Amanda Joy Holistic Psychologist & Clinical Hypnotherapist.

01/09/2026

✨ Feeling incredibly grateful for our growing Trance Tribe tonight. 💚

We’ve had some absolutely lovely people join us this week, ready to begin their hypnotherapy training, and hearing why people have chosen to train always reminds me why I love teaching this work so much.

People come to hypnotherapy from so many different places in life.

Some are looking for a new career with more meaning and purpose.

Some already work with people and want another powerful set of skills to add to what they do.

Some have experienced their own challenges and transformations and now feel called to help other people with their mental and emotional wellbeing.

And some simply have that feeling that there is something more they are meant to be doing. ❤️

Whatever brings you through the door, there's something rather special about watching a new group begin.

And this Saturday we get to do exactly that with our first Foundation in Clinical Hypnotherapy Meet & Master Day of the new Autumn/Winter semester. 🌀

We’ll be learning, practising, experiencing hypnosis, asking questions, probably laughing quite a lot, and beginning to turn all that theory into genuine therapeutic skills.

I'm so looking forward to welcoming our newest students alongside our existing students, graduates and Trance Tribe members.

And I'm feeling particularly grateful tonight for this wonderful, diverse community of people who have chosen to learn how to help other human beings feel better, cope better and create meaningful change in their lives.

What a lovely reason to learn something new. 💚

Here’s to the new semester, new beginnings and being a bright light in your community. ✨

31/08/2026

💜💜💜💜 August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day 💜💜💜💜

Today we remember those we have lost, acknowledge the families and communities carrying that loss, and continue challenging the stigma surrounding addiction.

Behind every statistic is someone’s someone.

Recovery needs compassion, connection and understanding—not judgement.

And sometimes the most important question isn’t “Why the addiction?” but…

“What happened, what hurts, and what does this person need?”

💜 Remember. Support. Connect. Reduce stigma. Save lives.

31/08/2026

💜 THE TRANCE PROTOCOL: INSIDE THE EMOTIONAL ENGINE OF ADDICTION

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day, and it feels particularly poignant to be talking about the work that has become such an important part of my life.

Because I keep coming back to one question…

Why can some people use a substance and simply leave it alone, while others keep going back—even when it begins to cost them their relationships, finances, health and, sometimes, their life?

I believe we need to look beyond the substance.

People don't just reach for alcohol, co***ne, cannabis or other substances because they want the substance itself.

They reach for what it gives them.

Peace.
Confidence.
Energy.
Connection.
Belonging.
Headspace.
Achievement.
Love.
Relief.

Sometimes they're trying to switch off pain.

But sometimes they're desperately trying to switch something ON.

That's the thinking behind The TRANCE Protocol—my framework for understanding and working with the emotional engine beneath addiction.

At its heart are three keys:

✨ Authenticity – being able to be who you really are
✨ Resilience – having the internal resources to navigate life when it gets difficult
✨ Vulnerability – being open enough to feel, connect, give and receive love

And around those sit four fundamental human needs:

Survival. Identity. Love. Status.

As hypnotherapists, we have an extraordinary toolbox for this work because hypnosis speaks the language our clients are already using:

This is what I feel.
This is what I imagine.
This is what I need.
This is what the substance gives me.
This is how I want to feel instead.

Rather than simply asking, “How do we stop the substance?”, the TRANCE Protocol asks:

“What is the substance doing for this person—and how can we help their mind and body access that resource in a healthier, sustainable way?”

Because recovery isn't simply about taking something away.

It's about helping someone build a life in which they can access calm, connection, confidence, purpose, love and genuine joy without needing a substance to take them there.

That, for me, is where some of the most exciting possibilities for hypnotherapy and addiction recovery begin. 💜

19/08/2026

📣 ENROLMENT IS NOW OPEN! ✨

Those of you who joined our waiting list should already have received your early invitation to enrol, including 7 days FREE as a little thank-you for getting your name on the list early. ❤️

And the good news is… we still have a few spaces available for our September intake!

This year there are three Practitioner pathways, and every one begins with a Foundation in Clinical Hypnotherapy before progressing through the full Practitioner Diploma.

🌿 Clinical Hypnotherapy – Medical & Dental Specialism
Your Foundation gets you started with practical applications including confidence building and stress management, before progressing to Practitioner level and a deeper specialism in Medical & Dental Hypnotherapy.

🤰 Master Hypno-Doula
Begin with your Clinical Hypnotherapy Foundation and learn to deliver Pregnancy Relaxation Classes, before progressing into specialist work your Practitioner Diploma and Master Hypno-Doula training, around fertility, pregnancy, birth, postnatal wellbeing and beyond.

✨ Master Spiritual Hypnotherapist
Begin with your Clinical Hypnotherapy Foundation, including exploration of concepts such as the Higher Self, before progressing into our Practitioner Diploma and advanced Spiritual Hypnotherapy training.

Whichever pathway you choose, the structure gives you a fantastic clinical grounding:

🧰 The first five modules build your therapeutic toolbox.
🎯 The final five take a deeper dive into applications, specialist practice and working with real client presentations.

And alongside the course you'll have practical training, Masterclasses, Meet & Master days, supervision, Hypno Huddle practice, retreats, conventions and our wonderful Trance Tribe learning community.

Clinical. Hypno-Doula. Spiritual.

