Sports performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching
Have you hit a plateau in training, or do nerves let you down when competing? Hypnotherapy can help by resolving the limiting beliefs holding you back at the subconscious level, so you can perform at your best.
Hello, I'm Susannah. I am a clinical hypnotherapist and performance mindset coach in the City of London, helping sportspeople at every level train and compete with confidence. I have 20+ years of experience working with elite athletes and Olympians, offering bespoke, discreet one-to-one sessions in the City or online in the comfort of your own home. Contact me to find out more or book your initial consultation.
How can hypnotherapy help with sports performance?
Hypnotherapy can help with sports performance by calming nerves and resolving the underlying thoughts and beliefs that hold you back. In hypnosis, we work on the self-doubt, pressure and fear of failure that get in the way on the day. Mindset coaching then helps you set clear goals, prepare well and stay focused through the ups and downs of training and competition.
What are the benefits of hypnotherapy for sports performance?
The benefits of hypnotherapy for sports performance include calmer nerves, better focus and more confidence on the day. Hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you:
- feel calm and ready before you compete
- perform in competition the way you do in training
- push yourself in training and keep improving
- stay focused on the next point, shot or lift
- bounce back quickly from a mistake
- trust your body again after an injury
- sleep well the night before a big event
- feel confident walking into the gym or onto the start line
- get in the zone more often
- enjoy your sport again
Meet Susannah Saunders: Clinical Hypnotherapist in London
Susannah Saunders is a clinical hypnotherapist with over 20 years’ experience, helping clients with anxiety, sleep difficulties, phobias, confidence and unwanted habits.
She founded City Hypnotherapy Centre in London in 2003 and previously worked for two years as an assistant clinical psychologist within NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Her qualifications and professional registrations include:
- BSc (Hons) in Psychology
- Senior Qualification in Hypnotherapy Practice (SQHP), General Hypnotherapy Standards Council
- Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma (HPD), National Council for Hypnotherapy
- Registered with the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR). Registration number: 3034
- Registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). Registration number: CNHC10269
Your appointment
£198Including VAT · approximately 50 minutes
- Individual sessions tailored to you
- Your initial consultation includes hypnosis
- A personalised hypnosis recording included
- Time to discuss your goals and review your progress
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Who does sports performance hypnotherapy help?
Sports performance hypnotherapy can help anyone who plays sport, from first-timers to Olympic athletes. That includes runners, lifters, boxers, golfers, tennis and padel players, footballers, cricketers, rowers, swimmers, cyclists, riders, gymnasts and racing drivers. It can also help people coming back from injury or a break, masters athletes, coaches and referees.
How much of sport is mental?
A big part of sport is mental, because how you think and feel affects your focus, timing and decisions. Two athletes with the same fitness and skill can perform very differently under pressure. Training your mind, like training your body, can help you perform more consistently.
Why do I get so nervous before competing?
You get nervous before competing because the pressure and anticipation can set off your body's stress response. Your heart races, your legs feel heavy and you might need the loo more than usual. Hypnotherapy can help you feel calmer and use that nervous energy to focus on your performance.
What is choking under pressure?
Choking is when you perform well below your usual level because of pressure, even though you have the skill. It often happens when you start thinking about movements that are normally automatic, like your golf swing or a penalty kick. Hypnotherapy can help you stay calm and trust your training, so your body does what it knows.
Why do I perform better in training than in competition?
You perform better in training because the stakes feel lower, so your mind stays calm and your body moves freely. In competition, nerves and self-doubt can make you tense up and second-guess yourself. Where helpful, mental rehearsal in hypnosis can help competition feel as familiar as training.
What are limiting beliefs in sport?
Limiting beliefs are thoughts about yourself that hold you back, like doubting you can run a certain time or lift a certain weight. In training, you might ease off when a session gets hard, or settle for a pace you could beat. Hypnotherapy can help resolve these beliefs at the subconscious level, so you can push on and keep improving.
Can hypnotherapy help me break through a plateau?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help if you've stopped progressing and suspect your mind is holding you back. Self-doubt can keep you at the same level, however hard you train. Ego strengthening and positive suggestion can help build the self-belief to go for a new PB, or personal best.
What are the yips?
The yips are sudden, involuntary jerks, tremors or freezes during a skill you've done thousands of times, like putting in golf or throwing darts. Anxiety can be part of the problem, and some cases involve a movement disorder called task-specific dystonia. A clinician can assess persistent symptoms, while hypnotherapy can help you work on the anxiety and loss of confidence around them.
How can I stay focused during competition?
