I am a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and even I sometimes need to remind myself of this: Hypnotherapy is not woo woo.
Maybe that sounds strange coming from someone who practices hypnotherapy.
But hypnosis has been surrounded by mystery for a long time. Swinging watches, stage hypnotists, mind control, and people doing ridiculous things in front of an audience have shaped how many of us think about it.
That is not clinical hypnotherapy.
Clinical hypnosis is a state of focused attention and deep absorption. You are not unconscious or asleep, and you are not handing control of your mind over to someone else.
You are working with your mind in a different way.
And although the changes people experience through hypnotherapy can sometimes feel almost magical, that does not make hypnosis magic.
There is real science behind it.
Does Hypnotherapy Really Work? Here’s What the Research Says
We do not have to rely only on stories from people who say hypnosis helped them.
We can look at the research.
In 2024, researchers published a large review examining the scientific evidence for hypnosis across both mental and physical health concerns.
This was not one small study.
Researchers reviewed 49 meta analyses involving 261 different primary studies of hypnosis. A meta analysis brings together findings from multiple studies, giving researchers a much broader picture than any single study could provide. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov], [frontiersin.org]
The findings are worth paying attention to.
Across the effects reported in the review:
- 99.2% favoured hypnosis
- About 25% showed a medium effect
- Almost 29% showed a large effect
The size of the effects varied considerably depending on what hypnosis was being used for and how the individual studies were designed. In other words, this does not mean hypnosis works equally well for every person or every concern. [frontiersin.org]
The strongest evidence was found for people undergoing medical procedures and those experiencing pain. However, the researchers concluded that the findings show the potential for hypnosis to positively affect a variety of mental and physical treatment outcomes. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov], [frontiersin.org]
When someone sits across from me wanting to feel calmer, change an old pattern, strengthen their confidence, or respond differently to something in their life, I am not asking them to believe in something mystical…
We are working with capacities their brain already has.
What Happens in the Brain During Hypnosis?
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine used functional MRI imaging to examine the brains of 57 people during guided hypnosis.
They found measurable changes in brain activity and communication between regions involved in focused attention, body awareness, and executive control. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov], [stanfordhe…thcare.org], [pubmed.ncb…lm.nih.gov]
During hypnosis, they observed:
- Reduced activity in an area of the brain involved in deciding what deserves our attention
- Increased communication between regions related to executive control and body awareness
- Reduced communication between executive control regions and areas involved with self reflection [stanfordhe…thcare.org], [pubmed.ncb…lm.nih.gov]
Simply put, the brain really does function differently during hypnosis.
The researchers connected these changes with the focused attention, physical and emotional control, and reduced self consciousness associated with the hypnotic state. [stanfordhe…thcare.org], [pubmed.ncb…lm.nih.gov]
Hypnosis is not about shutting the brain off…
It is about focusing it.
Why Can That Help Us Create Change?
Much of what we do every day happens automatically.
We do not consciously choose every thought, emotional response, urge, habit, or physical reaction. Over time, the mind learns patterns, and once those patterns become familiar, simply knowing better does not always change them.
You might know that you are safe now but still experience anxiety.
You may understand that you are worthy and capable, yet continue to doubt yourself.
Perhaps you desperately want to set a boundary, stop a habit, or respond differently, but when the familiar situation appears, the old reaction comes right back.
That can be incredibly frustrating.
“If I know this, why can’t I just change it?”
This is one reason I love hypnotherapy.
Instead of only analyzing what is wrong, hypnotherapy gives us another way to work with the thoughts, emotional responses, beliefs, associations, and patterns that can feel automatic.
The process may involve focused attention, therapeutic suggestion, imagery, emotional resources, and mental rehearsal. Rather than continuing to rehearse the familiar response, the mind gets an opportunity to experience another possibility.
We are not fighting the mind. We are working with it.
Your Imagination Affects More Than You Think
Think about biting into a fresh lemon.
Picture yourself cutting it open and seeing the juice glistening on the surface. Imagine bringing a bright yellow slice toward your mouth and biting into it.
Did your mouth water?
There is no lemon in front of you, yet your body may have responded to the experience you imagined.
That simple example shows how closely attention, imagery, thought, and physical response can work together.
Hypnotherapy uses our natural capacity for focused imagination with intention.
Through hypnosis, a person might mentally rehearse a calmer response, imagine making a different choice, or connect feelings such as peace, confidence, and strength with situations that previously brought up stress.
Instead of continually rehearsing the old response, the mind gets an opportunity to experience what you want instead.
“So, Tell Me Some Success Stories.”
