Hypnotherapy FAQ on How It Works & Its Benefits

Hypnotherapy is a powerful therapeutic technique that utilizes guided relaxation, intense concentration, and focused attention to achieve a beneficial, heightened state of awareness (often called a trance). Gaining popularity for its proven effectiveness in treating issues like anxiety, phobias, smoking cessation, and chronic pain, this treatment often sparks many questions. This comprehensive Hypnotherapy FAQ is designed to immediately address your most common inquiries—covering how it works, what to expect from a session, and confirming whether hypnotherapy is safe—to help clarify any misconceptions.

What is hypnotherapy, and what is a "trance"?

Hypnotherapy Defined

Hypnotherapy is a recognized therapeutic technique that uses the focused state of hypnosis to promote positive change in a client’s behaviors, thoughts, and emotional responses.

It is not a form of entertainment or mind control (like stage hypnosis), but a legitimate therapeutic tool used by licensed professionals. The hypnotherapist guides you to a receptive mental state where suggestions for healing and improvement are more readily accepted by your subconscious mind.

The “Trance” State Explained

The term “trance” often causes confusion, as it suggests being asleep or unconscious. In clinical hypnotherapy, the trance state is simply a natural, beneficial, and heightened state of awareness characterized by:

Focused Attention: You concentrate intensely on the therapist’s voice and inner experience, effectively tuning out peripheral distractions
Deep Relaxation: Your body and mind become profoundly relaxed, similar to the feeling just before you fall asleep or when you are completely absorbed in a book or movie.
Increased Suggestibility: Your conscious, critical mind temporarily steps aside, allowing the therapeutic suggestions to be accepted and integrated by the subconscious, leading to lasting change.

Key Point: You are always in control during a hypnotic trance. You can hear everything, you remember the session, and you can instantly bring yourself out of the state at any time. The trance is a cooperative process—you are simply allowing your mind to focus deeply on the positive changes you want to make.

Labay, M. L. (2023). Mastering hypnotherapy: Transformational strategies for healers and coaches. Mary Lee Labay.

Yapko, M. D. (2021). Process-oriented hypnosis: Focusing on the forest not the trees. W W Norton.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis a natural state of the mind that is between the aware state and sleep. We also naturally experience hypnosis just before or exiting the sleep state, or while daydreaming, or driving a familiar route (road trance). With hypnotherapy you can reprogram, and release thought patterns to make desirable and lasting changes in your life.

Hypnosis is defined as:

“a state of consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness characterized by an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion” (Elkins et al., 2015, p. 6).
A means for reaching the subconscious mind
An education communication process that allows a person’s conscious and subconscious mind to believe the same message (ARCH Canada, 2024).

What is the Difference Between Hypnotherapy and Stage Hypnosis?

While both use the tool of hypnosis (a state of focused attention), they are fundamentally different disciplines with opposing goals. What you see on stage is entertainment, not therapy.

urpose and Goal

Hypnotherapy: The purpose is therapeutic—to facilitate profound, long-term positive change by resolving emotional, behavioral, or psychological issues (e.g., anxiety, phobias, smoking).
Stage Hypnosis: The purpose is purely entertainment—to amuse an audience and create a show for a limited duration.

ontrol and Awareness

Hypnotherapy: You are always in control and fully aware of your surroundings. You cannot be made to accept any suggestion that conflicts with your morals, values, or safety.
Stage Hypnosis: The volunteer willingly complies with suggestions due to the social pressure and the expectation of the show. If a suggestion was truly offensive or dangerous, they would simply stop or refuse.

Setting and Duration

Hypnotherapy: Sessions are private and confidential, typically conducted one-on-one in a professional therapy office. The work is tailored to your individual history and goals.
Stage Hypnosis: The act is public, performed in a theater or auditorium. The suggestions used (like acting silly or forgetting a name) are temporary and are explicitly removed when the show concludes.

Summary: Your Role

In Hypnotherapy, you are a client actively working to improve your life. In Stage Hypnosis, you are a volunteer choosing to participate in an amusing performance.

Is clinical hypnotherapy grounded in scientific research?

There is a large growing body of scientific research due to the emergent focus on mind-body interactions among health professionals. Clinical hypnotherapy has clear benefits in areas such as anxiety, stress management, pain management, depression, sleep, hot flashes, and more. Hypnosis makes it easier to make changes making it a powerful tool for problem solving.

For more information read Barton (2017) and Weir (2024).

