Helen Davis

Most of what I do comes back to one idea: the brain is more adaptable than we used to believe, and much of what we accept as fixed – persistent pain, that old fear that derails plans way too often, even the way we've been holding our bodies for twenty years – can, with the right approach, change.

I'm a clinical hypnotherapist and functional movement teacher working with adults who want to take a more active role in their own health. My practice brings together two strands: clinical hypnotherapy, with a specialisation in neuroplastic and stress-related pain, and Bones for Life® – the functional movement programme that improves posture and balance to support long term bone health.

In practice, that means I work with people preparing for surgery (hypnosis is a genuine game-changer here, and not only for anxious patients – it supports healing, reduces the physiological stress response and can even reduce the need for anaesthetic and pain medication); people living with pain that has persisted long after an injury has healed; and people who are laying the foundations for an active and vibrant old age. I also work with phobias, sleep difficulties and help people get to the emotional root of health challenges that have been investigated and managed but never resolved.

I came to this work through my own experience. In 2012, burnout and a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ended my 20-year corporate career in strategic forecasting. Hypnotherapy and yoga were central to my recovery, and as soon as I was physically able to, I retrained in both. A decade later, a fall and a diagnosis of osteoporosis at 56 brought me to Bones for Life® – and to the realisation that the mind-body connection that underpinned all my hypnotherapy work was equally relevant to helping people sit, stand and move with greater ease and confidence.

My two decades as a business analyst involved making complex, unfamiliar ideas feel clear and urgent – exactly what's needed when introducing neuroplasticity, surgical hypnosis or bone density to a general audience. I am an engaging speaker – I am frequently told my enthusiasm is infectious – having honed my skills in my first career (everything from chairing international conferences to making the case for uncomfortable forecasts to board-level clients) and appeared regularly in the national and trade press. I've featured on a wide range of podcasts and contributed a chapter to Vol. 4 of Shine On You Crazy Daisy: Stories from inspirational businesswomen.
I'm available for podcast guest spots, speaking, media and expert commentary, writing commissions, retreat contributions and collaborations with practitioners whose work sits alongside mine. I work online and in person in Petersfield, Hampshire.