In this episode of Diary of a Hypnotherapist, Caroline Cavanagh explains her therapeutic approach by categorising clients into two archetypes: “onions,” who reveal problems layer by layer and experience a gradual, wavy upward trajectory, and “aeroplanes,” who build momentum and then experience a sudden, transformational breakthrough. She illustrates the aeroplane pattern with a young woman who, after several sessions and a specific technique, reported an immediate cessation of anxiety. Cavanagh also shares a physical‑healing story about a client with chronic fatty liver disease who, after shifting her beliefs and embracing the placebo effect, claimed complete liver recovery and stopped medication. Throughout, she emphasizes the power of mindset, the importance of a diverse therapeutic toolbox, and invites listeners to contact her for help with emotional or physical issues.
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Hi there, and welcome to the next edition of Diary of a Hypnotherapist, my way of helping people understand a little bit more about what a hypnotherapist actually does, because it really isn't all about swinging watches and clucking chickens. There's a real science behind the work that I do, and one of the clients this week has really stood out for me. I would say that all my clients fit into one of two groups. The largest group, which I would say is probably 7 people out of 10, are what I call my onions. They come with something on the surface that is really causing them a problem. We deal with that and then another layer pops up. We deal with that and then there can be a number of layers that keep popping up until either we've got through all of the layers or the client's got enough tools that they can carry on working on the layers on themselves, and I call that camp my onions. And their path through therapy is they tend to feel a really good result after a session, and then there's a bit of a dip, and then they lift up, a bit of a dip. So it's kind of a wiggly path, but the trajectory is always upwards. However, my client this week is in the other camp, and I call them my aeroplanes. They start moving and they build up speed, they build up momentum, but nothing major is happening until suddenly Suddenly, we find the one thing that really is transformational. And this young lady had been working with me, I think she'd had 4 sessions already, and she was saying, yeah, things are a little bit different, I'm sleeping a little bit better, not worrying about that as much, but it's not majorly different. And then she came back this week and she said, oh my goodness, Caroline, she said, I haven't felt anxious at all. All of the things that I used to lay in bed worrying about, I just might— the thought comes into my head and I just go, I don't think so. And that was a lovely example of someone who is a classic aeroplane. Little bits are different as she was building momentum, but then we did one technique that was absolutely, for her, transformational. And that's what I bring to the party, is having a whole range of tools in my toolbox. Because the tool that I used with her may not be the some person that creates that liftoff for someone else. So regardless of which camp someone sits in, they will always get the results. But it may be the feeling of, wow, this is amazing. Oh, but it's changed. Oh yeah, better and changed. And they build up the resources to perpetuate their change on their own. Or there's the people that, I'm not sure this is working, but then suddenly, wow. This is phenomenal. The other client that really stuck in my mind today is, or this week rather, is someone who had also been struggling with a physical illness. And it's a strong belief that I have that this body that we have isn't just physical, it's influenced by what's going on in our mind as well. And we call that mindset. If someone has a positive mindset, their healing can be much quicker than someone that is very doom and gloom and has a different set of beliefs about their capacity to heal. And there is a whole plethora of stories out there, and ones that I could share as well, about how mind is so important in the healing process. And this lady had a liver issue, and she'd been told that her liver was absolutely chronic. 60% fat and would never really work effectively again. And the typical approach was then pharmaceutical-based about how to manage that condition. But we did some work around what was her personal beliefs, and we spoke about the placebo effect, something that lots of people are familiar with, uh, on the basis that you can take a sugar pill And it will have a dramatic effect even though chemically there is no reason for that particular effect to have happened. But what it's tapping into is the power of the mind. If the power of the mind believes this pill is going to make that happen, the mind goes, yeah, we can make that happen, and it actually does it on its own. So with this particular client, we'd spoken about her beliefs around whether her liver could heal or not. and the power of her mind to heal. And her motivation was, well, I've got nothing to lose. I don't want to take all these drugs. I want to feel better. So we tapped into that energy and she came to me this week and she said, Caroline, my liver is completely healed. Even my surgeon Says, I don't understand how this has happened, because she'd actually stopped taking the drugs as well. Not something that I'd recommend, I hasten to add, but she had decided herself, I don't want to be on the pharmaceuticals, I'm going to work on this using my mind, and had got a phenomenal result. And now that's obviously something that can't be promised. Even with drug-based results, they're not guaranteed. But the power of the mind is phenomenal. So if there's something that you are struggling with, whether it's something emotional— anxiety, depression— or if it's something physical that you just think, yeah, the pharmaceutical route has taken me so far, but maybe there is another option that we can look at. The mind is a powerful resource, and together we can help you tap into that power, harness it, and lead it in a direction that could just be something that makes a difference. So give me a call, let's have a chat, and we can just go from there. But for now, thank you very much for listening, and I look forward to telling about— telling you about my next week at the end of next week. Have a wonderful weekend. Bye-bye for now.
