Moving Minds Forward Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/moving-minds-forward Most people know something's wrong. They just don't know why or what to do about it. Hosted by Gary Johannes , Solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT. Moving Minds Forward is a podcast about mental health, the brain, and what genuinely helps people change. One condition per episode. Anxiety, depression, panic, sleep, stress, trauma, OCD, overthinking, confidence and more, explored through honest conversation, grounded in neuroscience and current research. Some episodes are educational. Some include guests sharing their own experience of moving forward. No jargon. No blame. No dwelling on the past. Just straight answers about why the brain does what it does and what actually helps. Because people aren't broken. Sometimes the brain just gets stuck in patterns it learned to survive. And the brain can learn something different. © 2026 Gary Johannes 43533d3c-8cd1-5467-999b-00cfd3844a80 yes en Sun, 04 Oct 2026 08:00:05 +0100 Sun, 04 Oct 2026 08:01:20 +0100 https://inspiredtochange.biz https://img.transistorcdn.com/z0pGshbDl7Ikkv4ncL1x6-YxO41qOIi_dsXyJ_EUXZw/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hNGM5/NjAyM2MxZGM5Yjky/ZjQ4MDM2ODg1YTM0/YzIwYi5wbmc.jpg Moving Minds Forward https://inspiredtochange.biz episodic Gary Johannes Most people know something's wrong. They just don't know why or what to do about it. Hosted by Gary Johannes , Solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT. Moving Minds Forward is a podcast about mental health, the brain, and what genuinely helps people change. One condition per episode. Anxiety, depression, panic, sleep, stress, trauma, OCD, overthinking, confidence and more, explored through honest conversation, grounded in neuroscience and current research. Some episodes are educational. Some include guests sharing their own experience of moving forward. No jargon. No blame. No dwelling on the past. Just straight answers about why the brain does what it does and what actually helps. Because people aren't broken. Sometimes the brain just gets stuck in patterns it learned to survive. And the brain can learn something different. Most people know something's wrong. solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change Inspired to Change Gary Johannes gary@inspiredtochange.biz No No Imposter Syndrome Symptoms: Why High Achievers Feel Like Frauds (with Dawn Ibbetson) 15 15 Imposter Syndrome Symptoms: Why High Achievers Feel Like Frauds (with Dawn Ibbetson) full cb871b92-7978-4b67-9284-43c347e4998d https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/imposter-syndrome-symptoms-why-high-achievers-feel-like-frauds-with-dawn-ibbetson Imposter syndrome symptoms don't look like low confidence, they look like success that never feels earned. 

In this episode, Dawn Ibbetson, who led global IT teams across time zones while convinced she'd be "found out," joins Gary to explain what's actually happening in the brain, and what helped her stop wearing the mask.

Dawn calls herself the swan, calm and capable on the surface, panicking underneath. First in, last out, no lunch breaks, constantly trying to prove she belonged in the room. Not because she wasn't good enough. Because no amount of evidence ever felt like enough.

In this conversation, Dawn and Gary get into:
 – What imposter syndrome actually is, and why it has nothing to do with ability
 – Why it hit harder for Dawn in a male-dominated corporate world
 – What's happening in the brain when the "found out" feeling fires and why the amygdala can't tell the difference between real danger and being seen
 – How imposter syndrome and burnout fed each other, and which one came first
 – The one small action that starts to break the cycle (it's smaller than you think)
 – What an ordinary working day looks like for Dawn now, boundaries and all

Somewhere between a quarter and a third of high achievers deal with imposter syndrome symptoms at some point. 94% have never said it out loud. If that's you, you're not the exception, you're just one of the many who hasn't spoken about it yet.

One condition per episode. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

Dawn Ibbetson is a solution-focused hypnotherapist with Inspired to Change, based in our Chelmsford clinic, and works with individuals and corporate teams on imposter syndrome, burnout, and stress.

Find your nearest Inspired to Change therapist and book a free consultation: https://inspiredtochange.biz

Subscribe for more episodes of Moving Minds Forward.

#ImposterSyndrome #MentalHealth #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward #Burnout

]]> Imposter syndrome symptoms don't look like low confidence, they look like success that never feels earned. 

In this episode, Dawn Ibbetson, who led global IT teams across time zones while convinced she'd be "found out," joins Gary to explain what's actually happening in the brain, and what helped her stop wearing the mask.

Dawn calls herself the swan, calm and capable on the surface, panicking underneath. First in, last out, no lunch breaks, constantly trying to prove she belonged in the room. Not because she wasn't good enough. Because no amount of evidence ever felt like enough.

In this conversation, Dawn and Gary get into:
 – What imposter syndrome actually is, and why it has nothing to do with ability
 – Why it hit harder for Dawn in a male-dominated corporate world
 – What's happening in the brain when the "found out" feeling fires and why the amygdala can't tell the difference between real danger and being seen
 – How imposter syndrome and burnout fed each other, and which one came first
 – The one small action that starts to break the cycle (it's smaller than you think)
 – What an ordinary working day looks like for Dawn now, boundaries and all

Somewhere between a quarter and a third of high achievers deal with imposter syndrome symptoms at some point. 94% have never said it out loud. If that's you, you're not the exception, you're just one of the many who hasn't spoken about it yet.

One condition per episode. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

Dawn Ibbetson is a solution-focused hypnotherapist with Inspired to Change, based in our Chelmsford clinic, and works with individuals and corporate teams on imposter syndrome, burnout, and stress.

Find your nearest Inspired to Change therapist and book a free consultation: https://inspiredtochange.biz

Subscribe for more episodes of Moving Minds Forward.

#ImposterSyndrome #MentalHealth #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward #Burnout

]]> Sun, 04 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1272 Imposter syndrome symptoms don't look like low confidence, they look like success that never feels earned. 

In this episode, Dawn Ibbetson, who led global IT teams across time zones while convinced she'd be "found out," joins Gary to explain what's actually happening in the brain, and what helped her stop wearing the mask.

Dawn calls herself the swan, calm and capable on the surface, panicking underneath. First in, last out, no lunch breaks, constantly trying to prove she belonged in the room. Not because she wasn't good enough. Because no amount of evidence ever felt like enough.

In this conversation, Dawn and Gary get into:
 – What imposter syndrome actually is, and why it has nothing to do with ability
 – Why it hit harder for Dawn in a male-dominated corporate world
 – What's happening in the brain when the "found out" feeling fires and why the amygdala can't tell the difference between real danger and being seen
 – How imposter syndrome and burnout fed each other, and which one came first
 – The one small action that starts to break the cycle (it's smaller than you think)
 – What an ordinary working day looks like for Dawn now, boundaries and all

Somewhere between a quarter and a third of high achievers deal with imposter syndrome symptoms at some point. 94% have never said it out loud. If that's you, you're not the exception, you're just one of the many who hasn't spoken about it yet.

One condition per episode. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

Dawn Ibbetson is a solution-focused hypnotherapist with Inspired to Change, based in our Chelmsford clinic, and works with individuals and corporate teams on imposter syndrome, burnout, and stress.

Find your nearest Inspired to Change therapist and book a free consultation: https://inspiredtochange.biz

Subscribe for more episodes of Moving Minds Forward.

#ImposterSyndrome #MentalHealth #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward #Burnout

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Fear of Flying: Why Your Brain Panics on a Plane and How to Overcome It 25 25 Fear of Flying: Why Your Brain Panics on a Plane and How to Overcome It full 482fa647-7cc6-47ca-bf3f-b672eb09eebc https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/fear-of-flying-why-your-brain-panics-on-a-plane-and-how-to-overcome-it That heavy thunk as the cabin door closes. That's the sound your fear has been waiting for because that's the moment the choice is gone.

If you've turned down a trip you wanted to go on, driven two days rather than fly two hours, or spent the fortnight before a flight with a knot in your stomach, this episode is for you. You're not weak, you're not dramatic, and you're not alone. Around one in ten people in the UK have a fear of flying, and a quarter of adults feel some anxiety about getting on a plane.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes takes the fear of flying apart the way he takes every condition apart: what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

In this episode:

  • Why fear of flying is often not about the plane at all, but about losing control of yourself in a place you can't walk out of
  • The smoke detector in your brain that can't tell a fire from burnt toast
  • Why the facts don't help in the moment — your survival brain can't read a safety record, only your heartbeat
  • Why you don't need a bad flight to develop the fear, and where it usually comes from instead
  • The stress bucket: why fear of flying is often the symptom and an overflowing life is the cause
  • How avoidance gives instant relief and makes the fear grow
  • Why rehearsing the disaster in your head means you've flown that nightmare a hundred times before you reach the airport
  • What actually helps: positive interaction, positive action, positive thinking, and the breathing switch that talks straight to the alarm
  • What hypnotherapy really is (and isn't) and what Stanford brain scans show it does
  • One thing to say to yourself the next time the dread rises

The fear was learned. What's learned can be unlearned.

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT Hypnotherapy Training. He left school at 14, joined the RAF at 16, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

Want help with your fear of flying?
 Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. It's worth starting well before your trip. Find your nearest therapist and book a free initial consultation: inspiredtochange.biz

If panic is showing up in everyday life, not just on the plane, please speak to your GP.


Chapters
 00:00 Gary's story and the Moving Minds Forward approach
 00:00 The woman who drove to France, the man with the 7am whisky
 00:00 The cabin door closes: what you're actually feeling
 00:00 What fear of flying really is — and why it's often about the feelings, not the flight
 00:00 What's happening in your brain: the smoke detector
 00:00 What causes it: learned fear, claustrophobia, and the stress bucket
 00:00 What keeps it going: avoidance, rehearsal and body-watching
 00:00 What actually helps: the three pillars
 00:00 What hypnotherapy actually is
 00:00 One thing to say when the dread rises
 00:00 You are not broken

#FearOfFlying #Aerophobia #MovingMindsForward #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MentalHealthPodcast #FlyingAnxiety #HypnotherapyForFearOfFlying #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes


https://inspiredtochange.biz/phobias/agoraphobia/

]]> That heavy thunk as the cabin door closes. That's the sound your fear has been waiting for because that's the moment the choice is gone.

If you've turned down a trip you wanted to go on, driven two days rather than fly two hours, or spent the fortnight before a flight with a knot in your stomach, this episode is for you. You're not weak, you're not dramatic, and you're not alone. Around one in ten people in the UK have a fear of flying, and a quarter of adults feel some anxiety about getting on a plane.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes takes the fear of flying apart the way he takes every condition apart: what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

In this episode:

  • Why fear of flying is often not about the plane at all, but about losing control of yourself in a place you can't walk out of
  • The smoke detector in your brain that can't tell a fire from burnt toast
  • Why the facts don't help in the moment — your survival brain can't read a safety record, only your heartbeat
  • Why you don't need a bad flight to develop the fear, and where it usually comes from instead
  • The stress bucket: why fear of flying is often the symptom and an overflowing life is the cause
  • How avoidance gives instant relief and makes the fear grow
  • Why rehearsing the disaster in your head means you've flown that nightmare a hundred times before you reach the airport
  • What actually helps: positive interaction, positive action, positive thinking, and the breathing switch that talks straight to the alarm
  • What hypnotherapy really is (and isn't) and what Stanford brain scans show it does
  • One thing to say to yourself the next time the dread rises

The fear was learned. What's learned can be unlearned.

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT Hypnotherapy Training. He left school at 14, joined the RAF at 16, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

Want help with your fear of flying?
 Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. It's worth starting well before your trip. Find your nearest therapist and book a free initial consultation: inspiredtochange.biz

If panic is showing up in everyday life, not just on the plane, please speak to your GP.


Chapters
 00:00 Gary's story and the Moving Minds Forward approach
 00:00 The woman who drove to France, the man with the 7am whisky
 00:00 The cabin door closes: what you're actually feeling
 00:00 What fear of flying really is — and why it's often about the feelings, not the flight
 00:00 What's happening in your brain: the smoke detector
 00:00 What causes it: learned fear, claustrophobia, and the stress bucket
 00:00 What keeps it going: avoidance, rehearsal and body-watching
 00:00 What actually helps: the three pillars
 00:00 What hypnotherapy actually is
 00:00 One thing to say when the dread rises
 00:00 You are not broken

#FearOfFlying #Aerophobia #MovingMindsForward #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MentalHealthPodcast #FlyingAnxiety #HypnotherapyForFearOfFlying #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes


https://inspiredtochange.biz/phobias/agoraphobia/

]]> Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Gary Johannes 1028 That heavy thunk as the cabin door closes. That's the sound your fear has been waiting for because that's the moment the choice is gone.

If you've turned down a trip you wanted to go on, driven two days rather than fly two hours, or spent the fortnight before a flight with a knot in your stomach, this episode is for you. You're not weak, you're not dramatic, and you're not alone. Around one in ten people in the UK have a fear of flying, and a quarter of adults feel some anxiety about getting on a plane.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes takes the fear of flying apart the way he takes every condition apart: what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

In this episode:

  • Why fear of flying is often not about the plane at all, but about losing control of yourself in a place you can't walk out of
  • The smoke detector in your brain that can't tell a fire from burnt toast
  • Why the facts don't help in the moment — your survival brain can't read a safety record, only your heartbeat
  • Why you don't need a bad flight to develop the fear, and where it usually comes from instead
  • The stress bucket: why fear of flying is often the symptom and an overflowing life is the cause
  • How avoidance gives instant relief and makes the fear grow
  • Why rehearsing the disaster in your head means you've flown that nightmare a hundred times before you reach the airport
  • What actually helps: positive interaction, positive action, positive thinking, and the breathing switch that talks straight to the alarm
  • What hypnotherapy really is (and isn't) and what Stanford brain scans show it does
  • One thing to say to yourself the next time the dread rises

The fear was learned. What's learned can be unlearned.

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT Hypnotherapy Training. He left school at 14, joined the RAF at 16, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

Want help with your fear of flying?
 Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. It's worth starting well before your trip. Find your nearest therapist and book a free initial consultation: inspiredtochange.biz

If panic is showing up in everyday life, not just on the plane, please speak to your GP.


Chapters
 00:00 Gary's story and the Moving Minds Forward approach
 00:00 The woman who drove to France, the man with the 7am whisky
 00:00 The cabin door closes: what you're actually feeling
 00:00 What fear of flying really is — and why it's often about the feelings, not the flight
 00:00 What's happening in your brain: the smoke detector
 00:00 What causes it: learned fear, claustrophobia, and the stress bucket
 00:00 What keeps it going: avoidance, rehearsal and body-watching
 00:00 What actually helps: the three pillars
 00:00 What hypnotherapy actually is
 00:00 One thing to say when the dread rises
 00:00 You are not broken

#FearOfFlying #Aerophobia #MovingMindsForward #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MentalHealthPodcast #FlyingAnxiety #HypnotherapyForFearOfFlying #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes


https://inspiredtochange.biz/phobias/agoraphobia/

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No 5 Breathing Techniques for Anxiety and Stress and Why They Actually Work 26 26 5 Breathing Techniques for Anxiety and Stress and Why They Actually Work full bb5ba190-5a82-452a-b598-f5bdc0bc443c https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/5-breathing-techniques-for-anxiety-and-stress-and-why-they-actually-work You've pulled onto the drive after work. Engine off. And you just sit there, home, but not ready to walk in. Chest tight, jaw tight, mind still on today and already on tomorrow.

