A Life Lived Fully, On Stage and Off

Some stories are about success. This one’s about depth.

This week’s Power Woman, Kathryn Toohey, is someone who has built a life that doesn’t shy away from the hard parts… and doesn’t lose the joy either. From the classroom to coaching, from personal loss to stepping back into the spotlight, her journey is layered, honest, and full of quiet strength. It’s a reminder that growth doesn’t always look loud or linear… but it can still be incredibly powerful.

My maiden name was Kathryn Power. Growing up as one of the Power girls in the 1990s with Girl Power all around me, perhaps it was written in the stars that I'd end up featuring in a Power Women series one day – although I’d have been the last person to believe it!

If you'd told the shy, teenage me that I'd be running a Hypnotherapy and Performance Coaching business, teaching hypnosis in Canada, and preparing to perform in a musical - all at the same time - I probably would have laughed. But here I am, and I genuinely love what my life looks like right now.

In 2019 I launched Kathryn Toohey Hypnotherapy & Performance Coaching.  I’ve been running the business here on the Isle of Man ever since, working with clients both in person and online with people all over the world.

I started out as a Music teacher, and it was work I genuinely cared about. I loved being in the classroom, watching young people grow in confidence, helping them find their voice. But teaching also gave me a really clear window into how much pressure our young people carry - the anxiety before exams or performances, the self-doubt, the tendency to convince themselves they're not good enough before they've even tried.

I also began to struggle with my health – although I didn’t realise at the time, I was chronically stressed and my body was giving me a clear signal that something had to give! It was hypnotherapy that helped me turn that around – and the shift was so profound that I returned to hypnotherapy time and time again to help me overcome many challenges in my life, including IBS, auto immune conditions, eczema, recurrent miscarriages and the surrounding grief. The positive impact on my overall health and wellbeing was so profound, I decided to train as a hypnotherapist myself. 

I now specialise in helping people who are dealing with stress and anxiety, which often manifests itself in overthinking, or with physical conditions. I have recently developed a new area of specialism helping people to come to terms with a life without children they’d hoped for, whatever their circumstances – and to regain a sense of hope for a new kind of future.

My background as a performer shapes a lot of what I bring to my practice. It is creative work where I need to tap into my client’s perception of where they are stuck and help them discover their own solutions, uncovering their own internal resources, in ways that will resonate with their unique mind.

Part of my own healing journey in coming to terms with a life without children after many years of losses and fertility treatment, was getting back into performing again. My husband Alex launched Two Feathers Productions in 2022 in memory of his late mother Kathie Toohey. Later that year we were expecting twins conceived through IVF. We were so excited, but sadly we lost them both.

I hadn’t considered doing any more performing, and the following year I was at home cleaning the house while Alex and his production team were hosting auditions for Jersey Boys. That evening he came home and said that the Director, who had worked with me before, had asked if I’d consider auditioning for the role of Mary Delgado. I was delighted to get the part and thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience.

One of the things I'm most proud of in my career is being an assistant teacher with the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy in Toronto, Canada. I travel out there to help teach hypnosis each May and November, and it's become such a meaningful part of my life. I’ve recently been entrusted with teaching the Master Hypnotists which is a huge honour.  Canada has a very special place in my heart with many friends who have become family to me - it really does feel like a second home now.

Which makes it rather fitting that I'm currently rehearsing for Two Feathers Production's Come From Away - a musical set in Gander, Newfoundland, where the local community opened their doors to thousands of stranded travellers in the wake of 9/11. It's a story about warmth, generosity and human connection. I’m playing the role of Janice Mosher, a TV reporter whose first day on the job was September 11^th 2001. It’s a show like no other I’ve been in since I first trod the boards in 1988. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this Isle of Man debut cast and am immensely proud of my husband Alex for the standards of excellence his productions continue to achieve.

Alex and I both support each other in our respective business ventures. The demands of each business are vastly different, and whilst mine is solely run by me day to day, Alex has continued to encourage me. The nature of my work is 100% confidential and as such it can be a lonely experience if I’m not careful. This is why my Canadian hypnosis community is so beneficial for me to feel connected with like-minded people, and balancing my therapeutic work with performing has become so important to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always get the balance quite right! Theatre is a huge commitment and the juggle with work and home is a moving challenge! As such it is important that I’m selective with the projects I take on.

I'm proud of my work and I love what I do - as a therapist, a people helper and a coach. But I'm also incredibly proud of myself for building and running a successful business. There are so many wonderfully skilled hypnotherapists out there, but many struggle to translate that talent into a sustainable business model - one that allows them to keep helping people without burning themselves out in the process.

I've been on the brink of burnout myself more than once. But now I recognise the signs my body is giving me and I course correct. I know when I need to pull back. I owe it to my clients to be fit, well and at my best - but ultimately, I owe it to myself.

This is something I see in so many of the women I work with: the struggle with boundaries, with putting their own needs on the agenda. Culturally, we're not always encouraged to do that - but that narrative is starting to change, and I'm glad to be part of that conversation.

Exam Confidence Online Workshop — Friday 10th April 2026

As exam season approaches, I'm running something I'm particularly excited about. Last year I hosted my first Ultimate Exam Confidence Online Workshop for students, and the response was so positive that I’m running one again for this year’s cohort of students. It's taking place on Friday 10th April at 12pm during the Easter holidays.

It's a one-hour online session designed for teens and young adults who are feeling the pressure around exams - whether that's anxiety, procrastination, difficulty focusing or concentrating, or just a general sense of overwhelm.

Drawing on everything I know as a teacher, a hypnotherapist, and a performer, I'll be sharing practical techniques to help students feel calmer, more focused, and genuinely more confident going into their exams.

If students can't make the live session, a recording will be available to everyone who registers, along with a hypnosis audio track and some take-home resources. Parents and teachers are welcome to join too.

It's something I wish had existed when I was standing at the front of a classroom watching students struggle.

You can find out more and register here: https://tooheyhypnosis.com/ultimate-exam-confidence-workshop-for-students-2026

If any part of my story resonates with you - whether you're navigating stress, anxiety, grief, or that constant hum of overthinking that just won't switch off - I'd love to hear from you. I work with clients in person on the Isle of Man and online internationally.

You can find out more and book a free consultation with me at www.tooheyhypnosis.com

Tickets for Come From Away are available to book at the Villa Gaiety box office.

Kathryn Toohey is a Certified Hypnotherapist and Performance Coach based on the Isle of Man. She works with clients in person and online internationally, specialising in stress and anxiety. She also teaches hypnosis with the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy in Toronto, Canada. Find out more at www.tooheyhypnosis.com

What we love about Kathryn’s story is how real it is. The ambition, the setbacks, the pivots, the joy, the moments where you have to pull back and reset. It’s all part of it. And maybe that’s the takeaway. You don’t have to fit into one box, follow one path, or have it all perfectly balanced. You just have to keep coming back to what matters, and build a life that feels like yours.

If this one resonated, send it to someone who needs it, or take it as your reminder to check in with yourself this week. We’ll be back Friday with another Power Woman 💛