You can stay focused during competition by keeping your attention on the next point, shot or stride. Crowds, scores and your own thoughts can all distract you. Hypnosis trains your mind to settle on one thing, and anchoring can help you bring that focus back in a moment.
What is being in the zone?
Being in the zone is a state of calm, total focus, where everything seems to flow and time can feel slower. Psychologists call it flow, and many athletes describe their best performances this way. Hypnosis is itself a state of focused attention, so practising it can help you find the zone more often.
Photograph by Jakub Klucký on Unsplash.
Can hypnotherapy help runners?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help runners with race-day nerves, motivation and confidence during tough patches. You might have trained well but start doubting yourself on the start line or worrying about your pace. We work on trusting your preparation and staying focused on your race plan, including your pacing, fuelling and hydration.
Can hypnotherapy help golfers?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help golfers with first-tee nerves, the yips and staying focused for a full round. Golf gives you plenty of time to think between shots, which is when doubt creeps in. Hypnosis can help you stay calm, commit to each shot and let go of the last one.
Can hypnotherapy help tennis, padel and squash players?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help tennis, padel and squash players stay calm on big points and recover quickly from errors. Double faults, tight tiebreaks and serving for the match can all bring on nerves. Anchoring and a between-points routine can help you reset and play the next point with focus.
Can hypnotherapy help footballers and team sports players?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help footballers, rugby, hockey and netball players with confidence, focus and pressure moments. Penalties, place kicks and playing in front of a crowd can test even experienced players. Hypnotherapy can help you stay composed and play your part with confidence.
Can hypnotherapy help cricketers?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help cricketers with batting nerves, the bowling yips and staying focused through a long day in the field. Waiting to bat can be nerve-racking, and one mistake can end your innings. Hypnotherapy can help you stay calm at the crease and run in to bowl with confidence.
Can hypnotherapy help rowers?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help rowers with race nerves, erg tests and the pressure of seat racing for selection. Erg tests, timed pieces on the rowing machine, can bring on as much anxiety as a race. Hypnotherapy can help you stay calm on the start line and commit to your race plan.
Can hypnotherapy help swimmers?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help swimmers with nerves on the blocks, focus during races and confidence in open water. Open water swimming can bring extra worries, like cold water, waves or swimming in a crowd. Hypnotherapy can help you stay calm and breathe steadily, so you swim your race.
Can hypnotherapy help cyclists and triathletes?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help cyclists and triathletes with race nerves, long training blocks and fear after a crash. A crash can leave you nervous on descents or in a bunch, long after any physical injury has healed. The rewind technique and mental rehearsal, where helpful, can help you ride with confidence again.
Can hypnotherapy help horse riders?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help riders with competition nerves and losing their confidence after a fall. Horses pick up on tension, so nerves can affect your horse as well as you. Hypnotherapy can help you stay calm and confident in the saddle, so you both perform better.
Can hypnotherapy help gymnasts and dancers?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help gymnasts and dancers with performance nerves and the fear around a mental block. Losing confidence in a familiar skill can be frightening and frustrating. We work on the anxiety and self-belief alongside your coach and, where needed, your medical team, so your return to the skill follows a safe, gradual plan.
Can hypnotherapy help in darts, snooker, archery and shooting?
Yes, hypnotherapy can help in precision sports, where a small tremor or a moment of doubt can cost you. Nerves can show up as shaky hands, a racing heart or the yips, sometimes called dartitis in darts. Hypnosis and breathing techniques can help you stay steady and focused on each shot.
What techniques do you use in sports hypnosis and coaching?
I draw on a range of hypnotherapy and coaching techniques, chosen to suit you, your sport and the changes you want to make.
What is solution-focused hypnotherapy?
Solution-focused hypnotherapy combines a forward-looking conversation about what you want with hypnosis to calm your mind. We build on what's already working in your training and competing, one small step at a time. It suits athletes who want practical, focused help.
How does mindset coaching help you set goals in sport?
Mindset coaching helps you set clear goals and break them into small, practical steps. Scaling, rating where you are from 0 to 10, helps you track progress, and the miracle question helps you picture exactly what you want. Together, we build a plan that fits around your training and your life.
What is positive suggestion?
Positive suggestion is the use of clear, encouraging statements in hypnosis, when your mind is relaxed and open to change. For an athlete, that might be suggestions for calm, focus and trusting your training. Repeated on the personalised recording, they can help new responses feel natural.
What is ego strengthening?
Ego strengthening is a set of suggestions that build self-belief and remind you of your strengths and past successes. It's useful after a loss, a poor season or time out injured, when confidence takes a knock. It helps you feel steady and resilient under pressure.
