Cognitive Hypnotherapy
for Public Speaking, Presentations and Performance in Godalming, Surrey
Speaking in public means something different to everyone. For some it's a board presentation or a job interview. For others it's a wedding speech, a driving test, an exam, or stepping onto a stage. Whatever the situation, the experience can be remarkably similar: you know your material, you've prepared well, and then your mind decides the situation is dangerous and fires the stress response at exactly the wrong moment.
If this sounds familiar, you're in very good company. Fear of public speaking is one of the most common issues people have brought to me over the years, and it's one I find deeply rewarding to work with.
Whether it's a presentation coming up soon or a pattern you've been struggling with for some time, a free discovery call is a calm, no-pressure way to explore how hypnotherapy could help you.
700+
Clients Helped
17+
Years Experience
NCH & CNHC
Registered Hypnotherapist
90+
Reviews & Testimonials
Why Your Mind Works Against You
Most people experience some nerves before a performance, and a small amount is genuinely useful. It sharpens focus and motivates preparation. But for some people the nerves become overwhelming, because the survival brain interprets the situation as a genuine threat. It reduces oxygen to the thinking brain, sends energy to the arms and legs ready to run, and floods the body with adrenaline.
The result is a blank mind, a racing heart, and a performance that doesn't come close to what you're capable of.
What's happening isn't weakness or failure. It's a protective pattern that was useful once and has simply been running in the wrong situations ever since.
Who I Work With
I work with people facing all kinds of performance situations, including:
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Public speakers, presenters and business professionals
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People getting married and/or giving wedding speeches
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Job interview candidates
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Performers, actors and musicians
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Athletes and sportspeople
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Anyone who freezes or goes blank when the spotlight is on them
The Performance Mindset
We are all born with natural confidence. As babies we fall over learning to walk and simply try again, without a second thought for what anyone thinks. Somewhere along the way we learn to fear the judgment of others, and that fear becomes the thing that stops us giving our best performance.
Sports champions and professional actors regularly use Cognitive Hypnotherapy to improve their performance. Sports psychology research consistently shows that mental state is one of the most significant factors in how well we perform under pressure.
The physical preparation matters enormously, but it's the mind that determines whether that preparation shows up when it counts.
How Cognitive Hypnotherapy Helps
Cognitive Hypnotherapy works differently from simply practising more or telling yourself to calm down.
Using a gently relaxed, focused state, we work directly with the unconscious patterns that are driving the fear response. Together we can:
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Identify where the fear of being judged or failing first took hold
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Reduce the emotional charge your mind attaches to the situation
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Update your mind's outdated assessment of the danger
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Build calm, focused responses in place of panic
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Help you approach the situation feeling prepared and grounded
The aim is not to eliminate all nerves, but to give you access to your best thinking, your best preparation, and your best self at the moment it matters most.
I came to Laurie wanting to get over my fear of being in the spotlight on my wedding day. I had become very anxious around walking up the aisle and what might happen if I panicked. I let it build up and up until about 6 weeks before the big day when I decided to try working with Laurie. Five sessions later, and I walked up the aisle with my head held high. I didn’t experience any physical symptoms of anxiety, and I am smiling in all the photos. Life-changing!
T W London
I was terrified about my wedding speech and Laurie helped me to feel calm and confident on the day. I was able to deliver my speech exactly as I had planned and really enjoy the moment rather than just getting through it.
RL Godalming
Before I went to see Laurie, I used to get really stressed and worried about my exams. Every time I had an exam coming up I would freak out and get myself flustered which probably made my performance in exams worse. I would work myself up into a blind panic so upon actually entering the exam, I would go blank and completely forget what I was supposed to be doing.
Laurie really helped me. She taught me techniques to calm myself down before each exam and in the weeks leading up to it.
OP Godalming
I offer Cognitive Hypnotherapy for public speaking and performance anxiety in person at Luck's Yard Clinic, Godalming, Surrey, convenient for Guildford, Farnham, Haslemere, Woking, Cranleigh and Weybridge, and online across the UK via Zoom.
If your confidence is affecting more than just performance situations, you may also find it helpful to read about hypnotherapy for confidence and hypnotherapy for anxiety.