About Zoe Leitch
Clinical hypnotherapist and modern psychotherapist specialising in performance under pressure and what happens when capable, well-prepared people can't access their usual performance when it matters.
I work with people who are capable and prepared but find that something changes when the pressure rises.
My work focuses on the gap between capability and execution: what happens when you know what you're capable of, but pressure changes how you think, feel or respond in the moments that matter.
I work with athletes, professionals and creatives, combining clinical hypnotherapy with evidence-informed psychological approaches to help make performance more consistent when the stakes are high.
A deliberately interdisciplinary approach
My route into this work hasn't followed a single straight line - and I consider that one of its strengths.
I'm a clinical hypnotherapist and modern psychotherapist, and I'm currently completing an MSc in Psychology at the University of Liverpool.
Alongside my clinical work, I have more than 20 years' experience in corporate and analytical environments, working in roles where complex decision-making, competing priorities, communication and delivery under pressure are part of everyday life.
I'm also closely involved in the endurance-sport world. That has given me a very practical understanding of what happens when fatigue, discomfort, expectation, uncertainty and decision-making collide.
These environments look very different, but the underlying performance problem is often remarkably similar: the person has the capability; the challenge is accessing it reliably under pressure.
How I Work
I'm interested in what works, but equally interested in understanding why it works.
My approach draws on psychology, clinical hypnotherapy and practical performance work. I use techniques because they have a defensible rationale and are appropriate for the individual, not because they happen to be fashionable.
Sessions are collaborative and structured. We identify where performance begins to change, explore what's maintaining that response, and develop strategies that can actually be used when cognitive bandwidth is already under strain.
Where appropriate, clinical hypnotherapy can help us work with learned responses and patterns that aren't always changed simply by consciously knowing what you should do.
The R.O.S.E.R™
Performance
Framework
My work is organised through R.O.S.E.R™, the practical performance framework I developed to help people respond more effectively when pressure changes how they think, feel and act.
Regulate
Orientate
Simplify
Execuite
Rewire
R.O.S.E.R™ isn't a new theory of psychology or the nervous system. It is an applied framework that brings established psychological and psychophysiological principles into a sequence that is straightforward enough to remember and use under pressure.
The aim
To make useful responses more accessible at the point they're actually needed.
Professional Background
My work is informed by clinical training, postgraduate psychology study and more than 20 years' experience working in complex, high-pressure professional environments.
Level 5 Practitioner Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy & Modern Psychotherapy
Accredited by GHSC, APHP and ACCPH
DiMAP — Diploma in Modern Applied Psychology
MSc Psychology — University of Liverpool (Currently completing)
Reiki Master
20+ years' experience in corporate and analytical environments
Creator of the R.O.S.E.R™ Performance Framework
I continue to develop my practice through postgraduate study, professional training, research and continuing professional development.
Next Step
Book an initial consultation to understand what's happening for you under pressure and identify the most appropriate next step. We'll look at where performance begins to change, what's driving it, and what needs to change.