What does a typical session feel like?

A hypnotherapy session feels like a state you naturally enter every day. It’s best described as a feeling of deep, focused relaxation where your mind is highly attentive and receptive.

Here is a breakdown of what you can expect and how it typically feels:

The Feeling of Hypnosis (Trance)

The hypnotic trance is not sleep, nor is it unconsciousness. It’s often compared to the state of mind you are in just before falling asleep, or when you are completely engrossed in a movie or book.

Deep Physical Relaxation: You will likely feel a profound sense of physical calm. Your muscles will relax, your breathing may slow down and deepen, and you’ll feel very comfortable in your chair. You may even experience a pleasant feeling of heaviness or lightness in your limbs.
Heightened Mental Focus: Paradoxically, while your body is deeply relaxed, your mind is highly focused. You won’t be easily distracted by outside noises. Your attention is laser-focused on the therapist’s voice and the imagery or suggestions they are providing.
Vivid Imagery: It can feel like an intensely creative daydream. You may be guided to visualize scenes, memories, or future goals, and these mental pictures can feel very real and vivid.
Bypassing the Inner Critic: The part of your mind that normally analyzes, judges, and doubts (the “critical factor”) relaxes during hypnosis. This allows the helpful suggestions to reach your subconscious mind more easily, making the therapeutic process more effective.
Total Control: You remain fully aware and in control the entire time. You can think, talk, move, scratch your nose, or even get up and leave if you wanted to. You are simply choosing to participate in a highly focused state.

The Structure of a Session

A typical hypnotherapy session (usually 60 minutes) is broken into three parts:

Consultation (The Talk):

You and the therapist discuss your goals, your progress since the last session, and the specific therapeutic plan for the day. This builds the rapport and ensures the session is perfectly tailored to your needs.

Induction and Trance Work (The Experience):

Induction: The therapist guides you into the trance state using soothing language, progressive relaxation techniques, or guided imagery. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a quarter of the session.
Therapeutic Work: While in this focused state, the therapist delivers customized suggestions, metaphors, or specific techniques (like regression or reframing) that help your subconscious mind integrate new, positive patterns and release old, unhelpful habits.

Emergence and Post-Talk (The Aftermath):

Emergence: The therapist gently guides you back to full waking awareness, often with suggestions that you will feel alert, refreshed, and calm.
Post-Talk: You take a few minutes to re-orient, discuss what you experienced, and talk about the next steps.

After the Session

Most people leave a hypnotherapy session feeling refreshed, calm, and grounded, similar to how you feel after a great meditation session or a good night’s sleep. Because the brain has been working to rewire old patterns, some people may feel a bit “groggy” or mentally tired afterward, which quickly passes.

Will I lose control during hypnotherapy?

No, you absolutely will not lose control during hypnosis. You might enter a relaxed state, but you will always be aware of your surroundings and can accept or reject any suggestions made by the hypnotherapist. Hypnosis is a natural state of heightened focus.

Is hypnotherapy safe?

Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that uses hypnosis to help individuals access a heightened state of awareness and focus, often referred to as a trance-like state. In this state, the conscious mind is relaxed, and the subconscious mind becomes more open to suggestion. Trained hypnotherapists use this state to help people address various psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues.

Hypnotherapy is commonly used to treat conditions such as anxiety, phobias, depression, stress, sleep disorders, chronic pain, and habit-related problems like smoking or overeating. The approach may involve guided visualization, positive suggestions, and therapeutic dialogue to reframe thoughts, change behaviors, or resolve past trauma.

Hypnotherapy is considered safe when practiced by certified professionals and is often used alongside other therapeutic methods. It is not mind control or unconsciousness, and most people remain aware and in control during the process.

How effective is hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy, which uses hypnosis as a therapeutic tool, has gained acceptance in mainstream healthcare and is supported by a growing body of scientific research. While it’s not a magical cure and doesn’t work for everyone, studies have confirmed its effectiveness as a legitimate adjunct treatment for a variety of conditions. Follow my blog posts for a more detailed discussion of the evidence of hypnotherapy’s effectiveness.

The scientific basis of hypnotherapy lies in its ability to induce a state of highly focused attention and heightened suggestibility. During this trance-like state, a person is more open to suggestions that can help them modify their thoughts, behaviors, and perceptions. Brain-imaging studies have shown that hypnosis can alter activity in brain regions associated with pain perception, emotional regulation, and sensory processing. This allows a person to gain more control over their mind-body responses.

