Why Lino Couldn’t Sleep at Night; A True Story of Healing

Inspiring client stories.

Lino didn’t come to therapy because of a significant crisis. He came because he was tired. Tired of not sleeping. Tired of always being on edge. Tired of living in a body that felt like it was bracing for something. Even when life was calm.

He wasn’t sure why he couldn’t sleep. But something inside him knew: this isn't just about rest. Something more profound is going on.

When we began working together, Lino shared memories from his childhood that he had long since brushed aside.

He grew up in a home filled with love, yes, but also fear. His father was often absent and, when present, emotionally unreachable. His mother, raised in fear herself, clung tightly to Lino, her youngest child. She was overprotective, anxious, constantly worried something bad would happen. That fear shaped the way she raised him.

Lino’s older brother bullied him throughout childhood. It was rarely called out and was accepted as "normal." And like many sensitive children, Lino internalised the pain. If no one is stopping it, he thought, maybe I deserve it. Perhaps I’m the problem.

And so the belief settled in: I’m not enough. I’m stupid. Something’s wrong with me.

The family environment that was shaped by generations of unspoken trauma, taught Lino to live in fear. Not the kind that screams, but the kind that whispers constantly in the background, Be careful. You’re not safe.

As an adult, Lino became a municipal policeman. Was he looking for structure, for rules, for some sense of safety? But the same patterns followed him. At work, he found himself bullied again. This time by colleagues: different faces, same feelings. And the sleepless nights continued.

He tried traditional therapy. He was prescribed antidepressants, which took the edge off just enough to cope. He stayed on them for 30 years. But the deep rest he longed for in his mind, in his body, never came.

When Lino came to see me, we did something different.

We worked with the subconscious mind, the place where those old beliefs and frozen fears still lived. Through hypnotherapy, he began to understand where his anxiety truly came from and how it had protected him, not punished him.

Together, we used EMDR to revisit those moments that had shaped his nervous system in a safe and controlled manner. One by one, we softened the sting of old wounds. We untangled the belief that he was broken. We made space for something new. And then, something extraordinary but straightforward happened.

Lino started sleeping.

Not just better, but deeper. His anxiety eased. His body let go of the constant need to be on alert. And perhaps most importantly, he began to see himself differently. He saw that the fear wasn’t his fault.That the shame didn’t belong to him.That he had been doing his best in a world that hadn’t known how to support him.

Lino still has moments. We all do. But now, he meets them with compassion, not fear. He knows that healing is possible, no matter how long you’ve been carrying the pain.

If any part of Lino’s story feels familiar, you’re not alone.

Many of us carry invisible weight; old beliefs, early fears, and stories we were never meant to hold. You don’t have to keep carrying them.

Healing is not just possible. It’s closer than you think!

If you’re ready to sleep better, live more fully, and finally come home to yourself, I’m here to walk beside you.