Nothing's wrong in that moment. Your body just hasn't got the message. And if someone saying "just breathe" has ever made you want to scream, this episode is for you, because Gary Johannes shows you why it works, and how to actually do it.

This one's different. Not a condition to unpick,  a set of tools you can use tonight.

In this episode:

  • Why stress, anxiety and overwhelm are all the same thing: an accelerator stuck down
  • The one part of your alarm system you can reach with your own hands
  • The secret that unlocks every technique: out-breath longer than in-breath
  • Belly breathing - the foundation the rest are built on
  • 7-11 breathing - the all-rounder for when your head's overwhelmed
  • The psychological sigh - your emergency brake when anxiety's climbing fast
  • Box breathing - for when you're wound up or steadying yourself before something big
  • 4-7-8 breathing - for lying in bed when sleep won't come
  • Which one to use when, and why you should only pick one
  • The 2023 Stanford trial that put breathing exercises up against meditation
  • Why breathing calms the moment but doesn't change the baseline and what does
  • The one thing to do today, while you're calm

You're not broken. Your body's just stuck in a gear it doesn't need to be in, and you're carrying the gear stick.

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT Hypnotherapy Training. He left school at 14, joined the RAF at 16, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

If the calm never seems to last
 Breathing is a tool, not a cure. If you're reaching for it ten times a day just to get through, that's your nervous system telling you the real work is upstream.

Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. Find your nearest therapist and book a free initial consultation: Inspired To Change

Listen to more podcast here - PODCAST

Chapters
00:00 Gary's story and why this episode is different
02:00 Sitting on the drive: the accelerator stuck down
03:15 Why breathing actually works — the brake you can reach
05:00 The stress bucket
05:45 Belly breathing: the foundation
06:30 7-11 breathing: the all-rounder
07:15 The psychological sigh: your emergency brake
08:00 Box breathing: for pressure and tension
08:40 4-7-8 breathing: for sleep
09:10 Which one when — and why to pick just one
09:45 Gentle is the whole point
10:10 A tool, not a cure: when the bucket's overflowing
10:50 The Stanford breathing trial
11:30 One thing to do today: practise while you're calm
12:20 You're carrying the gear stick

#BreathingTechniques #BreathingForAnxiety #BoxBreathing #478Breathing #711Breathing #MovingMindsForward #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MentalHealthPodcast #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes

]]> You've pulled onto the drive after work. Engine off. And you just sit there, home, but not ready to walk in. Chest tight, jaw tight, mind still on today and already on tomorrow.

Nothing's wrong in that moment. Your body just hasn't got the message. And if someone saying "just breathe" has ever made you want to scream, this episode is for you, because Gary Johannes shows you why it works, and how to actually do it.

This one's different. Not a condition to unpick,  a set of tools you can use tonight.

In this episode:

  • Why stress, anxiety and overwhelm are all the same thing: an accelerator stuck down
  • The one part of your alarm system you can reach with your own hands
  • The secret that unlocks every technique: out-breath longer than in-breath
  • Belly breathing - the foundation the rest are built on
  • 7-11 breathing - the all-rounder for when your head's overwhelmed
  • The psychological sigh - your emergency brake when anxiety's climbing fast
  • Box breathing - for when you're wound up or steadying yourself before something big
  • 4-7-8 breathing - for lying in bed when sleep won't come
  • Which one to use when, and why you should only pick one
  • The 2023 Stanford trial that put breathing exercises up against meditation
  • Why breathing calms the moment but doesn't change the baseline and what does
  • The one thing to do today, while you're calm

You're not broken. Your body's just stuck in a gear it doesn't need to be in, and you're carrying the gear stick.

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT Hypnotherapy Training. He left school at 14, joined the RAF at 16, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

If the calm never seems to last
 Breathing is a tool, not a cure. If you're reaching for it ten times a day just to get through, that's your nervous system telling you the real work is upstream.

Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. Find your nearest therapist and book a free initial consultation: Inspired To Change

Listen to more podcast here - PODCAST

Chapters
00:00 Gary's story and why this episode is different
02:00 Sitting on the drive: the accelerator stuck down
03:15 Why breathing actually works — the brake you can reach
05:00 The stress bucket
05:45 Belly breathing: the foundation
06:30 7-11 breathing: the all-rounder
07:15 The psychological sigh: your emergency brake
08:00 Box breathing: for pressure and tension
08:40 4-7-8 breathing: for sleep
09:10 Which one when — and why to pick just one
09:45 Gentle is the whole point
10:10 A tool, not a cure: when the bucket's overflowing
10:50 The Stanford breathing trial
11:30 One thing to do today: practise while you're calm
12:20 You're carrying the gear stick

#BreathingTechniques #BreathingForAnxiety #BoxBreathing #478Breathing #711Breathing #MovingMindsForward #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MentalHealthPodcast #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes

]]> Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:19:29 +0100 Gary Johannes Gary Johannes 824 You've pulled onto the drive after work. Engine off. And you just sit there, home, but not ready to walk in. Chest tight, jaw tight, mind still on today and already on tomorrow.

Nothing's wrong in that moment. Your body just hasn't got the message. And if someone saying "just breathe" has ever made you want to scream, this episode is for you, because Gary Johannes shows you why it works, and how to actually do it.

This one's different. Not a condition to unpick,  a set of tools you can use tonight.

In this episode:

  • Why stress, anxiety and overwhelm are all the same thing: an accelerator stuck down
  • The one part of your alarm system you can reach with your own hands
  • The secret that unlocks every technique: out-breath longer than in-breath
  • Belly breathing - the foundation the rest are built on
  • 7-11 breathing - the all-rounder for when your head's overwhelmed
  • The psychological sigh - your emergency brake when anxiety's climbing fast
  • Box breathing - for when you're wound up or steadying yourself before something big
  • 4-7-8 breathing - for lying in bed when sleep won't come
  • Which one to use when, and why you should only pick one
  • The 2023 Stanford trial that put breathing exercises up against meditation
  • Why breathing calms the moment but doesn't change the baseline and what does
  • The one thing to do today, while you're calm

You're not broken. Your body's just stuck in a gear it doesn't need to be in, and you're carrying the gear stick.

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT Hypnotherapy Training. He left school at 14, joined the RAF at 16, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

If the calm never seems to last
 Breathing is a tool, not a cure. If you're reaching for it ten times a day just to get through, that's your nervous system telling you the real work is upstream.

Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. Find your nearest therapist and book a free initial consultation: Inspired To Change

Listen to more podcast here - PODCAST

Chapters
00:00 Gary's story and why this episode is different
02:00 Sitting on the drive: the accelerator stuck down
03:15 Why breathing actually works — the brake you can reach
05:00 The stress bucket
05:45 Belly breathing: the foundation
06:30 7-11 breathing: the all-rounder
07:15 The psychological sigh: your emergency brake
08:00 Box breathing: for pressure and tension
08:40 4-7-8 breathing: for sleep
09:10 Which one when — and why to pick just one
09:45 Gentle is the whole point
10:10 A tool, not a cure: when the bucket's overflowing
10:50 The Stanford breathing trial
11:30 One thing to do today: practise while you're calm
12:20 You're carrying the gear stick

#BreathingTechniques #BreathingForAnxiety #BoxBreathing #478Breathing #711Breathing #MovingMindsForward #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MentalHealthPodcast #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Emotional Eating Explained: Cortisol, Serotonin and Why Diets Fail 24 24 Emotional Eating Explained: Cortisol, Serotonin and Why Diets Fail full e486e252-30d7-4a10-b234-619613de1424 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/emotional-eating-explained-cortisol-serotonin-and-why-diets-fail If you've struggled with your weight, you've probably decided the problem is you. Weak. Greedy. No willpower. 

That belief is wrong and it's the very thing keeping you stuck.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes takes weight apart the way he takes every condition apart: what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. And the answer is rarely about food.

Emotional eating isn't a character flaw. It's a normal brain running an ancient survival programme in a world that programme was never built for. Once you see the machinery, you stop blaming yourself and a way through starts to appear.

In this episode:

  • Why weight is an emotional problem that plays out through eating, not an eating problem
  • Cortisol, belly fat and the stress loop that feeds itself
  • Low serotonin, that hollow "not hungry but need something" feeling, and why food is the fastest hit
  • Dopamine, reward, and why the same food keeps giving you less
  • The shame cycle: eat, guilt, feel worse, eat again and why being harder on yourself makes it worse
  • Black-and-white thinking, poor sleep, and the other loops that keep it spinning
  • Why diets aim at the wrong target and what the solution-focused approach does instead
  • How the trance state lowers cortisol and puts the thinking brain back in charge
  • One thing to try today: the pause-and-name question that puts a gap between the feeling and the food

Nearly half of UK adults are trying to lose weight at any one time. You are not a lonely failure. You're an ordinary human with a very common struggle and patterns can change.

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT Hypnotherapy Training. 

He left school at 14, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

Need support?
 If your relationship with food feels out of control, Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity, has a helpline at beateatingdisorders.org.uk. If your weight has changed suddenly without explanation, see your GP.

For help with the emotional side of eating, Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person or online: www.inspiredtochange.biz   

Read the companion blog:

Timestamps
 00:00 Gary's story and the Moving Minds Forward approach
 01:30 "The problem is you" — taking the belief apart
 03:15 Weight isn't an eating problem, it's an emotional one
 04:20 You're not alone: the UK numbers and the mood link
 05:30 What's happening in the brain: cortisol, serotonin, dopamine
 07:20 The ancient survival wiring
 08:30 What causes it: emotional drivers, physical causes, eating disorders
 10:10 What keeps it going: the shame cycle, black-and-white thinking, sleep
 12:15 What actually helps: the solution-focused approach and the trance state
 14:20 The three pillars and getting your feel-good chemistry from somewhere else
 15:30 One thing to try today: pause and name the feeling
 17:20 You're not greedy, you're not weak
 18:10 Where to get help

#EmotionalEating #StressAndWeightGain #MovingMindsForward #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MentalHealthPodcast #WeightLossMindset #Cortisol #ComfortEating #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes

]]> If you've struggled with your weight, you've probably decided the problem is you. Weak. Greedy. No willpower. 

That belief is wrong and it's the very thing keeping you stuck.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes takes weight apart the way he takes every condition apart: what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. And the answer is rarely about food.

Emotional eating isn't a character flaw. It's a normal brain running an ancient survival programme in a world that programme was never built for. Once you see the machinery, you stop blaming yourself and a way through starts to appear.

In this episode:

  • Why weight is an emotional problem that plays out through eating, not an eating problem
  • Cortisol, belly fat and the stress loop that feeds itself
  • Low serotonin, that hollow "not hungry but need something" feeling, and why food is the fastest hit
  • Dopamine, reward, and why the same food keeps giving you less
  • The shame cycle: eat, guilt, feel worse, eat again and why being harder on yourself makes it worse
  • Black-and-white thinking, poor sleep, and the other loops that keep it spinning
  • Why diets aim at the wrong target and what the solution-focused approach does instead
  • How the trance state lowers cortisol and puts the thinking brain back in charge
  • One thing to try today: the pause-and-name question that puts a gap between the feeling and the food

Nearly half of UK adults are trying to lose weight at any one time. You are not a lonely failure. You're an ordinary human with a very common struggle and patterns can change.

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT Hypnotherapy Training. 

He left school at 14, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

Need support?
 If your relationship with food feels out of control, Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity, has a helpline at beateatingdisorders.org.uk. If your weight has changed suddenly without explanation, see your GP.

For help with the emotional side of eating, Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person or online: www.inspiredtochange.biz   

Read the companion blog:

Timestamps
 00:00 Gary's story and the Moving Minds Forward approach
 01:30 "The problem is you" — taking the belief apart
 03:15 Weight isn't an eating problem, it's an emotional one
 04:20 You're not alone: the UK numbers and the mood link
 05:30 What's happening in the brain: cortisol, serotonin, dopamine
 07:20 The ancient survival wiring
 08:30 What causes it: emotional drivers, physical causes, eating disorders
 10:10 What keeps it going: the shame cycle, black-and-white thinking, sleep
 12:15 What actually helps: the solution-focused approach and the trance state
 14:20 The three pillars and getting your feel-good chemistry from somewhere else
 15:30 One thing to try today: pause and name the feeling
 17:20 You're not greedy, you're not weak
 18:10 Where to get help

#EmotionalEating #StressAndWeightGain #MovingMindsForward #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MentalHealthPodcast #WeightLossMindset #Cortisol #ComfortEating #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes

]]> Sun, 20 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1154 If you've struggled with your weight, you've probably decided the problem is you. Weak. Greedy. No willpower. 

That belief is wrong and it's the very thing keeping you stuck.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes takes weight apart the way he takes every condition apart: what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. And the answer is rarely about food.

Emotional eating isn't a character flaw. It's a normal brain running an ancient survival programme in a world that programme was never built for. Once you see the machinery, you stop blaming yourself and a way through starts to appear.

In this episode:

  • Why weight is an emotional problem that plays out through eating, not an eating problem
  • Cortisol, belly fat and the stress loop that feeds itself
  • Low serotonin, that hollow "not hungry but need something" feeling, and why food is the fastest hit
  • Dopamine, reward, and why the same food keeps giving you less
  • The shame cycle: eat, guilt, feel worse, eat again and why being harder on yourself makes it worse
  • Black-and-white thinking, poor sleep, and the other loops that keep it spinning
  • Why diets aim at the wrong target and what the solution-focused approach does instead
  • How the trance state lowers cortisol and puts the thinking brain back in charge
  • One thing to try today: the pause-and-name question that puts a gap between the feeling and the food

Nearly half of UK adults are trying to lose weight at any one time. You are not a lonely failure. You're an ordinary human with a very common struggle and patterns can change.

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT Hypnotherapy Training. 

He left school at 14, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

Need support?
 If your relationship with food feels out of control, Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity, has a helpline at beateatingdisorders.org.uk. If your weight has changed suddenly without explanation, see your GP.

For help with the emotional side of eating, Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person or online: www.inspiredtochange.biz   

Read the companion blog:

Timestamps
 00:00 Gary's story and the Moving Minds Forward approach
 01:30 "The problem is you" — taking the belief apart
 03:15 Weight isn't an eating problem, it's an emotional one
 04:20 You're not alone: the UK numbers and the mood link
 05:30 What's happening in the brain: cortisol, serotonin, dopamine
 07:20 The ancient survival wiring
 08:30 What causes it: emotional drivers, physical causes, eating disorders
 10:10 What keeps it going: the shame cycle, black-and-white thinking, sleep
 12:15 What actually helps: the solution-focused approach and the trance state
 14:20 The three pillars and getting your feel-good chemistry from somewhere else
 15:30 One thing to try today: pause and name the feeling
 17:20 You're not greedy, you're not weak
 18:10 Where to get help

#EmotionalEating #StressAndWeightGain #MovingMindsForward #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MentalHealthPodcast #WeightLossMindset #Cortisol #ComfortEating #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Why You Go Blank When You Stand Up to Speak and How to Change It 22 22 Why You Go Blank When You Stand Up to Speak and How to Change It full b7baa533-8c32-4501-b933-d6a33327f7d5 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/why-you-go-blank-when-you-stand-up-to-speak-and-how-to-change-it You can be brilliant at your job, sharp in meetings, the person everyone turns to  and then someone says "can you just say a few words?" and your stomach drops through the floor.

