How Does Hypnosis Work? Our minds operate on two levels: the conscious and the subconscious.
The conscious mind is logical and analytical, responsible for everyday decisions. It plans, reasons, and evaluates the world around you.
The subconscious mind stores your habits, memories, beliefs, and emotions. It controls automatic behaviours — like brushing your teeth, tying your shoelaces, or reaching for a cigarette — without you having to think about them.
Hypnosis is a natural, safe state of focused attention and deep relaxation. It allows us to bypass the critical conscious mind and communicate directly with the subconscious. Since habits and emotional responses are stored at this deeper level, hypnotherapy can create lasting change from the root cause. This is why many long-standing issues can be resolved much more quickly and easily than through willpower alone.
Will I Be Asleep During Hypnosis? No — hypnosis is not sleep. Instead, it’s a state of deep relaxation paired with focused awareness. Many people describe it as being as absorbed as when you’re engrossed in a book or a film, where the outside world seems to fade away.
You remain aware of what’s happening around you.
You can hear everything said during the session.
You will usually remember the experience afterwards.
Rather than losing control, you actually gain greater control over unhelpful habits, fears, and reactions.
Can Everyone Be Hypnotised? Almost everyone with normal intelligence (IQ above 70) can be hypnotised, provided they are willing. Hypnosis is a natural state that we enter regularly, often without noticing, such as:
Daydreaming.
“Zoning out” while driving a familiar route.
Becoming deeply absorbed in music, TV, or a film.
In therapy, we simply guide you into this natural state with clear purpose and intention.
Is Hypnosis Safe? Absolutely. Hypnosis is completely safe and similar to meditation, visualisation, or guided relaxation. You remain in control at all times:
You cannot get “stuck” in hypnosis.
You cannot be made to do anything against your will or values.
You can end the session whenever you wish.
During a session, you’ll usually sit comfortably, close your eyes, and allow yourself to relax deeply — while staying fully aware. For most people, it is a calm, pleasant, and empowering experience. What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)? Developed in the early 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, NLP is often called “the study of excellence.” It involved observing how successful people think, communicate, and behave — then modelling these patterns so others can achieve similar success. Practically speaking, NLP is a toolkit designed to help you:
Change unwanted habits and behaviours.
Improve communication skills and confidence.
Overcome fears, phobias, and limiting beliefs.
When combined with hypnosis, NLP can be a powerful way to create lasting, positive change.
What Does “Advanced Hypnotherapy” Mean? Advanced Hypnotherapy goes beyond traditional hypnosis by integrating the most effective techniques from hypnotherapy, NLP, and other approaches. This allows for personalised sessions that address not just surface habits but also the deeper emotional patterns behind them.
How Can Hypnotherapy Help Me Change a Behaviour? Habits like smoking, overeating, or nail-biting aren’t controlled by the conscious mind — otherwise, you’d have stopped as soon as you decided to. Instead, these behaviours are driven by subconscious patterns.
Hypnotherapy works directly with the subconscious to reprogramme these patterns at their source. That’s why many people find they can release long-held habits in just one or two sessions.
How Can Hypnotherapy Help with Emotional Issues? Feelings like anxiety, stress, or guilt often have roots in past experiences or learned responses stored in the subconscious. Through hypnosis, we can:
Access and resolve the root cause of these feelings.
Release negative emotions or associations linked to them.
Reprogramme the mind with healthier, positive patterns.
This approach means you’re not just managing symptoms but addressing the problem at its source.
The Effectiveness of Hypnosis Hypnotherapy has come a long way from stage shows and myths. Since the 1950s, respected bodies like the British Medical Association and the American Medical Association have recognised hypnosis as a legitimate therapeutic practice. Originally coined by Scottish doctor James Braid in the 19th century, hypnosis is now used not only in private practice but also in hospitals and clinics to support patients with conditions such as:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Chronic pain
Anxiety and stress-related disorders
Outside the NHS, clinical hypnotherapy is widely used to help people stop smoking, overcome addictions, lose weight, manage stress, and resolve many emotional and behavioural issues.
