The Power of Hypnobirthing and Solution Focused Therapy in Birth Work
As a therapist who integrates both hypnobirthing and solution focused therapy (SFBT) into my practice, I’ve seen first-hand how powerful the mind can be in shaping the experience of birth. Over the years, I’ve worked with many women and birthing people, some preparing for their first baby, others looking to heal from previous traumatic births, and each time, I’m reminded just how transformative these tools can be when brought together.
My Journey into Hypnobirthing
I first trained in hypnobirthing because I wanted to offer a different kind of birth preparation, one that didn’t centre fear or medicalised narratives, but instead connected people back to their inner strength and calm. What struck me most was how much of our fear around childbirth is socially conditioned. When we strip that away and begin working with the natural physiology of the body rather than against it, birth becomes something far less daunting, and sometimes, even beautiful.
Teaching breathing techniques, deep relaxation, and visualisation is only part of it. What feels even more powerful is watching someone go from feeling anxious and powerless to deeply centred, confident, and calm. I remember one woman saying after our sessions, “I didn’t know I could feel excited about birth. Now I do.” That moment stayed with me.
Where Solution Focused Therapy Comes In
Later, I trained in Solution Focused Brief Therapy and found that it complemented my hypnobirthing work perfectly. Where hypnobirthing works with the subconscious and the body’s physiological responses, SFBT brings focus to the present and future, encouraging clients to look at what’s already working, what they want more of, and how they can draw from their own internal resources to get there.
What I love most about SFBT is how empowering it is. I’m not the expert in the room, my client is. My role is to ask the right questions, listen carefully, and reflect their strengths back to them. Questions like:
“Suppose you woke up tomorrow and felt calm and ready for birth, what would be different?”
“When have you coped well before, even in difficult circumstances?”
“What would your best hopes be from our time together?”
These aren’t just hypothetical; they spark real clarity, confidence, and change.
Watching the Two Approaches Work Together
One of the most meaningful parts of my work has been witnessing how these two approaches, hypnobirthing and SFBT, intertwine to create a deep sense of preparation and calm. I recall a client who had experienced a traumatic first birth. When she came to me, she was scared and unsure whether she even wanted to try for a vaginal birth again.
Using hypnobirthing, we worked on calming the nervous system, practising breathwork and positive birth affirmations. In our solution-focused sessions, we gently explored her best hopes for this birth and times in her life where she’d felt resilient, assertive, or peaceful. Slowly, her narrative began to shift from “I don’t know if I can do this” to “I know what I want, and I trust myself.”
She later told me her second birth was “the healing I didn’t know I needed.” That’s the kind of transformation that keeps me grounded in this work.
Supporting Partners and Families Too
In my practice, involving birth partners in the process has also been important. Both hypnobirthing and SFBT provide simple, effective ways to help partners feel involved and capable. It’s not just about preparing the birthing person; it’s about creating a calm and confident team.
I often hear from partners after the birth that they felt genuinely useful and present, not just a bystander. That matters.
Final Reflections
Birth preparation isn’t just about pain relief or clinical choices; it’s about emotional safety, mindset, and connection. By combining the physiological wisdom of hypnobirthing with the empowering, forward-focused lens of solution-focused therapy, I feel I’m offering something truly holistic.
Every client I work with teaches me something new. I’m continually in awe of the strength people carry, even when they don’t see it in themselves yet. It’s a privilege to walk alongside them, offering tools, perspective, and space to uncover that strength for themselves.
