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Debunking Common Myths About Hypnotherapy

July 17, 2024

Hypnotherapy has been around for centuries, yet it remains shrouded in misconceptions. As a professional hypnotherapist, I’ve encountered numerous myths that often prevent people from experiencing the benefits of this powerful therapeutic technique. Today, let’s separate fact from fiction and debunk some of the most common myths about hypnotherapy.

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Myth 1: Hypnosis is mind control

One of the most persistent myths is that hypnotherapists can control your mind. In reality, hypnosis is a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility. You remain in control at all times and cannot be made to do anything against your will. Hypnotherapy is a collaborative process where the therapist guides you, but you’re always in the driver’s seat.

Myth 2: You can get “stuck” in hypnosis

Many people worry they might not be able to “wake up” from hypnosis. This is simply not true. Hypnosis is a natural state that we enter and exit multiple times a day (like when we’re engrossed in a book or movie). Even in the unlikely event that a session is interrupted, you would naturally return to full alertness.

Myth 3: Hypnosis is just relaxation

While relaxation is often a part of hypnotherapy, it’s not the whole story. Hypnosis involves accessing the subconscious mind, where deep-seated beliefs and behaviors reside. This allows for powerful change work that goes beyond simple relaxation techniques.

Myth 4: Only weak-minded people can be hypnotized

Contrary to popular belief, being easily hypnotized is a sign of intelligence and focus, not weakness. People who can concentrate well and have vivid imaginations often make the best hypnotherapy subjects.

Myth 5: Hypnotherapy results are immediate and permanent

While some people experience rapid changes, hypnotherapy is not a magic wand. Like any therapeutic approach, it often requires multiple sessions and personal commitment to achieve lasting results. The changes can be profound and long-lasting, but they typically build over time.

Myth 6: Hypnotherapists need swinging watches or spirals

This myth comes straight from Hollywood! Modern hypnotherapists rarely use props. Instead, we use guided imagery, soothing voices, and sometimes simple focus objects to help clients enter a hypnotic state.

Myth 7: Hypnosis is not scientifically proven

In fact, there’s a growing body of scientific research supporting the efficacy of hypnotherapy for various issues, including pain management, anxiety, and habit control. Many respected medical institutions now offer hypnotherapy as a complementary treatment. By dispelling these myths, I hope to open more people’s minds to the possibilities of hypnotherapy. It’s a safe, effective, and empowering tool for personal growth and healing. If you have any questions about hypnotherapy or how it might benefit you, don’t hesitate to reach out. Your journey to positive change could start with just one session!

References

https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/hypnotherapy-myths-and-misconceptions

https://instituteofclinicalhypnosis.com/hypnosis/common-misconceptions-and-myths-about-hypnosis-and-hypnotherapy

https://neurosciencenews.com/hypnosis-myths-23607/

https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/192316197/Lynn_et_al._2020_ACP.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343602945_Myths_and_Misconceptions_About_Hypnosis_and_Suggestion_Separating_Fact_and_Fiction

by Antonios Koletsas
Confidence Hypnotherapy
Health

10 Compelling Reasons Why Hypnotherapy Is Perfect for You

August 15, 2023

If you’ve been curious about hypnotherapy but aren’t quite sure whether it’s right for you, you’re not alone. Many people arrive at my Islington practice having already tried other approaches — therapy, medication, lifestyle changes — only to find that something deeper is still holding them back.

That ‘something deeper’ is often the subconscious mind. And hypnotherapy is one of the most direct, evidence-supported ways to work with it.

In this article, I’ll walk you through ten reasons why hypnotherapy might be exactly what you’ve been looking for — drawing on both clinical research and my experience working with clients across London and online.

1. It Addresses the Root Cause of Stress and Anxiety — Not Just the Symptoms

Confidence Hypnotherapy

Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek hypnotherapy, and for good reason: it works. While many treatments focus on managing anxiety in the moment, hypnotherapy goes deeper — helping you understand and reprocess the subconscious beliefs and memories that keep the anxious response alive.