What is anchoring, and how can it help in sport?
Anchoring links a calm, confident feeling to a small physical cue, like pressing your thumb and finger together. You can use it on the start line, at the oche, on the tee or before a heavy lift. With practice, the cue brings back that calm, ready state quickly.
What is the rewind technique?
The rewind technique is a gentle way of taking the emotional charge out of a difficult memory, like a fall or a bad defeat. While you're relaxed in hypnosis, you watch it like a film, then run it backwards, so it loses its power. It can help you get back on the horse, the bike or the court with confidence.
What is reframing, and how can it help in sport?
Reframing is seeing a situation in a new way, so it feels more manageable. Pre-race nerves can become excitement and energy, and a mistake can become useful information. In hypnosis, the new view can feel more natural, so it sticks.
What is EFT, and how can it help in sport?
EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, involves tapping on points on your face, upper body and hands while you focus on a feeling. You can use it in the changing room or warm-up area to calm pre-competition nerves. It takes a few minutes and you can do it on your own.
What breathing technique can help with nerves?
Breathing out for longer than you breathe in can help calm your stress response before you compete. You can do it on the start line, between points or before a penalty. I teach you this alongside anchoring, so you have quick tools for pressure moments.
What is self-hypnosis, and how can it help in sport?
Self-hypnosis is a skill I teach you so you can relax and focus your mind on your own. You practise while resting safely before or after training, or the night before a big event. For the activity itself, we can develop a simple eyes-open cue or routine that keeps your attention on the task and your surroundings.
What is mental rehearsal, and how can it help in sport?
Mental rehearsal is picturing yourself performing well, in detail, while you're relaxed in hypnosis. A 2020 review of studies found mental practice, rehearsing a skill in your mind, has a positive effect on performance. Where helpful, we rehearse your race, match or competition, so on the day it feels familiar.
How does sports performance hypnotherapy work?
Sports performance hypnotherapy works by calming your stress response, so the calm, clear-thinking part of your brain stays in charge when it counts. In hypnosis, we work on the negative stories, thoughts and beliefs at the root of the problem, like doubting you belong at that level. Then, where helpful, you mentally rehearse performing calmly and confidently, so on the day it feels familiar.
What is the stress bucket?
The stress bucket is a way of picturing how stress builds up over time. Every worry, hard session and poor night's sleep can add to it, while sleep, rest and support help you recover. We use it as a simple way to talk about what is adding to your stress and how hypnosis can help you feel calmer.
What happens in a sports performance session?
Each session combines a solution-focused coaching conversation with time in hypnosis, while you sit back with your eyes closed. Your first session is the initial consultation, which includes hypnosis, and later sessions start with what's gone well since we last met. After each session, you have the personalised recording to listen to at home.
What is the personalised recording?
The personalised recording is the audio of your hypnosis session, for you to listen to at home between sessions. It's ideal the night before you compete, or after training as part of your recovery routine. Listening regularly helps reinforce the positive changes we make together.
What does research say about hypnosis and sports performance?
Research into hypnosis and sports performance has reported promising findings for performance and psychological wellbeing. A 2025 systematic review included 13 studies and found associations with improved athletic performance, injury recovery and lower psychological distress; most studies were small and used before-and-after designs. A 2019 meta-analysis also found benefits for anxiety.
What related support can I explore?
What would you like to know about sports hypnosis and mindset coaching?
Confidence, motivation and competition
You can get your confidence back by calming the stress of the bad performance and reminding yourself of what you do well. A poor result can replay in your head for days, making you hesitate next time. Ego strengthening and the rewind technique in hypnosis can help you move on and feel confident again.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help if fear of failure makes you play safe, hold back or freeze. When you’re worried about letting yourself or your team down, it’s hard to play with freedom. Hypnotherapy can help you feel calm and confident, so you can compete freely.
Many athletes are hard on themselves because they set high standards, which helps in training but can backfire under pressure. One mistake can turn into three, as frustration takes over. Hypnotherapy and reframing can help you treat mistakes as information, so you reset quickly.
Sleeping before a big event is easier when you have a calming routine and a way to settle a busy mind. Nerves the night before are very common, especially before an early start or an important race. The personalised recording can help you relax and drift off, so you wake up rested.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help you feel motivated and consistent, especially through winter training or a long build-up. Mindset coaching helps you set clear goals and small steps, so progress feels real. In hypnosis, positive suggestion can help training feel like something you want to do.