A client once sat across from me and asked:
“So, tell me some success stories.”
I loved that question.
She was not really asking whether hypnosis had been researched. She wanted to know what all of this might look like in a real person’s life.
What can actually change?
The answer is different for everyone.
It might show up as better sleep, setting a boundary without becoming overwhelmed by guilt, catching an automatic reaction before acting on it, or discovering that a situation that normally sends you into stress suddenly feels more manageable.
Sometimes the circumstances themselves have not changed at all.
You have changed the way you experience and respond to them.
Here are a few examples from my own client work. Names and identifying details have been removed or changed to protect client privacy.
These are individual experiences and are not a guarantee of how another person will respond.
Sleeping Better and Setting Boundaries
One client came to me carrying a tremendous amount of pressure.
Disrupted sleep, worry, heavy responsibilities, and the feeling of constantly being pulled in different directions were taking a toll.
What she wanted was actually quite simple: peace, clarity, and steadiness.
Our work focused on settling some of that pressure while strengthening her connection to calm, boundaries, and personal choice.
When she returned, she told me something had already begun to change. Her sleep had improved, and she had started saying no and setting stronger boundaries.
She had also come to an important realization:
She could not make everyone else happy.
The circumstances around her had not magically disappeared.
What had begun to change was the way she responded to them.
Feeling a Shift Within One Session
Another client came in feeling caught in a constant mental loop.
So much of her attention went toward her home, children, responsibilities, and everything that needed to be done. She desperately wanted time for herself, but stepping away brought guilt.
What she longed for was a calmer, more confident version of herself who had more patience and could be truly present with her family.
Mostly, she wanted to feel like herself again.
During our session, we used relaxation and a future focused process to help her mind experience the emotional state and life she wanted to move toward.
As the session progressed, her breathing changed and her body softened.
Afterward, she told me she felt a shift.
Sometimes that is where change begins. Not with everything suddenly becoming different, but with experiencing that something different is possible.
Moving From Overwhelm Toward Peace
Another client came to me carrying persistent overwhelm, pressure, worry, disrupted sleep, and fear about the future. She felt responsible for everyone and everything around her, and she wanted to feel clear and peaceful again.
Our work focused on calm, boundaries, and personal choice.
Over the course of our sessions, she reported better sleep, along with less pressure and overwhelm.
Her life had not suddenly become perfect. Instead, her relationship with what was happening around her had started to change.
There was more room to pause, choose how she wanted to respond, and return to herself.
Who Is Hypnotherapy For?
Hypnotherapy can be especially interesting when you understand something consciously but still struggle to change the automatic response.
Perhaps you know where a pattern comes from, yet continue to react in exactly the same way.
You know you are safe, but your body does not seem to believe it. You understand that you are capable, but self doubt keeps creeping back in. You want stronger boundaries, yet guilt appears every time you try to set one.
Maybe you have consciously decided to change a habit countless times, only to find yourself right back where you started.
There can be a frustrating gap between what you consciously know and what you automatically think, feel, or do.
That is often the kind of gap I am interested in working with.
You do not have to reach a breaking point before seeking support.
Sometimes you simply realize:
I do not want to keep doing this the same way.
What Can Hypnotherapy Help With?
Depending on the individual, the concern, and the practitioner’s scope of practice, hypnotherapy may be used to support areas such as:
- Stress and anxious patterns
- Difficulty relaxing
- Sleep concerns
- Fears and phobias
- Unwanted habits
- Confidence and self worth
- Limiting beliefs
- Repeating emotional patterns
- Boundaries
- Motivation and goals
- Feeling stuck
- Certain pain related concerns alongside appropriate medical care
Hypnotherapy should not replace appropriate medical care, mental health treatment, or emergency support when those services are needed.
What Are the Benefits of Hypnotherapy?
Most people arrive knowing exactly what they want to stop: the worrying and overthinking, an automatic reaction, a habit, procrastination, fear, or a pattern they are tired of repeating.
But I am just as interested in what they want to experience instead.
Maybe that is peace and a quieter mind.
Perhaps it is sleeping better, trusting yourself, setting a boundary without guilt, or feeling confident enough to do something you have been avoiding.
For someone else, change means feeling present in their own life again instead of being controlled by an old response.
This distinction is important because our work does not have to revolve entirely around getting rid of something you do not want.
We can also strengthen what you do want. For many clients, the desired outcome is ultimately about having greater choice in the way they think, feel, and respond.
What Happens in a Hypnotherapy Session With Me?
Before we begin hypnosis, we talk.