A 2016 study from Stanford University found that hypnosis produces measurable changes in brain activity in regions associated with self-awareness and emotional regulation — the same areas overactive in anxiety. This isn’t relaxation; it’s targeted neurological change.

In practice, this means clients often notice a quieter inner voice, fewer physical tension symptoms, and a genuine reduction in how often anxiety arises — not just how they cope with it when it does.

💡 If you’ve been told your anxiety is ‘just stress’, hypnotherapy may help you find the specific trigger patterns your mind has learned — and unlearn them.

2. Breaking Habits Becomes Dramatically Easier

Whether it’s smoking, overeating, nail-biting, or compulsive phone-checking, habits are notoriously resistant to willpower alone. That’s because habits live in the subconscious — they run automatically, below the level of conscious decision-making.

Hypnotherapy works precisely in that space. By guiding you into a focused, receptive state, we can introduce new associations and responses that gradually replace the habitual ones. The habit doesn’t get ‘suppressed’ — it gets replaced with something more useful.

Clients often report that after even a few sessions, the old craving or impulse simply loses its pull. It’s not about fighting the urge; it’s about the urge becoming less relevant.

3. It Builds Genuine, Lasting Self-Confidence

Many people struggle with confidence not because they lack ability, but because their subconscious is replaying old narratives — messages absorbed in childhood, past failures, or critical voices that were internalised long ago.

Hypnotherapy creates a space to examine those narratives and, crucially, to update them. This isn’t positive affirmations layered over a shaky foundation. It’s deeper work: identifying where negative self-beliefs came from, challenging their validity, and replacing them with more accurate, empowering perspectives.

The result tends to show up in small but meaningful ways first — speaking up in meetings, making a phone call you’d been avoiding, feeling less need to seek reassurance. Over time, this compounds into a noticeably different relationship with yourself.

💡 Self-confidence work in hypnotherapy often benefits from exploring specific life areas — career, relationships, social situations — rather than ‘confidence’ as a general concept.

4. It Offers a Drug-Free Approach to Managing Chronic Pain

The relationship between the brain and pain is far more bidirectional than most people realise. Pain is not simply a signal from the body — it’s an experience constructed by the brain, and that experience can be influenced.

This is not to suggest the pain isn’t real. It absolutely is. But hypnotherapy has a strong evidence base for pain management. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) acknowledges psychological approaches, including hypnotherapy, as useful adjuncts for chronic pain conditions. Studies on hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome — a condition characterised partly by visceral pain — show response rates of 70–80% in clinical settings.

For my clients dealing with chronic pain, hypnotherapy helps in two ways: reducing pain perception directly through relaxation and attentional techniques, and reducing the anxiety and hypervigilance that often amplifies how pain is experienced.

5. Sleep Problems Often Respond Remarkably Well

Insomnia and disrupted sleep are almost always tied to what the mind does when the body is trying to rest. Racing thoughts, rehearsing worries, hyperarousal — these are subconscious processes, not conscious choices.

Hypnotherapy helps by retraining the mind’s association between bed and rest (rather than bed and anxiety), reducing the underlying stress load that keeps the nervous system alert, and teaching deep relaxation techniques that can be used independently between sessions.

Unlike sleep medication, which addresses the symptom without changing the underlying pattern, hypnotherapy aims to resolve the cause — so improvements tend to be durable rather than dependent on continued intervention.

💡 Many clients find that self-hypnosis recordings made during sessions become a powerful nightly tool for falling and staying asleep.

6. It Can Transform Your Relationships

This might be a less obvious benefit, but it’s one I see regularly in practice. Many relationship difficulties stem from patterns formed early in life: avoidant attachment, difficulty expressing needs, fear of conflict or abandonment, or a tendency to over-give to the point of resentment.

