Clinical Hypnosis: Another Way of Working in Psychological Therapy
Clinical hypnosis is a psychological technique that uses focused attention, relaxation, imagery and therapeutic suggestion. I have recently begun incorporating hypnosis into my practice as an additional method that can be used alongside established psychological therapies when there is a clear rationale for doing so.
Despite its long history in healthcare, hypnosis is still surrounded by some fairly persistent misconceptions. People sometimes associate it with stage hypnosis, being unconscious, losing control or having something done to them. Clinical hypnosis is much less dramatic. You remain aware of what is happening, able to respond, and able to stop at any point.
The experience varies between people, but it often involves becoming more absorbed in a particular focus while paying less attention to competing thoughts and distractions. This might involve concentrating on breathing, physical sensations, imagery, memories or therapeutic ideas. In many respects, these shifts in attention are familiar: becoming absorbed in a book, driving a well-known route almost automatically, or becoming immersed in music all involve aspects of focused attention.
How can hypnosis be used in therapy?
Hypnosis does not replace the psychological work we are already doing. The thoughts, beliefs, emotional responses and behavioural patterns we might explore in ordinary therapy remain important. Hypnosis provides another way of working with some of that material.
For example, it may be used to support relaxation and emotion regulation, rehearse different responses to difficult situations, work with imagery, strengthen coping skills or consolidate therapeutic learning. Depending on the person and the problem being addressed, it can be incorporated alongside approaches such as cognitive therapy and other evidence-based psychological treatments.
An important part of the process is collaboration. Before using hypnosis, we would discuss what we are hoping to work on, why hypnosis might be useful and what you can expect. Suggestions are generally framed as invitations rather than instructions, allowing you to notice what happens and respond in your own way.
Do you have to be “good at hypnosis”?
There is no particular way you are supposed to feel, and hypnosis does not require you to achieve an unusually deep or altered state. Some people experience marked relaxation or absorption; others simply notice that their attention becomes more focused.
You also do not need to clear your mind. Thoughts can continue to come and go while attention is directed towards the therapeutic task.
Clinical hypnosis is therefore best understood as another psychological method available within therapy. Like any intervention, it will be more relevant for some people and some treatment goals than others. Where it may add something useful to the work we are already doing, we can discuss whether it is worth trying.
If clinical hypnosis has sparked your curiosity, you can find out more about how I use it in practice here.