That's the fear of public speaking, and it has nothing to do with how good you are. 

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes explains what's really happening when you stand up to speak: why your brain treats a friendly room as a life-or-death emergency, why your mind goes blank at exactly the wrong moment, and why avoiding it only makes the fear stronger. Then, what actually helps — including one simple shift you can use the next time your heart starts racing.

Around half of us fear public speaking. One in seven call it overwhelming. Almost half say it's held their career back. If that's you, you're not a bad speaker. You're running ancient software in front of a modern audience — and that's a pattern, not a fact. Patterns can change.

In this episode:
 00:00 Intro
 01:20 Why capable people go to pieces
 02:40 What glossophobia actually is
 03:45 How common it really is
 04:40 What's happening in your brain
 07:00 Where the fear comes from
 08:20 What keeps it going: avoidance and safety behaviours
 10:40 What actually helps: the solution-focused approach
 11:40 Mental rehearsal and how hypnotherapy helps
 12:50 The three pillars
 14:15 One thing to try today: relabelling the fear

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change and a senior lecturer at CPHT. He left school at 14, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

Moving Minds Forward: one condition per episode. What's going on? What's keeping it going? And what actually helps?

If the fear of public speaking is holding you back, Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online.

Book a free initial consultation:
https://www.inspiredtochange.biz

Subscribe for a new episode every week.

#PublicSpeaking #Glossophobia #FearOfPublicSpeaking #Hypnotherapy #MentalHealth #Anxiety #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward

]]> You can be brilliant at your job, sharp in meetings, the person everyone turns to  and then someone says "can you just say a few words?" and your stomach drops through the floor.

That's the fear of public speaking, and it has nothing to do with how good you are. 

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes explains what's really happening when you stand up to speak: why your brain treats a friendly room as a life-or-death emergency, why your mind goes blank at exactly the wrong moment, and why avoiding it only makes the fear stronger. Then, what actually helps — including one simple shift you can use the next time your heart starts racing.

Around half of us fear public speaking. One in seven call it overwhelming. Almost half say it's held their career back. If that's you, you're not a bad speaker. You're running ancient software in front of a modern audience — and that's a pattern, not a fact. Patterns can change.

In this episode:
 00:00 Intro
 01:20 Why capable people go to pieces
 02:40 What glossophobia actually is
 03:45 How common it really is
 04:40 What's happening in your brain
 07:00 Where the fear comes from
 08:20 What keeps it going: avoidance and safety behaviours
 10:40 What actually helps: the solution-focused approach
 11:40 Mental rehearsal and how hypnotherapy helps
 12:50 The three pillars
 14:15 One thing to try today: relabelling the fear

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change and a senior lecturer at CPHT. He left school at 14, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

Moving Minds Forward: one condition per episode. What's going on? What's keeping it going? And what actually helps?

If the fear of public speaking is holding you back, Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online.

Book a free initial consultation:
https://www.inspiredtochange.biz

Subscribe for a new episode every week.

#PublicSpeaking #Glossophobia #FearOfPublicSpeaking #Hypnotherapy #MentalHealth #Anxiety #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward

]]> Sun, 13 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1029 You can be brilliant at your job, sharp in meetings, the person everyone turns to  and then someone says "can you just say a few words?" and your stomach drops through the floor.

That's the fear of public speaking, and it has nothing to do with how good you are. 

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes explains what's really happening when you stand up to speak: why your brain treats a friendly room as a life-or-death emergency, why your mind goes blank at exactly the wrong moment, and why avoiding it only makes the fear stronger. Then, what actually helps — including one simple shift you can use the next time your heart starts racing.

Around half of us fear public speaking. One in seven call it overwhelming. Almost half say it's held their career back. If that's you, you're not a bad speaker. You're running ancient software in front of a modern audience — and that's a pattern, not a fact. Patterns can change.

In this episode:
 00:00 Intro
 01:20 Why capable people go to pieces
 02:40 What glossophobia actually is
 03:45 How common it really is
 04:40 What's happening in your brain
 07:00 Where the fear comes from
 08:20 What keeps it going: avoidance and safety behaviours
 10:40 What actually helps: the solution-focused approach
 11:40 Mental rehearsal and how hypnotherapy helps
 12:50 The three pillars
 14:15 One thing to try today: relabelling the fear

Gary Johannes is a solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change and a senior lecturer at CPHT. He left school at 14, spent 30 years in sales and hospitality, retrained in his late 40s and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at 60.

Moving Minds Forward: one condition per episode. What's going on? What's keeping it going? And what actually helps?

If the fear of public speaking is holding you back, Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online.

Book a free initial consultation:
https://www.inspiredtochange.biz

Subscribe for a new episode every week.

#PublicSpeaking #Glossophobia #FearOfPublicSpeaking #Hypnotherapy #MentalHealth #Anxiety #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Men's Mental Health: Why It Comes Out Sideways | Anger, Alcohol, Shutting Down | Peter Ely 23 23 Men's Mental Health: Why It Comes Out Sideways | Anger, Alcohol, Shutting Down | Peter Ely full 9d6176e8-5c07-4387-a045-745eb469ab69 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/mens-mental-health-why-it-comes-out-sideways-anger-alcohol-shutting-down-peter-ely Men's mental health rarely announces itself. It comes out sideways - as anger, as a drink after work, as shutting down completely.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, I'm joined by Peter Ely, solution-focused hypnotherapist with Inspired to Change and my co-host on Inspired Men Talk. Before he retrained, Peter spent 20 years in the security industry, a world where men were paid to look solid, unbothered and in control.

He knows what that costs. For years his own coping strategy was alcohol, finishing work, walking into the pub, getting his laptop out and carrying on working while he drank. Not socialising. Coping.

We talk about the statistic that changed everything for him: one in four men won't reach retirement age. We talk about why anger is so often vulnerability with nowhere else to go. And we talk about the stress bucket,why it's never the big thing that tips a man over, it's the parking space and the broken cup on top of everything he was already carrying.

If you're a man who's still functioning, still turning up, still getting on with it, but quietly exhausted underneath, this one's for you. If you love a man like that, it's for you too.

The message underneath all of it: you're not broken. Pushing it down isn't weakness or a character flaw. It's a strategy a lot of men learned and strategies can be swapped for better ones.

You don't need a crisis as your entry ticket.

In this episode:

  • 00:00 — Why this episode exists: 76% of UK suicides are men
  • 04:00 — Welcome, Peter
  • 04:40 — The statistic that changed everything: 1 in 4 men won't reach retirement
  • 05:50 — Why men wait until it's at its worst
  • 07:20 — 20 years in security: what it taught him about men and feelings
  • 08:00 — The doorman, the shooting, and unprocessed trauma
  • 10:00 — What a struggling man looks like when he first walks in
  • 11:00 — Why it comes out sideways: anger as vulnerability
  • 12:20 — Peter's own story: alcohol as a crutch
  • 14:00 — The laptop in the pub
  • 14:40 — What's actually happening in the brain: the stress bucket
  • 16:00 — A parking space, a broken cup, and a bad day
  • 18:00 — The provider instinct: already a snowball before anything goes wrong
  • 18:30 — You don't have to dig through your past to get better
  • 19:00 — "I accepted I wasn't broken"
  • 20:20 — The first small thing a struggling man can do this week
  • 22:20 — Find your thing
  • 23:30 — The man sitting in his car outside the clinic
  • 25:00 — "There's nothing you can tell me I haven't done"

Where to go next:

Find your nearest solution-focused hypnotherapist, read more about how hypnotherapy works for men, and book a free initial consultation: https://inspiredtochange.biz

Peter practises in Islington, North London.

For more conversations like this, find Inspired Men Talk wherever you get your podcasts. Peter and I go further into exactly this territory, episode after episode.

If you're struggling right now, you can contact Samaritans free on 116 123, any time, day or night. Andy's Man Club run free weekly groups across the UK where you can turn up and just listen.

Moving Minds Forward - one condition per episode. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. Hosted by Gary Johannes, solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change.

If this was useful, hit subscribe. There's a lot more to come.

#MensMentalHealth #MovingMindsForward #Hypnotherapy #SolutionFocused #MentalHealthUK #MensHealth #Anxiety #Stress #InspiredToChange

]]> Men's mental health rarely announces itself. It comes out sideways - as anger, as a drink after work, as shutting down completely.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, I'm joined by Peter Ely, solution-focused hypnotherapist with Inspired to Change and my co-host on Inspired Men Talk. Before he retrained, Peter spent 20 years in the security industry, a world where men were paid to look solid, unbothered and in control.

He knows what that costs. For years his own coping strategy was alcohol, finishing work, walking into the pub, getting his laptop out and carrying on working while he drank. Not socialising. Coping.

We talk about the statistic that changed everything for him: one in four men won't reach retirement age. We talk about why anger is so often vulnerability with nowhere else to go. And we talk about the stress bucket,why it's never the big thing that tips a man over, it's the parking space and the broken cup on top of everything he was already carrying.

If you're a man who's still functioning, still turning up, still getting on with it, but quietly exhausted underneath, this one's for you. If you love a man like that, it's for you too.

The message underneath all of it: you're not broken. Pushing it down isn't weakness or a character flaw. It's a strategy a lot of men learned and strategies can be swapped for better ones.

You don't need a crisis as your entry ticket.

In this episode:

  • 00:00 — Why this episode exists: 76% of UK suicides are men
  • 04:00 — Welcome, Peter
  • 04:40 — The statistic that changed everything: 1 in 4 men won't reach retirement
  • 05:50 — Why men wait until it's at its worst
  • 07:20 — 20 years in security: what it taught him about men and feelings
  • 08:00 — The doorman, the shooting, and unprocessed trauma
  • 10:00 — What a struggling man looks like when he first walks in
  • 11:00 — Why it comes out sideways: anger as vulnerability
  • 12:20 — Peter's own story: alcohol as a crutch
  • 14:00 — The laptop in the pub
  • 14:40 — What's actually happening in the brain: the stress bucket
  • 16:00 — A parking space, a broken cup, and a bad day
  • 18:00 — The provider instinct: already a snowball before anything goes wrong
  • 18:30 — You don't have to dig through your past to get better
  • 19:00 — "I accepted I wasn't broken"
  • 20:20 — The first small thing a struggling man can do this week
  • 22:20 — Find your thing
  • 23:30 — The man sitting in his car outside the clinic
  • 25:00 — "There's nothing you can tell me I haven't done"

Where to go next:

Find your nearest solution-focused hypnotherapist, read more about how hypnotherapy works for men, and book a free initial consultation: https://inspiredtochange.biz

Peter practises in Islington, North London.

For more conversations like this, find Inspired Men Talk wherever you get your podcasts. Peter and I go further into exactly this territory, episode after episode.

If you're struggling right now, you can contact Samaritans free on 116 123, any time, day or night. Andy's Man Club run free weekly groups across the UK where you can turn up and just listen.

Moving Minds Forward - one condition per episode. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. Hosted by Gary Johannes, solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change.

If this was useful, hit subscribe. There's a lot more to come.

#MensMentalHealth #MovingMindsForward #Hypnotherapy #SolutionFocused #MentalHealthUK #MensHealth #Anxiety #Stress #InspiredToChange

]]> Sun, 06 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1879 Men's mental health rarely announces itself. It comes out sideways - as anger, as a drink after work, as shutting down completely.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, I'm joined by Peter Ely, solution-focused hypnotherapist with Inspired to Change and my co-host on Inspired Men Talk. Before he retrained, Peter spent 20 years in the security industry, a world where men were paid to look solid, unbothered and in control.

He knows what that costs. For years his own coping strategy was alcohol, finishing work, walking into the pub, getting his laptop out and carrying on working while he drank. Not socialising. Coping.

We talk about the statistic that changed everything for him: one in four men won't reach retirement age. We talk about why anger is so often vulnerability with nowhere else to go. And we talk about the stress bucket,why it's never the big thing that tips a man over, it's the parking space and the broken cup on top of everything he was already carrying.

If you're a man who's still functioning, still turning up, still getting on with it, but quietly exhausted underneath, this one's for you. If you love a man like that, it's for you too.

The message underneath all of it: you're not broken. Pushing it down isn't weakness or a character flaw. It's a strategy a lot of men learned and strategies can be swapped for better ones.

You don't need a crisis as your entry ticket.

In this episode:

  • 00:00 — Why this episode exists: 76% of UK suicides are men
  • 04:00 — Welcome, Peter
  • 04:40 — The statistic that changed everything: 1 in 4 men won't reach retirement
  • 05:50 — Why men wait until it's at its worst
  • 07:20 — 20 years in security: what it taught him about men and feelings
  • 08:00 — The doorman, the shooting, and unprocessed trauma
  • 10:00 — What a struggling man looks like when he first walks in
  • 11:00 — Why it comes out sideways: anger as vulnerability
  • 12:20 — Peter's own story: alcohol as a crutch
  • 14:00 — The laptop in the pub
  • 14:40 — What's actually happening in the brain: the stress bucket
  • 16:00 — A parking space, a broken cup, and a bad day
  • 18:00 — The provider instinct: already a snowball before anything goes wrong
  • 18:30 — You don't have to dig through your past to get better
  • 19:00 — "I accepted I wasn't broken"
  • 20:20 — The first small thing a struggling man can do this week
  • 22:20 — Find your thing
  • 23:30 — The man sitting in his car outside the clinic
  • 25:00 — "There's nothing you can tell me I haven't done"

Where to go next:

Find your nearest solution-focused hypnotherapist, read more about how hypnotherapy works for men, and book a free initial consultation: https://inspiredtochange.biz

Peter practises in Islington, North London.

For more conversations like this, find Inspired Men Talk wherever you get your podcasts. Peter and I go further into exactly this territory, episode after episode.

If you're struggling right now, you can contact Samaritans free on 116 123, any time, day or night. Andy's Man Club run free weekly groups across the UK where you can turn up and just listen.

Moving Minds Forward - one condition per episode. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. Hosted by Gary Johannes, solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change.

If this was useful, hit subscribe. There's a lot more to come.

#MensMentalHealth #MovingMindsForward #Hypnotherapy #SolutionFocused #MentalHealthUK #MensHealth #Anxiety #Stress #InspiredToChange

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Why You Can't Switch Off | And How to Teach Your Brain to Relax Again 21 21 Why You Can't Switch Off | And How to Teach Your Brain to Relax Again full a5152a85-17cd-4ce3-a05a-a37967ce0398 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/why-you-cant-switch-off-and-how-to-teach-your-brain-to-relax-again If you can't remember the last time you properly switched off, this one's for you.

Relaxation isn't collapsing on the sofa with the telly on. It isn't a glass of wine to take the edge off. Real relaxation is something your body actually does a shift in the nervous system from alert to calm, from doing to recovering. And for a lot of us, that ability has quietly faded.