Hypnotherapy helps clients identify these patterns at their source and develop new emotional responses. Someone who has always shut down in arguments, for instance, may discover that the shutdown is an old protective response — and with work, they can access a calmer, more connected way of engaging.

Better communication, more authentic emotional expression, and greater tolerance for vulnerability in relationships are common outcomes. These changes radiate outward into friendships, family dynamics, and professional relationships as well.

7. Weight Management Becomes a Mind-Body Process — Not Just a Diet

Sustainable weight management rarely fails because of lack of information. Most people know that vegetables are better than biscuits. The challenge is the emotional relationship with food: eating for comfort, eating out of habit, feeling out of control around certain triggers.

Hypnotherapy addresses these psychological drivers directly. Sessions might explore the emotional needs being met by food, the beliefs driving all-or-nothing thinking, or the early experiences that linked food with safety, love, or reward.

This isn’t a quick fix — but it addresses the ‘why’ rather than just the ‘what’, which is why hypnotherapy-assisted weight management programmes tend to show better long-term maintenance than dietary intervention alone.

8. Phobias and Irrational Fears Often Resolve Quickly

Phobias are a specific area where hypnotherapy produces some of its most striking results. Whether it’s a fear of flying, spiders, needles, or social situations, phobias share a common structure: an exaggerated fear response triggered by a specific stimulus, often with a traceable origin.

Hypnotherapy allows us to work with the origin of the phobia in a safe, controlled way — gradually desensitising the emotional charge around the trigger without requiring prolonged real-world exposure. Many clients see significant improvement within just three to five sessions.

This is particularly meaningful for people who have been avoiding important aspects of life because of a fear — travel, medical appointments, social events — where resolution unlocks genuine freedom.

💡 Even longstanding phobias that have been present since childhood are often highly responsive to hypnotherapy.

9. Performance and Focus Improve Across Every Area of Life

Athletes, executives, students, and creatives all use hypnotherapy to sharpen focus, manage performance anxiety, and access states of flow more consistently. The subconscious mind plays a crucial role in performance — it’s where automatic patterns, self-doubt, and limiting beliefs live.

Hypnotherapy can reduce the internal noise that interferes with performance: the inner critic, pre-match nerves, exam anxiety, the creative block. It can also be used to mentally rehearse performance in vivid detail — a technique well-supported in sports psychology research as a genuine performance enhancer.

Whether you’re preparing for a presentation, an athletic competition, an audition, or an important conversation, hypnotherapy offers a way to prepare at the level where performance is actually generated.

10. It Supports Deep Personal Growth and Self-Understanding

Beyond addressing specific symptoms or goals, many clients find that hypnotherapy becomes a profound tool for self-discovery. The subconscious holds a great deal — memories, beliefs, emotional patterns, creative potential — that is ordinarily inaccessible to everyday awareness.

Working in this space can reveal why you’ve made the choices you have, what your deepest values actually are (as opposed to the ones you’ve been performing), and what you’re genuinely capable of when old limitations are removed.

Clients often describe a feeling of finally understanding themselves — not in an intellectual way, but experientially. This self-knowledge tends to inform better decisions, more authentic relationships, and a greater sense of living in alignment with who you actually are.

Is Hypnotherapy Right for You?

Hypnotherapy works best when you’re genuinely motivated to change and open to the process. It’s not something done to you — it’s a collaborative exploration. You remain aware and in control throughout; hypnosis is not sleep, and you cannot be made to do or say anything against your will.

It’s suitable for most adults and is often effective where other approaches have plateaued. That said, it’s not appropriate for everyone in every circumstance — if you have a history of psychosis or certain other conditions, we would discuss suitability in an initial consultation.

The best first step is simply to have a conversation. I offer an initial consultation where we can explore whether hypnotherapy is a good fit for what you’re working through, without any pressure or commitment.

Ready to Begin?

I work with clients at my practice in Islington, London, and online via video. Sessions are tailored to you — your history, your goals, your pace.

