Sally Garozzo | Clinical Hypnotherapist Brighton & Online

Recently, on a trip to Milan, I let myself “go there”… like really “go there.”

The gelato, the pasta, the shopping.

I see myself as an N of 1 experiment and before the trip, I’d been fairly restrained as I was in “body engineering” mode, so I made an intentional decision to get swept up in it all. Just for the sheer pleasure of playing with life (and also exploring my emerging — stronger — Italian identity).

By the third day of this cultural experiment, my digestive tract felt like burning embers and my brain kept grabbing at the thought of “what’s next” like a Duracell bunny.

It was the morning of our departure as I sat waiting for my husband to finish his text, belly and suitcase bloated, when a curiosity popped into my head.

I asked myself the question…

“Now that I’m no longer driven by my reproductive hormones (oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone), am I now driven by my brain hormones (dopamine, serotonin etc.) instead?”

A very clunky question I know, but nevertheless, ...

Honey, you don't.... there's no such thing as self sabotage.  It's a constructed label. I'll unpack it for you, but first let's start at the beginning. 

“Why do I keep sabotaging myself?”

It’s one of the most common questions I hear.

And I completely understand why.

On the surface, it does look like sabotage.

You say you’ll go to the gym… and you don’t.
You plan to eat well… and you reach for chocolate.
You want the relationship to work… and you pull away.
You commit to the business idea… and then procrastinate.

From the outside, it looks like you’re getting in your own way.

But as the charming rebellious sagittarius that I am, I'd like to challenge this idea.

The Hidden Assumption Behind “Self-Sabotage”

The idea of self-sabotage rests on one very important assumption:

That there is a correct way to behave…
And that you are deviating from it.

But who decided what “correct” is?

Let’s take something simple.

You don’t go to the gym one morning.

Is that sabotage?

Or is it your b...

There’s a moment in the evening that many women recognise once they reach perimenopause or menopause.

The day has been full.
Productive, even.
You’ve eaten properly, moved your body, done what needed to be done.
You may even be on a medication that is supposed to quiet appetite altogether.

And yet, as the light fades, something wakes up inside you.

Not hunger exactly, not even emotional eating in the way it’s usually framed.

More like… a pull.
A niggle.
A sudden and very specific interest in something crunchy, sharp, stimulating.
An oral something.

It can feel slightly perplexing. You might even translate it as a lack of willpower, even though somewhere deep down you know that’s not really true. (And for the record, it definitely isn’t.)

This is especially uncomfortable for women who are used to being capable, regulated, and in control. Women who don’t usually find themselves circling the cupboards but well…. are.

Your body isn’t being difficult. 

It’s trying to find a way of r...

When Your Mind Won’t Switch Off

Have you ever felt like your brain is a hamster wheel you can’t step off? The same thought circling round and round, "what if this happens? did I really lock the door? what if something terrible occurs because I didn’t check again?" For people living with OCD or obsessive thinking, this isn’t just the occasional worry. It can feel like incessant torture.

I know, because so many of my clients in Brighton (and beyond) arrive at my door exhausted by their own minds. They don’t want to think these thoughts, they don’t believe the thoughts, but they feel compelled to obey them, repeat them, or neutralise them in some way.

The truth is, OCD isn’t about being “quirky neat” or “a bit controlling” (despite what the media often portrays). It’s about living in a body that never feels quite safe, a nervous system that’s constantly scanning for danger, and a brain that has latched onto repetitive thoughts and rituals as a form of control (and as an attempt to turn...

You know the feeling.

That relentless hum of urgency. The tight chest, the shallow breath, the way your brain spins even when you’re lying still. Maybe you’ve tried yoga, magnesium, mindfulness, even meds, but the sense of “something isn’t right in my body” just won’t lift.

This is the fight or flight response in motion, and if you’re living in Brighton (or anywhere, really), it might feel like the modern world keeps feeding it. The noise, the pace, the perfectionism, the overthinking. But there is a way to come down. A way to let your nervous system breathe again. And that’s where hypnotherapy in Brighton (and online) can offer something gentle, powerful, and deeply reparative.

Living in a World That Doesn’t Let You Switch Off

Let’s be real: the current of modern life doesn’t often reward slowness. Productivity is worshipped. Overwhelm is normalised. We scroll through disasters and dopamine hits, constantly toggling between “too much” and “not enough.”

And if you’ve experienced e...

This is your time to pause…

To let the noise quieten…
To loosen the invisible grip of anxiety and gently come home to yourself.

Because here in Brighton, amongst the sea breeze, the layered skies, and the creative pulse of this city, there’s space for your nervous system to recalibrate. And with the right support, healing doesn’t have to be a lifelong project. It can begin today, with one powerful step: accessing the intelligence of your subconscious mind.

I’m Sally Garozzo, an award-winning hypnotherapist based in Brighton, and I’ve supported hundreds of people just like you to find safety in their bodies again. To breathe more freely. To stop living on high alert. To stop coping and start living.

What does anxiety really feel like?

Anxiety isn’t just “feeling nervous.” It’s that deep, humming hyper vigilance. The way your shoulders live up by your ears. The lump in your throat that no amount of logic can swallow.
It’s the scanning for danger. The second-guessing what others migh...