Sandy Hector

Hello, I’m Sandy

If you’re here, you may have reached a point where you’re ready for something to change. Perhaps anxiety has been getting in the way of enjoying life, you’re feeling overwhelmed, or you’ve been carrying something for a long time and would like some support.

Whatever has brought you here, you don’t have to have all the answers before you begin.

I believe that therapy should feel like a safe, welcoming space where you can be yourself, without judgement. My approach is warm, friendly and compassionate, and I take the time to really listen and understand what life has been like for you.

I specialise in working with anxiety and related difficulties, but I also recognise that behind every difficulty is a unique person with their own experiences, strengths and hopes for the future.

Over the years, I have developed a broad range of therapeutic skills and continue to learn and develop my practice. I work with hypnotherapy, mindfulness-based approaches, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Ego State Therapy and Hypno-EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).

I don’t believe therapy should be about simply being told what to do. You are the expert in your own life. My role is to walk alongside you, offering guidance, encouragement and therapeutic tools that can help you understand yourself differently and make the changes you want to make.

Every person is different, so I tailor our sessions to you. We can take things at your pace and focus on what matters most to you. Sometimes that might mean calming an anxious mind, building confidence, changing unhelpful patterns, processing difficult experiences, or learning to respond to life’s challenges with greater compassion and resilience.

I believe that even when things feel stuck, change is possible.

You may have tried to manage things on your own for a long time. You may feel unsure about therapy, or wonder whether it can really help. That’s completely understandable. You don’t need to know exactly what you need before you get in touch. We can start with a conversation and take it from there.

My aim is for you to feel heard, understood and supported, and to help you reconnect with your own strengths and ability to move forward.

There is no judgement, no pressure and no expectation that you need to have everything worked out.

Just a safe space to begin.

I look forward to meeting you.

My Background & Qualifications

My journey into therapy has developed from a genuine interest in understanding how our thoughts, emotions, experiences and beliefs can influence the way we feel and behave.

Over the years, I have undertaken extensive training in hypnotherapy and a range of complementary therapeutic approaches. I have continued to build on this foundation through further training and professional development, allowing me to develop an increasingly integrated approach to helping people.

My training and therapeutic experience includes Hypnotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Ego State Therapy and Hypno-EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).

I believe that continuing to learn is an important part of being a therapist. I regularly develop my knowledge and skills so that I can bring new ideas, techniques and perspectives into my work, while always considering what is appropriate and helpful for each individual client.

My experience has given me the opportunity to work with a wide range of difficulties, with a particular interest in anxiety and related problems. I understand that behind a diagnosis, symptom or difficulty is a person with their own story, and I believe it is important to understand the whole person rather than simply focus on a problem.

My approach to learning

I don't believe that becoming a good therapist ends when a qualification is completed. Therapy is an ongoing journey of learning, reflection and development.

I value evidence-informed practice while also recognising the importance of the therapeutic relationship. For me, the connection between therapist and client is fundamental. Feeling heard, respected and understood can be an important part of creating the safety needed for positive change.

I therefore continue to develop my professional knowledge and skills and take a thoughtful, individualised approach to the therapies and techniques I use.

A personal motivation

My interest in the power of the mind is also personal. I have experienced first-hand how our thoughts, beliefs and responses can influence the way we experience difficult periods in life — and how, with the right support and understanding, change really can be possible.

This has shaped the way I work today.

I don't see myself as someone who has all the answers. Instead, I see my role as walking alongside you, helping you understand yourself, discover your own strengths and develop the tools that can help you move forward.

I feel privileged to be able to support people through what can sometimes be very challenging periods of their lives.

My aim is always to provide a warm, compassionate and non-judgemental space where you can feel comfortable being yourself and work towards the changes that are important to you.

My Specialisms

Helping you feel more in control

People come to therapy for many different reasons. Sometimes there is a specific problem that has been affecting their life, and sometimes they simply know that they don't feel like themselves anymore.

My particular area of interest is anxiety and anxiety-related difficulties. I work with people who may feel caught in cycles of worrying, overthinking, fear, self-doubt or avoidance, and who would like to feel calmer, more confident and more in control.

I take time to understand what is happening for you rather than simply focusing on a particular symptom. Together, we can explore the thoughts, emotions, behaviours and experiences that may be keeping difficulties going and begin to develop more helpful ways of responding.

Anxiety and worry

Anxiety can affect far more than our thoughts. It can influence our bodies, sleep, confidence, relationships and everyday choices.

I can help with difficulties such as:

Generalised anxiety and excessive worrying

Panic attacks and panic symptoms

Health anxiety

Social anxiety

Fear and phobias

Overthinking and rumination

Intolerance of uncertainty

Stress and overwhelm

Anxiety-related confidence difficulties

Anxiety associated with difficult life experiences

Therapy can help you understand your anxiety, reduce the impact it has on your life and develop practical ways of responding when anxious thoughts and feelings arise.

Confidence and self-belief

Sometimes anxiety is closely connected with the way we see ourselves.

You may struggle with self-doubt, feel that you are not good enough, be highly self-critical or worry excessively about what other people think.

