Hello, I’m Gavin. Here’s the idea Thought Compass is built on: “I am good enough is more than good enough.” Self-doubt, fear of failure, feeling stuck – none of it has to be permanent, because it usually starts with looping thoughts that make it feel like you’re in the right play but with the wrong lines. As a cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist, I help you identify the scripts running your life, and find new ways forward.
How I work as a cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist
Sometimes it’s not a big crisis that brings you here. It’s just a quiet sense of stage fright about living your own life – waiting for the moment you feel ready, which never quite comes.
Cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy is an evidence-based approach that combines hypnosis with cognitive behavioural therapy. Rather than just addressing symptoms, I work with you to explore the underlying thought patterns and beliefs that drive behaviours that may be holding you back. Through guided hypnosis, cognitive restructuring, and practical exercises, we start to rewrite the scripted thoughts and develop new ways of thinking – ones that hold up under pressure, not just in the room.
Whether you’re dealing with stage fright, imposter syndrome, performance anxiety, fear of judgment, or a lack of self-belief, my goal is to give you a set of tools that actually work – ways to interrupt the cycle and understand what’s driving it. The bonus of this work is that these tools not only work on the issues you bring to the session, but also on other aspects of your life.
My Background and Experience
My background as an actor informs my work, and how I talk about what I do. I’m often struck by the similarities between actors preparing for a role and the challenges we face in everyday life, where we juggle a range of different roles – friend, spouse, colleague, parent. Each of these roles comes with its own expectations, and can lead to scripted responses that make it hard to be fully present in the current moment. In the gap between who we are and who we are trying to be lies the opportunity for growth and exploration.
My parallel career in corporate communications and branding revealed to me that stage fright and performance anxiety can strike in every walk of life. Whether it’s audition stress or the high-performance expectations of corporate environments, unmanaged stress can lead to anxiety and long-term creative burnout. If you’re navigating leadership stress, career transitions, or the pressure to constantly perform at a high level, that’s exactly the territory I work in.
Who I work with
I work with all sorts of people – actors, creatives, business professionals, and plenty who don’t fit neatly into any category. What most of them have in common is feeling stuck somewhere: in a career, a relationship, or just in themselves. Some come to work through a specific fear. Others want to build self-esteem, or finally shift a pattern they’ve been stuck in for years.
I recognise that people’s stories don’t always fit into neat boxes, and I embrace all forms of gender, sexuality, and relationship diversity. Too often we absorb messages that tell us we’re not enough as we are, that we need to be someone else to get by. I help my clients push back on that – to challenge the beliefs holding them back and get a bit closer to who they actually are.
How hypnotherapy can help you
In my work as a cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist, I tailor my approach to your unique needs. Through a combination of hypnosis, guided visualisation, cognitive techniques, and practical exercises, I help you:
- Reframe negative thought patterns
- Step out from the shadow of shame
- Reduce stage fright and performance-related stress
- Develop resilience and emotional regulation
- Overcome fears and limiting beliefs
- Navigate career challenges and imposter syndrome
Hypnotherapy isn’t about changing who you are – you are more than good enough, and always were. It helps you recognise and change the negative thoughts and habits that stand in the way of feeling like yourself again.
Despite what people think, there’s no mystery. Hypnotherapy uses a focused, deeply relaxed state that allows you to access the subconscious mind and create lasting, positive change.
“Gavin provided a calm focused environment for me to address my issue. He allowed me to see various connections in my life and gave me a belief that I could have some level of control. The recorded sessions that I was able to work with, in between each session, gave me a daily focus, and we made incredible strides in a very short time. “
Kate, London
