Hypnotherapy is a legitimate therapeutic tool that has been recognized by the American Medical Association since 1958. Its therapeutic approach uses focused attention and guided suggestion to access the subconscious mind. Unlike stage hypnosis or pop culture myths, clinical hypnotherapy is grounded in collaboration, safety, and intention. It’s designed to help people shift patterns, manage and control physical and emotional responses and reactions, release emotional blocks, and create meaningful change, often in areas where traditional methods may have fallen short.
On this page, we’ll explore hypnotherapy and hypnosis in depth, from what they are to how they’re used. Whether you’re looking to break old patterns, curious about whether you can be hypnotized, want to understand what being in a hypnotic state actually feels like, or are interested in the science, history, and real-world applications of hypnotherapy, you’ll find it all here. This is your starting point for understanding hypnotherapy not just as a concept, but as a powerful tool for personal change, healing, and transformation.
In a nutshell, hypnotherapy is the art of helping people align their subconscious mind with their conscious ideas and achieve balance and harmony between these two forces. It creates space for clarity, change, and healing by working with the part of the mind that holds onto patterns, beliefs, and emotional responses, even when they no longer serve us.
Scientifically speaking, hypnotherapy is a guided therapeutic process that uses hypnosis to help individuals access a focused, relaxed state of awareness, often referred to as a trance or hypnotic state. In this state, the conscious mind quiets down, creating space to work with the subconscious, where automatic behaviors, emotional responses, and core beliefs are stored. When we begin to engage this part of the mind with intention, not only does meaningful change become possible ,but so does the ability to influence your physical experience and responses in remarkable ways. So how does this process apply to everyday life? Let’s take a closer look.
Hypnosis isn’t just about creating change. It’s about unlocking potential that many people don’t even realize they have. When the subconscious mind is aligned with the conscious mind, people often discover levels of strength, focus, and control that feel extraordinary, and in some cases, almost beyond what we assume is humanly possible.
One of the most remarkable applications of clinical hypnosis is in situations where traditional anesthesia isn’t viable. For instance, at MD Anderson Cancer Center, researchers have explored the use of hypnosis as a substitute for general anesthesia during certain breast cancer surgeries. Patients undergoing lumpectomies with hypnosedation reported less preoperative anxiety, required less pain medication during surgery, and experienced reduced postoperative pain intensity and discomfort compared to those who chose general anesthesia .
Similarly, a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews found that hypnosis can deliver meaningful pain relief. The analysis included 85 studies and concluded that hypnosis had significant analgesic effects across various pain outcomes.
Beyond clinical applications, hypnosis has long been used to elevate performance in sports, arts, and innovation. Athletes, creatives, and high-level performers have tapped into hypnosis not just to relax, but to train their minds to operate with deeper focus, resilience, and intention.
Mike Tyson, one of the most dominant boxers in history, worked with his trainer and hypnotist Cus D’Amato, who used hypnosis to help Mike cultivate intense focus, mental toughness, and ferocity in the ring. He wasn’t just trained physically, he was conditioned at a subconscious level.
Tiger Woods, widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time, reportedly used hypnosis from an early age to sharpen concentration, reinforce muscle memory, and develop unshakable composure under pressure.
Even Albert Einstein is believed to have entered trance-like states to explore complex ideas. While not formally using clinical hypnosis, he practiced deep states of relaxation and mental stillness that mirror hypnotic awareness, allowing insights to surface from beneath conscious thought.
Research supports these applications. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology indicates that hypnosis can enhance the quality of imagery skills, self-efficacy, skill acquisition, and athletic performance.
And beyond these iconic examples, millions of people have turned to hypnotherapy to do things they once thought were impossible, from preparing for surgery or childbirth without medication, to overcoming long-held fears, to rewiring behaviors that seemed deeply ingrained.
Hypnotherapy has helped people:
When the subconscious mind is engaged with intention, it becomes a powerful ally. Hypnotherapy doesn’t change who you are, it helps you access more of who you’ve always been. And how does this work?
