“Who are you when there’s nothing left to prove?”

This was the title of an email that popped into my inbox recently, and I have to say, it captured something I’d been feeling for quite a while.

I’d been talking about anhedonia with my friend and colleague recently. Anhedonia is the clinical name for a reduced ability to feel pleasure, interest or enjoyment. It can feel as though the things that used to light you up have somehow lost their voltage.

You can still get out of bed. You can still work. You can still put the washing on, answer emails and have conversations.  From the outside, everything's fine. 

But inside, everything feels a little bit… beige.

You can't really be arsed to go on that holiday you booked 5 months ago.  

The crafting project you used to enjoy feel a bit boring.  

The thought of socialising, achieving or planning fills you with dread.  

And because anhedonia can be a symptom of depression, it’s important to take it seriously.

[Quick caveat....A persisten...

For many women, menopause doesn’t arrive as a neat, gradual transition. It can feel like a tidal wave crashing over everything you thought you knew about yourself. In Brighton, where I run my practice, I often hear women describe it as if their sense of being is unravelling, their mind is turning against them, and their body has become unpredictable. Sleep is patchy, moods are volatile, anxiety creeps in, libido drops, and confidence plummets. Suddenly, you’re not just dealing with hot flushes or night sweats you’re questioning your very sense of identity.

This is why menopause can feel like a breakdown.  But now being on the other side of it, I can say, hand on heart, it's more of a reconstruction than a breakdown.  It's an unravelling of outdated patterns, beliefs, and conditioning. And while it can be deeply unsettling, it also offers us a chance to rebuild ourselves in a way that feels more authentic, liberated, and aligned. Hypnotherapy (the way I do it) can be a profound ally on...