I want to understand what has been happening, when the problem tends to appear, how it affects your life, and what you would like to change.
Most importantly, I want to understand what you want instead.
If anxiety disappeared, what would you feel?
If you trusted yourself, what would you do differently?
If this habit no longer controlled you, what would become possible?
If you were no longer responding in the old way, how would you rather respond?
Your answers matter because they guide our work.
From there, I create the session around you and the outcome you want…
Depending on your needs, I may incorporate relaxation, focused attention, therapeutic imagery, metaphor, suggestion, emotional resources, mental rehearsal, and other clinical hypnotherapy or NLP techniques.
Throughout the experience, you remain an active participant. You can hear me, think, speak, move, or open your eyes.
Clinical hypnotherapy is collaborative:
We are working together toward an outcome you have chosen.
Will I Lose Control During Hypnosis?
No.
This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions about hypnosis.
Clinical hypnosis is not mind control. You remain yourself throughout the session, with your values and ability to think and respond intact.
As your Clinical Hypnotherapist, my role is not to take control of your mind.
My role is to help you use it intentionally.
My Approach as a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
As a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, I do not begin from the belief that you are broken.
I am much more interested in understanding why the pattern exists, what it has been doing for you, and what you need now.
A habit may have developed because it brought relief. Fear can become protective, while a belief formed years ago may have made perfect sense at the time. The problem is that these responses can continue long after they are useful.
Our work is not about judging the pattern or fighting against yourself.
It is about helping your conscious desires and your automatic responses begin moving in the same direction.
Along with Clinical Hypnotherapy, I may draw from my training in NLP, EFT, life coaching, spiritual counselling, and holistic wellness when those tools are appropriate for the client and the outcome we are working toward.
The process is personal because the person sitting across from me is always more important than the technique.
So, Is Hypnotherapy Science or Magic?
I understand why hypnotherapy can feel a little magical.
There is something fascinating about closing your eyes, turning your attention inward, and discovering that you can experience yourself or an old problem differently.
But hypnosis works with very human capacities: attention, imagination, absorption, association, emotional response, mental rehearsal, and the close relationship between mind and body.
Brain imaging research has found measurable differences in activity and connectivity during hypnosis. A much larger body of clinical research has also investigated its use across mental and physical health concerns. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov], [pubmed.ncb…lm.nih.gov], [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
There is still more to learn, and people vary in how they experience and respond to hypnosis.
But hypnotherapy does not need mystery to be fascinating.
The human mind is fascinating enough.
Frequently Asked Questions About Booking Hypnotherapy
Do I need to know exactly what I want to work on?
No. You do not need to arrive with everything figured out.
We will begin with what has been happening, what you would like to change, and how you would rather think, feel, or respond.
That gives us somewhere to start.
How many hypnotherapy sessions will I need?
It depends on what you want to work on.
A very specific concern may be different from working through several connected beliefs, emotional responses, or patterns. We can look at what makes sense for you based on your goals and how you respond to the work.
Can I do hypnotherapy virtually?
Yes. I offer virtual Clinical Hypnotherapy sessions, as well as in person sessions at the Lakehouse in Ninette, Manitoba, and the Mary Ann Moore Wellness Centre in Killarney, Manitoba.
What if I am nervous about being hypnotized?
That is completely okay.
We talk before beginning, and I explain what we are doing so that you know what to expect. There is also room to ask questions before we begin.
You remain an active participant throughout your session.
Wondering if Hypnotherapy Is Right for You?
If something in this article spoke to you, or you are wondering whether Clinical Hypnotherapy could help with what you are experiencing, I would love to hear from you.
You do not need to know which technique you need or have the perfect words for what is going on. Tell me a little about what you would like to change and, most importantly, what you would like to experience instead.
From there, we can talk about whether Clinical Hypnotherapy feels like the right next step for you.
I am currently offering individual Clinical Hypnotherapy sessions for $135, regularly $197.
Sessions are available:
- Virtually
- At the Lakehouse Fitness & Spa in Ninette, Manitoba
- At the Mary Ann Moore Wellness Centre in Killarney, Manitoba
Have a question? Reach out.
References
Rosendahl, J., Alldredge, C. T., and Haddenhorst, A. Meta Analytic Evidence on the Efficacy of Hypnosis for Mental and Somatic Health Issues: A 20 Year Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 2024. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov], [frontiersin.org]
Jiang, H., White, M. P., Greicius, M. D., Waelde, L. C., and Spiegel, D. Brain Activity and Functional Connectivity Associated With Hypnosis. Cerebral Cortex. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov], [pubmed.ncb…lm.nih.gov]
