Small Steps, Big Shifts: Applying Solution-Focused Therapy
The Future Is Built One Step at a Time
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
— Confucius, Analects (Book 7, Chapter 19)
What works grows, and what doesn’t work dies.
What you focus on grows, what you think about expands, and what you dwell upon determines your destiny.”
— Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari (1997).
Conversations create Hope but silence stops progress.
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
— Rudyard Kipling, speech to the Royal College of Surgeons, 1923.
Solution Focus: Take the first step NOW!
Solution Focus: Take the first step NOW!
Solution-Focused Therapy: Old Ground, New Steps
In solution-focused work, we don’t endlessly analyse the floor you fell on — we explore the steps that help you rise again.
* We ask: *“What do you want to change?”* rather than *“Why are you broken?”*
* We revisit old ground, but with new steps — using past resilience as proof that progress is possible.
* We focus on **what works** so it can grow, instead of feeding what doesn’t.
Just as taking the first step as a child required confidence, therapy helps you believe that the next step in your life is achievable.
Why Hypnotherapy Helps
Hypnotherapy works with the **subconscious mind** — the place where habits, fears, and patterns live. In a relaxed state, the brain is more open to new possibilities.
* It calms the stress response, reducing resistance to change.
* It replaces old patterns with new, healthier ones.
* It builds confidence through guided imagery and positive suggestion, so the “first step” feels less frightening.
Compassionate Reassurance in Therapy
Therapy is the modern version of that steady hand reaching out:
* It reassures you that discomfort is temporary and growth is possible.
* It helps you set **SMART goals** — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound — so each step feels realistic and empowering.
* It offers practical tools like scaling questions, reframing thoughts, and relaxation strategies that strengthen resilience.
A Gentle Reminder
You already know how to take steps forward — you’ve done it since your earliest days. Change may feel uncomfortable, but with compassion, support, and the right tools, progress is possible.
Therapy and hypnotherapy help you rise from old ground with new steps — building confidence, balance, and hope one step at a time.*
From the Floor to the First Step: How We Learn to Move Forward
When you were a child, you learned to stand, balance, and take your very first step. It didn’t happen in isolation — someone reached out, offered their hand, and gave you the reassurance you needed. Their steady presence built your confidence. Their encouragement helped you risk the wobble.
That helping hand is a perfect metaphor for therapy. It doesn’t walk the path for you, but it gives guidance, reassurance, and support so you can take your own steps forward.
The Science of Change
The brain resists change: Our nervous system is wired to seek comfort in the familiar. The **amygdala** interprets change as potential threat, triggering anxiety or avoidance.
Discomfort is growth in disguise: The **prefrontal cortex** (responsible for planning and decision-making) struggles when patterns are disrupted, but this is also how new neural pathways form. Each step in a new direction literally reshapes the brain.
Confidence grows through small wins: Dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, is released when we achieve something — even a small step. This fuels motivation for the next step.
Compassion soothes fear: Oxytocin, the “bonding hormone,” rises when we are supported, calming the nervous system and building trust in ourselves and others.