Brain Training: How to Improve Cognitive Health with Anna Lancaster

What is hypnotherapy, and how can it be used as a tool to support and enhance overall brain health?

Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic modality that uses guided relaxation and focused attention to access the subconscious mind – the part that drives 95% of our behaviour. It’s a method of rewiring neural pathways by working directly with the brain’s natural neuroplasticity.

When we’re in a hypnotic state, the conscious, analytical mind becomes quiet, allowing us to communicate directly with and reprogramme the subconscious patterns that govern our thoughts, emotions and behaviours. For brain health specifically, hypnotherapy enhances cognitive function by reducing stress-induced cortisol levels, improving sleep quality and creating new neural pathways that support better emotional regulation and mental clarity.

How does hypnotherapy differ from other therapeutic approaches in its method of accessing and influencing the mind for cognitive and emotional well-being?

Traditional “talk therapy” works primarily with the conscious mind – that analytical five per cent that’s often aware of what needs to change but struggles to implement it. Hypnotherapy bypasses this entirely and accesses the subconscious directly, where the root causes of issues actually live.

While Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) might take months to create new thought patterns through repetition and conscious effort, hypnotherapy can install new beliefs and responses directly into the subconscious mind during the session itself. This is why clients can experience profound shifts quickly – sometimes after only one session.

What are the core components of a typical hypnotherapy session? How do these interconnected elements work together to potentially improve brain function?

All my various sessions follow a specific structure designed to maximise neuroplasticity:

Induction – This relaxes the nervous system and shifts brainwaves from beta (analytical) to alpha and theta states where the subconscious becomes accessible.

Regression – We locate the root cause of the issue, often finding scenes from childhood or significant life events that created limiting beliefs.

Understanding – The client gains insight into why they developed certain patterns, which itself begins the rewiring process.

Transformation – We reframe those old experiences and install new, empowering beliefs.

Integration – Through suggestion and visualisation, we embed these new patterns into the subconscious.

Personalised Audio – Clients receive a bespoke recording to reinforce the new programming for 21 days.

This process literally exercises the brain – a two-hour session burns similar energy to intensive physical exercise because of the neural activity involved in forming new pathways.

How important is the concept of ‘the subconscious mind’ within hypnotherapy? How does working with it impact neurological pathways and cognitive health?

The subconscious mind is fundamental to everything in hypnotherapy. It’s where our automatic responses, core beliefs and survival patterns are stored. When we access and reprogramme the subconscious, we’re changing the brain’s wiring at a cellular level.

Neuroscience shows us that repetitive thoughts create neural pathways – the more we think a thought, the stronger that pathway becomes. Most people are unconsciously reinforcing limiting pathways daily. In hypnotherapy, we interrupt these patterns and consciously create new, empowering ones. The personalised audio recordings help solidify these changes by giving the brain 21 days of positive repetition – the minimum time needed to form new neural habits.

How can hypnotherapy optimise our wellbeing – especially when it comes to brain health and resilience?

Hypnotherapy addresses wellbeing systemically. When we clear subconscious blocks and install empowering beliefs, we see improvements across multiple domains. Physically, physical symptoms often resolve when we address their emotional root causes – I regularly see clients overcome chronic pain, digestive issues and sleep problems.

Mentally, mental clarity improves dramatically when we remove the mental noise of anxiety, self-doubt, and limiting beliefs. Emotionally, emotional regulation becomes natural when we reprogramme reactive patterns and install calm, confident responses. Finally, a sense of purpose emerges when we clear blocks around self-worth and reconnect people to their authentic values.

Beyond these, the brain health benefits are significant because we’re teaching the nervous system to operate from a place of safety rather than survival mode, which optimises everything from decision-making to immune function.

Beyond direct suggestions, what is the role of metaphor, imagery, and guided visualisation in hypnotherapy? And what are the potential neurological benefits of these imaginative elements?

The subconscious mind is fundamentally the “feeling” mind – it processes through emotions, images and metaphors rather than logic. When I use guided visualisation and metaphorical language, I’m speaking the subconscious mind’s native language, making any suggestions far more powerful and lasting.

The subconscious also doesn’t distinguish between what’s real and what’s vividly imagined – it responds to the feeling state. This is why we can feel genuine fear watching a thriller even though we know it’s not real. Our subconscious responds to the emotional content.

Neurologically, visualisation activates the same brain regions as actually experiencing something. When a client visualises confidence, their brain literally rehearses that state, strengthening those neural pathways. But crucially, it’s the feeling of confidence that gets encoded, not just the image.