In this episode, Gary Johannes explains what's really going on when you can't relax: the two systems running your inner state, why your alarm gets stuck on, and why the harder you try to force calm, the more it slips away. You'll learn why walking clears your head when sitting still won't, why guilt keeps so many people braced even on their day off, and the one breathing technique you can use today to press the brake.

Here's the part worth holding onto: relaxation is a skill. What faded through disuse can be rebuilt through practice. 

You're not broken, and you're not lazy, you're someone whose nervous system has been running hot in a world that keeps its foot on the accelerator. That's a pattern, and patterns can change.

Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. Everything's at  www.inspiredtochange.biz.

]]> If you can't remember the last time you properly switched off, this one's for you.

Relaxation isn't collapsing on the sofa with the telly on. It isn't a glass of wine to take the edge off. Real relaxation is something your body actually does a shift in the nervous system from alert to calm, from doing to recovering. And for a lot of us, that ability has quietly faded.

In this episode, Gary Johannes explains what's really going on when you can't relax: the two systems running your inner state, why your alarm gets stuck on, and why the harder you try to force calm, the more it slips away. You'll learn why walking clears your head when sitting still won't, why guilt keeps so many people braced even on their day off, and the one breathing technique you can use today to press the brake.

Here's the part worth holding onto: relaxation is a skill. What faded through disuse can be rebuilt through practice. 

You're not broken, and you're not lazy, you're someone whose nervous system has been running hot in a world that keeps its foot on the accelerator. That's a pattern, and patterns can change.

Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. Everything's at  www.inspiredtochange.biz.

]]> Sun, 30 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Gary Johannes 1005 If you can't remember the last time you properly switched off, this one's for you.

Relaxation isn't collapsing on the sofa with the telly on. It isn't a glass of wine to take the edge off. Real relaxation is something your body actually does a shift in the nervous system from alert to calm, from doing to recovering. And for a lot of us, that ability has quietly faded.

In this episode, Gary Johannes explains what's really going on when you can't relax: the two systems running your inner state, why your alarm gets stuck on, and why the harder you try to force calm, the more it slips away. You'll learn why walking clears your head when sitting still won't, why guilt keeps so many people braced even on their day off, and the one breathing technique you can use today to press the brake.

Here's the part worth holding onto: relaxation is a skill. What faded through disuse can be rebuilt through practice. 

You're not broken, and you're not lazy, you're someone whose nervous system has been running hot in a world that keeps its foot on the accelerator. That's a pattern, and patterns can change.

Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. Everything's at  www.inspiredtochange.biz.

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Driving Anxiety: Why You're Not a Nervous Driver and How to Get Yourself Back 19 19 Driving Anxiety: Why You're Not a Nervous Driver and How to Get Yourself Back full f405341e-c71b-4187-8434-82f7a25cdc9c https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/driving-anxiety-why-youre-not-a-nervous-driver-and-how-to-get-yourself-back More than a third of UK drivers feel anxious behind the wheel. Nearly a quarter now avoid driving as much as they can. If you're the one white-knuckling the steering wheel while everyone else seems fine — you're not, and you're nowhere near alone.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes unpacks what driving anxiety actually is, in plain terms. Why your heart hammers before you've even picked up the keys. Why avoidance feels like relief but quietly makes the fear grow. And why none of it means there's something wrong with you.

Here's the truth at the heart of it: this isn't a driving problem. It's an alarm system doing its job a little too well. And alarms can be reset.

Gary walks you through what keeps driving anxiety going, the practical things that help straight away, and the deeper work, including how solution-focused hypnotherapy retrains the brain from "car, road, danger" to "car, road, calm." You'll hear what he's watched happen over and over: people who came in convinced they'd become a nervous driver for good, and left booking road trips.

You're not a nervous driver. You're a capable driver with a nervous system that needs a bit of reteaching and that's a very fixable thing.

Every therapist at Inspired to Change works with driving anxiety, in person or online, wherever you are in the UK. Find one near you at inspiredtochange.biz.

]]> More than a third of UK drivers feel anxious behind the wheel. Nearly a quarter now avoid driving as much as they can. If you're the one white-knuckling the steering wheel while everyone else seems fine — you're not, and you're nowhere near alone.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes unpacks what driving anxiety actually is, in plain terms. Why your heart hammers before you've even picked up the keys. Why avoidance feels like relief but quietly makes the fear grow. And why none of it means there's something wrong with you.

Here's the truth at the heart of it: this isn't a driving problem. It's an alarm system doing its job a little too well. And alarms can be reset.

Gary walks you through what keeps driving anxiety going, the practical things that help straight away, and the deeper work, including how solution-focused hypnotherapy retrains the brain from "car, road, danger" to "car, road, calm." You'll hear what he's watched happen over and over: people who came in convinced they'd become a nervous driver for good, and left booking road trips.

You're not a nervous driver. You're a capable driver with a nervous system that needs a bit of reteaching and that's a very fixable thing.

Every therapist at Inspired to Change works with driving anxiety, in person or online, wherever you are in the UK. Find one near you at inspiredtochange.biz.

]]> Sun, 23 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Gary Johannes 794 More than a third of UK drivers feel anxious behind the wheel. Nearly a quarter now avoid driving as much as they can. If you're the one white-knuckling the steering wheel while everyone else seems fine — you're not, and you're nowhere near alone.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes unpacks what driving anxiety actually is, in plain terms. Why your heart hammers before you've even picked up the keys. Why avoidance feels like relief but quietly makes the fear grow. And why none of it means there's something wrong with you.

Here's the truth at the heart of it: this isn't a driving problem. It's an alarm system doing its job a little too well. And alarms can be reset.

Gary walks you through what keeps driving anxiety going, the practical things that help straight away, and the deeper work, including how solution-focused hypnotherapy retrains the brain from "car, road, danger" to "car, road, calm." You'll hear what he's watched happen over and over: people who came in convinced they'd become a nervous driver for good, and left booking road trips.

You're not a nervous driver. You're a capable driver with a nervous system that needs a bit of reteaching and that's a very fixable thing.

Every therapist at Inspired to Change works with driving anxiety, in person or online, wherever you are in the UK. Find one near you at inspiredtochange.biz.

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Trauma & PTSD: You Don’t Have to Go Back to Move Forward 17 17 Trauma & PTSD: You Don’t Have to Go Back to Move Forward full fae071d6-6f82-4b94-af1e-346e7a119d17 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/trauma-ptsd-you-don-t-have-to-go-back-to-move-forward Trauma happens in the past. So why can your brain and body continue to react as though the danger is happening right now?

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes explores trauma and PTSD, what they are, the difference between them, and what may be happening in the brain when traumatic experiences continue to affect everyday life.

We look at why traumatic memories can feel so immediate, what happens when the brain’s threat system remains on high alert, and why flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance, disrupted sleep and seemingly unexplained triggers can persist long after the original danger has passed.

Gary also explores the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD, some of the factors that can keep the threat response going, and why avoiding reminders of trauma can sometimes make life gradually smaller.

Most importantly, the episode looks at what can help.

While some established trauma therapies involve deliberately working with traumatic memories, Gary explains how Solution Focused Hypnotherapy takes a different approach, focusing on reducing the brain’s threat response, building a greater sense of safety and helping people move towards the life they want without requiring them to repeatedly revisit the traumatic event itself.

There’s also a simple grounding technique you can use when you feel yourself being pulled into a flashback or overwhelmed by a sense of being back in the moment.

If you’ve been living with the effects of trauma, or you’ve avoided seeking help because you believed therapy would mean having to relive what happened, this episode offers another perspective.

You don’t have to go back there to move forward from here.

Moving Minds Forward with Gary Johannes explores one condition at a time: what’s going on, what may be keeping it going, and what can actually help.

Find out more about Inspired To Change and our nationwide network of Solution Focused Hypnotherapists at inspiredtochange.biz.

]]> Trauma happens in the past. So why can your brain and body continue to react as though the danger is happening right now?

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes explores trauma and PTSD, what they are, the difference between them, and what may be happening in the brain when traumatic experiences continue to affect everyday life.

We look at why traumatic memories can feel so immediate, what happens when the brain’s threat system remains on high alert, and why flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance, disrupted sleep and seemingly unexplained triggers can persist long after the original danger has passed.

Gary also explores the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD, some of the factors that can keep the threat response going, and why avoiding reminders of trauma can sometimes make life gradually smaller.

Most importantly, the episode looks at what can help.

While some established trauma therapies involve deliberately working with traumatic memories, Gary explains how Solution Focused Hypnotherapy takes a different approach, focusing on reducing the brain’s threat response, building a greater sense of safety and helping people move towards the life they want without requiring them to repeatedly revisit the traumatic event itself.

There’s also a simple grounding technique you can use when you feel yourself being pulled into a flashback or overwhelmed by a sense of being back in the moment.

If you’ve been living with the effects of trauma, or you’ve avoided seeking help because you believed therapy would mean having to relive what happened, this episode offers another perspective.

You don’t have to go back there to move forward from here.

Moving Minds Forward with Gary Johannes explores one condition at a time: what’s going on, what may be keeping it going, and what can actually help.

Find out more about Inspired To Change and our nationwide network of Solution Focused Hypnotherapists at inspiredtochange.biz.

]]> Sun, 16 Aug 2026 08:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1256 Trauma happens in the past. So why can your brain and body continue to react as though the danger is happening right now?

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes explores trauma and PTSD, what they are, the difference between them, and what may be happening in the brain when traumatic experiences continue to affect everyday life.

We look at why traumatic memories can feel so immediate, what happens when the brain’s threat system remains on high alert, and why flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance, disrupted sleep and seemingly unexplained triggers can persist long after the original danger has passed.

Gary also explores the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD, some of the factors that can keep the threat response going, and why avoiding reminders of trauma can sometimes make life gradually smaller.

Most importantly, the episode looks at what can help.

While some established trauma therapies involve deliberately working with traumatic memories, Gary explains how Solution Focused Hypnotherapy takes a different approach, focusing on reducing the brain’s threat response, building a greater sense of safety and helping people move towards the life they want without requiring them to repeatedly revisit the traumatic event itself.

There’s also a simple grounding technique you can use when you feel yourself being pulled into a flashback or overwhelmed by a sense of being back in the moment.

If you’ve been living with the effects of trauma, or you’ve avoided seeking help because you believed therapy would mean having to relive what happened, this episode offers another perspective.

You don’t have to go back there to move forward from here.

Moving Minds Forward with Gary Johannes explores one condition at a time: what’s going on, what may be keeping it going, and what can actually help.

Find out more about Inspired To Change and our nationwide network of Solution Focused Hypnotherapists at inspiredtochange.biz.

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Stage Fright and the Yips: Why Experienced Performers Suddenly Lose Their Nerve 16 16 Stage Fright and the Yips: Why Experienced Performers Suddenly Lose Their Nerve full fe71e87b-a5ea-40fd-a770-0f05758f5ef9 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/stage-fright-and-the-yips-why-experienced-performers-suddenly-lose-their-nerve You've done it a thousand times. The stage, the classroom, the microphone, the penalty spot. 
And then one ordinary day, with no warning, your body decides it isn't safe anymore. 
Your heart races, your hands shake, your mind goes blank.

This episode is for the people that happens to. 
Not beginners, the ones with years of proof behind them, suddenly convinced they've lost it.

Here's the good news: you haven't. This isn't skill running out. It's an alarm system misfiring at a moment it's never misfired before and a misfire can be corrected.

Gary Johannes unpacks what sudden onset performance anxiety actually is, why it lands on seasoned performers out of the blue, why it sticks around once it starts, and what genuinely helps you get your nerve back. One condition. The same honest lens: what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

If you've felt confident in your craft for years and then found yourself shaking, blanking or dreading the thing you used to do without thinking, this one's for you.

To find your nearest solution focused hypnotherapist and book a free initial consultation, visit www.inspiredtochange.biz

]]> You've done it a thousand times. The stage, the classroom, the microphone, the penalty spot. 
And then one ordinary day, with no warning, your body decides it isn't safe anymore. 
Your heart races, your hands shake, your mind goes blank.

This episode is for the people that happens to. 
Not beginners, the ones with years of proof behind them, suddenly convinced they've lost it.

Here's the good news: you haven't. This isn't skill running out. It's an alarm system misfiring at a moment it's never misfired before and a misfire can be corrected.

Gary Johannes unpacks what sudden onset performance anxiety actually is, why it lands on seasoned performers out of the blue, why it sticks around once it starts, and what genuinely helps you get your nerve back. One condition. The same honest lens: what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

If you've felt confident in your craft for years and then found yourself shaking, blanking or dreading the thing you used to do without thinking, this one's for you.

To find your nearest solution focused hypnotherapist and book a free initial consultation, visit www.inspiredtochange.biz

]]> Sun, 09 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1238 You've done it a thousand times. The stage, the classroom, the microphone, the penalty spot. 
And then one ordinary day, with no warning, your body decides it isn't safe anymore. 
Your heart races, your hands shake, your mind goes blank.

This episode is for the people that happens to. 
Not beginners, the ones with years of proof behind them, suddenly convinced they've lost it.

Here's the good news: you haven't. This isn't skill running out. It's an alarm system misfiring at a moment it's never misfired before and a misfire can be corrected.

Gary Johannes unpacks what sudden onset performance anxiety actually is, why it lands on seasoned performers out of the blue, why it sticks around once it starts, and what genuinely helps you get your nerve back. One condition. The same honest lens: what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

If you've felt confident in your craft for years and then found yourself shaking, blanking or dreading the thing you used to do without thinking, this one's for you.

To find your nearest solution focused hypnotherapist and book a free initial consultation, visit www.inspiredtochange.biz

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No IBS Explained: The Gut-Brain Link Nobody Told You About 14 14 IBS Explained: The Gut-Brain Link Nobody Told You About full 66528028-3aac-4a24-ac0c-9916c1e9ff86 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/ibs-explained-the-gut-brain-link-nobody-told-you-about If you live with IBS, you already know it's about more than symptoms. 

It quietly shapes what you eat, where you go, and whether you say yes to things. This episode explains what's actually happening, in your gut, in your brain, and in the constant conversation between the two.

We look at why the gut becomes hypersensitive, why stress triggers flares in nearly 60% of sufferers, and why the cycle of worry and avoidance keeps it going. Then we get to what helps, including gut-directed hypnotherapy, recommended by NICE and showing success rates of up to 95% in classic IBS cases.

You'll leave with one simple technique you can use today to calm your nervous system and settle your gut. Because you don't have to keep planning your life around it. There's always a way forward.

Find your nearest solution-focused hypnotherapist and book a free initial consultation at inspiredtochange.biz Link in the description.

]]> If you live with IBS, you already know it's about more than symptoms. 

It quietly shapes what you eat, where you go, and whether you say yes to things. This episode explains what's actually happening, in your gut, in your brain, and in the constant conversation between the two.

We look at why the gut becomes hypersensitive, why stress triggers flares in nearly 60% of sufferers, and why the cycle of worry and avoidance keeps it going. Then we get to what helps, including gut-directed hypnotherapy, recommended by NICE and showing success rates of up to 95% in classic IBS cases.

You'll leave with one simple technique you can use today to calm your nervous system and settle your gut. Because you don't have to keep planning your life around it. There's always a way forward.