Therapy can provide an opportunity to explore these underlying beliefs and develop a more balanced, compassionate and confident relationship with yourself.

Trauma and difficult experiences

Some experiences stay with us long after the event itself has passed. You may find that something from the past continues to influence your thoughts, emotions, relationships or sense of safety.

I work with approaches including Hypno-EMDR, alongside other therapeutic techniques, to support people who are struggling with the effects of distressing or traumatic experiences.

The aim is not to erase what happened, but to help you develop a different relationship with the memories and responses that may still be affecting you today.

Stress and emotional overwhelm

Modern life can place enormous demands on us. Work, relationships, family responsibilities and significant life changes can sometimes leave us feeling emotionally exhausted or overwhelmed.

Mindfulness-based approaches, CBT and hypnotherapy can provide practical tools for slowing things down, calming the nervous system, understanding emotional responses and developing greater resilience.

Habit and behaviour change

Sometimes we know what we want to change but find ourselves repeatedly falling back into familiar patterns.

I can support you with understanding the thoughts, emotions, triggers and habits behind behaviours you would like to change. Hypnotherapy, CBT, mindfulness and other approaches can then be brought together to help you develop new and more sustainable patterns.

A personalised approach

Although I have particular areas of specialism, I don't believe in treating a label rather than a person.

Two people experiencing anxiety may have completely different reasons for feeling the way they do, and therefore may benefit from very different approaches.

Your therapy will be shaped around you.

We can draw upon different therapeutic approaches depending on what you need, including hypnotherapy, CBT, ACT, Compassion Focused Therapy, DBT, mindfulness-based approaches, Ego State Therapy and Hypno-EMDR.

My aim is to help you understand yourself with greater compassion, develop practical tools for managing difficulties and reconnect with the confidence and strengths that are already within you.

You don't have to change everything at once. Sometimes meaningful change begins with simply understanding what is happening and taking the first small step.

My Approach to Therapy

I believe that therapy works best when it is collaborative, compassionate and centred around you.

There is no “one size fits all” approach to therapy. Everyone brings their own experiences, personality, challenges and hopes for the future. My role is not to tell you how you should feel or what you should do, but to work alongside you, helping you understand what may be happening and supporting you to find ways forward that feel right for you.

Together, we can explore what you would like to change and identify the approaches and techniques that are most helpful for you. Sometimes this may involve learning to manage anxious thoughts, sometimes it may be about building confidence and self-compassion, and sometimes it may involve gently exploring experiences from the past that are still affecting you in the present.

An integrated approach

I work with a variety of therapeutic approaches and tailor these according to your individual needs. I particularly enjoy combining hypnotherapy, CBT and mindfulness-based therapies, as I find that they can complement one another beautifully.

Hypnotherapy can help you access a deeply relaxed and focused state in which you may find it easier to explore thoughts, feelings and patterns of behaviour, while developing new and more helpful ways of responding.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) can help us understand the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It can be particularly useful for identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and developing practical strategies for responding differently.

I also incorporate mindfulness-based approaches, including ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy).

Mindfulness can help you step out of the cycle of constantly thinking about what might happen in the future or repeatedly revisiting what has already happened in the past. Instead, it can help you develop the ability to notice what is happening right now, with greater awareness and less judgement.

ACT can help you develop greater psychological flexibility and learn to make choices based on what matters to you, even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present.

CFT brings compassion into the therapeutic process, helping you develop a kinder and less critical relationship with yourself. For people who are often hard on themselves, this can be an important part of healing and change.

DBT provides practical skills for managing difficult emotions, coping with distress and developing healthier ways of responding when emotions feel overwhelming.

Hypno-EMDR

I also work with Hypno-EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing alongside hypnotherapy).

EMDR is an evidence-based psychological therapy widely used for trauma and PTSD. It can also be helpful in working with a range of other difficulties associated with distressing experiences, anxiety and stress.

Combining EMDR with hypnotherapy can provide another way of supporting the therapeutic process, particularly when someone is struggling with experiences that continue to affect how they feel, think or respond in the present.

You are at the centre

Although I work with a range of therapeutic approaches, the most important part of therapy is you.

I don't believe that therapy should be about fitting you into a particular treatment. Instead, the therapy should adapt to you. We can explore what feels comfortable, what feels challenging and what you would like to achieve, always working at a pace that feels manageable.

My aim is to create a space where you feel safe, listened to, understood and accepted.

I believe that change doesn't necessarily mean becoming a different person. Sometimes it means reconnecting with parts of yourself that have become lost along the way, developing a kinder relationship with yourself, or discovering that you have more resources and resilience than you realised.

Why I believe in the power of therapy

I have experienced first-hand how powerful the mind can be in helping us make changes, even during some of the most difficult and darkest times in life.

I know that when things feel overwhelming, it can sometimes be difficult to imagine that anything could be different. But with the right support, understanding and tools, change can begin — sometimes with very small steps.

I would like to help you discover that possibility for yourself.

You don't have to know exactly what you need before you begin. We can start where you are, explore what is happening for you, and take things one step at a time.