Trauma and grief cases that resist traditional therapy approaches often transform rapidly when clinicians learn to work with the brain’s natural healing mechanisms. Courtney Armstrong has spent over two decades pioneering trauma-informed hypnotherapy, becoming an international authority on memory reconsolidation and attachment-focused trauma treatment.
As founder of the Institute for Trauma Informed Hypnotherapy and author of three bestselling books – including Rethinking Trauma Treatment: Attachment, Memory Reconsolidation, and Resilience – Armstrong has trained thousands of clinicians worldwide in brain-based approaches that accelerate healing. Her recognition as a National Board Certified Fellow in Clinical Hypnotherapy and American Society of Clinical Hypnosis Approved Consultant reflects her mastery of therapeutic techniques that access clients’ innate capacity for transformation.
Armstrong’s expertise spans trauma-informed hypnotherapy, grief therapy, memory reconsolidation, attachment repair, and experiential therapy approaches. Her innovative methods combine clinical hypnosis with current neuroscience research, showing practitioners how to help clients process traumatic memories without retraumatisation. She specialises in cases where traditional talk therapy has stalled, teaching clinicians to engage the right brain and somatic systems that store traumatic material.
What sets her training apart is practical accessibility. Armstrong is renowned for her warm, engaging teaching style that transforms complex neuroscience into immediately usable techniques. Her “Therapeutic Aha!” approach helps clinicians create breakthrough moments that unstick clients from repetitive trauma patterns, while her memory reconsolidation methods show practitioners how to help clients update traumatic memories with new, empowering information.
For your practice, expect to gain specific hypnotherapy techniques for trauma processing, practical tools for working with complicated grief, and brain-based interventions that create rapid therapeutic change. Her methods particularly benefit clinicians working with clients who intellectualise their trauma, struggle with traditional exposure therapies, or need somatic approaches to healing.
Quick Win: Armstrong’s “resource installation” technique helps clinicians quickly establish internal safety and stability in traumatised clients before processing difficult material – a foundational skill that prevents retraumatisation and accelerates treatment progress.
Qualifications
- M.Ed., Counselor Education, University of New Orleans, 1995
- BBA, Marketing and Psychology, Georgia State University, 1990
- Licensed Professional Counselor, Tennessee
- Approved LPC Supervisor, Tennessee
- National Board Certified Fellow in Clinical Hypnotherapy
- American Society of Clinical Hypnosis Approved Consultant
- Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies, Trauma Center at JRI Boston
- Trained in EMDR with Somatic Attachment Focus
- Trained in Biofeedback and HeartMath
Selected Books (All W.W. Norton)
- Rethinking Trauma Treatment: Attachment, Memory Reconsolidation, and Resilience (2019, bestseller)
- The Therapeutic “Aha!”: 10 Strategies for Getting Clients Unstuck (2015, bestseller)
- Transforming Traumatic Grief (2011)
Teaching & Roles
- Founder & President, Institute for Trauma Informed Hypnotherapy, 2018–present
- Chief Inspiration Officer, Courtney Armstrong Counseling and Training, 2010–present
- Author & International Trainer, Real World Therapy, 2015–present
- Education & Training Committee, American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
- Former Owner/Director, Tamarisk: A Center for Change and Growth, 2007–2017
Speaking & Training
- International presentations: Australia (2019), Europe, Asia
- Psychotherapy Networker Symposium presenter
- Developed clinical hypnosis training programs for U.S. Veterans Administration
Professional Memberships
- Member, Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Honors Society (1995)
- Professional affiliations: ACA, CAPA, TLPCA, AMHCA, ASCH
- Past President, Chattanooga Psychotherapy Association
Ready to help trauma survivors access their natural healing capacity? Discover how Courtney Armstrong’s trauma-informed hypnotherapy methods can transform your ability to create breakthrough moments and accelerate client recovery.