Find your nearest solution-focused hypnotherapist and book a free initial consultation at inspiredtochange.biz Link in the description.

]]> Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:32:08 +0100 Gary Johannes Gary Johannes 954 If you live with IBS, you already know it's about more than symptoms. 

It quietly shapes what you eat, where you go, and whether you say yes to things. This episode explains what's actually happening, in your gut, in your brain, and in the constant conversation between the two.

We look at why the gut becomes hypersensitive, why stress triggers flares in nearly 60% of sufferers, and why the cycle of worry and avoidance keeps it going. Then we get to what helps, including gut-directed hypnotherapy, recommended by NICE and showing success rates of up to 95% in classic IBS cases.

You'll leave with one simple technique you can use today to calm your nervous system and settle your gut. Because you don't have to keep planning your life around it. There's always a way forward.

Find your nearest solution-focused hypnotherapist and book a free initial consultation at inspiredtochange.biz Link in the description.

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Why Chronic Pain Doesn't Mean You're Broken | Claire Noyelle 13 13 Why Chronic Pain Doesn't Mean You're Broken | Claire Noyelle full 8d6a4179-2c58-4faa-b135-da8167780a8a https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/why-chronic-pain-doesnt-mean-youre-broken-claire-noyelle Chronic pain doesn't always mean ongoing damage, sometimes it's a nervous system stuck on high alert, sounding the alarm long after the danger's passed.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes is joined by Claire Noyelle, a solution-focused hypnotherapist who spent over thirty years as an NHS pharmacist before retraining. Claire has seen chronic pain and fibromyalgia from both sides: the prescription pad and the therapy room.

Together they talk through:
 — Why pain can persist long after the body has healed
 — The biggest myth about chronic pain (and where it comes from)
 — What solution-focused hypnotherapy actually does for pain and fibromyalgia
 — How the nervous system learns pain — and how it can learn something different

If you're living with chronic pain, or love someone who is, this conversation is for you.

🔗 Find out more about solution-focused hypnotherapy for chronic pain and fibromyalgia, or book a free consultation with Claire or one of our nationwide team: inspiredtochange.biz

#ChronicPain #Fibromyalgia #Hypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward #NervousSystem #PainManagement

]]> Chronic pain doesn't always mean ongoing damage, sometimes it's a nervous system stuck on high alert, sounding the alarm long after the danger's passed.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes is joined by Claire Noyelle, a solution-focused hypnotherapist who spent over thirty years as an NHS pharmacist before retraining. Claire has seen chronic pain and fibromyalgia from both sides: the prescription pad and the therapy room.

Together they talk through:
 — Why pain can persist long after the body has healed
 — The biggest myth about chronic pain (and where it comes from)
 — What solution-focused hypnotherapy actually does for pain and fibromyalgia
 — How the nervous system learns pain — and how it can learn something different

If you're living with chronic pain, or love someone who is, this conversation is for you.

🔗 Find out more about solution-focused hypnotherapy for chronic pain and fibromyalgia, or book a free consultation with Claire or one of our nationwide team: inspiredtochange.biz

#ChronicPain #Fibromyalgia #Hypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward #NervousSystem #PainManagement

]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:11:20 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1508 Chronic pain doesn't always mean ongoing damage, sometimes it's a nervous system stuck on high alert, sounding the alarm long after the danger's passed.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes is joined by Claire Noyelle, a solution-focused hypnotherapist who spent over thirty years as an NHS pharmacist before retraining. Claire has seen chronic pain and fibromyalgia from both sides: the prescription pad and the therapy room.

Together they talk through:
 — Why pain can persist long after the body has healed
 — The biggest myth about chronic pain (and where it comes from)
 — What solution-focused hypnotherapy actually does for pain and fibromyalgia
 — How the nervous system learns pain — and how it can learn something different

If you're living with chronic pain, or love someone who is, this conversation is for you.

🔗 Find out more about solution-focused hypnotherapy for chronic pain and fibromyalgia, or book a free consultation with Claire or one of our nationwide team: inspiredtochange.biz

#ChronicPain #Fibromyalgia #Hypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward #NervousSystem #PainManagement

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Why Do I Get So Angry? 12 12 Why Do I Get So Angry? full a5e7febb-1c03-4696-935d-d85d8568445e https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/why-do-i-get-so-angry Why do I get so angry? 

If you've asked yourself that question after saying or doing something you regret, this one's for you.

Anger can feel like it owns you. The heat rises, the words are out before you've had a single useful thought, and twenty minutes later the calm, sensible version of you turns up with all the right things you could have said.


In this episode, I want to explain what's actually going on because once you understand it, anger stops feeling like a character flaw and starts making sense.

We'll look at what anger really is, and the difference between anger and aggression. We'll go into what's happening in your brain in that moment, why "just calm down" doesn't work, and what your amygdala is doing when it takes over from the thinking part of your brain. We'll talk about anger management, why it keeps coming back even when you don't want it to, and the difference between anger and the anxiety or hurt often sitting underneath it. And I'll leave you with one simple thing you can start noticing today, to widen the gap between the trigger and the reaction.

You're not broken. You're not weak. You have a brain that learned, somewhere along the way, to reach for anger to keep you safe. And the same brain that learned that can learn something different. That's not wishful thinking. That's neuroscience.

If this helps, subscribe and leave a review, it means more people find their way to this.

If you'd like support with anger, Inspired to Change has a nationwide network of solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK. Find your nearest therapist and book a free initial consultation at www.inspiredtochange.biz.

If anger is frequent, intense, or affecting your life, please speak to your GP, it can sit alongside things worth checking. And if it's ever spilled over into harming yourself or someone else, please get proper support quickly.

#WhyDoIGetSoAngry #AngerManagement #InspiredToChange #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward #MentalHealthPodcast #Neuroscience #AngerIssues #EmotionalRegulation #HypnotherapyUK

]]> Why do I get so angry? 

If you've asked yourself that question after saying or doing something you regret, this one's for you.

Anger can feel like it owns you. The heat rises, the words are out before you've had a single useful thought, and twenty minutes later the calm, sensible version of you turns up with all the right things you could have said.


In this episode, I want to explain what's actually going on because once you understand it, anger stops feeling like a character flaw and starts making sense.

We'll look at what anger really is, and the difference between anger and aggression. We'll go into what's happening in your brain in that moment, why "just calm down" doesn't work, and what your amygdala is doing when it takes over from the thinking part of your brain. We'll talk about anger management, why it keeps coming back even when you don't want it to, and the difference between anger and the anxiety or hurt often sitting underneath it. And I'll leave you with one simple thing you can start noticing today, to widen the gap between the trigger and the reaction.

You're not broken. You're not weak. You have a brain that learned, somewhere along the way, to reach for anger to keep you safe. And the same brain that learned that can learn something different. That's not wishful thinking. That's neuroscience.

If this helps, subscribe and leave a review, it means more people find their way to this.

If you'd like support with anger, Inspired to Change has a nationwide network of solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK. Find your nearest therapist and book a free initial consultation at www.inspiredtochange.biz.

If anger is frequent, intense, or affecting your life, please speak to your GP, it can sit alongside things worth checking. And if it's ever spilled over into harming yourself or someone else, please get proper support quickly.

#WhyDoIGetSoAngry #AngerManagement #InspiredToChange #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward #MentalHealthPodcast #Neuroscience #AngerIssues #EmotionalRegulation #HypnotherapyUK

]]> Mon, 20 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1150 Why do I get so angry? 

If you've asked yourself that question after saying or doing something you regret, this one's for you.

Anger can feel like it owns you. The heat rises, the words are out before you've had a single useful thought, and twenty minutes later the calm, sensible version of you turns up with all the right things you could have said.


In this episode, I want to explain what's actually going on because once you understand it, anger stops feeling like a character flaw and starts making sense.

We'll look at what anger really is, and the difference between anger and aggression. We'll go into what's happening in your brain in that moment, why "just calm down" doesn't work, and what your amygdala is doing when it takes over from the thinking part of your brain. We'll talk about anger management, why it keeps coming back even when you don't want it to, and the difference between anger and the anxiety or hurt often sitting underneath it. And I'll leave you with one simple thing you can start noticing today, to widen the gap between the trigger and the reaction.

You're not broken. You're not weak. You have a brain that learned, somewhere along the way, to reach for anger to keep you safe. And the same brain that learned that can learn something different. That's not wishful thinking. That's neuroscience.

If this helps, subscribe and leave a review, it means more people find their way to this.

If you'd like support with anger, Inspired to Change has a nationwide network of solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK. Find your nearest therapist and book a free initial consultation at www.inspiredtochange.biz.

If anger is frequent, intense, or affecting your life, please speak to your GP, it can sit alongside things worth checking. And if it's ever spilled over into harming yourself or someone else, please get proper support quickly.

#WhyDoIGetSoAngry #AngerManagement #InspiredToChange #SolutionFocusedHypnotherapy #MovingMindsForward #MentalHealthPodcast #Neuroscience #AngerIssues #EmotionalRegulation #HypnotherapyUK

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Procrastination Isn't Laziness - Here's What's Really Going On 11 11 Procrastination Isn't Laziness - Here's What's Really Going On full 70b06628-27ec-44c3-b73c-a3579c53526c https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/procrastination-isnt-laziness-heres-whats-really-going-on If you've spent years calling yourself lazy for putting things off, this one's for you.
Procrastination isn't a time management problem, it's an emotional one. When a task stirs up discomfort, your brain does exactly what it's built to do: it moves you away from the bad feeling and towards relief. That's not a character flaw. It's wiring, and wiring can change.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes, solution focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change, unpacks what's really driving the avoidance, what's happening in the brain when you reach for your phone instead of the task, and why guilt and self-criticism keep the cycle spinning rather than breaking it.

You'll learn:

  • Why a procrastinator cares too much, not too little
  • The argument between the planner and the limbic system  and who usually wins
  • How shame acts as a brake, not a fuel
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does to lower the dread around starting
  • One simple five-minute technique you can use today
People aren't broken. They're capable of change. And the version of you who starts sooner and carries less guilt may be a lot closer than you think.If procrastination has been weighing on you, Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. Everything's at inspiredtochange.biz when you're ready. No rush.






]]> If you've spent years calling yourself lazy for putting things off, this one's for you.
Procrastination isn't a time management problem, it's an emotional one. When a task stirs up discomfort, your brain does exactly what it's built to do: it moves you away from the bad feeling and towards relief. That's not a character flaw. It's wiring, and wiring can change.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes, solution focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change, unpacks what's really driving the avoidance, what's happening in the brain when you reach for your phone instead of the task, and why guilt and self-criticism keep the cycle spinning rather than breaking it.

You'll learn:

  • Why a procrastinator cares too much, not too little
  • The argument between the planner and the limbic system  and who usually wins
  • How shame acts as a brake, not a fuel
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does to lower the dread around starting
  • One simple five-minute technique you can use today
People aren't broken. They're capable of change. And the version of you who starts sooner and carries less guilt may be a lot closer than you think.If procrastination has been weighing on you, Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. Everything's at inspiredtochange.biz when you're ready. No rush.






]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 853 If you've spent years calling yourself lazy for putting things off, this one's for you.
Procrastination isn't a time management problem, it's an emotional one. When a task stirs up discomfort, your brain does exactly what it's built to do: it moves you away from the bad feeling and towards relief. That's not a character flaw. It's wiring, and wiring can change.

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes, solution focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change, unpacks what's really driving the avoidance, what's happening in the brain when you reach for your phone instead of the task, and why guilt and self-criticism keep the cycle spinning rather than breaking it.

You'll learn:

  • Why a procrastinator cares too much, not too little
  • The argument between the planner and the limbic system  and who usually wins
  • How shame acts as a brake, not a fuel
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does to lower the dread around starting
  • One simple five-minute technique you can use today
People aren't broken. They're capable of change. And the version of you who starts sooner and carries less guilt may be a lot closer than you think.If procrastination has been weighing on you, Inspired to Change has solution-focused hypnotherapists across the UK, in person and online. Everything's at inspiredtochange.biz when you're ready. No rush.






]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Grief and Loss: There's No Wrong Way to Grieve 10 10 Grief and Loss: There's No Wrong Way to Grieve full c8accba7-f9f2-48fc-a26c-4a9ec139fae2 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/grief-and-loss-theres-no-wrong-way-to-grieve Grief is one of the most human things we go through  and one of the things our culture handles worst. 

We're quietly expected to be "back to normal" far sooner than any of us actually are. So if you've ever wondered whether you're grieving wrong, taking too long, or not feeling the "right" things, this episode is for you.

In this one I look at what grief actually is, why it hits the body as hard as the mind, and why there's no set timeline and no single path through it. I talk about why the pressure to "move on" does so much harm, and what genuinely helps, from talking and remembering, to looking after your physical health, to the support that's there when you need it.

Grief isn't a problem to be fixed. It's love with nowhere to go. But healing is possible, at your own pace, in your own way, and you don't have to do it alone.

I'm Gary Johannes - solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change.

🎧 New episode every week. Subscribe wherever you're listening.
 🔗 More about our work: www.inspiredtochange.biz 

]]> Grief is one of the most human things we go through  and one of the things our culture handles worst. 

We're quietly expected to be "back to normal" far sooner than any of us actually are. So if you've ever wondered whether you're grieving wrong, taking too long, or not feeling the "right" things, this episode is for you.

In this one I look at what grief actually is, why it hits the body as hard as the mind, and why there's no set timeline and no single path through it. I talk about why the pressure to "move on" does so much harm, and what genuinely helps, from talking and remembering, to looking after your physical health, to the support that's there when you need it.

Grief isn't a problem to be fixed. It's love with nowhere to go. But healing is possible, at your own pace, in your own way, and you don't have to do it alone.

I'm Gary Johannes - solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change.

🎧 New episode every week. Subscribe wherever you're listening.
 🔗 More about our work: www.inspiredtochange.biz 

]]> Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 949 Grief is one of the most human things we go through  and one of the things our culture handles worst. 

We're quietly expected to be "back to normal" far sooner than any of us actually are. So if you've ever wondered whether you're grieving wrong, taking too long, or not feeling the "right" things, this episode is for you.

In this one I look at what grief actually is, why it hits the body as hard as the mind, and why there's no set timeline and no single path through it. I talk about why the pressure to "move on" does so much harm, and what genuinely helps, from talking and remembering, to looking after your physical health, to the support that's there when you need it.

Grief isn't a problem to be fixed. It's love with nowhere to go. But healing is possible, at your own pace, in your own way, and you don't have to do it alone.

I'm Gary Johannes - solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change.

🎧 New episode every week. Subscribe wherever you're listening.
 🔗 More about our work: www.inspiredtochange.biz 

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Phobia: Why You Can't Think Your Way Out of them 9 9 Phobia: Why You Can't Think Your Way Out of them full 8e4258cb-a748-45cc-b113-ec1cf980a8ab https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/why-you-cant-think-your-way-out-of-a-phobia You already know the spider won't kill you. 
You know the plane is one of the safest places you can be. 
You know the needle will be fine.

And none of that knowing makes the slightest difference.

That gap between what you know and what you feel is the most frustrating part of living with a phobia. It's also the key to understanding what's actually going on and how to change it.