Three different pathways. One strong clinical foundation. ❤️

If you've been thinking, “Maybe this is my year…” — there are still spaces available. The Northern College Of Clinical Hypnotherapy Amanda Joy Ingram Hypnogeeks Podcast

September enrolment is NOW open
https://the-northern-college-of-clinical-hypnotherapy.cademy.io/memberships

10/08/2026

✨ Beyond Words: Exploring Ecstatic Trance in Spiritual Hypnotherapy ✨

Did you know that the human body holds ancient, innate pathways to expanded states of consciousness that go far beyond standard hypnotic suggestions? 🌀
In our Spiritual Mastery Hypnotherapy Program, we dive deep into the profound practice of Ecstatic Trance, a transformative modality that bridges ancient shamanic wisdom with modern trance work.
Instead of relying solely on verbal scripts, we explore how specific ritual body postures and rhythmic sounds (such as dynamic drumming or rattling at ~210 beats per minute) act as biological and energetic access codes. 🥁🧘‍♀️
When you combine precise posture with rhythmic sound:
🌿 The Mind Shifts: Brainwaves naturally slide into deep, visionary theta states while releasing tension.
🌿 The Energy Flows: Physical postures act as direct control systems, tuning your energetic field to access lower, middle, or upper spiritual realms.
🌿 Deep Healing Happens: Clients experience shape-shifting, soul journeys, spontaneous emotional clearing, and direct contact with higher guidance—without needing forced visualization.
As practitioners, mastering these somatic and rhythmic tools allows us to offer clients an authentic, deeply grounded doorway into multidimensional healing and true spiritual mastery. 🌌
Whether you are seeking to expand your clinical toolset or deepen your own spiritual connection, learning to navigate ecstatic trance opens up a whole new horizon of transformation.
📲 Ready to step into spiritual mastery?
Click the link www.thenortherncollegeofclinicalhypnotherapy.com to explore the Spiritual Hypnotherapy Diploma curriculum or join the waitlist https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/RoAClYT16psHPVyx5Kpv for our upcoming intake!

10/08/2026

🌑 SHADOW WORK: WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH?

“Shadow work” is everywhere at the moment.

But within therapeutic work, it deserves a little more depth than simply exploring the bits of ourselves we don't like.

The concept of the Shadow is strongly associated with Carl Jung and analytical psychology.

Jung proposed that aspects of ourselves that are incompatible with our conscious identity can become pushed outside conscious awareness.

And importantly…

The shadow isn't necessarily “bad.”

We might disown anger because we learned that anger wasn't acceptable.

But we might also disown confidence because being visible attracted criticism.

We might suppress sexuality because it became associated with shame.

We might disconnect from vulnerability because vulnerability once felt dangerous.

We can even push away creativity, ambition, playfulness, assertiveness or our ability to say NO.

🌿 So shadow integration isn't about getting rid of darkness.

It's about becoming curious about what has been disowned, suppressed or excluded from the conscious sense of self.

And hypnosis gives us some fascinating ways of exploring this.

Through imagery, metaphor, symbolic work, ideomotor communication, active imagination, regression approaches and dialogue with aspects of self, we can invite unconscious material into awareness without immediately trying to “fix” it.

Sometimes the question isn't:

“How do we make this disappear?”

It's:

“What does this represent?”

“When did I learn I couldn't be this?”

“What is this protecting?”

“And what might become available if this part of me were allowed back into the whole?”

🔱 Within our Master Spiritual Hypnotherapist training, we explore Shadow Work through both its psychological roots and its application within hypnotic and transpersonal practice.

Because spiritual development isn't always about becoming more light.

Sometimes it's about becoming more whole. 🌑✨

Join the waiting list and train at The Northern College Of Clinical Hypnotherapy https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/RoAClYT16psHPVyx5Kpv

09/08/2026

🚪 The Rejection Loop: Why Crisis Care Is Failing Addiction and Neurodivergence

We need to build better doors... doors that are uncomplicated for people to fit through.

This is probably one of the most important blogs I’ve written.

Because when someone reaches crisis point with addiction, mental distress or both, that should be the moment the doors to care open wider.

Yet too often, people find themselves trapped in a rejection loop.

Mental health services say: “We can’t properly assess you while you’re intoxicated.”

Addiction services say: “We’re not equipped to manage an acute mental health crisis.”

And the person in the middle is left asking:

“So who actually helps me?”

Now add ADHD, autism or AuDHD into that picture.

Sensory overwhelm can be mistaken for aggression.
Shutdown can look like disengagement.
Executive dysfunction becomes labelled “non-compliance.”
Missed appointments become “lack of motivation.”

And sometimes the substance we are desperately trying to remove has been the very thing that person discovered to regulate a nervous system they never understood.

That doesn't make addiction harmless.

It makes the person understandable.

My latest blog explores the uncomfortable gaps between addiction services, mental health crisis care and neurodivergence and why I believe recovery needs to become far more integrated, trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming and human.

Because people shouldn't have to become less complex before they qualify for help.

💚 We need to build better doors.

Read the full blog and, if this resonates with you, please share it. These are conversations we need to be having.

https://www.joyfulmindmentor.com/blog/the-rejection-loop-why-crisis-care-is-failing-addiction-and-neurodivergence

04/08/2026

✨ "My child knows the answers... so why do they keep going blank?"

As a parent, it's heartbreaking.

You watch them revise for hours. You know they've put the effort in. Then the exam comes... and panic takes over.

This isn't laziness. It isn't a lack of intelligence. It's an overwhelmed nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do, protect them.

When we calm the brain, learning becomes accessible again. Confidence grows. Memory returns. And suddenly, that capable young person can show what they truly know.

I love helping teenagers and young adults break free from exam anxiety, so they can stop doubting themselves and start believing in their own potential.

💚 Every young person deserves the chance to shine.

📩 If your child is struggling with exam stress or school anxiety, let's have a chat. The Westoe Practice.

25/07/2026