Have you ever felt like there are conflicting voices in your head—one pushing you forward, the other holding you back? Many people experience these inner conflicts, especially when dealing with anxiety. One powerful approach I use with clients to help them overcome anxiety is called parts work. Here’s an example of how I helped Claire (not her real name) overcome chronic anxiety and live a more enjoyable, relaxed life.
Meet Claire: battling anxiety for years
Claire, a 46-year-old woman, had been living with anxiety for as long as she could remember. It was always there— constantly worrying she might have said something wrong, experiencing a sense of dread, panicking in social situations. She had tried cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness, even medication, but none of it had brought her lasting relief, so she wanted to try hypnotherapy to get to the bottom of why she always felt on edge.
What is ‘parts work’?
The idea is simple and intuitive: we are all made up of different ‘parts’ of our mind, which represent various emotions, beliefs, and coping strategies we’ve developed over time. They are like different personalities in our inner world, each with their own voice. These parts all have good intentions for us, but sometimes they can be stuck with a strategy for achieving that good outcome that is no longer working for us.
Parts work helps you identify and understand these different parts, giving them a voice. Instead of suppressing or battling your anxiety, you can learn to understand, harmonise and heal these parts of yourself. That’s what Claire and I focused on in her hypnotherapy programme.
Claire’s experience: identifying her anxious ‘part’
First, I guided Claire into a nice relaxed state – or trance – which is a totally natural, easy state similar to the feeling you have while meditating or being totally absorbed in an activity like watching a film. This allows you to bypass that ‘busy’ inner voice we all have and access your subconscious mind which allows you to unblock issues really quickly.
In this gentle trance state, Claire was able to connect with the part of her that was bringing her this overzealous anxiety, and find out what that part of her was trying to do for her. We discovered that it was trying to protect her. This ‘protector’ part was showing up with the anxiety as a warning mechanism, alerting her to perceived emotional dangers – keeping her safe from potential embarrassment by holding her back. These coping strategies were adopted at a young age, in the belief that she wasn’t good enough and fearing rejection.
Negotiating with yourself
In guiding Claire to communicate with this ‘protector part’, she realised that while this part of her had been working overtime to keep her from emotional harm, it was also preventing her from taking risks and enjoying life. The coping mechanisms that may have helped her survive childhood were now getting in the way of her enjoying life as an adult.
People often ‘beat themselves up’ over having anxiety but it’s really important to be kind to yourself. Claire began to express compassion towards this protector part: she started to see that it had been trying to protect her, but in a way that was no longer useful. We then did some work to reassign the ‘protector’ a new strategy – it was still going to keep Claire safe – but not as a hypervigilant guard, rather as a supportive, encouraging voice from now on.
The results: a new inner calm
I always make my clients a personalised audio recording to listen to after their hypnotherapy session, to consolidate the changes at a deep and lasting level. Claire experienced an immediate ‘letting go’ of her anxiety after her session, and this sense of calm continued to develop over the following weeks as she was listening to her recording. This major shift meant that Claire’s previous state of dread entirely lifted, she started going into the office rather than working from home and felt much more confident in social situations.
What changed? By understanding the motives of the part of her personality bringing her the anxiety, showing compassion to that part and assigning it a different role, Claire created a new, peaceful inner landscape where she could relax and trust in herself.
How parts work can help you
Claire’s story shows how powerful parts work in hypnotherapy can be for addressing anxiety. By acknowledging and working with the different parts of our mind—rather than fighting against them—transformational personal development becomes possible. If you’ve been struggling with anxiety, exploring parts work might be the key to unlocking a more balanced, peaceful state of mind. Do feel free to contact me for a free initial consultation.
Sarah Cookson
Clinical hypnotherapist