In this episode, Gary walks through what a phobia really is, what's happening in the brain when one fires, why it took hold in the first place, and what keeps it running long after the original event. 

You'll hear why the fear lives in the amygdala rather than the rational part of your brain, why that's exactly why willpower doesn't work, and how avoidance quietly keeps the whole thing alive.

Then we get to what helps. Not white-knuckle exposure, but the rewind technique, a calmer, solution-focused approach that lets the brain refile a memory it filed in the wrong place to begin with.

In this episode:

  • What separates a phobia from ordinary fear
  • The difference between specific and complex phobias
  • What the amygdala is doing, and why it doesn't wait for the rational brain
  • How phobias develop, and why the origin matters less than you'd think
  • Why avoidance and safety behaviours keep the fear intact
  • How the rewind technique works, and why it doesn't re-traumatise
  • One thing you can take away today

If you've been told you just have to live with it, or you've tried to push through on willpower and found it doesn't work, this one's for you. The brain that learned fear can learn something different.

One condition. The same lens. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

Subscribe wherever you're listening. There's a lot more to come.

]]> You already know the spider won't kill you. 
You know the plane is one of the safest places you can be. 
You know the needle will be fine.

And none of that knowing makes the slightest difference.

That gap between what you know and what you feel is the most frustrating part of living with a phobia. It's also the key to understanding what's actually going on and how to change it.

In this episode, Gary walks through what a phobia really is, what's happening in the brain when one fires, why it took hold in the first place, and what keeps it running long after the original event. 

You'll hear why the fear lives in the amygdala rather than the rational part of your brain, why that's exactly why willpower doesn't work, and how avoidance quietly keeps the whole thing alive.

Then we get to what helps. Not white-knuckle exposure, but the rewind technique, a calmer, solution-focused approach that lets the brain refile a memory it filed in the wrong place to begin with.

In this episode:

  • What separates a phobia from ordinary fear
  • The difference between specific and complex phobias
  • What the amygdala is doing, and why it doesn't wait for the rational brain
  • How phobias develop, and why the origin matters less than you'd think
  • Why avoidance and safety behaviours keep the fear intact
  • How the rewind technique works, and why it doesn't re-traumatise
  • One thing you can take away today

If you've been told you just have to live with it, or you've tried to push through on willpower and found it doesn't work, this one's for you. The brain that learned fear can learn something different.

One condition. The same lens. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

Subscribe wherever you're listening. There's a lot more to come.

]]> Mon, 29 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 985 You already know the spider won't kill you. 
You know the plane is one of the safest places you can be. 
You know the needle will be fine.

And none of that knowing makes the slightest difference.

That gap between what you know and what you feel is the most frustrating part of living with a phobia. It's also the key to understanding what's actually going on and how to change it.

In this episode, Gary walks through what a phobia really is, what's happening in the brain when one fires, why it took hold in the first place, and what keeps it running long after the original event. 

You'll hear why the fear lives in the amygdala rather than the rational part of your brain, why that's exactly why willpower doesn't work, and how avoidance quietly keeps the whole thing alive.

Then we get to what helps. Not white-knuckle exposure, but the rewind technique, a calmer, solution-focused approach that lets the brain refile a memory it filed in the wrong place to begin with.

In this episode:

  • What separates a phobia from ordinary fear
  • The difference between specific and complex phobias
  • What the amygdala is doing, and why it doesn't wait for the rational brain
  • How phobias develop, and why the origin matters less than you'd think
  • Why avoidance and safety behaviours keep the fear intact
  • How the rewind technique works, and why it doesn't re-traumatise
  • One thing you can take away today

If you've been told you just have to live with it, or you've tried to push through on willpower and found it doesn't work, this one's for you. The brain that learned fear can learn something different.

One condition. The same lens. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps.

Subscribe wherever you're listening. There's a lot more to come.

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No How Burnout Nearly Took Everything - And What Came Next | Moving Minds Forward 8 8 How Burnout Nearly Took Everything - And What Came Next | Moving Minds Forward full 031e674e-1960-45f4-a631-52417ca752cd https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/how-burnout-nearly-took-everything-and-what-came-next-moving-minds-forward In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes sits down with Dawn Ibbetson for an honest conversation about burnout, identity, and the long road back to yourself.

Dawn spent years climbing the corporate ladder in IT, reaching senior management in a male-dominated world. From the outside it looked polished and successful. On the inside, she was slowly losing touch with who she was, until burnout brought everything to a stop.

We talk about what really drives burnout: the slow erosion of your values, the pressure to be someone you're not, and the cost of carrying everyone else's weight. Dawn shares the moment things reached their lowest point, and the small, unexpected act of kindness from a stranger that changed the direction of her life.

This is a story about reinvention. About imposter syndrome and self-worth. About blue hair, joy, and learning to wear your values on the outside. And about discovering that helping others, through solution-focused hypnotherapy, could be the thing that helped her heal too.

If you've ever felt like you're holding it all together while quietly falling apart, this conversation is for you.

What we cover:
 – Why climbing higher took Dawn further from the people and values she cared about
 – The link between losing your sense of self and burning out
 – Imposter syndrome, hyper-independence, and the need to prove yourself
 – The moment that changed everything — and the stranger behind it
 – Finding her way back through solution-focused hypnotherapy
 – Why looking after yourself first isn't selfish, it's necessary

A content note: this episode includes an honest discussion of burnout and a moment of suicidal crisis. If you're struggling, you don't have to carry it alone. In the UK you can call the Samaritans free, any time, on 116 123.

At Inspired to Change, we believe people aren't broken. With the right understanding and support, change is always possible — and there's always a way forward.

If you'd like to talk to someone, we offer a free initial consultation. Find a solution-focused hypnotherapist near you: https://www.inspiredtochange.biz/find-a-hypnotherapist/

Moving Minds Forward is brought to you by Inspired to Change.

#Burnout #MentalHealth #SolutionFocused #Hypnotherapy #ImposterSyndrome #MentalHealthAwareness #MovingMindsForward #InspiredToChange #Wellbeing #Reinvention

]]> In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes sits down with Dawn Ibbetson for an honest conversation about burnout, identity, and the long road back to yourself.

Dawn spent years climbing the corporate ladder in IT, reaching senior management in a male-dominated world. From the outside it looked polished and successful. On the inside, she was slowly losing touch with who she was, until burnout brought everything to a stop.

We talk about what really drives burnout: the slow erosion of your values, the pressure to be someone you're not, and the cost of carrying everyone else's weight. Dawn shares the moment things reached their lowest point, and the small, unexpected act of kindness from a stranger that changed the direction of her life.

This is a story about reinvention. About imposter syndrome and self-worth. About blue hair, joy, and learning to wear your values on the outside. And about discovering that helping others, through solution-focused hypnotherapy, could be the thing that helped her heal too.

If you've ever felt like you're holding it all together while quietly falling apart, this conversation is for you.

What we cover:
 – Why climbing higher took Dawn further from the people and values she cared about
 – The link between losing your sense of self and burning out
 – Imposter syndrome, hyper-independence, and the need to prove yourself
 – The moment that changed everything — and the stranger behind it
 – Finding her way back through solution-focused hypnotherapy
 – Why looking after yourself first isn't selfish, it's necessary

A content note: this episode includes an honest discussion of burnout and a moment of suicidal crisis. If you're struggling, you don't have to carry it alone. In the UK you can call the Samaritans free, any time, on 116 123.

At Inspired to Change, we believe people aren't broken. With the right understanding and support, change is always possible — and there's always a way forward.

If you'd like to talk to someone, we offer a free initial consultation. Find a solution-focused hypnotherapist near you: https://www.inspiredtochange.biz/find-a-hypnotherapist/

Moving Minds Forward is brought to you by Inspired to Change.

#Burnout #MentalHealth #SolutionFocused #Hypnotherapy #ImposterSyndrome #MentalHealthAwareness #MovingMindsForward #InspiredToChange #Wellbeing #Reinvention

]]> Sat, 20 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 985 In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes sits down with Dawn Ibbetson for an honest conversation about burnout, identity, and the long road back to yourself.

Dawn spent years climbing the corporate ladder in IT, reaching senior management in a male-dominated world. From the outside it looked polished and successful. On the inside, she was slowly losing touch with who she was, until burnout brought everything to a stop.

We talk about what really drives burnout: the slow erosion of your values, the pressure to be someone you're not, and the cost of carrying everyone else's weight. Dawn shares the moment things reached their lowest point, and the small, unexpected act of kindness from a stranger that changed the direction of her life.

This is a story about reinvention. About imposter syndrome and self-worth. About blue hair, joy, and learning to wear your values on the outside. And about discovering that helping others, through solution-focused hypnotherapy, could be the thing that helped her heal too.

If you've ever felt like you're holding it all together while quietly falling apart, this conversation is for you.

What we cover:
 – Why climbing higher took Dawn further from the people and values she cared about
 – The link between losing your sense of self and burning out
 – Imposter syndrome, hyper-independence, and the need to prove yourself
 – The moment that changed everything — and the stranger behind it
 – Finding her way back through solution-focused hypnotherapy
 – Why looking after yourself first isn't selfish, it's necessary

A content note: this episode includes an honest discussion of burnout and a moment of suicidal crisis. If you're struggling, you don't have to carry it alone. In the UK you can call the Samaritans free, any time, on 116 123.

At Inspired to Change, we believe people aren't broken. With the right understanding and support, change is always possible — and there's always a way forward.

If you'd like to talk to someone, we offer a free initial consultation. Find a solution-focused hypnotherapist near you: https://www.inspiredtochange.biz/find-a-hypnotherapist/

Moving Minds Forward is brought to you by Inspired to Change.

#Burnout #MentalHealth #SolutionFocused #Hypnotherapy #ImposterSyndrome #MentalHealthAwareness #MovingMindsForward #InspiredToChange #Wellbeing #Reinvention

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Negative Thoughts: What's Really Going On Inside Your Mind 7 7 Negative Thoughts: What's Really Going On Inside Your Mind full f56e3fe1-4516-42b3-a182-89092fd10899 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/negative-thoughts-whats-really-going-on-inside-your-mind That voice in your head. The one that says you're not good enough, that you said the wrong thing, that it's all going to go wrong.

It feels like the truth. It isn't. It's a thought. And there's a very big difference.

In this episode, Gary Johannes breaks down why the brain generates negative thoughts, why some of them get stuck on repeat, and what the evidence says actually helps — not by fighting your thoughts, but by changing your relationship with them.

Because a brain that learned to think negatively can learn something different. It just needs the right approach.

🎧 Subscribe for a new episode every 🌐 inspiredtochange.biz

Listen on Spotify, YouTube, apple and wherever you listen 

]]> That voice in your head. The one that says you're not good enough, that you said the wrong thing, that it's all going to go wrong.

It feels like the truth. It isn't. It's a thought. And there's a very big difference.

In this episode, Gary Johannes breaks down why the brain generates negative thoughts, why some of them get stuck on repeat, and what the evidence says actually helps — not by fighting your thoughts, but by changing your relationship with them.

Because a brain that learned to think negatively can learn something different. It just needs the right approach.

🎧 Subscribe for a new episode every 🌐 inspiredtochange.biz

Listen on Spotify, YouTube, apple and wherever you listen 

]]> Sun, 14 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 843 That voice in your head. The one that says you're not good enough, that you said the wrong thing, that it's all going to go wrong.

It feels like the truth. It isn't. It's a thought. And there's a very big difference.

In this episode, Gary Johannes breaks down why the brain generates negative thoughts, why some of them get stuck on repeat, and what the evidence says actually helps — not by fighting your thoughts, but by changing your relationship with them.

Because a brain that learned to think negatively can learn something different. It just needs the right approach.

🎧 Subscribe for a new episode every 🌐 inspiredtochange.biz

Listen on Spotify, YouTube, apple and wherever you listen 

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No STRESS: The condition everyone has and nobody takes seriously enough 6 6 STRESS: The condition everyone has and nobody takes seriously enough full 084ead49-4952-4043-a79d-dd2660e05262 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/stress-the-condition-everyone-has-and-nobody-takes-seriously-enough "I'm just a bit stressed." "Everyone's stressed, aren't they?"

That habit of brushing it off is one of the most damaging things we do. Because chronic stress isn't just an inconvenience' it's a serious condition with serious consequences. Left unaddressed, it contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, disrupted sleep, and a brain that gradually loses its ability to think clearly, make decisions, and see a way through.


In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes - breaks down exactly what's happening when stress takes hold and why so many people stay stuck in it.

You'll learn:

  • Why the fight or flight response, brilliant for short-term threats, is so damaging when it runs continuously
  • What chronic stress actually does to the brain  and why decisions feel impossible when you're in it
  • The most common causes of stress, and why it's often the accumulation of smaller pressures rather than one big thing
  • The self-maintaining cycles that keep stress going, including the ones most people don't recognise
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does differently, and why it works when other approaches haven't
  • One simple thing you can do tonight that starts to shift the brain's stress filter

Whether stress is quietly running your life or has become completely overwhelming, this episode will help you understand what's actually going on — and what to do about it.


SHOW NOTES

What we cover in this episode:

[00:00] Introduction - Gary's background and what this podcast is about

[01:00] Why stress is the most dismissed condition there is - and why that matters

[02:00] What stress actually is - when it's useful, and when it becomes damaging

[03:00] The numbers - 25% struggle to manage stress levels, 1 in 3 affected by work stress, long-term physical consequences

[04:00] What's happening in the brain - the amygdala, cortisol, adrenaline, and the fight or flight response

[05:30] Why modern stressors are so much harder to resolve than the threats the stress system evolved for

[06:30] What causes stress - work, relationships, finances, caring responsibilities, life events, and the accumulation effect

[08:00] What keeps stress going - inability to switch off, avoidance, sleep disruption, behaviour changes, and narrowed thinking

[11:00] What actually helps - understanding the stress response, identifying triggers, the solution-focused approach

[12:30] How solution-focused hypnotherapy works differently - the preferred future, retraining the nervous system, sleep

[13:30] The three pillars - positive interaction, positive action, positive thinking

[15:00] One thing you can do tonight - and why it works neurologically

[16:00] Closing - you are not weak for struggling with this

Resources mentioned:

  • Inspired To Change - stress support: inspiredtochange.biz/stress
  • Find a solution-focused hypnotherapist: inspiredtochange.biz
  • If stress is significantly affecting your functioning, speak to your GP

About Moving Minds Forward

One condition per episode. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. Hosted by Gary Johannes, solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health (KCL, London).

Hit subscribe wherever you're listening. There's a lot more to come.

]]> "I'm just a bit stressed." "Everyone's stressed, aren't they?"

That habit of brushing it off is one of the most damaging things we do. Because chronic stress isn't just an inconvenience' it's a serious condition with serious consequences. Left unaddressed, it contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, disrupted sleep, and a brain that gradually loses its ability to think clearly, make decisions, and see a way through.


In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes - breaks down exactly what's happening when stress takes hold and why so many people stay stuck in it.

