Marilyn Burns: From Fitness Coach to Subconscious Healer

How mindfulness and hypnotherapy became her powerful tools for healing the mind and body.

For Marilyn Burns, the journey from personal trainer to hypnotherapist wasn’t a sudden leap—it was a natural evolution. After years of helping clients strengthen their bodies, she felt called to explore the deeper connection between physical health and emotional well-being. Today, as a fully qualified Cognitive Behaviour Hypnotherapist and mindfulness practitioner, Marilyn combines the power of the subconscious with present-moment awareness to help people overcome anxiety, build confidence, and reclaim calm in a fast-paced world. Her work is rooted in compassion, professionalism, and a belief that true healing starts from within.

How did you get started in hypnotherapy and mindfulness?

I have always been interested in hypnotherapy for many years in hypnotherapy, and in my last profession, which was in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, I decided I wanted to help people with medical conditions, rather than just train people who were already fit.  I therefore trained as a GP referral coach, GP referral meant that we helped people with medical conditions, either physical or mental, with exercise and/or nutrition programmes, and I also trained as a Cancer referral specialist.  Clients would be referred to us by GPs, physiotherapists and through clinics.  So I learned how to heal the body, then I wanted to heal the mind, which controls everything else.  Hypnotherapy can be used for a variety of things e.g. anxiety, phobias, fears, addictions, weight loss, sports enhancement, confidence boosting, and to raise self esteem, to name a few of the things hypnotherapy can help with, including some physical conditions.

I am a qualified meditation practitioner, and Mindfulness is a form of meditation, but I guide clients to be in the present moment.  Mindfulness is used in mental health quite a lot, and can be used for anxiety, fears and other problems which hypnotherapy is also used for, so I call it my ‘double wammy’ (using the two together).  I always include a lot of relaxation (Mindfulness) in my hypnotherapy as this alleviates stress and anxiety, which are often at the root of many problems.

What made you interested in both, and how do they work together in your practice?

Mindfulness builds awareness, and hypnotherapy works on a deeper level to shift beliefs and patterns. Together, they help clients feel calmer, clearer, and more in control — emotionally and physically.

What does being a member of IAPCP mean for your work?

It means I’m held to high professional standards, with ongoing development and ethics at the core. It gives clients confidence that I’m qualified, accountable, and always learning.

How do your qualifications shape the way you work with clients?

Getting my diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy meant that I learned a lot about therapy and the practice around it. There was a lot of psychology that was taught in the course, and we were shown lots of different ways to deal with different problems.  There were also many different forms to be filled in and questions to ask clients; there was a lot of training in asking the correct questions to ascertain the client’s problem. Working with Paul McKenna, a world-renowned hypnotherapist, and receiving the Mindvalley Certificate, gave me a different take on this, as his approach was different, without the need to use scripts and a more relaxed approach, but once again, I learned new things and new ways of practising hypnosis.  

I have also added a CPD in infertility to my qualifications, and I am getting another in hypnobirthing, which allows me to specialise in these, and I have also trained in stop smoking as an add-on. I will continue to train and learn more from other hypnotherapists who have themselves had many years of training, some of whom use their approaches.

What does a typical session look like for someone dealing with stress or anxiety?

Before the session, I will have done a free assessment with them. This will determine if I can help the client or if they want to work with me. I will have sent out various forms to them i.e. health, confidentiality, and mental health, to view before the client comes to the first session. At the first session, I will be asking lots of questions to try and get to the root of the problem, and be explaining about hypnotherapy.

I would have prepared some hypnotherapy techniques (tools) in advance, which could change once meeting the client.  I will then, with their permission, relax them and go into hypnosis.  In some cases, if the client does not want to be hypnotised in the first session, then I may just do a relaxation.  Sometimes I will do an ego-strengthening hypnosis.  I would then send them a recording of these to use at home, so they can practise until the next session (if needed). I have spoken a lot about relaxation, as you cannot be stressed/anxious and relaxed at the same time.  It is impossible as they are opposites.  N.B. I only deal with ‘mild’ stress; anything more, they would be referred back to a specialist.

How do you help people build confidence and self-esteem?

Using hypnosis scripts which are specially designed for confidence issues or self-esteem.  Before any session, it is essential to speak with the client to find out exactly what the problem/trigger is and explain to the client about hypnosis, and that this is a collaboration between the client and the hypnotherapist.  The hypnotherapist gives suggestions that the client follows along with, but these are suggestions already been agreed with the client.  Boosting confidence and self-esteem is always done with positive suggestions and possibly affirmations, whilst under hypnosis.  There are recordings and possible triggers to help the client stop or control their problems.  Als,o they can be taken through imaginative situations that cause them stress/anxiety and then learn how to overcome these by using the above.

How do you bring mindfulness into your sessions, and how does it help in daily life?

See above.  Mindfulness helps in daily life to stop clients worrying about the past or the future, but being in the present moment and dealing with this moment in time, and as mentioned above, relaxing them so they are able to be in the here and now without stress/anxiety.

How do you use hypnotherapy to help people sleep better?

Working with both the body and mind to calm racing thoughts, ease tension, and create new sleep associations. Often, just learning how to fully relax again makes a huge difference. 

I will guide a client through hypnosis using various scripts that are individualised for them, not a one for. When I say scripts, I don’t follow a particular one, as every person is different; I create my own. However, I prefer to see the person and learn what they need and to adapt everything to the individual.  I think it is better to have a niche or niches, in which you specialise, such as sleep.  So this is probably something I may or may not do, but I would probably want to do a bit more training in this particular field.

How do you approach fertility issues with hypnotherapy?

Being a specialised subject,  I have been trained specifically in this subject. It is quite sensitive and a very personal problem; it can cause a lot of mental stress and anxiety, which, as mentioned above, can be helped with relaxation/mindfulness. There needs to be an explanation of fertility and what can be done for the client.  Hypnotherapy creates a more receptive, relaxed state, which can positively affect both mind and body during fertility treatment. It has been proven that working with women having fertility treatments improves their chance of fertility by 30%.  I have also seen some research that suggests it may be as high as 50%.

How do you help expectant mothers feel more confident and relaxed during childbirth?

Firstly, as in any other client cases, giving an explanation about hypnotherapy, the different myths surrounding it and the positive consequences. In pregnancy, there are particular myths in our society, which can cause unfounded beliefs e.g. about it having to be painful!  By using gentle hypnobirthing techniques, visualisations, and breathwork, this helps to prepare both mind and body.