Sarah Valentine

Accredited | Professional | Experienced

“Very good and helpful.
When I first went to the sessions, I struggled a lot with emetophobia and had little control over myself and my sickness, every time I went out into social situations I was fearful of being sick. But 10 sessions later i now have control over my emetophobia and it is something I rarely think about. Before I started hypnotherapy sessions I thought I’d never be able to gain control of my anxiety. But I now have complete control over it and I can’t thank Sarah enough for her help.” Felix Reid - Bristol, 5th March 2024 

“I can highly recommend Sarah for Hypnotherapy. I came to her with generalised anxiety and health anxiety and she has genuinely changed my life. I've tried lot of different talking therapies, but this is the first time I've tried Hypnotherapy and I wish I'd done it YEARS ago. The tools she's given me are also helping me help my little boy with his anxiety, which is amazing. Thanks Sarah!”  Sara Pratt - 4th March 2024 

“Had a fantastic first experience of hypnotherapy with Sarah. She helped me build confidence, resilience and reduce anxiety. I really liked Sarah's style as a solution-focussed hypnotherapist, and I felt comfortable and safe the whole time. I loved how Sarah is so 100% authentic, down to earth and so passionate about her work. She's an absolute star! Very highly recommended!” - Mel Ciavucco, Bristol 

29+ Google Reviews | Senior Accredited Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist with almost 10+ years of full-time clinical experience, offering online and in-person sessions, supporting clients with a wide variety of emotional and psychological issues such as anxiety, stress, health issues, insomnia, PTSD, OCD, trauma, abuse, loss, heartbreak and much more. 

A 2019 meta-analysis of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety found that “the average participant receiving hypnosis reduced anxiety more than about 79% of control participants,” also noting that “hypnosis was more effective in reducing anxiety when combined with other psychological interventions than when used as a stand-alone treatment. Source: Keara E Valentine et al. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2019 Jul-Sep.

2014 commenced the start of my clinical practice from Queen Square, subsequently evolving to becoming the sole proprietor of The Arches Therapy Rooms in Montpelier, whereby my vision was to create bespoke treatment spaces that support people’s mental health and well-being in Bristol.

The Arches Therapy Rooms

As the founder of The Arches Therapy Rooms I've successfully practice-managed the five bespoke therapy rooms that are rented out to new therapists who want to grow their practice and also the more experienced therapists who are already established and want a convenient, modern therapeutic space within a reputable clinic. Therapists feedback on Google: 

“A great space and location for your counselling and healing therapies.
The rooms feel cosy, clean and welcoming. There are practice rooms available on the ground and first floor, both floors providing accessible WC’s. Having access to a kitchen for chilled water and refreshments for clients is great. Sarah, the manager is so helpful and super supportive with all your questions and requirements. I have found the facilities and booking system easy to use and access. I thoroughly enjoy working at The Arches and would highly recommend. Thank you.” - Suzie Carr, BACP Accredited Person Centred Counsellor, Bristol. 

“The Arches Therapy Rooms has been a brilliant place for my practice, it’s offered me the flexibility I need for business and super easy to book a room. All rooms are very comfortable and clean. Great service, place and people.” - Kate Edmett, Bristol 

“The clinic is well located and easy to find. Once inside it is a peaceful sanctuary compared to the bustle of Cheltenham Road outside.
The private rooms are bright, warm, and quiet, great for making clients feel comfortable and at ease”. Claire Cohen, Nutritional Therapist, Bristol 

“Easily accessible therapy rooms which are always clean and cosy. The ability to book on an ad hoc basis has been invaluable in helping me build up my practice and Sarah is always there if anything is needed! A lovely place to practice.”  Vicki Fear, BACP Accredited Counsellor, Bristol 

“I've used the Arches Therapy Rooms for a few years now. They are comfortable rooms, quiet, nicely furnished and well equipped. They are also in a great location in central Bristol, just a couple of mins away from Montpelier train station. Sarah has always been very responsive whenever I've needed any help with anything and always friendly and approachable. I've never had any issues booking my preferred room and being featured on the Arches website has also been useful in reaching new clients. Would highly recommend to any therapists looking for a place to work from in Bristol.” - Chris B, Psychotherapy and Counselling. 

Designed with you in mind

My therapeutic consulting room where I see my clients for face-to-face sessions is a contemporary, modern, tranquil and cosy space (double-glazed) where clients can immediately feel at ease, safe and calm - this ambience lends itself perfectly to deep relaxation. There’s a very comfortable sofa, an additional sofa chair to use during the talking therapy part and a therapy couch where you can recline and relax in comfort for guided imagery work. Key factors I've considered and incorporated are: 

• Contemporary, modern design 
• Free complimentary WI-FI
• Ground floor waiting area 
• Soothing, tranquil colour scheme 
• Comfortable furniture 
• Warm, cosy and inviting 
• Clean and tidy 
• Convenient location
• Parking on nearby streets available on Station road, free parking on Claremont road (BS7 8DQ) and public transport options nearby.
• Plants, qualifications, certificates and therapy books on display
• Relaxed, ambient lighting 
• Peaceful sanctuary: free from disruptive noise or distractions 
• Confidentiality - therapeutic conversations will not be overheard so you can feel comfortable in expressing your thoughts and feelings
• Water supplied, complementary tissues. Easy access to two WCs on the ground floor and first floor. 
• Phone charging - you are welcome to charge your phone, as long as it's set to do not disturb during your session. 