You'll learn:

  • Why the fight or flight response, brilliant for short-term threats, is so damaging when it runs continuously
  • What chronic stress actually does to the brain  and why decisions feel impossible when you're in it
  • The most common causes of stress, and why it's often the accumulation of smaller pressures rather than one big thing
  • The self-maintaining cycles that keep stress going, including the ones most people don't recognise
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does differently, and why it works when other approaches haven't
  • One simple thing you can do tonight that starts to shift the brain's stress filter

Whether stress is quietly running your life or has become completely overwhelming, this episode will help you understand what's actually going on — and what to do about it.


SHOW NOTES

What we cover in this episode:

[00:00] Introduction - Gary's background and what this podcast is about

[01:00] Why stress is the most dismissed condition there is - and why that matters

[02:00] What stress actually is - when it's useful, and when it becomes damaging

[03:00] The numbers - 25% struggle to manage stress levels, 1 in 3 affected by work stress, long-term physical consequences

[04:00] What's happening in the brain - the amygdala, cortisol, adrenaline, and the fight or flight response

[05:30] Why modern stressors are so much harder to resolve than the threats the stress system evolved for

[06:30] What causes stress - work, relationships, finances, caring responsibilities, life events, and the accumulation effect

[08:00] What keeps stress going - inability to switch off, avoidance, sleep disruption, behaviour changes, and narrowed thinking

[11:00] What actually helps - understanding the stress response, identifying triggers, the solution-focused approach

[12:30] How solution-focused hypnotherapy works differently - the preferred future, retraining the nervous system, sleep

[13:30] The three pillars - positive interaction, positive action, positive thinking

[15:00] One thing you can do tonight - and why it works neurologically

[16:00] Closing - you are not weak for struggling with this

Resources mentioned:

  • Inspired To Change - stress support: inspiredtochange.biz/stress
  • Find a solution-focused hypnotherapist: inspiredtochange.biz
  • If stress is significantly affecting your functioning, speak to your GP

About Moving Minds Forward

One condition per episode. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. Hosted by Gary Johannes, solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health (KCL, London).

Hit subscribe wherever you're listening. There's a lot more to come.

]]> Sun, 07 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1026 "I'm just a bit stressed." "Everyone's stressed, aren't they?"

That habit of brushing it off is one of the most damaging things we do. Because chronic stress isn't just an inconvenience' it's a serious condition with serious consequences. Left unaddressed, it contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, disrupted sleep, and a brain that gradually loses its ability to think clearly, make decisions, and see a way through.


In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes - breaks down exactly what's happening when stress takes hold and why so many people stay stuck in it.

You'll learn:

  • Why the fight or flight response, brilliant for short-term threats, is so damaging when it runs continuously
  • What chronic stress actually does to the brain  and why decisions feel impossible when you're in it
  • The most common causes of stress, and why it's often the accumulation of smaller pressures rather than one big thing
  • The self-maintaining cycles that keep stress going, including the ones most people don't recognise
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does differently, and why it works when other approaches haven't
  • One simple thing you can do tonight that starts to shift the brain's stress filter

Whether stress is quietly running your life or has become completely overwhelming, this episode will help you understand what's actually going on — and what to do about it.


SHOW NOTES

What we cover in this episode:

[00:00] Introduction - Gary's background and what this podcast is about

[01:00] Why stress is the most dismissed condition there is - and why that matters

[02:00] What stress actually is - when it's useful, and when it becomes damaging

[03:00] The numbers - 25% struggle to manage stress levels, 1 in 3 affected by work stress, long-term physical consequences

[04:00] What's happening in the brain - the amygdala, cortisol, adrenaline, and the fight or flight response

[05:30] Why modern stressors are so much harder to resolve than the threats the stress system evolved for

[06:30] What causes stress - work, relationships, finances, caring responsibilities, life events, and the accumulation effect

[08:00] What keeps stress going - inability to switch off, avoidance, sleep disruption, behaviour changes, and narrowed thinking

[11:00] What actually helps - understanding the stress response, identifying triggers, the solution-focused approach

[12:30] How solution-focused hypnotherapy works differently - the preferred future, retraining the nervous system, sleep

[13:30] The three pillars - positive interaction, positive action, positive thinking

[15:00] One thing you can do tonight - and why it works neurologically

[16:00] Closing - you are not weak for struggling with this

Resources mentioned:

  • Inspired To Change - stress support: inspiredtochange.biz/stress
  • Find a solution-focused hypnotherapist: inspiredtochange.biz
  • If stress is significantly affecting your functioning, speak to your GP

About Moving Minds Forward

One condition per episode. What's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. Hosted by Gary Johannes, solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health (KCL, London).

Hit subscribe wherever you're listening. There's a lot more to come.

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No LOW CONFIDENCE & SELF-ESTEEM Why your brain keeps telling you you’re not enough 5 5 LOW CONFIDENCE & SELF-ESTEEM Why your brain keeps telling you you’re not enough full bf3041d8-5477-40cf-8f36-06c5218a6de3 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/low-confidence-self-esteem-why-your-brain-keeps-telling-you-you-re-not-enough Why do some people constantly feel not good enough.

Even when they’re capable, successful, and doing everything they can to hold things together?

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes explores the psychology and neuroscience behind low confidence and self-esteem. From self-doubt and overthinking to comparison, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the inner critic that never seems to switch off
 
This episode looks at what’s really going on beneath the surface.

Gary explains how confidence is shaped by past experiences, stress, relationships, and the brain’s threat system and why low self-esteem is not a personality flaw or weakness, but a learned pattern that can change.

You’ll learn:

  •  why confidence disappears 
  •  what keeps self-doubt going 
  •  how the brain reinforces negative beliefs 
  •  why avoidance and comparison make things worse 
  •  what actually helps rebuild genuine confidence 

Grounded in neuroscience, therapy experience, and real human understanding, this is a calm, practical, emotionally honest conversation about rebuilding self-worth from the inside out.
Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with.
It’s something the brain can relearn.

Hosted by Gary Johannes, solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and senior lecturer with CPHT.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Episode Timeline

00:00 — Introduction
02:10 — What low self-esteem actually is
06:45 — Why confidence disappears
11:20 — The role of the brain and threat response
16:10 — Self-criticism and the inner voice
21:40 — Comparison, perfectionism, and people-pleasing
27:15 — Why avoidance keeps confidence low
31:50 — The neuroscience of rebuilding confidence
37:05 — What actually helps
42:20 — One practical step you can take today
45:10 — Final thoughts and encouragement

]]> Why do some people constantly feel not good enough.

Even when they’re capable, successful, and doing everything they can to hold things together?

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes explores the psychology and neuroscience behind low confidence and self-esteem. From self-doubt and overthinking to comparison, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the inner critic that never seems to switch off
 
This episode looks at what’s really going on beneath the surface.

Gary explains how confidence is shaped by past experiences, stress, relationships, and the brain’s threat system and why low self-esteem is not a personality flaw or weakness, but a learned pattern that can change.

You’ll learn:

  •  why confidence disappears 
  •  what keeps self-doubt going 
  •  how the brain reinforces negative beliefs 
  •  why avoidance and comparison make things worse 
  •  what actually helps rebuild genuine confidence 

Grounded in neuroscience, therapy experience, and real human understanding, this is a calm, practical, emotionally honest conversation about rebuilding self-worth from the inside out.
Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with.
It’s something the brain can relearn.

Hosted by Gary Johannes, solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and senior lecturer with CPHT.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Episode Timeline

00:00 — Introduction
02:10 — What low self-esteem actually is
06:45 — Why confidence disappears
11:20 — The role of the brain and threat response
16:10 — Self-criticism and the inner voice
21:40 — Comparison, perfectionism, and people-pleasing
27:15 — Why avoidance keeps confidence low
31:50 — The neuroscience of rebuilding confidence
37:05 — What actually helps
42:20 — One practical step you can take today
45:10 — Final thoughts and encouragement

]]> Sun, 31 May 2026 18:00:00 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1294 Why do some people constantly feel not good enough.

Even when they’re capable, successful, and doing everything they can to hold things together?

In this episode of Moving Minds Forward, Gary Johannes explores the psychology and neuroscience behind low confidence and self-esteem. From self-doubt and overthinking to comparison, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the inner critic that never seems to switch off
 
This episode looks at what’s really going on beneath the surface.

Gary explains how confidence is shaped by past experiences, stress, relationships, and the brain’s threat system and why low self-esteem is not a personality flaw or weakness, but a learned pattern that can change.

You’ll learn:

  •  why confidence disappears 
  •  what keeps self-doubt going 
  •  how the brain reinforces negative beliefs 
  •  why avoidance and comparison make things worse 
  •  what actually helps rebuild genuine confidence 

Grounded in neuroscience, therapy experience, and real human understanding, this is a calm, practical, emotionally honest conversation about rebuilding self-worth from the inside out.
Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with.
It’s something the brain can relearn.

Hosted by Gary Johannes, solution-focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and senior lecturer with CPHT.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Episode Timeline

00:00 — Introduction
02:10 — What low self-esteem actually is
06:45 — Why confidence disappears
11:20 — The role of the brain and threat response
16:10 — Self-criticism and the inner voice
21:40 — Comparison, perfectionism, and people-pleasing
27:15 — Why avoidance keeps confidence low
31:50 — The neuroscience of rebuilding confidence
37:05 — What actually helps
42:20 — One practical step you can take today
45:10 — Final thoughts and encouragement

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Social Anxiety — Why Your Brain Won't Let You Relax 4 4 Social Anxiety — Why Your Brain Won't Let You Relax full 067aa61c-580a-4eca-8bbe-192123626dad https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/social-anxiety-why-your-brain-wont-let-you-relax Most people with social anxiety don't look like they have social anxiety. 

They show up. They function. They get through the day. 

But on the inside, before every social situation, during it, and long after it's over, something exhausting is happening.

The monitoring. The self-scrutiny. The replay. The dread.

In this episode, Gary Johannes, solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health, breaks down what social anxiety actually is, what's happening in your brain when it kicks in, what keeps it going, and what actually helps.

This isn't generic advice. It's a clear, honest explanation of one of the most misunderstood conditions there is and one practical thing you can do today to start shifting it.

If social anxiety has been quietly shaping your decisions and shrinking your world this episode is for you.

TIMELINE

00:00 — Introduction & Gary's story

01:30 — What social anxiety actually is — and why it's not just shyness

03:30 — The gap between what you know and what you feel

05:00 — What's happening in your brain — the amygdala and the threat response

07:00 — The self-monitoring spiral — why you can't just relax in social situations

08:30 — The replay — what happens after and why it's so exhausting

10:00 — What causes social anxiety — biology, early experience, and social media

12:30 — What keeps it going — avoidance, safety behaviours, and withdrawal

16:00 — What actually helps — the solution-focused approach

18:00 — The preferred future — where the work starts

19:30 — Rebuilding gradually — how the brain actually changes

22:00 — One thing you can do right now

24:00 — The closing message — you're not broken, you're stuck

]]> Most people with social anxiety don't look like they have social anxiety. 

They show up. They function. They get through the day. 

But on the inside, before every social situation, during it, and long after it's over, something exhausting is happening.

The monitoring. The self-scrutiny. The replay. The dread.

In this episode, Gary Johannes, solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health, breaks down what social anxiety actually is, what's happening in your brain when it kicks in, what keeps it going, and what actually helps.

This isn't generic advice. It's a clear, honest explanation of one of the most misunderstood conditions there is and one practical thing you can do today to start shifting it.

If social anxiety has been quietly shaping your decisions and shrinking your world this episode is for you.

TIMELINE

00:00 — Introduction & Gary's story

01:30 — What social anxiety actually is — and why it's not just shyness

03:30 — The gap between what you know and what you feel

05:00 — What's happening in your brain — the amygdala and the threat response

07:00 — The self-monitoring spiral — why you can't just relax in social situations

08:30 — The replay — what happens after and why it's so exhausting

10:00 — What causes social anxiety — biology, early experience, and social media

12:30 — What keeps it going — avoidance, safety behaviours, and withdrawal

16:00 — What actually helps — the solution-focused approach

18:00 — The preferred future — where the work starts

19:30 — Rebuilding gradually — how the brain actually changes

22:00 — One thing you can do right now

24:00 — The closing message — you're not broken, you're stuck

]]> Sun, 24 May 2026 14:46:22 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 905 Most people with social anxiety don't look like they have social anxiety. 

They show up. They function. They get through the day. 

But on the inside, before every social situation, during it, and long after it's over, something exhausting is happening.

The monitoring. The self-scrutiny. The replay. The dread.

In this episode, Gary Johannes, solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health, breaks down what social anxiety actually is, what's happening in your brain when it kicks in, what keeps it going, and what actually helps.

This isn't generic advice. It's a clear, honest explanation of one of the most misunderstood conditions there is and one practical thing you can do today to start shifting it.

If social anxiety has been quietly shaping your decisions and shrinking your world this episode is for you.

TIMELINE

00:00 — Introduction & Gary's story

01:30 — What social anxiety actually is — and why it's not just shyness

03:30 — The gap between what you know and what you feel

05:00 — What's happening in your brain — the amygdala and the threat response

07:00 — The self-monitoring spiral — why you can't just relax in social situations

08:30 — The replay — what happens after and why it's so exhausting

10:00 — What causes social anxiety — biology, early experience, and social media

12:30 — What keeps it going — avoidance, safety behaviours, and withdrawal

16:00 — What actually helps — the solution-focused approach

18:00 — The preferred future — where the work starts

19:30 — Rebuilding gradually — how the brain actually changes

22:00 — One thing you can do right now

24:00 — The closing message — you're not broken, you're stuck

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Moving Through Depression — What's Actually Happening and What Helps 3 3 Moving Through Depression — What's Actually Happening and What Helps full f04b2e2d-114d-47eb-b5c6-5caeac0080a1 https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/moving-through-depression-whats-actually-happening-and-what-helps Your Brain Isn't Broken. Depression, Anxiety and Mental Health with Gary Johannes

Episode 3: Depression - What's Really Going On, What Keeps It Going, and What Actually Helps

Depression isn't weakness. It isn't laziness. It isn't something you can just think your way out of.

It's a serious mental health condition that affects how you feel, how you think, and how you function and most people who are living with it have no idea what's actually happening in their brain.

In this episode, Gary Johannes,  solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc graduate in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health from King's College London, breaks down everything you need to understand about depression.

What it actually is. What's happening in the brain. What keeps it going. And what the evidence shows actually helps.

This isn't a self-help episode. It's an honest, grounded, neuroscience-backed conversation about one of the most common and most misunderstood mental health conditions there is.

If you're living with depression — or you love someone who is, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

  • Why depression is so much more than feeling sad
  • The physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms most people don't recognise
  • What's actually happening in your brain when depression takes hold
  • Why men experience depression differently, and why so few seek help
  • The patterns that keep depression going (and how to break them)
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does differently
  • One practical thing you can do today, however bad things feel

Timestamps:

00:00 — Who is Gary Johannes 02:30 — What depression actually is 05:00 — Physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms 07:30 — Crisis support — please read this first 08:30 — What causes depression 11:00 — Genetics, brain chemistry and lifestyle 13:00 — Men and depression — why it looks different 15:30 — What's happening in the brain 18:00 — Neuroplasticity — why the brain can change 19:30 — What keeps depression going 21:00 — Withdrawal and why it feeds the cycle 23:00 — Sleep disruption and negative thinking loops 25:00 — What actually helps 27:00 — Solution-focused hypnotherapy and the preferred future 29:30 — Rebuilding sleep and the nervous system 32:00 — Small steps and how the brain actually changes 34:30 — One thing you can do today 37:00 — A message to anyone struggling right now 40:00 — Where to get help

If you're struggling right now, please reach out: Samaritans — 116 123 (free, 24 hours a day) Your GP is also a good first step. You don't have to be at the bottom before you ask for help.

