How Hypnotherapy Helped Me Rewrite a Childhood Belief

I Believed One Hurtful Comment for Decades— Until I Changed the Story

When I’m explaining to clients how hypnosis works, I often begin with a personal example. It’s a simple childhood memory, but it became a powerful illustration of how the subconscious mind shapes what we believe about ourselves—often long after the original moment has passed.

When I was about six or seven years old, a family friend who was babysitting me lost patience one day. She turned to me and said my voice “grated on her nerves” and that I “sounded like a man.” I can still remember the shock. I was a small, skinny little girl—how could anyone think I sounded like a man? I remember thinking, What she’s saying must be true. Why else would she say it? My voice is terrible. That message tucked itself away somewhere deep inside, long before I could reason with it.

Fast forward to age twelve. I was on a school band trip for a music competition. In the restroom, I bumped into an older girl who had just performed in a choral ensemble. I told her I thought she was a beautiful singer. She smiled and said, “Thank you. I bet you’re a lovely singer too—you have such a lovely voice.”

My initial thrill at receiving such a compliment from an older girl I admired was quickly overridden by my disbelief. Even decades later, I can still recall the shock. Me? A lovely voice? That’s not possible. After all, I sound like a man. She must be saying that just to be kind. With very little thought or consideration at all, I completely dismissed her compliment. What happened here was that almost instantaneously, my conscious mind “fact-checked” with my subconscious mind, which referenced back to that memory when I was sick and responded, “False!” 

That one childhood comment had built an entire belief system in my subconscious. For years, it shaped how I felt about my voice—and by extension, about myself. I cringed whenever I heard a recording of myself. I avoided microphones, cameras, and especially public speaking. Later in my career, I couldn’t avoid these things, so I pushed through, practiced, and became competent. But inside, that same discomfort lingered: I hate the sound of my own voice.

It wasn’t until I discovered hypnotherapy that I started to understand what had been happening all along. The subconscious mind doesn’t distinguish between truth and misunderstanding—it simply records emotional experiences as facts. That single comment from my babysitter became a core belief written into my subconscious script: My voice is awful. No matter how many positive comments I received after that, they couldn’t override the original “truth” my subconscious had accepted. 

This is something I see again and again in my work with clients. The subconscious mind stores every experience and emotion, even those we consciously forget. When strong emotion is attached to a moment—shame, fear, embarrassment—it sticks. Long after the conscious mind has moved on, the subconscious runs that old program in the background: I’m not good enough. I’m not worthy. I’m not capable. I should just keep quiet.

Mind you, my subconscious was not attempting to sabotage me or be malicious in any way, it was (and is always) trying to protect me. In this case, from feeling the same shock, embarrassment, and shame I felt at the age of six when I first learned that my voice was problematic for someone of authority and importance in my life. That’s how the subconscious operates: it will always prioritize safety over growth. But what kept me “safe” as a self-conscious child eventually limited me as an adult. And that’s where hypnotherapy became a powerful tool.

Through hypnotherapy, we can access that part of the mind that creates automatic responses, beliefs, and habits to rewrite childhood beliefs.

The hypnotic state is simply a focused, relaxed awareness—similar to being deeply absorbed in a good book or movie. In this state, the conscious (analytical) mind quiets, allowing us to communicate directly with the subconscious. There, we can revisit and heal those outdated messages.

When I revisited that old childhood memory in a hypnotic session, it was like watching it through adult eyes. I saw the exhausted babysitter, heard her words, and realized they came from her frustration—not truth. From this perspective, I could comfort that little girl version of me, assure her that her voice was just fine, and release the emotional charge that had anchored that belief for decades. 

That’s the power of subconscious reprogramming. Once an old belief loses its emotional weight, it no longer steers our thoughts or behavior. Instead, we can plant new, affirming messages that serve who we are now: I can speak freely. My words have value. My voice matters.

Today, when I speak or record something, I no longer cringe. I don’t love every playback, but there’s no trigger anymore. More importantly, I understand now that my voice is part of how I connect, help, and empower others.

When clients come to me, they often feel stuck in similar patterns—they know logically that they’re capable, lovable, successful—but something deep inside still whispers, Don’t believe it. Hypnotherapy helps bridge that gap between what we know consciously and what we feel subconsciously. By exploring where those inner blocks were born, we bring hidden beliefs into awareness, release their hold, and replace them with something healthier and truer.

In many ways, finding my own voice—literally and figuratively—has become the foundation of my work. Every day, I witness how powerful the subconscious mind can be in both protecting and limiting us. And every session reminds me that healing doesn’t always mean changing who we are—it often means remembering who we were before someone else’s words told us otherwise.

Footnote: I’m now blessed with two beautiful grandsons. I unabashedly sing to them, and they seem to just love my voice. 😍

If you'd like to learn more about how hypnotherapy helped me rewrite a childhood belief and how you can experience that firsthand, book a free consultation.