Comparing yourself to other athletes is natural, especially with times, scores and training logs shared on apps and social media. It can leave you feeling behind, however well you’re doing. Hypnotherapy can help you focus on your own progress and enjoy your sport.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help you stay calm when selection, contracts or rankings are on the line. Trials, team announcements and the risk of being dropped can feel huge, especially at elite level. Hypnotherapy can help you focus on what you can control and perform at your best.
Questions about particular sports and skills
Yes, hypnotherapy can help you feel calm and confident in the build-up to your first marathon, and on race day. Many first-timers worry about the distance, hitting the wall or letting down the people who sponsored them. Self-hypnosis and mental rehearsal, where helpful, can help you trust your training and enjoy the day.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help with the mental side of ultras, long-distance triathlons and other endurance events. Over many hours, tiredness can bring doubts about finishing. We can work on staying calm, breaking the distance into stages and responding thoughtfully to how you're feeling, alongside your training, fuelling and event-safety plan.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help lifters stay calm and focused on the platform, especially on a heavy attempt. Nerves can make a weight you've lifted in training feel impossible, or cause you to miss a lift you know you can make. Anchoring and mental rehearsal, where helpful, can help you step up to the bar feeling confident and ready.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help boxers and martial artists manage fight nerves and stay composed under pressure. An adrenaline dump before a fight can leave you tense, shaky and tired before the first round. Hypnotherapy can help you stay calm in the build-up, so you fight with a clear head and save your energy.
Hypnotherapy can help you work on the anxiety and loss of confidence around the golf yips. Worrying about a short putt can make your grip and stroke feel tighter. We work on feeling calmer and trusting your stroke, alongside any assessment or treatment recommended for involuntary movements.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help you feel calm and confident on the first tee, especially when people are watching. First-tee nerves are common in medals and matchplay, and a poor opening drive can unsettle your round. Anchoring and a steady pre-shot routine can help you settle, commit to the shot and swing freely.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help if your serve breaks down under pressure, with double faults or a ball toss you keep catching. The serve is the one shot you control from start to finish, so it gives you the most time to overthink. Hypnotherapy, anchoring and a calm pre-serve routine can help you trust your serve again.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help you stay calm when you step up to take a penalty, conversion or free throw. These are moments when everyone is watching and you have time to think about the outcome. Anchoring and mental rehearsal, where helpful, can help you follow your routine and take the shot or kick with confidence.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help you work on anxiety about open water, from a lake swim to the start of a triathlon. Cold, murky water, waves and a crowded mass start can all feel daunting. We work on confidence and preparation on dry land, alongside swimming skills, gradual familiarisation and the safety guidance for your swim.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help racing drivers and motorcyclists with pre-race nerves, focus and confidence after a crash. Racing asks for intense concentration over long periods, and a single lapse can cost you. Self-hypnosis and mental rehearsal, where helpful, can help you stay calm and focused, lap after lap.
Hypnotherapy can help with the fear and loss of confidence that can accompany lost skill syndrome, when a familiar skill suddenly feels impossible or you baulk at the last moment. We work on the anxiety around the skill alongside your coach's gradual progression and any clinical assessment you need. Your return is guided by your readiness and safety.
Hypnotherapy can help with the anxiety and frustration around dartitis, when you struggle to release the dart. Your arm can freeze or jerk as you go to throw, and worrying about it can make things harder. We work on feeling calmer and more confident, alongside an appropriate assessment of persistent movement symptoms.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help with target panic, when you struggle to settle your sight on the gold, or release before you're ready. It can affect experienced archers as well as beginners, and shooters can have something similar, often called a flinch. Hypnotherapy can help calm the anxiety around the shot, so you can aim and release with control.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help with fear in sports where height, speed or a past fall has knocked your confidence. You might freeze at the top of a steep run or on a hard move on the wall. Hypnotherapy can help you stay calm and make clear decisions, so you enjoy the challenge again.
Different levels, injury recovery and transitions
Yes, hypnotherapy can help elite athletes, including Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, perform under intense pressure. At the top level, the physical differences between athletes are small, so mental preparation can make a real difference. Sessions can fit around your training and travel, online or in the City.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help if you're new to sport or exercise and feel self-conscious or out of your depth. Many people worry about being judged at the gym, sometimes called gymtimidation, or feel nervous before their first race or class. Hypnotherapy can help you feel calm and confident, so you can enjoy getting started.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help you rebuild your confidence when you're returning from an injury. Many athletes feel nervous about getting hurt again and hold back on movements connected with the injury. We work alongside your rehabilitation plan and your medical team's guidance; a review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found confidence and motivation were associated with returning to sport.