Subscribe for a new episode every week 
one condition, the same lens. What's going on, what keeps it going, and what actually helps.

🔔 Hit subscribe so you don't miss the next episode

]]> Your Brain Isn't Broken. Depression, Anxiety and Mental Health with Gary Johannes

Episode 3: Depression - What's Really Going On, What Keeps It Going, and What Actually Helps

Depression isn't weakness. It isn't laziness. It isn't something you can just think your way out of.

It's a serious mental health condition that affects how you feel, how you think, and how you function and most people who are living with it have no idea what's actually happening in their brain.

In this episode, Gary Johannes,  solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc graduate in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health from King's College London, breaks down everything you need to understand about depression.

What it actually is. What's happening in the brain. What keeps it going. And what the evidence shows actually helps.

This isn't a self-help episode. It's an honest, grounded, neuroscience-backed conversation about one of the most common and most misunderstood mental health conditions there is.

If you're living with depression — or you love someone who is, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

  • Why depression is so much more than feeling sad
  • The physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms most people don't recognise
  • What's actually happening in your brain when depression takes hold
  • Why men experience depression differently, and why so few seek help
  • The patterns that keep depression going (and how to break them)
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does differently
  • One practical thing you can do today, however bad things feel

Timestamps:

00:00 — Who is Gary Johannes 02:30 — What depression actually is 05:00 — Physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms 07:30 — Crisis support — please read this first 08:30 — What causes depression 11:00 — Genetics, brain chemistry and lifestyle 13:00 — Men and depression — why it looks different 15:30 — What's happening in the brain 18:00 — Neuroplasticity — why the brain can change 19:30 — What keeps depression going 21:00 — Withdrawal and why it feeds the cycle 23:00 — Sleep disruption and negative thinking loops 25:00 — What actually helps 27:00 — Solution-focused hypnotherapy and the preferred future 29:30 — Rebuilding sleep and the nervous system 32:00 — Small steps and how the brain actually changes 34:30 — One thing you can do today 37:00 — A message to anyone struggling right now 40:00 — Where to get help

If you're struggling right now, please reach out: Samaritans — 116 123 (free, 24 hours a day) Your GP is also a good first step. You don't have to be at the bottom before you ask for help.

Subscribe for a new episode every week 
one condition, the same lens. What's going on, what keeps it going, and what actually helps.

🔔 Hit subscribe so you don't miss the next episode

]]> Sun, 17 May 2026 09:43:58 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1294 Your Brain Isn't Broken. Depression, Anxiety and Mental Health with Gary Johannes

Episode 3: Depression - What's Really Going On, What Keeps It Going, and What Actually Helps

Depression isn't weakness. It isn't laziness. It isn't something you can just think your way out of.

It's a serious mental health condition that affects how you feel, how you think, and how you function and most people who are living with it have no idea what's actually happening in their brain.

In this episode, Gary Johannes,  solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc graduate in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health from King's College London, breaks down everything you need to understand about depression.

What it actually is. What's happening in the brain. What keeps it going. And what the evidence shows actually helps.

This isn't a self-help episode. It's an honest, grounded, neuroscience-backed conversation about one of the most common and most misunderstood mental health conditions there is.

If you're living with depression — or you love someone who is, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

  • Why depression is so much more than feeling sad
  • The physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms most people don't recognise
  • What's actually happening in your brain when depression takes hold
  • Why men experience depression differently, and why so few seek help
  • The patterns that keep depression going (and how to break them)
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does differently
  • One practical thing you can do today, however bad things feel

Timestamps:

00:00 — Who is Gary Johannes 02:30 — What depression actually is 05:00 — Physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms 07:30 — Crisis support — please read this first 08:30 — What causes depression 11:00 — Genetics, brain chemistry and lifestyle 13:00 — Men and depression — why it looks different 15:30 — What's happening in the brain 18:00 — Neuroplasticity — why the brain can change 19:30 — What keeps depression going 21:00 — Withdrawal and why it feeds the cycle 23:00 — Sleep disruption and negative thinking loops 25:00 — What actually helps 27:00 — Solution-focused hypnotherapy and the preferred future 29:30 — Rebuilding sleep and the nervous system 32:00 — Small steps and how the brain actually changes 34:30 — One thing you can do today 37:00 — A message to anyone struggling right now 40:00 — Where to get help

If you're struggling right now, please reach out: Samaritans — 116 123 (free, 24 hours a day) Your GP is also a good first step. You don't have to be at the bottom before you ask for help.

Subscribe for a new episode every week 
one condition, the same lens. What's going on, what keeps it going, and what actually helps.

🔔 Hit subscribe so you don't miss the next episode

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Panic Attacks Explained: What's Going On, What Keeps Them Going, and What Actually Helps 2 2 Panic Attacks Explained: What's Going On, What Keeps Them Going, and What Actually Helps full eaf648ff-96ac-42a1-9727-27ded693d15e https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/panic-attacks-explained-whats-going-on-what-keeps-them-going-and-what-actually-helps Panic attacks feel like your body is betraying you. They're not. Here's what's actually going on.

If you've ever had a panic attack, there's a good chance you genuinely thought you were dying — or losing your mind. You weren't. But no one ever explained why it felt that way.

In this episode, Gary Johannes — solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT breaks down panic attacks in plain language. Not the clinical version. The version that actually helps.


What's covered:

  • What's happening in your brain and body during a panic attack
  • Why panic attacks feel so terrifying  and why that makes sense
  • What causes them and what keeps them going
  • The difference between a panic attack and panic disorder
  • Why avoidance feels protective but makes things worse
  • What to do in the moment when one hits
  • What lasting change actually looks like

Plus, one simple thing you can start doing today to understand your own pattern.

This isn't about managing symptoms forever. It's about understanding what's going on so things can actually change.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 📌 Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

Gary Johannes left school at 14 with no qualifications, served in the RAF, and spent 30 years in business before retraining as a hypnotherapist. He went on to build Inspired to Change and complete a Master's in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London — at 60.

Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 01:10 – What a panic attack actually feels like 03:00 – What's happening in your brain (fight or flight explained) 05:00 – Why it becomes a loop 06:00 – The physical and emotional symptoms 08:00 – What causes panic attacks 10:00 – Panic attack vs panic disorder 12:00 – How avoidance makes things worse 15:00 – What to do in the moment 18:00 – What lasting change looks like 21:30 – One thing you can do right now 22:30 – Closing thoughts

#PanicAttacks #PanicDisorder #Anxiety #MentalHealth #Hypnotherapy #SolutionFocused #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes

]]> Panic attacks feel like your body is betraying you. They're not. Here's what's actually going on.

If you've ever had a panic attack, there's a good chance you genuinely thought you were dying — or losing your mind. You weren't. But no one ever explained why it felt that way.

In this episode, Gary Johannes — solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT breaks down panic attacks in plain language. Not the clinical version. The version that actually helps.


What's covered:

  • What's happening in your brain and body during a panic attack
  • Why panic attacks feel so terrifying  and why that makes sense
  • What causes them and what keeps them going
  • The difference between a panic attack and panic disorder
  • Why avoidance feels protective but makes things worse
  • What to do in the moment when one hits
  • What lasting change actually looks like

Plus, one simple thing you can start doing today to understand your own pattern.

This isn't about managing symptoms forever. It's about understanding what's going on so things can actually change.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 📌 Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

Gary Johannes left school at 14 with no qualifications, served in the RAF, and spent 30 years in business before retraining as a hypnotherapist. He went on to build Inspired to Change and complete a Master's in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London — at 60.

Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 01:10 – What a panic attack actually feels like 03:00 – What's happening in your brain (fight or flight explained) 05:00 – Why it becomes a loop 06:00 – The physical and emotional symptoms 08:00 – What causes panic attacks 10:00 – Panic attack vs panic disorder 12:00 – How avoidance makes things worse 15:00 – What to do in the moment 18:00 – What lasting change looks like 21:30 – One thing you can do right now 22:30 – Closing thoughts

#PanicAttacks #PanicDisorder #Anxiety #MentalHealth #Hypnotherapy #SolutionFocused #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes

]]> Tue, 12 May 2026 12:30:56 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1426 Panic attacks feel like your body is betraying you. They're not. Here's what's actually going on.

If you've ever had a panic attack, there's a good chance you genuinely thought you were dying — or losing your mind. You weren't. But no one ever explained why it felt that way.

In this episode, Gary Johannes — solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired to Change, and senior lecturer at CPHT breaks down panic attacks in plain language. Not the clinical version. The version that actually helps.


What's covered:

  • What's happening in your brain and body during a panic attack
  • Why panic attacks feel so terrifying  and why that makes sense
  • What causes them and what keeps them going
  • The difference between a panic attack and panic disorder
  • Why avoidance feels protective but makes things worse
  • What to do in the moment when one hits
  • What lasting change actually looks like

Plus, one simple thing you can start doing today to understand your own pattern.

This isn't about managing symptoms forever. It's about understanding what's going on so things can actually change.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 📌 Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

Gary Johannes left school at 14 with no qualifications, served in the RAF, and spent 30 years in business before retraining as a hypnotherapist. He went on to build Inspired to Change and complete a Master's in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London — at 60.

Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 01:10 – What a panic attack actually feels like 03:00 – What's happening in your brain (fight or flight explained) 05:00 – Why it becomes a loop 06:00 – The physical and emotional symptoms 08:00 – What causes panic attacks 10:00 – Panic attack vs panic disorder 12:00 – How avoidance makes things worse 15:00 – What to do in the moment 18:00 – What lasting change looks like 21:30 – One thing you can do right now 22:30 – Closing thoughts

#PanicAttacks #PanicDisorder #Anxiety #MentalHealth #Hypnotherapy #SolutionFocused #InspiredToChange #GaryJohannes

]]> solution focused therapy, solution focused hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy, mental health, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep problems, insomnia, OCD, health anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, confidence, self-esteem, phobias, trauma, PTSD, neuroscience, neuroplasticity, primitive brain, brief therapy, talking therapy, positive psychology, CBT alternative, mental health podcast, therapy podcast, CPHT, Inspired To Change No Anxiety: Why Your Brain Won't Switch Off - And What To Do About It 1 1 Anxiety: Why Your Brain Won't Switch Off - And What To Do About It full da683c3a-f6b6-46e0-9a55-c340b9fc9a7f https://Movingmindsforward.transistor.fm/episodes/anxiety-why-your-brain-wont-switch-off-and-what-to-do-about-it Over 8 million people in the UK are living with anxiety right now. Most of them have never told anyone. 

If that's you,  this episode is for you.

In this first episode, solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change, Gary Johannahs, breaks down what anxiety actually is, what's keeping it going, and what genuinely helps. 

No jargon. No judgment. Just the science, explained clearly, and a practical place to start.

Because here's the thing: anxiety isn't a sign something is fundamentally wrong with you. It's your brain doing its job. It's just doing it a bit too much.

What we cover in this episode:

  • What anxiety actually is, and why it's not a character flaw
  • The fight-or-flight response and why your brain can't always tell the difference between danger and a difficult conversation
  • The two parts of the brain that drive anxiety (and why "just calm down" never works)
  • Why avoidance feels like relief but makes everything worse
  • The role of sleep and serotonin in keeping anxiety going
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does differently
  • One simple daily practice that starts to retrain your anxious brain

About Gary Johannahs: Gary left school at 14, joined the RAF at 16, and spent his first 30 years in sales and running bars and nightclubs. In his mid-40s, he discovered hypnotherapy, and it changed everything. He went on to retrain, found Inspired to Change, and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at the age of 60. He was also diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD that same year. He now leads a team of solution-focused hypnotherapists and is a senior lecturer at CPHT.

If this episode helped, hit subscribe.

Every episode covers one condition, what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. There's a lot more to come.

]]> Over 8 million people in the UK are living with anxiety right now. Most of them have never told anyone. 

If that's you,  this episode is for you.

In this first episode, solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change, Gary Johannahs, breaks down what anxiety actually is, what's keeping it going, and what genuinely helps. 

No jargon. No judgment. Just the science, explained clearly, and a practical place to start.

Because here's the thing: anxiety isn't a sign something is fundamentally wrong with you. It's your brain doing its job. It's just doing it a bit too much.

What we cover in this episode:

  • What anxiety actually is, and why it's not a character flaw
  • The fight-or-flight response and why your brain can't always tell the difference between danger and a difficult conversation
  • The two parts of the brain that drive anxiety (and why "just calm down" never works)
  • Why avoidance feels like relief but makes everything worse
  • The role of sleep and serotonin in keeping anxiety going
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does differently
  • One simple daily practice that starts to retrain your anxious brain

About Gary Johannahs: Gary left school at 14, joined the RAF at 16, and spent his first 30 years in sales and running bars and nightclubs. In his mid-40s, he discovered hypnotherapy, and it changed everything. He went on to retrain, found Inspired to Change, and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at the age of 60. He was also diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD that same year. He now leads a team of solution-focused hypnotherapists and is a senior lecturer at CPHT.

If this episode helped, hit subscribe.

Every episode covers one condition, what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. There's a lot more to come.

]]> Fri, 08 May 2026 16:06:54 +0100 Gary Johannes Watch on YouTube Gary Johannes 1087 Over 8 million people in the UK are living with anxiety right now. Most of them have never told anyone. 

If that's you,  this episode is for you.

In this first episode, solution-focused hypnotherapist and founder of Inspired to Change, Gary Johannahs, breaks down what anxiety actually is, what's keeping it going, and what genuinely helps. 

No jargon. No judgment. Just the science, explained clearly, and a practical place to start.

Because here's the thing: anxiety isn't a sign something is fundamentally wrong with you. It's your brain doing its job. It's just doing it a bit too much.

What we cover in this episode:

  • What anxiety actually is, and why it's not a character flaw
  • The fight-or-flight response and why your brain can't always tell the difference between danger and a difficult conversation
  • The two parts of the brain that drive anxiety (and why "just calm down" never works)
  • Why avoidance feels like relief but makes everything worse
  • The role of sleep and serotonin in keeping anxiety going
  • What solution-focused hypnotherapy does differently
  • One simple daily practice that starts to retrain your anxious brain

About Gary Johannahs: Gary left school at 14, joined the RAF at 16, and spent his first 30 years in sales and running bars and nightclubs. In his mid-40s, he discovered hypnotherapy, and it changed everything. He went on to retrain, found Inspired to Change, and completed an MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College London at the age of 60. He was also diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD that same year. He now leads a team of solution-focused hypnotherapists and is a senior lecturer at CPHT.

If this episode helped, hit subscribe.

Every episode covers one condition, what's going on, what's keeping it going, and what actually helps. There's a lot more to come.

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