This is why positive thinking often fails – if someone says “I am confident” but feels anxious, the subconscious records the anxiety, not the words. In hypnotherapy, we ensure the feeling matches the suggestion. We don’t just visualise success; we help clients feel successful, embodying that emotional state until it becomes their new default.

What role do you think hi-tech devices designed to enhance cognitive function (ie. TMS) play when aiming to optimise brain health?

While I respect technological advances in neuroscience, I believe the mind’s own capacity for change is more powerful and sustainable than external devices. TMS and similar technologies can be helpful for certain clinical conditions, but they’re typically treating symptoms rather than root causes.

My approach works with the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. We’re not imposing change from the outside – we’re facilitating the mind’s innate ability to heal and transform itself. This creates more sustainable, integrated change because it originates from within the person’s own system.

And now a little more about you, what does ‘being well’ mean to you?

Being well means living in alignment – when your conscious desires match your subconscious programming, and both are in harmony with your authentic self. It’s having the emotional resilience to navigate life’s challenges while maintaining inner peace and clarity of purpose.

Wellness isn’t just the absence of symptoms – it’s the presence of vitality, mental clarity -and the confidence to show up authentically in all areas of life.

What inspired you to become a hypnotherapist? What drew you to this specific practice over other forms of therapy?

My path to this work came through my own healing journey following a life-threatening spinal injury. During that decade-long recovery process, I experienced firsthand the transformative power of accessing and working with the subconscious mind – how it could facilitate healing that went beyond what traditional medical approaches offered. That experience showed me that our greatest challenges often become catalysts for our most profound growth. I was inspired to help others access this same transformative capacity without needing to go through a crisis first.

Are there any particular techniques, approaches, or types of sessions you find yourself utilising often? Why do you believe they are especially beneficial for brain health or cognitive vitality?

My signature Subconscious Reset Method™ combines various hypnotherapy techniques and advanced neuroplasticity approaches to create a deeper, layered transformation that’s completely bespoke to each client. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, I draw from multiple modalities to address each person’s unique needs:

I use ‘regression work’ to locate and reframe root causes at their source; ‘parts therapy’ to integrate different aspects of the psyche; ‘future self integration ‘to install new identity-level changes; ‘somatic awareness’ to ensure changes are embodied – not just cognitive; ‘NLP techniques’ for rapid belief restructuring and ‘timeline therapy’ to clear emotional charge from past events.

What makes this approach particularly powerful is that I layer in ‘Activations’ – these are conscious techniques that clients can use during their daily life to reinforce and deepen the subconscious work. While the hypnosis creates the foundation, the Activations ensure the transformation continues outside the session room.

What is the most profound lesson or realisation hypnotherapy has gifted you, either personally or through your practice, regarding the intricate connection between mind, body, and brain health?

The most significant realisation is that the separation between mind, body, and brain is artificial. They’re one integrated system in constant communication. When we change limiting beliefs in the subconscious mind, the body often responds immediately – tension releases, posture shifts, even chronic symptoms can resolve.

This understanding has shaped my 360° approach that addresses mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing as interconnected aspects of one system. True transformation must engage all levels, not just thoughts or behaviours.

Beyond your professional practice – what three products, practices, or personal habits do you find most essential for keeping your own brain grounded, sharp, and healthy?

Morning mindfulness without technology – I don’t touch my phone for the first half hour of the day. When you wake up, you’re naturally in theta brainwave state – the same receptive state we access in hypnosis. Instead, I start with meditation and breathwork to set positive programming and get on the front foot for the day.

Regular subconscious work – I practice what I teach. I use self-hypnosis regularly and work with other practitioners to continuously upgrade my own programming and clear any blocks that might interfere with my effectiveness. This maintains the neural flexibility essential for my work.

Physical movement and nature connection – I do 7am walks with my best friend Lally – we get to talk and offload, plan our days, and get movement in the early light to reset our circadian rhythms. Whether it’s these walks, or time outdoors, movement keeps the mind-body connection strong and provides the grounding necessary for the intense emotional and energetic work I do with clients. These aren’t just personal preferences – they’re professional necessities for maintaining the clarity and presence required to guide others through deep transformation. I also work regularly with my amazing energy healer Hannah Baldwin for Reiki sessions – this energetic maintenance is crucial when you’re holding space for others’ transformation daily.