What really happens during a hypnotherapy session?

For many people, the word hypnotherapy still brings to mind a number of stereotypes. From swinging watches to being made to think you’re a chicken, there are a lot of misconceptions around this approach. Part of this is down to people confusing hypnotherapy with stage hypnosis and part of this is due to a lack of understanding.

Without having hypnotherapy yourself, it can be hard to know what it truly involves. This lack of knowledge might be enough to put you off entirely. To help more people understand what the process of hypnotherapy is like and what to expect from a hypnotherapy session, we asked solution-focused clinical hypnotherapist Anne Gregory to explain.

The first part of the session

The first part of your hypnotherapy session is your chance to chat with your therapist about what you would like support with and what your goals are here.

“We’ll keep those goals in mind all the way through the sessions,” Anne explains.

“Then I’ll gather some information to help give me a broader picture. So a little bit of information around lifestyle, what your sleep patterns are like, any physical health issues you might have, anything that might have a bearing on what it is you’re looking to achieve.”

Following this, Anne says she often explains how the brain works and answers any questions you have around the process. This ensures you have a really clear understanding of how everything works before entering the trance part of the session.

Going into trance

Anne describes going into trance as a lovely and relaxing experience and not something you can get ‘stuck’ in.

“It’s actually like a daydream type state. We all go into trance many times throughout the day. You may have experienced it when you’re driving a car or out for a jog, where you’re just completely focused on doing one thing, but your mind is freed to focus and think about other things.”

Anne goes on to explain that you can be sitting or lying down for the trance part, whatever helps you feel most comfortable and you don’t even have to close your eyes if you don’t want to. Being comfortable and able to relax is the most important thing.

“During the trance part of the session, because you’re physically relaxing, you allow your subconscious mind to relax as well.

And when the subconscious is relaxed, it’s much more receptive to absorbing the positive suggestions that are being made. And that’s what really helps to make the changes happen.

If you’re interested in seeing what it’s like to go into a trance, watch our video above where Anne shares a snippet of a client session.

The end of the session

Once the hypnosis is complete, you’ll likely arrange your next appointment (if more sessions are required). Anne says she also sends clients a hypnotherapy audio download that they can listen to between each session, “This really helps to consolidate what we’ve done and helps to keep the momentum going between the sessions”.

Many hypnotherapists will offer this, sharing self-hypnosis tips to help you continue the great work you’ve achieved during the session. 

Keen to learn more? Read through our frequently asked questions and our information page on what hypnotherapy really is.

You can connect with Anne or use our search tool to find hypnotherapists listed with us to start your hypnotherapy journey today.