Hypnotherapy Unveiled: A Gentle Path Back to Yourself
I’ve heard it all.
“Are you going to swing a pocket watch and say, ‘You are getting sleeeeepy?”
“Will I end up doing something embarrassing?”
“What if I forget everything I say?”
When I share that I use hypnotherapy in my mental health therapy practice, people often picture stage shows or someone clucking like a chicken. The word “hypno” tends to stir up confusion or fear. But here’s the truth: hypnotherapy is one of the most misunderstood and deeply powerful tools I’ve ever worked with (personally and professionally).
Let me gently demystify it for you. I’ll share what hypnotherapy truly is, how I use it in session, and why it matters. Then you can decide for yourself.
When “I’m Fine” Isn’t Fine
Imagine walking into a therapist’s office, heart racing, unsure how to talk about your body, your story, or your truth. You fidget. You smile. You say, “I’m fine.” Well, hypnotherapy gently challenges that “fineness.” It offers your nervous system permission to soften, to explore what’s beneath the surface, and to connect with what hasn’t felt safe to name.
It’s not about control or performance…it’s about safety, spaciousness, and access.
What Is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic approach that uses guided relaxation, focused attention, and gentle suggestion to help someone enter a deeper state of awareness, often referred to as a trance.
Let’s pause there.
Trance is another word that gets misunderstood.
We drift in and out of this state every day without realizing it. Have you ever driven somewhere and arrived to your destination without remembering the trip? Or brushed your teeth and wondered moments later if you actually, did it? That’s trance.
It’s a natural shift in consciousness where your attention turns inward and the outside world fades into the background.
In trance, you’re not asleep nor in your fully thinking mind either. You’re somewhere in between—calm, open, and often more connected to your imagination, intuition, or inner knowing.
Why It Works with the Nervous System
In this state, we are able to feel more attuned to inner wisdom. The ability to revisit memories, reframe beliefs, and explore emotions with a sense of safety and distance is possible.
From a trauma-informed lens, hypnotherapy supports regulation. It helps shift the body out of fight-or-flight and into the parasympathetic state—where rest, reflection, and integration become possible. This is the first time, for many (including myself), where exploring our inner world feels “safe enough,” without overwhelm.
How I Use Hypnotherapy in My Practice
I don’t use hypnotherapy as a quick fix or standalone tool. It’s gently woven into the therapeutic process, with consent, pacing (according to individual needs), and deep attunement.
Sometimes, we struggle to recall parts of childhood or life story. (Remember, trauma often protects us by blocking painful memories.) I use hypnotherapy to assist in guiding one to meet younger versions of themselves with compassion and curiosity; what you might have heard of as, inner child work.
Other times, we work with affirmations or new beliefs. Perhaps you’ve tried repeating a positive statement about yourself, only to feel like it never really lands. That’s because the protective part of your brain is online and the part, you’re trying to reach, is offline.
Hypnotherapy helps gently bridge that gap. In trance, the mind becomes more receptive, allowing new truths to be heard and felt.
I also use hypnotherapy as a powerful doorway when talk therapy hits a wall.
No two sessions are alike. Each one is co-created with the client, attuned to what their nervous system is ready for. We move at that pace…never faster.
The way I practice hypnotherapy isn’t about changing who you are.
It’s about helping you remember.
Remembering what’s true beneath the noise.
Remembering the wisdom the body holds.
Remembering the stories that deserve rewriting, with gentleness, safety, and care.
Hypnotherapy is a soft tool for deep work.