Once you’re in a hypnotic state, your subconscious mind becomes more open to positive suggestions and new perspectives. It’s like gaining access to the control panel of your mind, where we can begin to shift unhelpful beliefs and patterns. This process allows us to rewire those patterns in a way that supports your goals and helps you move beyond the challenges that have been holding you back. By working with the power of your own mind, hypnotherapy supports lasting change and unlocks your potential for growth and transformation.
Learning and Association
As we learn, our mind forms positive or negative associations between experiences and our thoughts and feelings. For instance, the smell of cookies baking may trigger memories of mom, or the anticipation of a tasty treat, leading to the feeling of nostalgia or the sensation of hunger.
Primitive Mind & Reflexes
At birth, our primitive mind, governed by the sympathetic nervous system, creates instinctive survival responses like fight or flight. Reflexes such as fear of falling or reacting to loud noises are present. The parasympathetic nervous system later restores balance and homeostasis.
Subconscious Script
Our experiences shape our subconscious, accounting for 88% of our thinking. These associations, formed without a critical filter, become our knowns or life script. Whether positive or negative associations can trigger automatic responses, influencing behavior.
Critical Filter
It develops around age 8, allowing us to analyze experiences logically. The conscious mind (representing the 12%) gains functions like decision making and reasoning. Potential conflicts arise when subconscious associations clash with conscious intentions.
Overload
Hypnosis occurs when our mind gets overloaded with information, temporarily disrupting our logical thinking. This hyper-suggestible state gives access to our subconscious mind, and in hypnotherapy, it’s created by building upon existing anxiety using words as tools.
Positive suggestions are statements or affirmations delivered by the hypnotherapist during the hypnotic state. These suggestions are designed to promote desired behaviors, thoughts, or attitudes. By repeating and reinforcing positive suggestions, the therapist helps the client reprogram their subconscious mind and adopt more beneficial beliefs and patterns of thinking.
This technique involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in the body to induce physical relaxation. The therapist guides the client through the process, helping them achieve a deep state of relaxation and reduce overall tension and stress.
Imagery uses the power of imagination and visualization to create positive mental images. The therapist guides the client to imagine specific scenes or scenarios that promote relaxation, healing, or desired outcomes. This technique can be used for various purposes, such as managing anxiety, improving self-confidence, or overcoming fears.
Anchoring involves associating a specific physical or mental stimulus with a desired emotional state. The therapist helps the client establish a connection between the stimulus and the desired emotional response through repetition and reinforcement. This technique can be used to access positive emotions and create a resourceful state in challenging situations.
Parts therapy, also known as ego-state therapy, involves communicating with different aspects or “parts” of the client’s personality. The therapist facilitates a dialogue between conflicting parts to explore their perspectives, resolve inner conflicts, and foster integration and harmony within the individual.
Metaphors are symbolic stories or narratives used in hypnotherapy to communicate ideas, concepts, or suggestions indirectly. The therapist presents metaphors that resonate with the client’s experiences, facilitating insight, reframing perspectives, and promoting positive change at a subconscious level.
These techniques are some of the most commonly utilized in hypnotherapy, but it’s important to note that the specific techniques employed may vary depending on the client’s unique needs and the therapeutic approach of the hypnotherapist.
Explore a wide range of hypnotherapy services designed to support your mind, body, and goals.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapy
Habit Creation
Breaking Bad Habits
Inner Child Healing
Parenting
Relationships
Assertiveness
Career Success
Creativity
Cravings
Exercise Motivation
Fear of Failure
Fear of Success
Grief
Forgiveness
Past Life Regression
Anger Management
Stress Reduction
Guilt
Insomnia
Irritability
Lack of Direction
Motivation
Nail Biting
Overeating
Pain Management
Perfectionism
Confidence
Problem Solving
Procrastination
Public Speaking
Relaxation
Self-Control
Self-Hypnosis
Sleep Disorders
Tardiness
Addictions
And much more!
