mainly work with adults and teenagers. I work with a variety of issues, including stress, anxiety, depression, phobias, OCD, sleep problems, weight management, smoking cessation, addictions and hypnobirthing.
What do you like about being a therapist?
It is by far the most rewarding job I have ever had! I always say I never see the same person twice. What I mean is, one week a client can come in for an initial consultation, in a really bad place, lack of eye contact, head dropped, shoulders hunched. Then over the following weeks I see the transformation, head held high, smiling face and a spring in their step.
I start every session by asking ‘What’s been good this week?’ I love to hear about the amazing progress my clients make week by week, by just focusing on the small steps that lead to that bigger change. I’ll never tire of hearing the words ‘you’ve changed my life’.
What is less pleasant?
Hearing about how long some of my clients have suffered with their issue and how much is has impacted their life and the lives of those closest to them. But, I know that I can help them to make the changes in a short period of time.
How long you’ve been with welldoing.org and what you think of us?
I’m fairly new to welldoing.org, having joined in the last six months. So far I have really enjoyed using the Learning Hub and connecting with other therapists through the therapist community.
Do you ever suggest books or apps to clients?
I always recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear, which is fantastic for clients who want to break old habits and start new ones.
What you do for your own mental health?
I practise what I preach and write down my ‘three positives’ every day. Something positive I have done today, something positive I will do tomorrow and something I am grateful for.
This is a really helpful exercise, as it engages the left pre-frontal cortex (the intellectual brain) – when we operate from this part of the brain, we generally get things right in life and it is positive.
I also listen to my own hypnosis recording throughout the week, to help keep myself relaxed and in a perfect frame of mind.
You are a therapist in Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. What can you share with us about seeing clients in this area?
I also work online for clients who would rather work with me this way or are outside of my location.
What’s your consultation room like?
My consultation room is located in Bromsgrove town centre and is comfortable and peaceful
What do you wish people knew about therapy?
The importance of building rapport with your therapist and working together as a team. This is the reason why I offer a free initial consultation, so that clients can meet me and decide if they are comfortable to work with me, before making the commitment.
What did you learn about yourself in therapy?
I didn’t realise how stressed I was before I became a hypnotherapist. I thought I had everything under control and was coping well, but I realised I had been suppressing a lot of emotion over the years.
I have also become solution-focused, which has helped me immensely in decision making and freeing myself from suppressed limiting beliefs that had held me back throughout my life.
