How Hypnotherapy Can Support Disordered Eating Recovery with Melanie Davies

In this week’s episode of Full of Beans, Hannah is joined by Melanie Davies, a sleep and stress consultant and clinical hypnotherapist, to explore how hypnotherapy can support anxiety regulation, emotional overwhelm, and disordered eating patterns.Together, Hannah and Melanie unpack what hypnotherapy actually involves, how it works with the emotional and unconscious mind, and why nervous-system-based approaches may help when behaviour-focused treatments feel limiting or incomplete.This week, we discuss:What clinical hypnotherapy is and how it differs from stage hypnosisHypnosis as a naturally occurring state of focused attentionThe role of the unconscious mind in habits, urges, and emotional eatingAnxiety, stress responses, and food-related coping behavioursEmotional regulation as a foundation for sustainable habit changeHypnotherapy as a complementary approach alongside existing treatmentUsing imagination to support neural rewiring and behaviour changeAnchoring techniques to support self-soothing and nervous system calmingEvidence and emerging research in hypnotherapy, disordered eating, and IBSEthical practice, contraindications, and the importance of assessmentTimestamps02:10 – Why hypnosis isn’t “mind control” and what actually happens in session05:40 – Focused attention, suggestibility, and everyday hypnotic states09:10 – Emotional drivers of binge urges, restriction, and food noise13:30 – Individualised treatment and why one-size-fits-all approaches fall short16:50 – Reconnecting with bodily cues, fullness, and interoceptive awareness20:30 – Supporting long-term change: maintenance, self-hypnosis, and autonomy24:10 – Calming cortisol, anchors, and nervous system retraining27:50 – Clinical evidence: bulimia, impulsive eating, IBS and the gut-brain axis33:20 – Integration with medical care, ethics, and suitability36:00 – Accessing support and next stepsResources & LinksVisit Melanie’s website: MelanieDaviesMindSolutions.comConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTube⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders, disordered eating behaviours, anxiety, and binge eating. Please take care when listening.If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