Tailored treatment 

I trained at the renowned Clifton Practice - CPHT a centre of excellence for hypnotherapy and psychotherapy training in Bristol. I graduated a little over 10 years ago with a Diploma in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, supported by a wealth of life experiences and industry knowledge to draw upon, which significantly helps support the individuals I work with.

I work in a very practical, pragmatic way that’s informed by the latest research and neuroscience, whilst using a wide variety of tools and therapeutic techniques to effectively coach you, providing you with new skillsets, strategies all geared towards highlighting different ways of thinking objectively, imbuing calming narratives, perspectives and information as a facilitator towards you becoming self-empowered and confidant in work, relationships with others and self/life in general.

Subsequent sessions are always individually tailored to each client. 

Client feedback is important 

I continue to be passionate about supporting and empowering my clients in making positive changes in their lives. Do take some time to read through my 27 Google Reviews and positive feedback from previous clients in order to help you make an informed decision and how I can best help you. Alternatively, scroll down to see client Google reviews/testimonials. 

Solid reputation 

As well as dealing with a wide variety of clients presenting issues, problems and concerns, I have built a solid reputation for supporting and helping clients reduce the stress and anxiety of Parkinson's disease. 

Survivor 

I used to be a victim of narcissistic trauma and abuse, controlling behaviour, gaslighting and manipulation and spent many years on the victim triangle, perpetuated by cycles of drama and my nervous system became hardwired to stress, cortisol, adrenaline and hypervigilance. 20 years ago I was offered the chance to try solution-focused hypnotherapy (I was sceptical at first) but what I discovered was that it was truly life-changing for me.

After a few sessions, I started to notice a massive difference in my confidence, and with subsequent sessions that followed with regards my self-belief and boundaries becoming much more robust and I emerged a much stronger woman - I would say as a direct result of having hypnotherapy.

Modern world = Anxiety and Stress  

With the pressures of modern society and fast-paced living, people frequently feel overwhelmed or exhausted - tired, irritable, consumed by anxiety, angry, not sleeping properly etc so many people often turn to alternative sources of comfort (short-term dopamine/hijacking the brain’s reward networks) or display certain behaviours (anxiety/anger/depression) that become problematic (negatively affecting your work, relationship or self-esteem) when they experience significant stress or anxiety in order to temporarily assuage or alleviate overwhelming feelings to try to numb the pain or discomfort of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings and suffering by turning to: 

• alchohol/binge-drinking
• drugs
• food (excess fat, salt or sugar) 
• sedentary/lack of exercise 
• caffeine 
• energy drinks
• nicotine/vaping
• phone usage/scrolling addiction 
• dating apps
• sexting on social media
• porn
• gaming
• gambling 
• risky behaviors 
• thrill-seeking eg: driving fast 
• self-injury 

Because dopamine delivers immediate gratification but the payoff can be short-term in the brain and some people can become fast release dopamine addicts (as the short-term dopamine crashes and the brain needs another quick fix), this can impact your life in many different ways such as decision-making, inability to focus or concentrate, brain fog, mood swings, difficulty remembering or irritability, frustration, anger or feeling low. 

We are fundamentally creatures of habit and pattern-matching. What we do and how we do things is created through attention, learning and repetition. Therefore, unwanted or bad habits and negative behaviours can be changed. 

In psychology the process of building a habit can be divided into four simple steps:

1. cue
2. craving
3. response
4. reward

Why is it difficult to change our habits? 

We seek comfort in what is familiar and predictable and we can repeatedly act out the same behaviours (this can even include repeating drama and trauma as chaos can also feel familiar/conditioned which is why being safe or quiet can feel boring to some people) - often unconsciously. 

Dysregulation of your nervous system can be caused by

• Overthinking 
• Over-scheduling
• Hypervigilance - abnormally alert to potential dangers or threats
• Increased sensitivity to sounds 
• Chronic stress 
• Nightmares 
• Racing thoughts 
• PTSD
• Not getting enough morning light
• Too much blue light 
• Avoidance 
• Unprocessed emotions
• Feeling overwhelmed 
• Easily triggered by everyday situations 
• Grief 
• Shame
• Toxic friends/family 
• *InflammatIon/CFS
• Unprocessed/chronic trauma 
• Not taking time to heal 

These patterns or associations can become hardwired in our brains (through repetition) and cause these signs (or various others) of malfunction or imbalance in your nervous system

9 ways that hypnotherapy and psychotherapy can help you: 

1. Becoming self-aware 
2. Manage and cope with difficult or challenging life events 
3. Improve your quality of life 
4. Gain relief from physical and mental symptoms 
5. Understanding how your past has shaped you and how you imagine your future can transform you. 
6. Heal from past trauma’s
7. Put healthy boundaries in place 
8. Set realistic goals and make big changes 
9. Make better decisions 

• This is where solution-focused hypnotherapy can help you.
• On a physiological level during hypnosis, we shift from the fight or flight state (the sympathetic nervous system) to the resting or safe state, where the parasympathetic nervous system is activated - a bit like a gradual reset.
• Over a series of sessions we can work together to reverse the build-up of anxiety/stress, (due to an overactive amygdala) adrenaline and cortisol accumulation (hypothalamus, responsible for hormones) in order to significantly empty your stress bucket (your brain's hippocampus - moving emotional memories to easier narrative memories) everyone's stress bucket is different in size - depending on the current or previous trauma or stressful experiences that need to be processed/emptied.
• Work with you to develop key understandings of how dopamine can work for you, rather than hinder you. 

