The Hidden Challenge in Healing: Understanding Secondary Gain in Talking Therapies

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At West Midlands Hypnotherapy Centre, many of our clients come to us after trying other forms of help such as counselling, CBT, or medication. They’re often determined to make a change, yet something seems to keep pulling them back to old habits, fears, or physical symptoms.

This isn’t because they don’t want to get better — it’s often because something deeper is happening beneath the surface. One of the most overlooked factors in the healing process is what therapists call secondary gain.

What is Secondary Gain?

Secondary gain refers to the hidden benefits or protections that a person receives from their symptoms or struggles. These benefits are rarely conscious, but they can be powerful enough to keep a problem in place — even when the person sincerely wants to change.

For example:

  • Someone living with anxiety might avoid stressful events or expectations.

  • A person with chronic pain may receive care, attention, or time to rest that their busy life doesn’t otherwise allow.

  • Someone struggling with a long-term emotional issue may unconsciously use it to maintain a sense of identity, predictability, or safety.

In these cases, the symptom is serving a purpose — often protecting the person from something that once felt unsafe or overwhelming. Until that underlying need is recognised and met in a healthier way, the subconscious mind may resist full recovery.

Beyond Secondary Gain: Why the Body Doesn’t Heal

As discussed in Beyond Secondary Gain: Why the Body Doesn’t Heal, the roots of resistance often go much deeper than hidden advantages. Emotional patterns and belief systems can keep the body in a constant state of tension or self-defence, preventing it from fully shifting into healing mode.

Even when the apparent cause of a problem has been addressed, unprocessed emotions can continue to hold the body and mind in a state of protection. Some of the most common blocks include:

Denial

Some clients minimise their symptoms or disconnect from their feelings, keeping themselves — and their therapist — from understanding what truly needs attention. Healing begins when emotions are acknowledged and validated in a safe space.

Fear

Fear of change, failure, or even fear of life without the problem can quietly maintain old patterns. Fear alone can account for up to 50% of symptom intensity and persistence. Hypnotherapy can help calm these internal alarms, allowing both mind and body to feel safe enough to heal.

Limiting Beliefs

Deep-rooted thoughts such as “I don’t deserve to get better” or “It works for others, but not for me” can undermine even the most effective therapy. Through NLP and hypnotherapy, clients can reframe these beliefs, opening the door to genuine progress.

Overcontrol and Self-Judgment

Clients who try too hard to “do therapy right” or who analyse every moment can stay stuck in their heads. Real change requires allowing the subconscious mind to engage — and that happens best when there’s trust, relaxation, and self-compassion.

Working Through the Real Barriers

At West Midlands Hypnotherapy Centre, we recognise that resistance isn’t failure — it’s a message. It’s the mind’s way of saying, “I’m still protecting you from something.” Our role is to help clients safely explore what that something is, and gently release it.

By working with both the conscious and subconscious mind, therapy becomes much more than symptom relief. It becomes a process of emotional understanding and genuine transformation. Once the underlying fears or unmet needs are brought into awareness and resolved, the subconscious no longer needs to hold onto the problem.

Moving Forward

True healing is rarely linear, and it’s almost never about simply “getting rid” of a problem. It’s about understanding why it exists — what it has been protecting you from — and then helping your mind and body find a better way.

If you’ve been feeling stuck despite your best efforts, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It may just mean your subconscious mind is still holding onto a sense of safety that no longer serves you.

At West Midlands Hypnotherapy Centre, we help clients uncover and resolve these hidden blocks so that lasting, natural change can occur.

📞 To arrange a confidential consultation or to learn more about how hypnotherapy can support your healing journey, contact us today. +44 (0)121 251 6172 or visit https://www.hypnotherapywestmidlands.com/

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