Hypnotherapy has been found to be particularly effective in the following areas:

Pain Management: Research consistently shows that hypnotherapy can significantly reduce both acute and chronic pain, including pain from surgery, cancer, and conditions like arthritis. It can alter a person’s perception of pain and help them manage the associated anxiety and distress.
Anxiety and Stress: Hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool for managing anxiety. It induces a state of deep relaxation, which counters the physiological symptoms of anxiety. By providing positive suggestions, it can help reframe negative thought patterns and build a greater sense of self-control. It is often most effective when combined with other therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Studies have shown that hypnotherapy can effectively reduce the symptoms of IBS, which is often linked to the mind-gut connection.
Other Conditions: There is also evidence supporting the use of hypnotherapy for other issues, including weight loss, smoking cessation, and certain dermatological conditions.

While the scientific evidence for hypnotherapy is strong for many conditions, it’s important to note that its effectiveness can vary from person to person. Not everyone is equally responsive to hypnosis, and it should always be performed by a qualified and licensed professional as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

A few scientific papers:

Anxiety

Rosendahl, J., Alldredge, C. T., & Haddenhorst, A. (2024). Meta-analytic evidence on the efficacy of hypnosis for mental and somatic health issues: a 20-year perspective. Frontiers in Psycholology, 14, 1330238. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1330238

Tigges-Limmer, K., Brocks, Y., Winkler, Y., Stock Gissendanner, S., & Gummert, J. (2024). Clinical experience with medical hypnosis as an adjunctive therapy in heart surgery. Frontiers in Psycholology, 15, 1356392. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1356392

Valentine, K. E., Milling, L. S., Clark, L. J., & Moriarty, C. L. (2019). The Efficacy of Hypnosis as a Treatment for Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 67(3), 336-363. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2019.1613863

Chronic Pain

Del Casale, A., Ferracuti, S., Rapinesi, C., De Rossi, P., Angeletti, G., Sani, G.,…Girardi, P. (2015). Hypnosis and pain perception: An Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies. Journal of Physiology – Paris, 109(4-6), 165-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphysparis.2016.01.001

Taylor, D. A., & Genkov, K. A. (2019). Hypnotherapy for the Treatment of Persistent Pain: A Literature Review. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 26(2), 157-161. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390319835604

Pregnancy

Beevi, Z., Low, W. Y., & Hassan, J. (2016). Impact of Hypnosis Intervention in Alleviating Psychological and Physical Symptoms During Pregnancy. American Journal Clinical Hypnosis, 58(4), 368-382. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2015.1063476

Beevi, Z., Low, W. Y., & Hassan, J. (2019). The Effectiveness of Hypnosis Intervention in Alleviating Postpartum Psychological Symptoms. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 61(4), 409-425. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2018.1538870

Cyna, A. M., McAuliffe, G. L., & Andrew, M. I. (2004). Hypnosis for pain relief in labour and childbirth: a systematic review. British Journal Anaesthesia, 93(4), 505-511. https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/aeh225

What issues or conditions can hypnotherapy treat?

Clinical hypnotherapy is a versatile therapeutic tool recognized for its effectiveness across a broad spectrum of psychological, emotional, behavioral, and even medical conditions. It is generally used as a complementary approach, either alongside traditional psychotherapy (like CBT) or medical treatment, to accelerate and reinforce positive change.

Here are the most common issues and conditions that hypnotherapy can effectively treat:

Mental & Emotional Health

Hypnotherapy is highly regarded for treating conditions rooted in anxiety and stress, often by addressing underlying subconscious patterns.

Anxiety and Stress Management:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Managing day-to-day stress and tension
Reducing panic attacks

Phobias and Fears:

Specific phobias such as fear of flying (Aerophobia), enclosed spaces (Claustrophobia), heights (Acrophobia), or needles (Trypanophobia).
Social Anxiety and performance anxiety (e.g., public speaking).

Mood and Trauma:

Addressing the symptoms of mild to moderate depression.
Assisting in coping with and integrating past trauma (often as part of a larger treatment plan for PTSD).

Self-Concept:

Boosting self-esteem and self-confidence.
Resolving guilt, shame, or fear of rejection.

Habits and Behavioral Changes

Hypnotherapy is famous for helping people overcome long-standing habits and unwanted behaviors.

