Hypnosis for stress and burnout.
Your mind never stops, you sleep badly and your energy is gone. You know what you should do, but you cannot seem to change it. With hypnotherapy you work on the cause, not just on what you notice.
Complimentary intro call
Fully confidential
“I am exhausted. I cannot keep this up.”
Many people who come to me have been running on adrenaline for years. It works, until suddenly it does not. Often the signs were already there: overthinking, a short fuse, difficulty deciding, lying awake at night.
Maybe you are in the middle of it. Maybe you feel you are close. Either way, you do not have to wait until you really cannot go on.
Why rest alone is not enough.
Stress is not only in your thoughts, but also in automatic reactions of your body. Your nervous system stays switched on, even when you are off work. You cannot unlearn that by thinking about it. In hypnosis you reach the part that drives those reactions, so you can learn new ones.
What changes.
01
Your mind gets quieter
02
You sleep better
03
You notice your limits sooner, and you protect them
04
Your energy comes back
What I can help you with.
Stress and burnout look different for everyone. These are the forms it often takes, and where hypnosis can help you.
Overthinking
Your mind keeps spinning, even on your days off. Today's conversations, tomorrow's to-do lists, scenarios that never happen. Overthinking feels like thinking things through, but it doesn't solve anything and it drains a lot of your energy. In hypnosis, you work on the pattern underneath, so your thoughts can finally settle down.
Sleepless nights
You're exhausted, but as soon as you lie down, your mind switches on. Or you wake up at four and lie there for hours going over things. Poor sleep keeps stress going, and stress keeps poor sleep going. Together we figure out what's keeping you awake, so your body can learn to switch off in the evening again.
Always on
You say yes more often than is good for you, you read your email on Sundays and feel guilty when you're not doing anything. You've learned that your worth lies in what you achieve. In hypnosis, we look at where that pattern comes from, and you learn to rest without it feeling like failure.
Tension in your body
A stiff neck, a headache at the end of the day, a restless stomach. Stress doesn't just live in your head. I don't take pain away, and I always ask you to have symptoms checked by your doctor first. What you can learn is to relate to them differently. When your focus on the pain shifts, that can bring relief.
Recovery and getting back to work
You're recovering or back at work, but your trust in your own limits is gone. You're afraid it will happen again. We work on that trust, so you notice the signals sooner and can pick up your work without the old reflex to give everything.
I know that pressure up close.
For years I worked as the right hand of a director, in an organization of 250 people. Every day I saw how intense the pressure is for people who are expected to give a lot. And how little room there is to show what that does to them. On the outside, everything was fine. What was happening on the inside, almost nobody saw.
During my training as a hypnotherapist, I gave sessions there: in the morning for focus, in the afternoon to let go of stress. That's when I noticed how much can change when someone doesn't have to perform for a moment. That's why I don't start with a plan or a list of assignments, but with calm. Only from a place of calm can you see again what you need.
No protocol, but a clear direction.
I work with Ericksonian, conversational hypnosis. There's no fixed script: I tailor every session to how you're doing that day. If you're exhausted, we won't start with a long analysis. I've learned a wide range of techniques and use them with intention, but above all I work from the connection with you. Every person already has inner resources, like the ability to relax and to sense your limits. Under stress, those have temporarily become hard to reach. I help you find them again.
What long-term stress does to you.
Stress itself isn't the problem. Your body is built to exert itself and then recover. Things go wrong when that recovery keeps getting skipped. Then tension becomes your normal setting. At first you barely notice: you're a bit more irritable, you forget things more often, you feel less like doing the things you used to enjoy. Because it creeps up on you, your limit keeps shifting a little further. Until one day your body hits the brakes on its own.
Overthinking is one of the first things people notice. Your mind tries to keep everything under control by running through what could happen, over and over. That feels useful, but it actually keeps your nervous system switched on. You also can't stop overthinking by thinking about it, because then you're thinking again. That's why I work on a different level. In hypnosis, you learn to shift your attention away from the stream of thoughts and toward what your body is feeling in that moment.
Sleep is often where everything comes together. Your body needs rest to recover, but a tense nervous system won't let you sleep deeply. You wake up with the same feeling you went to bed with. In hypnosis you experience, sometimes for the first time in a long while, what it's like to truly relax while you're awake. Afterward, you can bring that feeling back yourself in the evening.