You can work on the worry of re-injury by calming your stress response and rebuilding trust in your body as your rehabilitation progresses. We can work with the rewind technique on distress linked to the injury, where appropriate. Mental rehearsal can also support confidence in movements your medical team and coach have agreed you're ready for.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help you feel confident getting back into sport after time away, for work, family or any other reason. It's natural to compare yourself with how you used to be, which can make returning feel daunting. Mindset coaching can help you set realistic goals, and hypnosis can help you enjoy your sport again.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help masters athletes stay motivated, confident and focused as they keep competing. You might be chasing new goals, racing in a new age group or coming back to sport after years away. Hypnotherapy can help you enjoy your sport and perform at your best at any age.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help if you compete at club level, where the pressure can feel as intense as it does for professionals. Balancing training with work and family can make every race or match feel important. Hypnotherapy can help you stay calm, enjoy competing and get more from the time you put in.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help coaches manage the pressure of results, selection decisions and supporting their athletes. Coaches often carry their athletes' stress as well as their own. Hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you stay calm and clear-headed, so you coach at your best.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help referees, umpires and officials stay calm and think clearly under pressure. Officials face split-second decisions, criticism from players and crowds, and assessments of their own performance. Hypnotherapy can help you stay composed, trust your judgement and move on quickly from a difficult call.
Yes, hypnotherapy can help you adjust when you retire from competition or step back from your sport. Losing the routine, the team and the identity that came with sport can be a big change. Mindset coaching can help you find new goals, and hypnosis can help you feel settled and positive about what comes next.
Appointments, confidentiality and choosing a practitioner
You can use the mental preparation from hypnosis in competition through a familiar cue, a pre-shot routine or a brief focus on your next action. Hypnosis sessions and recordings are for times when you're resting safely. During the event, stay fully alert to your activity, your surroundings and the safety rules of your sport.
Yes, you stay in control throughout hypnosis, aware of what's happening and able to open your eyes at any time. Hypnosis is a natural, focused state, a bit like being absorbed in a good book. Most people find it very relaxing, and you come out feeling refreshed and alert.
Sports hypnotherapy and sports psychology share many techniques, like visualisation, goal setting and managing nerves. Hypnotherapy adds hypnosis, a calm, focused state where these techniques can feel more natural. As a clinical hypnotherapist and performance mindset coach, I combine hypnosis with practical coaching.
Yes, you can have sports performance hypnotherapy online by secure, encrypted Zoom, which makes it easier to fit around training, travel and competitions. You can join from home, a hotel room or a training camp, wherever you can talk freely. My online hypnotherapy page has more detail.
Sports performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching are private and discreet, with confidentiality explained when we begin. Appointments are arranged directly with me. My ICO registration number is ZB654528, and my privacy policy explains how I look after your information.
The number of sessions varies from person to person, depending on what you'd like to work on. We talk it through at your initial consultation, so you know what to expect.
My fees are listed on my prices page, and I'm happy to answer any questions before you book. You can contact me to book your initial consultation.
Choose a sports hypnotherapist or performance coach with recognised training, clear professional standards and an approach you feel comfortable with. Ask about qualifications, experience, insurance, confidentiality and fees. I hold SQHP and HPD qualifications, have practised since 2003, and am registered with the GHR and CNHC.
I'm Susannah Saunders, a clinical hypnotherapist and performance mindset coach in the City of London. I founded City Hypnotherapy Centre in 2003, after two years as an assistant clinical psychologist in NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. I have a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, I'm registered with the General Hypnotherapy Register, and I help people perform at their best under pressure.
Qualifications, progress and working with your support team
You can check my professional registrations through the CNHC register and my General Hypnotherapy Register profile. My CNHC registration number is CNHC10269 and my GHR registration number is 3034. I hold a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, HPD and SQHP qualifications, trained with CPHT, and founded City Hypnotherapy Centre in 2003.
We measure progress against the changes you want in training, competition and life outside sport. You might want to feel settled on the start line, recover your focus after a missed shot or enjoy training again. We agree your priorities at the start and review what has changed at each session.
You can work with me alongside your sports coach or physiotherapist, with hypnosis and mindset coaching focused on confidence, nerves and mental preparation. You can tell me about the plan you're already following so our sessions fit around it. Any direct liaison is agreed with you first.
Where can I read the research and check your registrations?
Page reviewed by Susannah Saunders, clinical hypnotherapist (SQHP, HPD) and performance mindset coach, November 2026.
How can I book my consultation?
Contact me to find out more about sports performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching, or book your initial consultation.