Addictive Behaviors:

Smoking cessation (Quitting smoking is one of its most common and well-known uses).
Reducing the urge to drink alcohol or other substance cravings.

Habitual Disorders:

Stopping nail-biting or skin-picking.
Addressing hair pulling (Trichotillomania).

Eating and Weight Management:

Combating emotional or compulsive eating.
Establishing a healthier relationship with food and exercise.

Performance and Focus

Exam and Study Performance: Improving focus, memory, and reducing test anxiety.
Athletic Performance: Enhancing motivation, visualization, and breaking through mental barriers.

Hypnotherapy for Medical and Physical Conditions

Hypnotherapy is often used as an adjunctive therapy to help patients manage symptoms, control pain, and accelerate healing by utilizing the mind-body connection.

Pain Management & Discomfort

Hypnosis can help alter the brain’s perception of pain, offering a non-pharmacological route for relief.

Chronic Pain: Helps individuals manage persistent pain conditions, including back pain and joint pain.
Headaches: Effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of tension headaches and migraines.
Fibromyalgia & TMJ: Assists in reducing discomfort associated with these chronic conditions.

Gastrointestinal (Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy)

This specialized application of hypnotherapy is well-supported by research for functional gut disorders.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Hypnotherapy focused on the gut is widely recognized and often recommended to reduce symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, and discomfort.
Other GI Issues: Can be helpful for conditions like Colitis and Crohn’s Disease by managing stress and anxiety that exacerbate symptoms.

Sleep and Menopausal Symptoms

Hypnotherapy helps regulate the nervous system and calm the mind, directly benefiting sleep and hormonal comfort.

Insomnia: Used to induce deep relaxation, improve sleep hygiene, and interrupt the cycle of anxiety that prevents sleep. See my blog post on sleep.
Menopausal Symptoms: Shown to be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats.

Medical Procedures and Recovery

By teaching clients techniques to manage anxiety, hypnotherapy can significantly improve the experience of medical care.

Pre- and Post-Surgery: Reduces pre-operative anxiety, which can lead to better outcomes, faster healing, and less need for post-operative pain medication. See my blog post on post-surgical healing.
Dental Procedures: Helps individuals with dental phobia or a strong gag reflex to remain calm and cooperative during treatment.

Perinatal & Matrescence Care

Matrescence encompasses the entire process of becoming a mother, from preconception through pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Hypnotherapy provides holistic support for the massive psychological, emotional, and physical shifts involved. See my blog on how hypnotherapy supports pregnancy, delivery and postpartum.

Pregnancy and Childbirth Preparation

Hypnotherapy for Birthing:

Hypnotherapy techniques are widely used for childbirth preparation to promote a calm, comfortable, and confident birthing experience.

Fear Release: Addressing and reducing unconscious fears related to labor, delivery, and pain.
Pain Management: Teaching self-hypnosis and deep relaxation techniques to manage and reduce the perception of labor pain.
Bonding: Enhancing the emotional connection and bonding between the mother and the baby.
Managing Pregnancy Discomfort: Helping with the emotional component of physical symptoms like nausea and fatigue.

Postpartum and Transition to Motherhood

Hypnotherapy is a valuable tool for supporting the identity shift and emotional intensity of the postpartum phase.

Emotional Support: Addressing feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, and doubt that are common during the transition to motherhood.
Self-Reconnection: Guiding the mother to reconcile her former self with her new identity, helping to reduce feelings of “losing herself.”
Sleep Support: While not a cure for infant-induced sleep deprivation, it can help the mother maximize the quality of her own rest and manage postpartum insomnia.
Preventive Mental Wellness: Providing a mindset foundation that can help lower the likelihood and severity of postpartum anxiety or depression (when used as part of comprehensive mental health support).

How does hypnotherapy help with anxiety?

Anxiety often comes from subconscious fears, automatic negative thoughts, or unresolved stress. Hypnotherapy helps by:

Calming the nervous system and reducing physical tension
Releasing fear-based thinking and replacing it with calm, confident responses
Building new subconscious associations with peace and safety
Strengthening emotional resilience and self-control
Helping you reframe past experiences that may trigger anxious responses

What types of anxiety can hypnotherapy help with?

Hypnotherapy can be effective for many forms of anxiety, including:

Generalized anxiety and constant worry
Social anxiety or performance nerves
Panic attacks
Phobias and fears (e.g., flying, public speaking, driving)
Stress-related anxiety or burnout

Tell me, what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Mary Oliver, The Summer Day