Hypnotherapy uses a relaxed, highly focused state of attention — hypnosis — to make the mind more receptive to suggestion and to explore thoughts and memories with less of the usual mental resistance. Popular imagery aside, it's not unconsciousness or loss of control: you remain aware throughout and can't be made to do anything against your will.
A typical session involves guided relaxation into the hypnotic state, followed by suggestion work aimed at your specific goal — reducing anxiety around a phobia, supporting a habit change like stopping smoking, or easing chronic pain and sleep problems. It's often used alongside, rather than instead of, other treatment.
Evidence is genuinely strong for a handful of specific uses (IBS, smoking cessation, procedural pain and anxiety) and thinner elsewhere, so it's worth being clear with a practitioner about what you're hoping to achieve. Hypnotherapists listed with ABCAP have verified training and insurance.
ABCAP is not a regulatory body. Listing in the ABCAP directory is not an endorsement of a therapist's competence, fitness to practise, or conduct. We recommend verifying a therapist's qualifications and professional body membership directly before booking a session.
No — you remain conscious and aware throughout, and can't be made to do or say anything against your will. It's closer to deep relaxation with focused attention than the stage-hypnosis stereotype.
Strongest evidence exists for IBS, smoking cessation, and pain/anxiety around medical procedures. It's also commonly used for phobias, sleep and stress, with more mixed evidence.
Most people can enter a hypnotic state to some degree, though susceptibility varies — a good practitioner will adapt their approach rather than assume one method works for everyone.
Varies by goal — some habit-change work is done in a handful of sessions, while more complex issues may need a longer course alongside other therapy.