How Does Hypnotherapy Work?

Hypnotherapy’s focus on relaxation can be an incredibly helpful tool for those struggling with conditions like addictive behaviors, anxiety, and trauma. As part of broader psychotherapy, it may also help address mental health problems and other conditions, sometimes alongside medications when appropriate. Our certified master hypnotists aim to help you progress in recovery by harnessing the entirety of the power of your mind. As a very effective method for accessing subconscious thoughts, hypnosis helps you remove unhealthy behaviors without triggering any feelings of stress, fear, or self-doubt.

As a treatment geared toward identifying and replacing maladaptive behaviors, guided hypnosis can help if you suffer from mental blocks. Hypnotherapy is a great tool that helps you remove unhealthy beliefs that impede your ability to acknowledge the need for change and introduce new, positive behaviors into your daily life. It may also support better daily habits and fewer sick days.

Many who want to end their addiction make several attempts to recover but have a difficult time staying sober. Trying a variety of therapy techniques in treatment without seeing lasting success can be incredibly discouraging and may lead to feelings of hopelessness. Addiction is a treatable disorder, and effective care supports an ongoing recovery process rather than a one-time fix. Relapse is common, so relapse prevention often means adjusting treatment strategies instead of assuming care has failed.

Hypnotherapy can increase your chance of success by addressing some of the contributing factors to dependence including low self-esteem and emotional trauma. It can also help resolve conflicts between conscious and subconscious motivations. In some treatment programs, hypnotherapy is used alongside behavioral therapies and medications for opioids, alcohol, or nicotine to support better outcomes in addiction treatment.

During a clinical study focused on hypnotic states, Harvard researchers determined that hypnosis elevates two key areas within the brain that control and process the internal workings of the body. Similarly, the area of the brain that controls your actions and your awareness of your actions also shuts down or slows significantly during sessions of hypnosis.

The research suggests that the effects of a hypnotic state include:

• A dissociated control state

• Increased positive feelings

• Decreased negative feelings

• Improved visual imagery

• Heightened attention

Simply put, key portions of the brain — areas that affect our levels of awareness and control — are noticeably altered during hypnosis. For this reason, hypnotherapy is an extremely beneficial form of treatment for those suffering from mental health and substance use disorders when administered in a safe and secure environment. In practice, behavioral health services often use tailored approaches to help people handle stressful situations, manage triggers, and stay engaged in care.

Unfortunately, a person’s past experiences — especially after experiencing trauma— can result in the development of defensive mechanisms such as increased anger and volatility when confronted with evidence of their poor behavior. Others may shut down and withdraw from the thought of change following years of shame and rejection from loved ones.

People seeking trauma-focused psychotherapy can often find referrals through primary care physicians, community health centers, workplace EAPs, medical schools, local psychiatric societies, and online directories. In many cases, healthcare providers, health professionals, medical doctors, and other professionals work together to improve access to care and connect people with the right support.

Normally, once you associate the concept of change with negative interactions from the past, your initial gut reaction to therapeutic healing methods can trigger confrontational responses that will often impede your progress.

It is important to understand that feelings and memories related to trauma can “hide” in your unconscious memory. On a conscious level, you may not realize the impact of the trauma you experienced. In fact, you may not remember the traumatic event at all. During these sessions, you will gain the ability to ruminate over questions that you otherwise might have brushed off, ignored, or reacted defensively against, were you in your default mindset.

Hypnotherapy provides a space for you to separate yourself from the walls you have built throughout the years. It is within the space between your walls of defense that your hypnotherapist works, guiding you toward healthier emotional outlets, and motivating you to accept change with open minds, hearts, and arms.

to find the right level of care for your unique situation. Hypnotherapy is one of our holistic therapy techniques and it has helped many of our patients heal in recovery.

Get the help you need to begin your journey to recovery. Telehealth services can improve access by reducing travel and office-visit costs for people who need ongoing support. Health insurance may help cover psychotherapy, medications, alternative therapies, and alternative treatments, though out-of-pocket costs can still apply.