At the Hypnotherapy Clinic in Peristeri, Sandy Messaropoulou and her colleagues support adults who are experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, stress and psychosomatic symptoms, through synthetic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral approach and clinical hypnotherapy tools.

Stress is the body's natural response to pressure , uncertainty , and the demands of everyday life . However, when the intensity or duration of stress exceeds the ability to adapt, it begins to affect quality of life, sleep, relationships, and health.

In this guide you will find a comprehensive, scientifically proven approach to understanding and managing anxiety, through two therapeutic pathways:

✔ Synthetic Psychotherapy – a comprehensive approach that combines psychodynamics, CBT and person-centered therapy.
✔ Clinical Hypnotherapy – a scientifically proven method of anxiety regulation, used purposefully within the therapeutic context, when clinically beneficial.

1. What is Anxiety?

2. Symptoms of Anxiety

Stress is the nervous system's reaction to a perceived threat — real or imagined. It involves adrenaline, cortisol, and the fight/flight/freeze survival mechanisms.

There is:

Physiological stress , which helps with mobilization
Pathological anxiety , which continues unnecessarily and overwhelms the body and mind

The second is what creates symptoms and leads to psychosomatic reactions.

Stress can manifest itself at three levels:

Physically

tachycardia
shortness of breath
dizziness
severe fatigue
muscle pain/tension
sensitivity to noise (e.g. tinnitus)
gastrointestinal

Behavioral

avoidance
procrastination
irritation
isolation
binge eating episodes

Mentally

fear
overvoltage
feeling of loss of control
negative internal dialogue
anxious thoughts

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Anxiety & Stress Management – Regulation Techniques & Therapeutic Approaches

3. Causes of Anxiety

Stress is associated with:

genetics and temperament
childhood experiences and attachment patterns
wound
demanding or dysfunctional relationships
professional stress
overstimulation of the nervous system
hormonal/neurological sensitivities

4. When does stress become a problem?

when it limits activities
when it affects sleep
when panic attacks occur
when there are psychosomatic
when there is a feeling of permanent overvoltage
when it becomes a way of life

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5. How can Integrative Psychotherapy help?

Integrative Psychotherapy is a contemporary and flexible approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing.

It is based on the understanding that no single therapeutic model can fully explain the complexity of human experience. For this reason, it brings together ideas and methods from different schools of psychotherapy within one coherent therapeutic framework, tailored to the needs of each individual.

Integrative Psychotherapy is not simply a collection of techniques. It is the thoughtful integration of different theoretical approaches, allowing therapy to be both in-depth and practical, while remaining responsive to the unique history, personality and goals of each person.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Understanding the “why” and exploring difficulties at a deeper level

Psychodynamic work can help identify:

unconscious emotional patterns
unresolved or painful past experiences
difficulties rooted in childhood
early relationships and attachment patterns
defence mechanisms
recurring ways of relating to oneself and others

The aim is not only to manage symptoms, but also to understand the deeper meaning behind them and create more lasting change.

In cases of anxiety, psychodynamic exploration may reveal internal conflict, a strong need for control, fear of abandonment or earlier experiences that continue to be activated in the present.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Practical tools for self-regulation and changing unhelpful patterns

CBT focuses on the ways thoughts influence:

emotions
physical reactions
anxiety
behaviour

It offers practical strategies such as:

understanding and becoming more familiar with physical symptoms
identifying and reframing unhelpful thoughts
grounding techniques
problem-solving skills
panic-management strategies
gradual exposure to feared situations or stimuli

CBT can be particularly helpful when anxiety has a strong physical component or appears in intense episodes, such as panic attacks, acute anxiety or psychosomatic symptoms.

Person-Centred Therapy

Safety, authenticity and the therapeutic relationship

The person-centred approach emphasises:

empathy
unconditional positive regard
therapist authenticity
greater self-awareness
the development of inner safety

Without a sense of safety, therapeutic techniques are unlikely to be effective.

A person needs a space in which difficult, painful or previously unspoken experiences can be expressed without judgement.

The therapeutic relationship therefore becomes an essential part of the healing process.

Clinical Hypnotherapy

Relaxation training and tools for emotional regulation

Clinical hypnotherapy does not necessarily take place as a separate treatment. It may be incorporated into a broader therapeutic plan when the nervous system needs support with calming, stabilisation and deeper regulation.

It may be used to support:

reduction of physiological overactivation
stabilisation before exploring painful experiences
relief from stress-related or psychosomatic symptoms
breathing retraining
relaxation during periods of heightened anxiety
the development of a stronger sense of inner safety
the reinforcement of new and more adaptive patterns

In simple terms, clinical hypnotherapy may deepen and strengthen the therapeutic process without replacing psychotherapy.

What can the integrative process support?

Integrative psychotherapy may help to:

regulate the nervous system more effectively
reduce automatic patterns of anxiety
improve emotional self-regulation
explore deeper causes of distress
strengthen resilience
develop a greater sense of confidence, stability and inner safety

The overall aim is not only symptom relief, but a deeper understanding of the self and the development of more flexible, sustainable ways of thinking, feeling and relating.

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6. How can Clinical Hypnotherapy help?

Cognitive Behavioural Clinical Hypnotherapy is a focused, often short-term therapeutic approach that may be used to work specifically with anxiety and related difficulties.

Clinical hypnosis uses guided relaxation, focused attention, therapeutic imagery and carefully agreed suggestions to support changes in unhelpful patterns of thinking, emotional responses and behaviour. The client remains aware and in control throughout the process.

Alongside this work, clients may also be taught self-hypnosis techniques that they can practise independently between sessions. This can help strengthen emotional regulation, develop a greater sense of control and reduce the impact of anxious thinking in everyday life.

Depending on the individual’s needs, clinical hypnotherapy may draw on:

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy
therapeutic imagery and suggestion
analytical hypnotherapy
regression-based techniques, where clinically appropriate and used with care

Clinical hypnotherapy may be incorporated into a broader integrative psychotherapy process or offered as part of a focused treatment plan when appropriate.

It may support:

deep relaxation and reduction of physiological overactivation
regulation of breathing and bodily tension
calming and stabilising the nervous system
developing safer and more adaptive physical responses
managing episodes of anxiety and panic
reducing the distress associated with psychosomatic symptoms
strengthening confidence and psychological flexibility

People experiencing persistent tension, exhaustion or stress-related physical symptoms may find clinical hypnotherapy particularly helpful when it is integrated into a wider therapeutic plan.

These symptoms may include:

muscle tension or pain
tightness in the chest
mental fog or difficulty concentrating
tinnitus-related distress
breathing-related anxiety
other physical symptoms that become more intense during periods of stress

Clinical hypnotherapy does not replace medical, psychiatric or psychological care. Its suitability is assessed individually, and any persistent or unexplained physical symptoms should also be medically evaluated.

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7. When is it useful to start treatment?