How Hollie’s journey began.
My story began back in 2010 when I was pregnant with my first son, Oscar. At the time, I was only 25 and was the first of my peers to have children. I really had no frame of reference for pregnancy, birth or motherhood, and will admit that I buried my head in the sand for at least the first six months of my pregnancy. At the point my little bump began to pop, I thought I’d better start thinking about how meeting this little person was going to happen, and thankfully, I stumbled upon something called hypnobirthing.
In all honesty, I didn’t think it was going to be for me. Hypnobirthing? Giving birth whilst hypnotised? Surely not. Alas, despite my preconceived ideas, we weren’t met with pocket watches or silk scarves, but rather a very logical approach to birth preparation and a great set of practical exercises to start implementing in pregnancy. Over the course of four weeks, I’d gone from feeling anxious and apprehensive, to excited and confident in my ability to work with my body, rather than against it.
Interestingly, despite planning two home births, both of my boys had their own ideas about being born, and I had two, unplanned abdominal births (or cesarean sections). Rather than feeling like I – or indeed hypnobirthing – had failed – I instead felt so in awe of the mindset and tools that had enabled us to remain calm as we navigated the unexpected turns our babies’ births took. Had I not had the chance to practice hypnobirthing in both of my pregnancies, I could easily have felt bereft and traumatised, where instead I felt safe, proud and respected – knowing that my babies got the births meant for them.
In 2011, I moved away from my career in graphic design, and retrained as a hypnobirthing teacher. In the decade that’s followed, my expertise and experience has broadened far beyond birth. I have written two bestselling books about birth and the year that follows, and I help support hundreds of women all over the world reclaim their maternal power, and return home to their intuition. And what a wonderful job that is.
Want to pick my brain for an hour?
If you are feeling called to connect with me, why not book a power hour with me, where you can pick my brains on anything you like for one hour? We can talk about pregnancy, birth, any challenges that motherhood is throwing your way, or even use it as a chance to reflect on what could be limiting your sense of ease or confidence.
What is Here/Hear?
I feel proud that my work has grown organically and become multi-hyphenated over the last decade. Often now, the support I give goes way beyond pregnancy, so it made sense to communicate exactly what I want to offer you, at whatever stage of life’s journey you’re on.
Essentially, I wanted to create a space where people like you could feel held and heard. I am here for you, and I hear you. Whether you are here to find out more about hypnobirthing, buy some of our award-winning affirmation cards or guided meditation MP3s, or book a bitesized online learning course to support your stage of motherhood – you’ll find it here. Perhaps you’re looking for one of our affiliate teachers, or recommended therapists, or are a brand looking to collaborate in a bespoke way that reaches your audience more authentically. Here/Hear offers access to me in a way that suits you and your needs, and I’m excited by it.
You’ll also be able to connect with me on a more personal level, with my new 1-1 power hour sessions. Think of these as maternal mentoring – a chance to use me as your sounding board for ideas, challenges, decisions or direction. These bespoke sessions can be tailored to what you need, and can be booked as individual sessions for adhoc use, or a block booking for longer-term, more focused goals. Having worked with thousands of women around the world, and connected with hundreds of top-of-their-game therapists of all kinds, my goal is to help you feel more at ease, more settled, and closer home to your unique and wonderful self.