The performance is public. The preparation is personal.
Discreet, one-to-one hypnotherapy for athletes navigating competition pressure, critical moments and the demands of being seen and heard. Focused work with hypnosis, mental rehearsal and thoughtfully selected NLP-informed techniques.
Gary Smith · Psychotherapist & clinical hypnotherapist · Swindon & online UK-wide
When the margins are small, the demands are not.
At a high level, you already understand discipline, preparation and the demands of your sport. The difficulty is not always a lack of ability. Sometimes it is the moment around the performance.
A selection decision. The seconds before the start. Returning to competition after a mistake. The interview that follows a difficult result. A feeling that your attention is being pulled away from the task in front of you.
This work is about creating space to examine those moments and develop considered ways of preparing and responding. It is confidentially minded, collaborative and designed around your situation—not a generic motivational programme.
High-level sport asks more than one thing of you.
Performance concerns are rarely confined to the field of play. You may be dealing with several pressures at once.
Before the event
Attention, anticipatory nerves, the waiting, the scrutiny and the routine you want available when it matters.
Selection & scrutiny
Responding to comparison, high expectations, mistakes or an unpredictable season without reducing yourself to the latest result.
Media & interviews
Preparing for cameras, live questions, press appearances and the feeling of being judged in public.
Change & return
Managing confidence when roles, teams, form or circumstances change, including the psychological side of returning from a setback.
Hypnosis, rehearsal and focused conversation. Each with a clear purpose.
The techniques are not a substitute for elite coaching, training or established sports psychology. They may offer an additional way to work on your experience of pressure and preparation.
Attention without the noise.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy uses an agreed process of focused attention and relaxation. Sessions may include suggestions or imagined situations relevant to your goals. You remain involved, can ask questions and can stop at any time.
Practise the process, not just the outcome.
We can explore realistic internal rehearsal of starts, transitions, decision-making, pre-performance cues or the response you want after a mistake. Imagery may include sound, body sensation, sequence or language—not just a vivid picture.
Language, framing and response.
Where appropriate, techniques such as anchoring, future pacing and reframing can be discussed and tried. These are optional exercises, with their limitations made clear. NLP as a whole does not have a strong evidence base for performance outcomes.
What should be different next time?
We look at useful exceptions, existing strengths, self-talk and small changes you can carry into practice. CBT-informed ideas about predictions and attention may be included where appropriate, without presenting this as specialist sport psychology or full CBT treatment.
Appropriate expectations. Research on psychological skills and imagery in sport is mixed and outcomes vary. Hypnosis and NLP should not be presented as proven routes to winning, a guaranteed competitive advantage or faster physical injury healing. This work is an optional complement to your professional sporting and healthcare support.
Media confidence is a different kind of performance.
The interview after a difficult result may feel more uncomfortable than the event itself. And a camera can change how a familiar question lands.
We can focus on the internal experience of media situations: anticipation, physical tension, self-consciousness, pressure to say the perfect thing and the ability to pause before responding.
Using hypnosis, rehearsal and structured conversation, the aim is to explore your confidence and composure—not to script a public persona. Your press officer, agent or communications team remains responsible for media strategy and messaging.
Focused support, without unnecessary theatre.
Every conversation begins with what you need, your time constraints and whether this is the right form of support.
Define the situation.
A free, no-obligation discussion about your sporting context, the pressure points and what you would like to experience differently. We also discuss privacy and suitability.
Choose useful methods.
If we proceed, we agree practical priorities and discuss the role of hypnosis, mental rehearsal and any NLP-informed exercises before they are used.
Refine your preparation.
We review what is useful in training, competition or media settings. The pace and number of sessions are discussed individually, without a prescribed result.
A professional conversation—not a public association.
For athletes with public profiles, privacy is often part of the decision to seek support. Your enquiry is handled respectfully and we can discuss practical arrangements, video-call privacy and the limits of confidentiality before you book a paid session.
Confidentiality is subject to legal, safeguarding and professional responsibilities. No absolute secrecy or special protection from lawful disclosure is promised.
