The basics
What is hypnotherapy?
Forget the stage shows. Hypnotherapy is a calm, focused, collaborative way to change the automatic reactions that knowing better hasn't fixed, and it works beautifully over a video call.
Hypnosis: a state you already know
Think of the last time you were so absorbed in a book that you didn't hear someone call your name, or drove a familiar road and arrived with no memory of the journey. That inward, absorbed focus is the heart of hypnosis. It is natural, it happens to all of us every day, and in a session it simply becomes deliberate and guided.
In hypnosis your body usually feels heavy and relaxed while your mind stays awake and attentive. You hear everything I say. You can speak, move, open your eyes or stop whenever you choose.
Why it helps
Much of what we do runs on autopilot. Your heart beats, you flinch at a loud noise, you reach for a cigarette with your coffee, your chest tightens before a meeting. None of that waits for a conscious decision. That's why you can know perfectly well that a fear is irrational and still feel it.
Hypnotherapy is hypnosis used with a purpose. In that relaxed, focused state the busy, analysing part of your mind steps back, and we can work more directly with the automatic part: where a reaction was learned, what it was trying to protect you from, and what a better response would look like. Then we rehearse that new response until it starts to feel like yours.
Myths and facts
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| You'll be asleep or unconscious | You stay aware throughout. Most people remember most or all of the session. |
| The hypnotist takes control of you | Nothing happens without your agreement. You can't be made to do or say anything you don't want to. |
| You could get stuck in hypnosis | Impossible. If the session stopped, you would simply open your eyes, as you would after a daydream. |
| Only gullible or weak-willed people can be hypnotised | Focus and imagination help far more than suggestibility. Wanting to change is what matters most. |
| It's the same as stage hypnosis | Stage shows pick volunteers who want to perform. Therapy is private, respectful and entirely about your goals. |
| It can't work over a screen | Hypnosis travels through voice and attention. With headphones, many people find online sessions more absorbing, not less. |
How I work
I'm an Advanced and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, which means my style is conversational and tailored rather than scripted. I combine hypnosis with NLP (I'm a Master Practitioner, trained by Richard Bandler and John Grinder), coaching and mindfulness, choosing whatever suits you and the change you want.
A typical online session starts with a conversation about where you are and where you want to be. Then you get comfortable, close your eyes and listen as I guide you into hypnosis. Afterwards we talk through what you noticed and agree something simple to practise before next time. The full journey is on how online sessions work.
What the evidence says
- Anxiety: a 2019 review of 17 controlled trials found people who had hypnosis reduced their anxiety more than about 79% of people in the comparison groups (Valentine et al.).
- Medical procedures: a 2021 review of 50 randomised trials found hypnosis reduced distress and how much pain people felt around surgery and medical procedures (Holler et al.).
- IBS: UK clinical guidelines from NICE and the British Society of Gastroenterology include hypnotherapy as an option for people with IBS.
The research is stronger for some problems than others, so each page on what can be treated explains what applies to that issue. If you're wondering whether it suits you personally, see is it right for me? and the FAQ.
The research
- Valentine KE, Milling LS, Clark LJ, Moriarty CL (2019). The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 67(3):336–363. PubMed 31251710
- Holler M, Koranyi S, Strauss B, Rosendahl J (2021). Meta-analysis of hypnosis in medical procedures (50 randomised trials). Clinical Psychology Review 85:102001. PubMed 33725512
- NICE guideline CG61 on irritable bowel syndrome (2008, updated 2017), recommendation 1.2.3.1. NICE
- Vasant DH et al. (2021). British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on the management of irritable bowel syndrome. Gut 70(7):1214–1240. PubMed 33903147
15–30 minutes by phone or video, no obligation. Or call 07923 495558.