10 frequently asked questions about hypnotherapy

People always have a lot of questions about hypnosis and how it’s used in hypnotherapy.

1. Will I still be in control of myself?

This is a reasonable fear. If you really submit to the relaxation of hypnosis and enter a trance, will you lose control? No, you will be still fully in control when you are hypnotised. You will still be conscious, but your conscious mind is extremely relaxed. No one can take control unless you allow it.

2. Am I surrendering my free will if I go into a trance state?

No. When you are in a hypnotic or trance state you are more aware and more focused on yourself than you are in a normal state. You are in full possession of all your faculties throughout the hypnotherapy session and you are not under a “spell” or the direction or control of someone else. You will not do anything under hypnosis that you wouldn’t do under any other circumstance.

3. Can I be hypnotised without my consent? 

No one can hypnotise you without your consent. Hypnosis is a state of very deep relaxation. If you don’t want to be hypnotised, then you won’t be able to relax and you won’t enter a hypnotic state.  

The process of entering a hypnotic state takes time to allow your body and mind to reach the deep relaxation that is necessary for hypnosis. You can stop the hypnosis session at any point during that process if you are not comfortable or if you don’t want to be hypnotised. It takes some time to gently relax and to relax fully. Hypnotherapists do not use "rapid induction" as you will see with stage hypnotists. 

4. What happens if I can’t come out of trance?

It’s impossible for that to happen because you are not unconscious at any point. You will be in a deeply relaxed state but fully conscious and you can come out of that state at any time that you want to. You can also come out of that state when given a verbal cue by the hypnotherapist.

Sometimes you may not want to come out of a trance, because the relaxed state you are in feels so good! When that happens it may take you a few minutes to return to your normal awareness but that is only because you want to stay in the relaxed state, not because you are being forced to stay in it or because you can’t come out of it on your own. You are always in control, even when you are deep in a hypnotic state.

5. Can I hypnotise myself?

Yes, you can hypnotise yourself! All hypnosis is a form of self-hypnosis as you are in control of what you are doing. We will provide a mp3 recording of a language pattern to use regularly to practise entering a state of deep relaxation.  

6. Does hypnosis work on children?

Yes, hypnotherapy is often used to treat children and will work well with children with behavioural disorders, anxiety, school phobia (and phobias of any kind), night terrors, sleep disturbances and many other issues. 

7. Is hypnosis real?

Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that has been used with proven success to treat medical and psychological disorders in millions of people. It is important to understand that the techniques are based on clinical research and are evidence-based. Anyone can be treated with hypnosis, and in most cases, hypnosis is a very effective form of treatment for many different disorders. Hypnosis has a long history of being used to treat illness; it’s not a new or untested therapy.

8. How many problems can I cure at once using hypnosis?

Hypnotherapy isn’t a magic cure that will get rid of all your problems at once. However, problems often have a common cause and reducing anxiety is often the first step needed. 

 9. Do I need to see a hypnotherapist more than once?

Another frequently asked question about hypnosis is “How many sessions will I need?” For anxiety-related conditions around 6-8 sessions will be needed but can be more or less as required. Therapy to help a client quit smoking is done usually in one or two sessions. 

10. Is hypnotherapy safe?

Hypnotherapy is perfectly safe. You are always in control, and you never lose consciousness. Unlike drug therapies hypnosis has no possible side effects and, in most people, hypnotherapy will have a very positive outcome, unlike drugs which may or may not work depending on body chemistry. 

Hypnotherapy can safely treat the physical and mental aspects of common problems like addictions and can help break physical and emotional dependence on overeating, smoking, drinking, anger, or any other destructive addiction.