- No routine contact with your club, coach, agent or press team about your attendance without your consent.
- No athlete names, images, endorsements or outcomes used for promotion without appropriate permission.
- Online sessions considered where suitable, with attention to a private setting.
- Please do not include sensitive medical or personal details in a first booking note, email or text.
See the Privacy Policy for how your personal information is handled.
An experienced therapist, working alongside your sporting expertise.
I'm Gary Smith, a psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist based in Swindon. My practice is solution focused, and I also teach and supervise hypnotherapists.
You bring your knowledge of competing at a high level. I offer an individual space to examine pressure, attention and preparation, drawing on clinical hypnosis, structured imagery and selected NLP-informed techniques where suitable.
I do not claim to be a chartered sport and exercise psychologist, a technical coach, medical practitioner or media trainer. Where specialist sports psychology, clinical care or communications coaching would be more suitable, we can discuss that openly.
Swindon in person. Across the UK online.
For athletes travelling between training locations and competitions, online work may be practical where it is suitable and a private space is available.
North Swindon
Best Mind Therapy, Northbourne Road, Swindon, Wiltshire SN25 4YE. Appointments by arrangement; enquiries from the surrounding area are welcome.
Location on Google Maps ↗UK-wide online
Online appointments are available across the UK where suitable. We can discuss your schedule, connection privacy and the best format at the initial consultation.
Enquire about online sessions ↗Clear answers. No grand claims.
Is this service specifically for elite and professional athletes?
Yes. This page focuses on athletes competing at a high level, including professional, elite and representative sport. The work is shaped around competition, selection, public expectations and media demands. If you are a recreational or club-level athlete, my general sports performance page is likely to be a better starting point.
Can hypnosis help me prepare for a high-pressure event?
Hypnosis can be used as a setting for focused attention, relaxation, agreed suggestions and mental rehearsal. We may explore pre-event routines, self-talk and responses to pressure. Evidence for hypnosis itself as a way to improve competitive outcomes is limited, so I do not promise specific results.
Do you offer support for press conferences, interviews and media appearances?
Yes. We can work on how you experience interviews, cameras, live questions and public attention, including anticipatory nerves and composure. This is confidence-focused therapeutic support, not press-office advice, media coaching or crisis communications.
How do you use NLP with professional athletes?
Where suitable, I may introduce NLP-informed exercises such as anchoring, reframing and future pacing alongside conversation and mental rehearsal. I explain the purpose of each technique and its limitations. NLP as a broad approach has a limited evidence base and is not represented as a proven route to winning or improving results.
How discreet is the process? Will my club, agent or coach be informed?
Enquiries and sessions are handled with professional care for privacy. I would not routinely contact your club, agent or coach about your attendance or our conversations without your consent. As with any therapeutic work, confidentiality has legal, safeguarding and professional limits, which we can explain before you proceed. Please do not include sensitive details in an initial booking note.
Can sessions fit around travel and a competitive schedule?
Online sessions across the UK may be an option where suitable, alongside appointments in Swindon. During the consultation we can discuss your schedule and a practical way of meeting, subject to current availability and appropriate privacy.
Do you work with injury recovery or medical concerns?
I do not provide physiotherapy, medical treatment or rehabilitation, and hypnotherapy is not presented as a way to speed physical healing. If you are injured, we can consider suitable support for confidence, frustration or a return-to-competition mindset alongside your medical and coaching team where appropriate.
How do we begin, and how many sessions are required?
A free initial consultation gives us the opportunity to discuss your goals, the approach, fees, confidentiality and whether working together makes sense. There is no fixed number of sessions and no obligation to continue. We agree priorities and review the work as it develops.
Talk about what happens when the spotlight turns towards you.
Whether it's competition, selection, an interview or a quieter confidence concern, we can discuss your situation and whether this way of working is appropriate.
Please keep your first message brief and avoid sharing sensitive health information until we've agreed a suitable way to communicate.