Clinical Hypnosis
Clinical hypnosis is a psychological technique that uses focused attention, imagery and therapeutic suggestion. It can be incorporated into psychological therapy when it is appropriate to the person and the work we are doing together.
The thoughts, beliefs, behavioural patterns and emotional responses we might explore in ordinary psychological therapy remain important. Hypnosis simply gives us another way of working with some of that material.
It may be used alongside other therapeutic approaches rather than as a separate treatment in itself.
Hypnosis + Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy helps us notice patterns in the way we think, predict and interpret what happens, and develop more useful ways of responding.
Hypnosis can allow us to work with those ideas more experientially. Rather than only talking through a different response, we might use imagery and rehearsal to practise it.
For example, we might mentally rehearse responding differently in a familiar situation, strengthen a coping strategy you already have, or practise seeing an experience from another perspective.
The aim isn’t to bypass your conscious mind or “put” new beliefs into your head. You remain actively involved in the process, and the work stays collaborative and connected to the goals we have agreed on in therapy.
If you’d like to read a little more about clinical hypnosis, I’ve written about what it is, how I use it in psychological therapy, and when it may be useful →
NOTICE
REHEARSE
RESPOND DIFFERENTLY
FAQs
Will I lose control?
Clinical hypnosis is a collaborative psychological process. You remain aware of what is happening, able to make choices, and able to stop at any time. Rather than taking control away from you, the aim is to help you focus attention in a way that can support the therapeutic work we are doing together.
Will I be asleep?
No. Although some people feel very relaxed, hypnosis involves focused attention rather than ordinary sleep. You are usually aware of what is happening around you and can hear and respond throughout the session.
What if I can't be hypnotised?
People vary considerably in how they experience and respond to hypnosis. There isn't a particular depth or sensation you need to achieve for the process to be useful.
Will I remember what happened?
Generally, yes. Clinical hypnosis is not sleep or unconsciousness, and most people remain aware of what is happening throughout the session and remember the experience afterwards. Hypnosis is also not used to uncover supposedly hidden or forgotten memories, as memory is reconstructive and can be influenced by suggestion.