Following my own therapeutic journey, I decided to enrol on the training course to become a hypnotherapist and psychotherapist to use this knowledge and experience to help others to overcome and transcend similar issues.

Reprogramming your subconcious mind from ingrained negative or repetitive patterns/protective negativity bias/negative forecasting and learned helplessness in favour of automatic positive patterns, hopefulness and positive expectancy. 

There is hope - I am living proof that hypnotherapy can help you release past trauma and you can break free from old patterns move forwards towards a brighter future, not only in rediscovering your strengths, confidence and assertiveness (saying no, handling confrontation and maintaining boundaries) but also removing doubt, fear, negativity and indecision - giving you the intellectual control to take appropriate actions to effectively change your life. 

Weight Control, Food Issues and Fitness Goals

I'm a crossfit enthusiast - I thrive on the teamwork and competitive aspects of fitness and am passionate about nutrition and eating well. I tend to attract clients that want to work on weight control/food issues or improve their fitness/body confidence/motivation/mindset. 

Relationships | Grief | Endings 

I have a wealth of experience in helping people overcome challenging aspects/difficulties within relationships or helping people navigate the pain and grief caused by heartbreak/seperation or helping clients heal from toxic relationships or break-ups. 

Talks and Workshops 

I also have experience working with employees from various organisations in Bristol, including Bristol Drugs Project, providing group facilitation talks and workshops.

Continued professional development 

I regularly access clinical supervision, coaching and mentoring from an experienced Accredited Senior Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy Supervisor who has over 20 years of experience/expertise. 

I continue to read about the latest developments in therapy, neuroscience and the brain, as well as studying various online courses. 

*I always advise that you seek the advice of your GP where necessary. Especially if you suspect you have IBS, migraines or an ongoing physical problem that may require medical intervention.

*On no occasion should hypnotherapy, or the techniques used within, be seen as a substitute for professional medical advice. Hypnotherapy acts as a complimentary therapy, not an alternative, to professional health care and advice should always be sought from your GP or other healthcare provider.  

Contact made easy 

If you have any questions or would like to book an appointment with me, then I welcome you to give me a call on 07415 726270, or alternatively, email on info@sarahvalentinehypnotherapy.co.uk or you can easily schedule a free 10-minute introductory call via this site where I'll be happy to answer any initial questions you may have. 

Initial Consultation (A Preliminary and informal discussion) : £70

All subsequent sessions : £70

Anti-Smoking Therapy (single 90 min session) : £250 * A free preliminary 5-10 minute discussion is required prior to booking 

(all fees are payable no less than 72 hours prior to the session time.)

Skype sessions are offered at the same rate as stated above  

Please feel free to call me or send me an email if you have any queries or would like more information.

5-Star Google Reviews

“As a 37 year old male, I found the biggest challenge was to take the first step in getting support, however from the initial session to the last, Sarah’s amiable approach made me feel relaxed and want to get the most out of the sessions. Sarah was able to educate me on how the mind works, whilst also providing me with the tools to support my mental well-being going forward. I can’t thank Sarah enough and would highly recommend to anyone.” - Andy Finch 

“Sarah was a wonderful person to work with. She explained the theory behind hypnotherapy brilliantly, and with relaxation techniques and guided hypnotherapy, I have overcome social and confidence issues at work. Would highly recommend to anyone thinking about hypnotherapy.” - Hannah Parry 

”Sarah has transformed my life. In the short time that I have been seeing her, she has helped me become more aware of triggers and how to control Mt mental illness. She has helped me feel more human when I have been at my lowest and has also helped me boost my confidence, not only in myself, but in my day-to-day life and personal relationships. I would highly recommend Sarah to anyone. She is a soul who cares and it shows in her work. She is an absolute diamond. Thank you for everything you have done for me and helped me through... you have truly changed my life!” - Taryn Chilton

“Despite experiencing various therapies in the past, nothing quite compares to the level of support and effective techniques Sarah uses. I am eternally grateful for what Sarah’s done for me. Not only is the hypnotherapy itself quite a major game changer in terms of helping to make switches at a subconscious level and provides tools to implement in your day-to-day life but having Sarah provide the constant support was second to none; unlike other therapists, she’s there whenever you need and always puts you first. She really has your best interests at heart and it’s clear she wants nothing more than to help you succeed, grow and enjoy life to the max. It’s comforting to know she’s always there!” - Lauryn Reeves