Improving Mental Health by Training the Suppression of Unwanted Thoughts

Cambridge University Proved What We as Solution Focused Hypnotherapists Have Always Known

Groundbreaking 2023 research validates the core principles of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and Solution Focused Psychotherapy

The Study That's Changing Everything
In September 2023, researchers at Cambridge University published something extraordinary in Science Advances. Dr. Zulkayda Mamat and Professor Michael Anderson from Cambridge's Medical Research Council unit studied 120 people across 16 countries and discovered something that challenges 100 years of psychological thinking.

What they found:

The old view was that in people with anxiety, the "Pre-frontal cortex" was too weak to control the Hippocampus. But this new research found something incredible.

In the study, people with high anxiety and PTSD symptoms were trained for just three days to actively suppress their fears.

The results were amazing:

• They gained control over their intrusive thoughts.
• Their fears became less vivid and less distressing.
• Most importantly, their overall mental health improved significantly.

This research shows that the prefrontal cortex isn't broken—it just needs to be trained. The participants didn't need to understand the deep-seated origin of their fears. They just needed to practice a new skill.

Teaching people to suppress unwanted thoughts actually made them feel better, not worse.

As Solution Focused Hypnotherapists and practitioners of Solution Focused Psychotherapy, we're not surprised. This research validates what we've always believed about how people can create positive change through Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH).

Why This Matters So Much
Think about it - for generations, therapy has told people they need to "work through" their problems, dig into their trauma, and explore why they feel bad. The assumption was always: you can't heal until you fully understand and process your pain. Cambridge University just proved that's not necessarily true.

This study showed that people who learned to redirect their thoughts away from distressing content - without analysing or processing those thoughts - experienced real improvements in their mental health.

This is huge validation for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and the broader Solution Focused approach to therapeutic change.

Solution focused hypnotherapy is underpinned by the latest neuroscience research - How This Fits Perfectly with Core Solution Focused Principles

"If It's Not Broken, Don't Fix It"
This classic Solution Focused principle means we don't need to dig into problems to solve them. Cambridge's research proves this beautifully.
The study participants didn't need to understand why they had unwanted thoughts or where they came from. They just needed to learn to redirect their attention elsewhere. That's exactly what we do in Solution Focused work - we focus on what's working rather than what's wrong.

"Do More of What Works"
When Cambridge researchers found that thought suppression worked, they encouraged people to do more of it. This mirrors our approach perfectly - we identify what's already working in someone's life and help them do more of that.
We don't spend time analysing problems. We spend time building on strengths and successes - a core principle that makes Solution Focused Hypnotherapy so effective.

"If It's Not Working, Try Something Different"

For over 100 years, therapy insisted that people must process their problems to get better. Cambridge showed that sometimes it's healthier to simply not engage with distressing thoughts.
This is exactly the kind of fresh thinking that Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and Solution Focused Psychotherapy have always embraced - when something isn't working, we try a different approach that focuses on possibilities rather than problems.

What Makes This Research So Important is that it shows people are naturally capable.

The Cambridge study treated participants as capable people who could learn new skills, not as damaged individuals who needed fixing. This matches our core belief that people have the resources they need to create positive change.

It Proves Small Changes Make Big Differences
The research involved just three days of training, yet it produced meaningful improvements in mental health. This supports our philosophy that you don't need massive interventions to create positive change - sometimes small shifts in approach can make a huge difference.

It Focuses on Building, Not Breaking Down
Instead of asking "What's wrong with your thoughts?", the Cambridge researchers asked "How can we help you redirect your thoughts more effectively?" That's solution-building, not problem-solving - exactly what we do.

Why Solution Focused Hypnotherapists Were Already Ahead of the Curve
The Cambridge research particularly validates the approach used in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, where we combine the power of trance states with solution-focused principles to help clients redirect their thoughts naturally and effectively.

We Trust People's Capacity for Change
While traditional therapy often treats people as broken or damaged, Solution Focused Hypnotherapists have always seen clients as competent individuals with untapped potential.
Cambridge's research proves that when you trust people's ability to learn and grow - as we do in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy - they often exceed expectations.

We Focus on the Future, Not the Past
In Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, we help people imagine what could go right while in a relaxed, receptive trance state. The Cambridge study shows that directing mental attention toward more constructive content - rather than analysing problems - leads to better outcomes. This is exactly what happens in SFH sessions.

We Believe in Strengths, Not Deficits
In Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and Solution Focused Psychotherapy, rather than focusing on what people struggle with, we look at what they're already doing well. The research demonstrates that building on existing capabilities (everyone can redirect their thoughts to some degree) produces better results than trying to fix perceived weaknesses - which is why SFH is so effective.

When Solution Focused Hypnotherapists help people focus on possibilities rather than problems, we're not being unrealistically positive - we're being scientifically sound. Cambridge University just proved that this approach creates measurable improvements in mental health, validating what every trained Solution Focused Hypnotherapist experiences with their clients.

Confidence in Our Methods
We can now point to world-class research showing that the core principles of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and Solution Focused Psychotherapy aren't just nice ideas - they're evidence-based approaches to creating positive change.

Professional Credibility
As the mental health world grapples with these findings, Solution Focused Hypnotherapists can confidently continue doing what we've always done: trusting in people's capacity for growth and focusing on building solutions through the powerful combination of solution-focused principles and therapeutic trance.

The Bigger Picture
This research represents more than just a new technique - it signals a fundamental shift in how we think about mental health and human potential.
The old way asked: "What's wrong with you and how do we fix it?" The new way asks: "What's possible for you and how do we build it?"

We've been asking the right question all along.

Looking Forward
While traditional therapy approaches scramble to understand what these  findings mean for their methods, Solution Focused Hypnotherapists and practitioners of Solution Focused Psychotherapy can move forward with increased confidence.

This research doesn't change what we do - it validates why it works so well.

We've always believed that:

• People are naturally resourceful and capable
• Small changes can create big differences
• Focusing on solutions works better than analyzing problems
• The future matters more than the past
• Everyone has strengths worth building on
  
  I guess we were just proved right.

The Bottom Line
This groundbreaking research from one of the world's most respected universities validates the core wisdom of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and Solution Focused Psychotherapy: people can create positive change when we focus on building their capabilities rather than analysing their problems.

Ready to Transform Your Practice?

The evidence is clear: solution focused approaches deliver powerful, measurable outcomes for clients. But if you're a solution focused therapist who sometimes feels uncertain about your techniques or questions whether you're truly maximising your therapeutic impact, you're not alone. 

At HHC Training, we understand that even experienced practitioners can feel they're not reaching their full potential. That's precisely why we've dedicated ourselves exclusively to developing solution focused hypnotherapists who don't just practise, they excel.

Our supervision, training and workshops are designed for therapists at every stage: whether you're looking to master the fundamentals of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy or you're already practising but want to refine your skills and confidently deliver approaches that create genuine, lasting transformation.

We're not just about teaching techniques. We're about advancing you as a complete therapist, ensuring you have the confidence, competence and cutting edge skills to be among the very best in your field.

Your clients deserve the most effective therapeutic intervention possible. You deserve to feel completely confident in delivering it.

We don't need to change our approach. We just need to help others understand why it works so well.

HHC Training
BBW Business Centre
Wade House Road, Shelf
HX3 7PB
Tel: 01422 861989