A UK pilot study explores changes in clients’ personal concerns and wellbeing, introducing a new way to evaluate what matters most to people receiving therapy.
A newly published research paper is helping to build the evidence base for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH), reporting significant improvements in clients’ self-rated concerns and wellbeing during hypnotherapy.
The study, Measuring what matters: A pilot study using Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCaW®) as a service evaluation tool in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, involved 142 clients working with 12 qualified SFH practitioners across the UK between April 2023 and October 2025.
Published in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine, the research explored whether MYCaW®, a validated, person-centred outcome measure, could be used effectively in SFH practice to capture the changes that clients themselves consider important.
What did the research find?
The results were encouraging.
After four sessions, participants reported a statistically significant reduction in the severity of their main concern, with average scores falling by 2.1 points.
Importantly, 90% of participants experienced a change in their main concern score that met the study’s threshold for a minimally important improvement.
This threshold helps distinguish a change that is potentially meaningful to the person experiencing it from one that is simply measurable. In everyday terms, the finding suggests that, for nine out of ten participants, the improvement in their main concern was large enough to meet the researchers’ criteria for a meaningful change.
The study also found statistically significant improvements in participants’ second concerns and their overall well-being difficulties.
Similar or greater improvements were observed by the eighth session and at the last recorded session.
The researchers also examined 250 concerns reported by clients. Almost three-quarters (74%) related to mental and emotional issues, with anxiety, sleep difficulties, fears and confidence among the most frequently identified concerns.
Importantly, the research demonstrated that MYCaW® could be integrated into everyday SFH practice, providing a practical way to record and understand client-reported changes.
Why does this matter?
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy combines solution-focused brief therapy with clinical hypnotherapy. It helps clients identify their preferred future, recognise existing strengths and resources, and work towards meaningful change.
Unlike approaches that rely solely on predetermined clinical measures, MYCaW® allows clients to identify the concerns that matter most to them and assess their own progress.
The findings are particularly valuable because they offer a structured way to capture clients’ individual experiences alongside numerical measures of change.
The researchers emphasise that this was a pilot service evaluation, rather than a controlled clinical trial. The improvements therefore cannot be attributed to SFH alone, and further research is needed. Nevertheless, the findings provide an encouraging foundation for more systematic evaluation of the approach.
What does this mean for people considering therapy?
For people experiencing difficulties such as anxiety, sleep problems, fears or low confidence, the study highlights the importance of listening to what matters to each individual and measuring progress against their own priorities.
It also demonstrates a commitment within the SFH community to evaluating practice, learning from client experiences and contributing to the developing research evidence base.
Anyone considering therapy is encouraged to speak to a suitably qualified practitioner about their individual needs and whether SFH may be an appropriate option for them.
An opportunity for future practitioners
The publication is also relevant to people considering training in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy.
For prospective students, it illustrates how a therapeutic approach can be evaluated systematically, bringing together the experience of clients, structured outcome measurement and research-informed practice.
The authors hope that work of this kind will encourage further investigation and help practitioners contribute to a stronger evidence base for SFH.
About the research
O’Connell, C.M., Fox, J., and Polley, M. (2026). Measuring what matters: A pilot study using Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCaW®) as a service evaluation tool in solution focused hypnotherapy. European Journal of Integrative Medicine.
Read the paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876382026001459
Enquiries and further information on the research:
Jane Fox CPHT
Email: research@cpht.co.uk
For people interested in therapy:
Jane Fox, BSc, MSc, AHD, HPD, DSFH, SFSup(Hyp), MAfSFH, MNCH(Accd)
Solution Focused Hypnotherapist, Supervisor, Senior Lecturer
Chair of the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy
Web: janefoxhypnotherapy.co.uk
Email: janefox2012@sky.com
Mobile: 07870 882234
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