Northampton hypnotherapist shares journey from dyslexia to self-belief
A Northampton based hypnotherapist is sharing her personal journey from self-doubt to self-belief in the hope of helping others struggling with anxiety and confidence.
Frances B Lafferty, originally from Northern Ireland, grew up with dyslexia and says education was never easy.
“I always had to work harder, but I was lucky to have teachers who believed in me,” she said.
After completing qualifications in Early Years in Child Care and Business Administration, Frances went on to study counselling between 2010 and 2012, where she excelled in practical and theory work.
However, written coursework at diploma level proved challenging.
“I could explain everything verbally, but putting it on paper felt impossible,” she said. “I passed my exam but not the coursework, and that stayed with me for nearly ten years.”
Before moving to Northampton in 2015, Frances also worked in aviation, where she developed a strong understanding of responsibility, safety and working in high pressure environments.
After relocating, she worked in the public sector before moving into Health and Safety roles. Despite a successful career, she says the belief of “I’m not good enough” remained.
That changed in 2019 during the birth of her son, when she used hypnobirthing techniques.
“For the first time, I felt in control of my mind rather than controlled by fear.”
She later trained as a hypnobirthing practitioner and hypnotherapist, and through experiencing hypnotherapy herself, found closure.
“The story shifted from ‘I’m not good enough’ to ‘I am good enough,’” she said.
Frances now supports clients with anxiety, confidence and workplace stress.
“My whole career has been about safety now it’s about helping people feel safe in their own minds.”