Interview with Amy Young

Amy is the founder of A. Young Hypnotherapy: “I started A. Young Hypnotherapy after experiencing how hypnotherapy helped me overcome anxiety and burnout from teaching. After a career change, I dedicated myself to helping others through hypnotherapy. My goal is to help people overcome their own barriers and challenges to truly enjoy their lives, using my skills to empower others to find relief and fulfilment”.

What inspired you to start your own business, and what challenges did you face in the initial stages of entrepreneurship?

My inspiration to start my own business came during a low point in my life. As a teacher, I was burnt out, feeling like I couldn’t meet the needs of all my students. This led to anxiety and a sense of failure, even though I later realised that many of the issues were beyond my control. Traditional methods of overcoming this, like medication only numbed me, so I turned to hypnotherapy—something I thought would just help me relax.

Surprisingly, after just one session, I felt an immense sense of relief, as if someone had slowed down the whirlwind of emotions I was experiencing. After more sessions, my anxiety eased, and I returned to teaching for another two years, even managing through the pandemic. However, in October 2021, after a severe bout of COVID and a lack of compassion from my workplace, I decided it was time for a change. I resigned and felt a huge sense of relief and excitement. I had fallen in love with the power of hypnotherapy and was totally intrigued as to how simple yet effective it was. I had a real drive to find out what it was all about!

I applied to the UK Academy of Therapeutic Arts and Science to train as a hypnotherapist. In the meantime, I tutored and started a domestic cleaning business to pay the bills, which thankfully became a quick success. Balancing my cleaning business, tutoring, and intensive hypnotherapy training was challenging, but I pushed through. After qualifying, my next hurdle was finding an affordable clinic space, which I eventually did at Elmbank Mill in Menstrie - thanks to the brilliant team at Ceteris.

Marketing was another steep learning curve. Unlike my cleaning business, I had to work hard to build a client base for hypnotherapy—attending wellness fairs, offering free online classes, and overcoming my fear of being seen online. Creating a hypnotherapy program for myself helped me step out of my comfort zone, and I began posting on Instagram again after years of hesitation.

The biggest challenge I’ve faced as an entrepreneur is overcoming the fear of being seen. After all, if people don’t know you’re there, how can they benefit from what you offer?

How do you maintain a work-life balance while running a successful business?

Planning ahead is key to maintaining my work-life balance, especially since I'm also renovating my house and office for my private clinic. Online food shopping might seem basic, but it really helps and has freed up time during the week for more me-time!

When I notice I haven't had a proper break, I make it a point to take a weekend or evening to recharge. This might mean enjoying good food, meeting up with friends and family, exploring new places, revisiting favourite spots, going for a hill walk (luckily I am in the Hillfoots so it’s really easy to do!). I also indulge my inner 12-year-old and play the Playstation to switch off for an hour or so! All these little things help me relax and keep everything in balance. I think it is so important to know what brings you joy and just do it as often as you can - even if that means scheduling it into your diary.

Can you share a significant milestone or achievement that you are particularly proud of in your entrepreneurial journey?

One of my proudest achievements is putting myself out there online after nearly seven years of avoiding it (personally and professionally!). This shift has allowed me to connect with more people in a meaningful and engaging way, which I now find easy and fun. Even my sisters have expressed how much they enjoy seeing what I’m doing, both personally and professionally. Overcoming this fear has been a huge step for me.

I’m especially proud because I designed a short hypnotherapy program specifically for myself to tackle this challenge, and it worked! I did this so recently that I have only posted two videos but the response and enquiries have shown me that this is an important tool for engaging with potential clients.

It’s been incredibly rewarding to apply my skills and knowledge not only to help others but also to transform my own life and business.

Have you experienced any gender-related obstacles or biases since starting your own business?

As a paediatric hypnotherapist with a background in teaching, I sometimes encounter gender bias in my field. However, I focus on the positive impact I can make—helping young people overcome challenges early in life with the support of their parents. While some perceptions may be influenced by gender, I’m committed to providing the best care possible for the families and children I work with.

How do you empower and support other women in business?

I love networking and connecting with other women in business. Joining Boss Girls earlier this year was fantastic—I made some great connections! Although I haven’t been able to network as much as I’d like due to my busy schedule with clients, it’s a trade-off I’m happy with. Whenever I can, I engage with posts by other women in business and I keep them in the back of my mind, whenever someone I know is looking for a specific product or service. I think word of mouth is an amazing marketing tool, so I like to promote others anyway I can!

I’m currently developing self-guided hypnotherapy courses designed to help women (or anyone) in business build confidence, especially in overcoming the fear of being seen online. This is something I’m really excited about because I’ve experienced firsthand how showing up online has transformed my own business. I’m eager to help other women break through their barriers and achieve big success in their ventures!

What role has mentorship played in your career, and how has it influenced your growth as a business owner?

As a clinical hypnotherapist I am required to work with a supervisor for 3 years before becoming a senior hypnotherapist. My lovely mentor Heather of HMH Hypnotherapy always provides support and encouragement whether that’s professional pointers or reminders to take a break! We work well together and I really enjoy having someone to bounce ideas off. This has helped me grow my business as these discussions have helped me gain self-confidence in the care I provide.

How have you found marketing your business – has it been easy for you, or have you found it quite difficult?

I’ve found marketing to be quite challenging, especially since I wasn’t sure where to start and lacked confidence online. I began with the basics—handing out flyers, business cards, and offering taster sessions and online classes. However, I quickly realised that social media was essential, but it wasn’t my strong suit.

After overcoming my fear of being seen online, I knew I needed a clear action plan. Recently, the lovely Lowenna from The Soulful Design Co. helped me outline a strategy for online marketing, and I’m excited to start putting it into action! 

What are your main marketing activities, and what do you find works best for you?

My main marketing strategies focus around educating people about hypnotherapy - what it is, how it works and how it can help. I have found this helps break down any misconceptions people have about hypnotherapy. It shows people what the service actually is and makes it less daunting or mysterious. Social Media is a great platform for this - I’ve noticed sometimes the explanations can be easier to digest when hearing it spoken about, rather than reading about it.

Can you discuss a time when you had to pivot or adapt your business strategy?

I feel that rather than a need to pivot or adapt, I am choosing to adapt my services. The pandemic opened up working and interacting online, and teaching online was a skill I didn’t realise would be transferable! It is great meeting clients in person but being able to also offer initial consultations with parents and adult hypnotherapy sessions online has opened up a wider client base and given me flexibility in how I provide my services.

Looking ahead, what are your future goals and aspirations for your business?

My future goal is to make hypnotherapy more accessible by offering more online sessions and self-directed hypnotherapy programmes. I understand how challenging it can be to fit another commitment into a busy week, especially when travel is involved. By expanding my online services, I hope to help more people experience the life-changing benefits of hypnotherapy from the comfort of their own homes.