A HYPNOTHERAPIST is waging war on post-traumatic stress disorder by launching a new service aimed at veterans and soldiers.

Angela Lawrence has been helping people overcome a variety psychological problems from her business, Mind Over Matter, in Cirencester for the last ten years.

Now she has found a niche in the market - servicemen who have to cope with life after the barracks.

"They become so dependent on each other in the barracks that when they leave the army they can come into difficulties," she said.

She already has a few clients who are ex-serviceman and they have praised her efforts to combat the relatively high suicide rate amongst veterans.

Her work is so well-regarded that the welfare manager at RAF Brize Norton is referring serving troops to her from various bases in the South West.

Angela, who works from her home in Pheasant Way, also deals in psychotherapy.

She said: "With the hypnotherapy I regress people back and by doing that I can clear the trauma of an experience.

"It could be a combination of experiences but clearing it helps people to cope with their life. Its amazing what people come out with."

She said an incident could be so traumatic that it takes people out of their comfort zone and the simplest of things can trigger it, then it can develop into a phobia.

She said: "During the first and Second World War, hypnotherapy reached its peak when the soldiers returned," she said.

"It was used for post-traumatic stress disorder but also by doctors as an anaesthetic."

She works with all ages and her youngest client so far has been 35.

Angela also welcomes families of serving officers or veterans to talk to her about how they cope with living with soldiers.

For more information visit www.hypnotherapistcirencester.co.uk