Hypnotherapy is a form of therapy that can use hypnosis alongside talking therapy to help you explore thoughts, feelings, behaviours and patterns a little differently.

Hypnosis is simply a state of focused attention. You might feel deeply relaxed, more absorbed in your thoughts, or simply more connected to what’s happening internally. There’s no particular way you’re supposed to feel, and hypnosis is only ever used if it feels right for you.

No. You’re still aware of what’s happening and remain in control throughout.

You can talk, move, open your eyes or stop at any point. You won’t be made to say or do anything you don’t want to do. Hypnotherapy is something we do together, rather than something that is done to you.

People come to therapy for all sorts of reasons. You might have something specific you’d like support with, or you might simply feel that something isn’t quite right and want some space to understand it.

We might explore things such as anxiety and stress, confidence and self-esteem, fears and phobias, sleep, habits, motivation, emotional eating, smoking, or patterns of thinking and behaviour that you feel ready to look at differently.

And if you’re not quite sure how to put what you're experiencing into words, that’s okay too. We can start there.

There isn’t really a set number.

Some people come with something quite specific and find that a shorter piece of work suits them. Others prefer having more time to explore things at a deeper level.

We can talk about this during your initial consultation, and we’ll check in along the way so that therapy continues to feel useful and relevant to you.

We’ll usually start by talking about what’s been going on for you and what you’d like to explore or work towards.

And despite the name hypnotherapy, you don't have to use hypnosis in every session… or at all.

Hypnosis is simply one of the approaches we can use together. If you’d like to try it and it feels appropriate, I’ll guide you through the process and tailor it to what we’re working on. If you’d rather stick with talking therapy, that’s absolutely fine too.

It’s about finding what works for you, rather than trying to fit you into a particular way of doing therapy.

It’s different for everyone.

You might feel really relaxed, notice your thoughts becoming quieter, or find yourself more focused on my voice and your own inner experience. Some people notice physical sensations like feeling heavy, light, warm or a little floaty. Others don’t notice much physically at all.

You’re not asleep or unconscious. You can still hear what’s happening, think, speak and move if you want to.

And there’s no “right” way to experience hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy is generally considered a low-risk approach when used appropriately by a suitably trained practitioner.

Before using hypnosis, we’ll talk about what it involves and whether it feels suitable for you. If I feel that another type of support would be more appropriate for what you're experiencing, we can talk about that too.

People respond to hypnosis differently. Some people find it really easy to become absorbed in the experience, while others take a little longer or experience it much more subtly.

You also don't have to completely “switch off” or stop thinking. So if you're someone who overthinks, asks lots of questions or considers yourself quite analytical, that doesn't automatically mean hypnosis won't work for you.

Most importantly, it’s something we do with you, not to you.

That’s completely okay… you don't need to understand everything about hypnotherapy before getting in touch.

If you're curious about working together, or you're not quite sure whether this approach is right for you, get in touch and we can have a chat.