Speaking as a long-standing hypnotherapist, the very idea that we, as therapists, can change the trajectory of someone’s life and help heal long-held traumas with only words is a fascinating concept.
What is Hypnotherapy?
There are some common misconceptions surrounding hypnotherapy, often derived from observing stage hypnotism — the idea that you, the client, will be under some kind of control and that the therapist has the power to make you believe you are a chicken. This could not be further from the truth. The word “hypnosis” derives from “Hypnos” — the Greek god of sleep. Hypnosis is simply a deeply relaxed state, a natural state we all experience several times a day: when falling asleep, getting lost in a book or film, or daydreaming. You are awake and aware of everything that is going on; you are simply deeply relaxed. Those people you see on stage were willing to surrender themselves to the hypnotist — the subject is the one in control. Should you ever watch Derren Brown working with his subjects on stage, notice how trustworthy he comes across, enabling the subjects to surrender themselves to him.
There is a host of reasons why using therapy and this deeply relaxed state of mind can transform our lives for the better, although at the heart of it, we are working with the subconscious mind. Our conscious mind is much more surface-level — responsible for logical thinking, decision-making, and day-to-day problem solving. The subconscious mind is the driving force for our emotions, ingrained habits, and the patterns we fall back on under pressure, guiding much of our behaviour behind the scenes.
How the Subconscious Holds and Heals Trauma?
Trauma is not only something we remember with the mind, but something the nervous system learns and stores. When an experience feels overwhelming or threatening, the “alarm system” area of the brain known as the amygdala becomes highly active, prioritising survival over reflection. Later, when a situation resembles the original experience, the nervous system can respond as if the threat is happening again. In those moments, we are not reacting as our present adult selves, but returning to an earlier state shaped by past experience.
This pattern becomes clearer when we see how it appears in real life. One former client, I will call her Amy, came to me for help overcoming her fear of dogs. When she was six years old, her grandmother would send her and her sister to the shop to buy bits and pieces. They would walk through an alleyway en route to the shop where a territorial dog would bark aggressively at them through the gaps in the fence. The girls learnt to be fearful of the dog and either run through the alleyway or take a new route altogether. Despite being an adult at the time of seeing me, she would still react with intense fear to a dog’s bark or dogs off the lead, seeking to escape the danger — the same way she had learnt to as a child.
Unlocking the healing power of the subconscious mind through hypnosis, we were able to revisit the cause of her phobia and give her brain and nervous system the chance to relearn a new, safer response. The next time I saw her, she was pleased to tell me she felt comfortable around dogs on her walks and was even enjoying petting them as they approached her.
Reconnecting With an Innate Capacity to Heal
The hypnotic state of mind unlocks our innate healing capacity. In many ways, it mirrors the deep, effortless learning we experience in early childhood, when the mind is highly receptive and able to absorb language, behaviours, and emotional cues without conscious effort. Through hypnosis, we briefly return to this natural state of openness.
For all that we often view modern treatments as the pinnacle of progress, hypnotherapy in truth reconnects us with an evolved human ability that has been present for thousands of years. At its core, it requires no equipment or elaborate setting — only focused attention, rapport between therapist and client, and carefully guided language.
What hypnotherapy ultimately provides is something increasingly rare in modern life: space. Space for deep relaxation, and for attention to turn inward toward parts of the psyche that may have been carrying unresolved tension or emotion. In a world of constant stimulation and distraction, the nervous system seldom has the opportunity to settle into these receptive states. By slowing the pace and reducing external noise, hypnosis allows the mind and body to return to a condition in which reflection, regulation, and healing can naturally take place.
If you’re interested in experiencing hypnotherapy yourself, or you’re a hypnotherapist looking for supervision, you can book a session with me here.
Rochester Hypnotherapy Clinic 