At Within Hypnosis, we see hypnotherapy not as a replacement for other therapeutic modalities, but as a bridge, a powerful tool that brings them together and helps change happen at a deeper level. Our work is grounded in the belief that real transformation happens when the subconscious and conscious mind begin to work in harmony.
Every session begins with conscious exploration. Like talk therapy, we take the time to understand your thoughts, emotional patterns, and personal goals. This part of the process is essential. It gives us insight into what’s happening internally and helps us craft suggestions that are meaningful, relevant, and specific to you. But we don’t stop there.
What makes hypnotherapy unique, and where our work truly comes to life, is in the hypnotic state. After this conscious exploration, we move into hypnosis to reinforce new insights at a subconscious level. That’s where lasting shifts begin. Because understanding something intellectually is one thing. But feeling it, embodying it, and having it stick, that happens when the subconscious mind is engaged.
Our approach blends clinical hypnotherapy with evidence-based methods like CBT, NLP, goal-setting, and behavior change strategies. We stay up to date with the latest tools and techniques in the field of change work, and we integrate them into everything we do. When you work with us, you’re not just receiving hypnosis, you’re getting a full-spectrum, personalized experience designed to help you move forward with clarity, purpose, and less resistance.
Whether you’re here to overcome something, reclaim something, or build something entirely new, we’re here to support you on that path.
The roots of hypnotherapy run deep — far deeper than many realize. While the term “hypnosis” wasn’t coined until the 19th century, the practice of using focused states of awareness for healing and transformation dates back thousands of years.
In ancient Egypt, healing temples known as “sleep temples” were dedicated to ritual trance, dream interpretation, and suggestion-based healing. Ancient Greek physicians like Hippocrates and Galen also believed in the power of suggestion and the mind’s role in healing. Across the East, yogis and sages explored altered states of consciousness through meditation and breathwork, often guiding others into deeply relaxed states where healing, insight, and transformation could occur. These early practices echoed what we now call hypnotic trance — a natural, focused state of awareness where the subconscious becomes more accessible.
Fast forward to the 18th century, when Austrian physician Franz Mesmer popularized the concept of “animal magnetism,” believing that invisible forces could influence health and behavior. Although his theories were later debunked, his work laid the foundation for what would become modern hypnosis.
In the 19th century, Scottish surgeon James Braid observed these trance states and gave the phenomenon its name — hypnosis. He believed it was a state of heightened suggestibility, not sleep or magnetism, and began to use it in medical practice. Around this time, hypnosis was even used as anesthesia in surgeries before chemical anesthesia was developed.
Even Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, used hypnosis in his early work. Although he eventually focused more on talk therapy, his initial observations helped bring unconscious processes into mainstream psychology.
In the 20th century, hypnotherapy evolved further thanks to Milton H. Erickson, a psychiatrist and master of therapeutic communication. Erickson’s conversational, indirect approach to hypnosis influenced generations of therapists and helped legitimize hypnosis as a clinical tool. His work emphasized that trance is a natural state — something we drift in and out of every day — and that suggestion, when used ethically and with precision, could support deep healing and change.
Today, hypnotherapy continues to grow as both a science and an art. Modern neuroscience now supports many of the intuitive practices that ancient cultures discovered. Studies using brain imaging have shown how the hypnotic state affects brain activity and perception, validating what yogis, mystics, and early healers sensed thousands of years ago. What was once mystical is now measurable — and even more powerful when paired with modern therapeutic frameworks.
Hypnotherapy is now widely used to support a variety of goals, including smoking cessation, weight management, anxiety relief, trauma healing, pain management, confidence building, and performance enhancement. As research continues and new tools emerge, hypnotherapy is becoming increasingly refined, accessible, and respected as a deeply effective path toward transformation.
The first step toward real change doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Whether you’re navigating stress, seeking clarity, or ready to move beyond what’s been holding you back, we’re here to meet you with care, skill, and unwavering support.
Schedule your free consultation and discover how hypnotherapy can help you reconnect with yourself, find your center, and move forward with purpose and confidence.
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