A voice, a few suggestions, a shift in attention. Therapeutic hypnosis can change how someone experiences pain or a distressing situation. Its effects, however, vary between people and problems. What happens during a session, and what can you reasonably expect?
Closing your eyes and listening to a professional may sound straightforward. Yet hypnosis can raise uncomfortable questions. Will you remain conscious? Could you say something you wanted to keep private? Will you feel different afterwards?
Its clinical uses extend beyond stage entertainment. Hypnosis is used in some hospitals, pain services and psychological consultations. Understanding its place means considering the specific goal, the evidence and the limits of the approach.
Hypnosis saw a significant resurgence in popularity during the 2010s. Television programmes and stage shows brought it to a wider audience, while its use for pain, anxiety and addiction grew. However, this popularity also encouraged the emergence of numerous training courses and practices with widely varying levels of rigour.
A particular way of focusing attention
Hypnosis is commonly described as an altered state of consciousness involving focused attention and increased responsiveness to suggestions. You might be invited to imagine a place, notice a sensation or experience something differently. Researchers continue to debate the mechanisms involved. Scientific introduction from the APA.
Altered consciousness does not mean that awareness disappears. You may hear the practitioner and sounds outside while giving more attention to an image or sensation.
The history predates today's research. Eighteenth-century animal magnetism proposed an invisible fluid, an explanation later abandoned. In the nineteenth century, James Braid, Jean-Martin Charcot and Hippolyte Bernheim studied hypnosis from different perspectives. Milton Erickson later developed an approach attentive to individual experience and language.
Therapeutic hypnosis therefore covers several practices. Its usefulness depends on the problem and the care setting, as well as the technique.
When can hypnosis help?
Relieving pain, easing anxiety, improving sleep… Hypnosis is used in a variety of situations. What do we know about its effectiveness in these different areas?
Relieving pain
During a painful procedure or when dealing with persistent pain, hypnosis may be offered alongside usual treatments. Its aim is to help the person experience less intense or more manageable pain.
A review of research published in 2024 found an additional reduction in pain when hypnosis accompanied usual care, particularly for some chronic pain conditions and medical procedures. The average benefit remains modest, but may be useful in pain management.
Easing anxiety and understanding its place in phobia care
A dental appointment or medical examination can cause considerable apprehension. Hypnosis may be offered to help make the experience less stressful. The research overview presented by NCCIH reports encouraging findings in these situations, without establishing effectiveness for all anxiety disorders.
For a phobia that leads someone to avoid certain situations, cognitive behavioural therapies, including gradual exposure, are established treatments. They help people gradually face what they fear. Any potential role for hypnosis should be discussed with the psychologist, taking the person's needs and other available forms of support into account.
Sleep difficulties
A 2023 review reported mixed findings: some studies found improvements, others mixed or absent effects. Hypnosis is a research possibility, not a guarantee of restful nights.
For chronic insomnia, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, remains a recommended treatment. NCCIH guidance.
Smoking and addictions
Promises to stop smoking in one session deserve caution. A 2019 Cochrane review could not establish that hypnotherapy was more effective than other behavioural support or quitting without help. These findings cannot be generalised to other addictions.
Irritable bowel syndrome
Gut-directed hypnotherapy uses specific protocols. A 2025 meta-analysis found benefit for abdominal pain, with more uncertainty around overall symptom improvement. This concerns targeted care for irritable bowel syndrome, not all digestive problems.
Can everyone be hypnotised?
Responsiveness varies. Some people respond readily to several suggestions, while others experience subtler effects or respond to only certain suggestions. This is not simply a division between people who can and cannot be hypnotised.
A session is not a test of intelligence, gullibility or willingness. If you do not experience the hoped-for effect, that does not mean you participated badly.
The practical question is whether the approach helps in daily life. An intense experience may bring little useful change; a less striking session does not, by itself, determine the outcome of further care.
Classical and Ericksonian hypnosis
There are different forms of hypnosis, which differ notably in how the practitioner guides the person and phrases suggestions. Here, we will focus on two approaches commonly used in practice: classical hypnosis and Ericksonian hypnosis.
Classical hypnosis is often associated with direct suggestions: the practitioner explicitly proposes an image, sensation or change in experience. For example: “Focus your attention on your breathing”, “Imagine a place where you feel safe” or “Let the muscles in your shoulders relax”. The suggestion is clearly stated, so the patient knows where to direct their attention.
Ericksonian approaches give more space to indirect suggestions, metaphors and language adapted to the person. For example: “Perhaps you will notice, in your own time, a feeling of relaxation beginning to settle in” or “You might imagine your thoughts as passing clouds, without needing to hold on to them”. A metaphor can also draw on something familiar to the patient: for someone who enjoys gardening, the psychologist might describe a seed gradually growing at its own pace. A story or image may offer possibilities to explore instead of a precise instruction.
What happens during a hypnotherapy session?
The session begins with a conversation about the patient's needs, expectations and concerns. Together, the psychologist and patient agree on a goal, and the psychologist explains the process.
To guide the patient into hypnosis, the psychologist invites them to settle comfortably, then uses their voice to gradually direct attention. They may suggest noticing the breath, releasing muscle tension or imagining a calming place. This phase is called hypnotic induction: attention becomes more focused on the sensations and images being explored.
The psychologist may deepen this concentration through a story, repeated suggestions or visualisation, adapting to the patient's responses. The patient generally remains aware and can speak, refuse a suggestion or stop the exercise.
Therapeutic work then uses suggestions related to the agreed goal, such as exploring a different way to experience an anxiety-provoking situation. Towards the end, the psychologist guides attention back to the room and everyday sensations.
A final conversation provides space to discuss the experience and decide what comes next. The process and number of sessions vary according to individual needs.
Risks and precautions
Like any therapeutic approach, hypnosis can cause unwanted effects. It is helpful to be aware of them and discuss them with the practitioner before starting.
Possible adverse effects include discomfort, dizziness, headaches and distressing emotional reactions. Some psychiatric conditions require particular caution. Mayo Clinic safety information.
Tell the professional about psychotic symptoms, significant dissociation or complex trauma before starting. Clinical assessment is needed to decide whether hypnosis is suitable, requires adaptation or should be avoided.
For a health problem, seek a healthcare professional competent in that condition with additional hypnosis training. Ask about their original qualification, relevant experience and how you will decide whether to continue. Clear explanations are more useful than promises of transformation.