What is Hypnotherapy?

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Hypnotherapy (also sometimes called clinical hypnosis) is the therapeutic use of hypnosis to support emotional and behavioural change. It works by helping a person move into a calm, focused state where the unconscious mind becomes more accessible.

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This allows underlying beliefs, feelings or patterns to be explored and gently reshaped with greater ease than through conscious effort alone.

 

Psychotherapy theory and techniques are often integrated with hypnosis to inform and support the psychological process, making it a safe and structured therapeutic approach.

 

How it works

In everyday life, people naturally enter light hypnotic states — for example while absorbed in a film, reading, or driving on “autopilot.”
 

In a therapeutic setting, this natural state is used intentionally, allowing the conscious mind to soften and reducing the blocks or resistance it can create. The unconscious mind is then able to work more freely, supporting emotional processing and positive behavioural change.

 

Hypnotherapy does not involve losing control. You remain aware and able to choose what you respond to, and you cannot be made to do anything you do not agree with.

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Who can be hypnotised?

Everyone can experience a hypnotic state, although some people drop into it more easily than others. For those who need a little more practice, it can be developed gradually, both in session and through simple exercises at home.

 

What is hypnotherapy helpful for?

Hypnotherapy is particularly helpful for difficulties with:

• stress and overwhelm

• emotional regulation

• specific anxieties or fears

• confidence and self-belief

• sleep and behavioural habits

• physical symptoms that are stress-related (e.g. IBS, tension headaches, migraines, high blood pressure)

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