Evidence-based Support for Depression and Low Mood in Skipton and Online

A clinically informed approach led by a Registered Mental Health Nurse with 20 years’ NHS experience

✓ NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse

✓ 20 years NHS Experience

✓ Fully Insured

✓ Enhanced DBS Checked

Understand and Manage your Depression and Low Mood

Evidence-based, individualised support tailored by Christopher Hardy, a Registered Mental Health Nurse of 20 years NHS experience - to support you in reducing the impact that depression or lowered mood has on your life

Strengthen a balanced, realistic perspective

Registered Mental Health Nurse support to help you embed balanced behavioural patterns.

Gently interrupt repetitive negative thinking patterns

An evidence-based approach to help you challenge negative automatic thinking

Low mood is a common human experience

Most people will go through periods where mood feels lower, energy dips, or motivation becomes harder to maintain, but when low mood becomes persistent, or begins to affect day-to-day life, it can impact:

• sleep and energy levels

• concentration and decision-making

• relationships and social connection

• sense of enjoyment or purpose

For some, it feels like a gradual loss of momentum. For others, it can feel heavier, more pervasive, and harder to shift. If that feels familiar, it’s not something you have to manage alone, and there are structured, evidence-informed ways to approach it.

A mental health-led approach to low mood

I’m a Registered Mental Health Nurse with 20 years’ experience in NHS mental health and patient safety roles. That background shapes how I work with depression and low mood. It means:

• understanding mood within the wider context of mental health

• recognising links with stress, anxiety, life events, and physical health

• focusing on patterns that maintain low mood, not just symptoms

• working in a way that is safe, appropriate, and ethically grounded

Hypnotherapy is not used here as a standalone or “quick fix”. Where appropriate, it is integrated into a structured, evidence-informed approach aligned with established psychological principles (NICE).

Understanding depression and low mood

Low mood and depression are complex, and often involve an interaction between:

• thoughts (e.g. self-criticism, hopelessness)

• behaviour (e.g. withdrawal, reduced activity)

• physiology (e.g. fatigue, sleep disruption)

• emotional patterns (e.g. loss of motivation, reduced pleasure)

Over time, these can form self-reinforcing cycles. For example:

• reduced activity → lower sense of reward

• lower reward → reduced motivation

• reduced motivation → further withdrawal

Breaking these cycles is a key focus of effective intervention, particularly within behavioural and cognitive models of depression (NICE; British Psychological Society 2020).

What the evidence says

In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends psychological approaches such as:

• cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

• behavioural activation

• and other structured talking therapies

These approaches have strong evidence for:

• improving mood

• increasing activity and engagement

• reducing relapse risk (NICE)

There is also consistent evidence that interventions targeting:

• attention and cognitive patterns

• emotional regulation

• and behavioural change

can contribute to meaningful improvements in mood and functioning (British Psychological Society; NHS England).

Where hypnotherapy may help

Hypnotherapy is not a first-line treatment for depression in UK clinical guidelines (NICE); however, research suggests it may be helpful as a complementary approach in certain situations, particularly where low mood involves:

• strong patterns of negative thinking

• reduced motivation or mental “stuckness”

• heightened stress or rumination

• difficulty engaging with change despite insight

Clinical research indicates hypnosis can influence:

• attention and cognitive flexibility

• emotional processing

• and physiological relaxation (Hammond, 2010)

These factors can support broader psychological work.

There is also evidence from meta-analyses that hypnosis-based approaches can have effects on emotional symptoms, particularly anxiety-related states, which often overlap with low mood (Valentine et al., 2019).

How hypnotherapy is used in this context

Hypnotherapy involves focused attention and guided techniques designed to work with patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour. For low mood, this may include:

• gently interrupting repetitive negative thinking patterns

• supporting engagement with helpful behaviours

• reducing baseline stress and mental fatigue

• strengthening more balanced, realistic perspectives

• rehearsing adaptive responses and coping strategies

The aim is not to create artificial positivity, but it is to support:

• gradual improvement in mood

• increased sense of agency

• and more consistent engagement with life

Why my clinical experience matters

Low mood can sometimes be linked to underlying or co-existing difficulties such as:

• anxiety disorders

• trauma-related experiences

• burnout or chronic stress

• physical health conditions

It can also vary significantly in severity, because of this, it’s important that support is:

• appropriately assessed

• tailored to the individual

• and delivered within clear professional boundaries.

My NHS background means that:

• suitability is carefully considered before starting and throughout

• risk and wellbeing are prioritised

• and sessions are structured and paced appropriately

If hypnotherapy is not the most appropriate approach, that is discussed openly and responsibly.

What makes this approach different

1. Clinically grounded
Low mood is understood within the broader context of mental health, not treated in isolation.

2. Evidence-informed
Approaches align with established psychological principles and current UK guidance (NICE; British Psychological Society).

3. Focused on practical change
The aim is real-world improvement — not just insight, but increased functioning and engagement.

4. Safety-led practice
Work is delivered within clear ethical and professional standards by an experienced Registered Mental Health Nurse (NHS England).

What this may help with

This approach may be suitable for:

• persistent low mood

• loss of motivation or interest

• negative thinking patterns

• reduced confidence or self-esteem

• stress-related low mood

• difficulty “getting going” or maintaining momentum

Particularly where patterns feel stuck, repetitive, or hard to shift alone.

What to expect

Sessions are calm, structured, and collaborative. You remain fully aware and in control throughout, while we focus on:

• understanding your specific patterns of low mood

• identifying factors that maintain those patterns

• and using appropriate techniques, including hypnotherapy where suitable, to support change

There is no pressure, no confrontation - just a focused and supportive process.

A balanced and responsible approach

Low mood is not something that can be “switched off” instantly and meaningful change tends to be:

• gradual

• structured

• and built over time

My approach reflects that by:

• avoiding unrealistic claims

• working at a pace that is sustainable

• and recognising when additional or alternative support may be needed (NICE)

Taking the next step

If you’re considering support for depression or low mood, the first step can simply be a conversation.

This allows you to:

• understand how this approach works

• explore whether it’s appropriate for your situation

• and decide what feels like the right next step for you

References

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – Depression in adults: treatment and management

• NHS England - Patient Safety Incident Response Framework

• NHS England (2025) - Staying safe from suicide

• British Psychological Society (2020) Understanding depression: Why adults sometimes feel low and what can help. Leicester: British Psychological Society. Available at: https://explore.bps.org.uk/content/report-guideline/bpsrep.2020.rep133 (Accessed: 29 April 2026).

• Hammond, D.C. (2010) Hypnosis in the treatment of anxiety and stress-related disorders. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics

• Valentine, K.E. et al. (2019) The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

Written by Christopher Hardy BSc (Hons), DipPSN, RNMH
NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse (PIN 09F0389E)