Every person has more resilience than you'd think on a bad day. You've known times when you did sleep, did enjoy things and did feel your limits. Those experiences aren't gone, they're just buried. Hypnosis helps you get back to them. With heavy trauma or stubborn patterns that go back a long way, you take your time with that. That's why the in-depth program is the best fit there.
With care, and alongside your doctor.
I'm not a medical professional and I don't cure anything. Burnout is diagnosed by a doctor, not by me. Before we start, I'll send you a short questionnaire, including questions about any medication you take, because I take that into account in the sessions. Is something deeper going on medically, for example a low mood that won't lift or physical symptoms without a clear cause? Then I'll ask for a referral letter from your doctor.
Hypnosis is a complement to, never a replacement for, your doctor or psychologist. If you're already working with an occupational health doctor, a psychologist or a coach, hypnosis fits well alongside that. I don't offer EMDR. I work with hypnosis and conversation, at your pace.
Simply from home, wherever you are.
When your energy is gone, traveling to an office can already be too much. That's why I work mostly online. I'm based in the Netherlands and work with people all over the world, in English or Dutch. You join the sessions from your own couch, with headphones on, and afterward you don't have to go anywhere.
Prefer to meet in person? That can be arranged. In the intro call, we'll decide together what feels most calming for you.
“Sometimes tension has older roots, such as an experience that still affects you. Hypnotherapy can help with that too, at your own pace and with care.”
When it goes deeper
The in-depth program.
For stress and burnout I recommend the in-depth program: 6 online sessions over about 3 months. It gives you time to change, and to hold on to the change.
Intake with a clear goal
6 online sessions
Support by WhatsApp or email in between
Check-in after 2 weeks
Hypnosis does not replace your primary care doctor or occupational health doctor. Already receiving support? I am happy to coordinate.
Hypno-Matters · Single session
Want to experience it first?
Book one online session of about 60 minutes and notice for yourself what hypnosis does for you. If you choose a program within two weeks, this session is fully credited.
Questions about hypnosis for burnout.
How do I stop overthinking?
Not by trying harder not to overthink, because then you're busy with it all over again. Overthinking is an automatic reaction of a nervous system that's switched on. In hypnosis, you work on that reaction and learn to shift your attention to your body and the present moment. That way you learn to quiet your mind more quickly.
Does hypnosis help with stress-related insomnia?
If you sleep badly because your mind won't switch off, hypnosis can help. We work on the tension that keeps you awake, and you learn what it feels like to consciously relax. Have you been sleeping poorly for a long time, or do you take sleep medication? Then talk to your doctor about it as well. Hypnosis fits well alongside that.
How many hypnosis sessions do I need for burnout?
For burnout, I usually recommend the in-depth program, with six sessions and a check-in after two weeks. Not in the middle of it yet, but noticing you've been running on reserves for a while? Then the focused program with three sessions may be enough. We'll look at that together in the intro call.
What if I can't relax?
That's completely normal when you've been under tension for a long time. You don't have to be able to do anything. I guide you step by step, at your own pace, and it usually gets easier with every session. Even if it feels like not much is happening, your subconscious is still working along.
Do I have to tell you everything that happened?
No. You decide what you share. With hypnosis, there's no need to discuss everything in detail or relive it again and again. I ask what I need to guide you well, and the rest can stay with you.
Can I try a single hypnosis session first?
Yes. You can book a single session of about 60 minutes. That way you'll find out whether my way of working suits you. For stress and burnout, I do recommend a program afterward, because lasting change takes time and support.
Can I start if I am already on sick leave?
Yes. Many people start then. Do discuss it with your occupational doctor if you have one.
Can I come before it becomes a burnout?
Please do. The sooner you act, the shorter the program usually is.
Do I have enough energy for sessions?
Sessions do not cost energy, they bring calm. You sit or lie comfortably and do not have to perform.
Can my employer pay?
Yes. Many employers cover this. The content always stays between us.
Also helps with.
Hypnosis helps with more than one question. Perhaps you recognize yourself here too:
You do not have to wait until you really cannot go on.
Book a 30 minute intro call. Complimentary and online.