At first thought, hypnosis may conjure up images of swinging pendulums, stage entertainers making hypnotic people quack like ducks and mysterious mind control. But beyond the theatrics and misconceptions, hypnotherapy is a powerful and therapeutic tool for anxiety and stress management, offering relaxation, improving sleep, and supporting behavior change. 

Let’s explore what hypnotherapy is and how it works to help you decide if being hypnotized could help you achieve your personal well-being goals. 

What Is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that is used to create a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility.

Clinical hypnotherapy is offered by trained professionals who guide you into a trance-like state, known as hypnosis, where you experience deep relaxation and an enhanced state of focus. In this hypnotic state, the subconscious mind becomes more receptive to positive suggestions. In this way, a hypnotherapy session can facilitate changes in perception, behavior and emotional responses.

Hypnotherapy is a collaborative effort between the therapist and the client. The process of hypnotherapy requires the active participation of the client to achieve wellbeing benefits. It’s a process of calming and focusing the mind to help support a client’s desired outcome.

Benefits Of Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a calming therapy that connects with the subconscious mind to offer many wellbeing benefits.  

Reduced Anxiety And Stress

Many seek out hypnosis for anxiety.  Hypnotherapy can help individuals manage anxiety and stress by promoting relaxation and offering the client helpful coping strategies.

Relief For Chronic Pain

Hypnotherapy can help in reducing the focus on and the perception of pain, and improve the quality of life for those with chronic pain conditions.

Overcoming Phobias And Fears

Hypnotherapy can help desensitize individuals to phobias and fears, making exposure more manageable.

Addressing Addictions

Hypnosis can support behavior changes and is used to aid in overcoming addictions and addictive behaviors.

Improving Sleep

 Hypnotherapy’s deep sense of relaxation can improve sleep quality and can be used to help those with sleep issues, such as insomnia. Sleep hypnosis is used at bedtime to help individuals fall and stay asleep while achieving wellbeing goals.

Weight Loss

Many people are turning to hypnosis to promote healthy eating habits, address emotional eating and lose weight.

What You Can Expect In Hypnotherapy

A typical hypnotherapy session may include guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation and focused attention. As the client enters a state of hypnosis, they become deeply relaxed, yet remain fully aware of their surroundings and in control of their actions.

Hypnotherapy is typically conducted through various methods, but most sessions follow a structure that includes two stages: induction and suggestion. These stages are essential for creating a focused and receptive mental state, affecting the client's subconscious mind.

Hypnosis Induction

The hypnosis induction phase is the first step in the hypnosis process. During hypnosis induction, the client is guided to relax deeply and concentrate their attention, often being told that they are entering a state of hypnosis. Induction is used to calm the mind and direct focus towards the hypnotherapist’s instructions and suggestions.

Hypnosis Suggestion

After hypnosis induction, the client’s calm mind enters a trance, undistracted and effortlessly focused. Once the client is in a hypnotic state, the hypnotherapist provides therapeutic suggestions designed to address the client's specific issues. For instance, someone seeking hypnosis for anxiety might receive suggestions to promote calmness and resilience. Someone seeking hypnosis to improve a fear or phobia might be carefully guided with visualization. A hypnotic state allows these suggestions to bypass the conscious mind's usual resistance, making it more likely to be accepted and integrated by the subconscious.

What Does It Feel Like to Be Hypnotized? 

Most hypnosis clients report being hypnotized to feel completely relaxing. Being hypnotized can feel like entering a state of deep relaxation and heightened focus. A hypnotic state is similar to a flow state —the feeling you get when being so completely absorbed in an activity that you lose track of time and external distractions fade away. Progressive muscle relaxation also helps to relax and calm the body making the session an enjoyable stress release.

During the hypnosis session, you remain fully aware and in control, yet your mind becomes more open and receptive to positive suggestions. Many describe the experience as calming and peaceful. Hypnosis instantly can transport you from daily stress and anxiety, offering a sense of detachment from everyday worries and constant overthinking.

Hypnosis: What Format Is Right For You?

Hypnosis is offered in a variety of formats. You may want to consider, self hypnosis, audio hypnosis tracks, or an in-person clinical hypnotherapy session with a professional hypnotherapist.

Self Hypnosis

In self hypnosis,  you guide yourself into a hypnotic state without the direct assistance of a therapist. This method will take some practice and self-discipline, but it’s accessible to anyone. Self hypnosis will require learning focus techniques, such as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation and releasing thoughts.

Hypnotherapy Audio Tracks

Audio tracks for hypnosis offer the benefit of professional guidance without the need for a live hypnotherapist. Using recordings by trained hypnotherapists, you can be guided through the induction and suggestion phases of hypnosis.

The Aura Heath app offers thousands of audio tracks, including specific tracks for positive behavior changes, such as reducing stress and anxiety, losing weight, facing fears, boosing confidence and improving sleep.

Sleep Hypnosis

Often, hypnosis tracks can be used while sleeping to offer powerful subconscious suggestion. Sleep hypnosis works by relaxing the body and calming the mind for a good night’s sleep. Once asleep, the subconscious suggestions continue to create positive suggestions .

In-Person Clinical Hypnotherapy Sessions

In-person clinical hypnotherapy sessions with a professional hypnotherapist offer a personalized and interactive experience, as the therapist can tailor each session to address your unique challenges and goals. The hypnotherapist can provide immediate feedback, adjust techniques in real time, and offer a deeper level of support and guidance. This option is ideal for working with more complex issues or for those individuals who seek more support.

In conclusion, whether you choose self-hypnosis, audio tracks, or in-person hypnotherapy sessions, hypnosis can be a helpful technique for releasing stress and anxiety and improving your life helping you reach your desired well-being outcomes.