If any of the ten areas above resonated with you, I’d encourage you to get in touch. Change is possible, and it often begins sooner than people expect.

Email: info@london-hypnotics.co.uk

Or use the contact form at london-hypnotics.co.uk/contact-hypnotherapist/

by Antonios Koletsas
Lifestyle

What Chronic Stress Actually Does to Your Body — And How Hypnotherapy Helps You Break the Cycle

May 8, 2023

Most people who come to see me about stress don’t describe it as ‘stress’ at first. They describe not being able to sleep properly despite feeling exhausted. They describe snapping at people they love for no real reason. They describe a low, persistent sense of dread that follows them through the day, even when nothing is obviously wrong.

What they’re describing is what chronic stress looks like from the inside. Not the dramatic, crisis-level stress of a sudden emergency — but the slow, grinding, accumulated kind that modern life produces so efficiently.

In this article, I want to explain what’s actually happening in your body and mind when stress becomes chronic, why standard advice like ‘take a holiday’ or ‘do some yoga’ often fails to touch it, and how hypnotherapy works differently — addressing stress at the level where it’s actually rooted.

The Difference Between Acute Stress and Chronic Stress

Not all stress is the same, and understanding the difference matters for treatment.

Acute stress is short-term and purposeful. Your body releases adrenaline and cortisol, your heart rate rises, your senses sharpen. You deal with the threat. Then the system resets. This is healthy stress — the kind that kept our ancestors alive.

Chronic stress is what happens when that system never gets to reset. The threat — financial pressure, relationship strain, a demanding job, unresolved anxiety — doesn’t go away. So the nervous system stays in a low-level state of alert, day after day. Cortisol stays elevated. The body never fully recovers.

Over time, this produces a cascade of effects:

  • Disrupted sleep — the brain struggles to downregulate at night
  • Digestive problems — the gut-brain connection is highly sensitive to cortisol
  • Weakened immune function — chronic cortisol suppresses immune response
  • Cognitive fog — the prefrontal cortex, responsible for clear thinking, becomes less active
  • Emotional reactivity — small triggers produce disproportionate responses
  • Muscle tension — particularly in the neck, shoulders and jaw

If you recognise several of these, you’re not imagining things. These are measurable physiological responses to a nervous system that has been running on high alert for too long.

Why Willpower and Lifestyle Advice Often Aren’t Enough

The standard advice for stress — exercise more, eat better, meditate, take time off — is not wrong. These things do help. But for many people, they’re not enough on their own, and there’s a specific reason why.

Chronic stress becomes self-perpetuating at the subconscious level. The nervous system essentially gets ‘trained’ into a state of hypervigilance. Even when the original stressor reduces, the body and mind continue to respond as though the threat is still present. This is why people often say “I know I shouldn’t feel this stressed, but I can’t seem to switch it off.”

That inability to ‘switch off’ is not a character flaw or a lack of effort. It’s a subconscious pattern that has become automatic. And automatic patterns — by definition — don’t respond well to conscious effort alone.

This is precisely where hypnotherapy has something meaningful to offer.

How Hypnotherapy Interrupts the Stress Cycle

Hypnotherapy works by accessing the subconscious mind directly — the part of the brain where automatic stress responses are stored and triggered. In a deeply relaxed hypnotic state, the critical, analytical faculty of the conscious mind quietens, and the subconscious becomes open to new patterns and suggestions.

In my practice, stress work typically involves several interconnected elements:

1. Nervous System Regulation

The hypnotic state itself activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the ‘rest and digest’ counterpart to fight-or-flight. For many clients, the first session is the deepest genuine relaxation they’ve experienced in months or years. This isn’t a temporary fix; repeated access to this state begins to recalibrate the baseline.

2. Identifying the Underlying Driver

Surface stress is almost always driven by something deeper — a core belief about control, safety, worth, or performance. In hypnotherapy, I work to identify what’s actually fuelling the stress response beneath the presenting symptoms. For some clients, it’s a deeply held belief that they must be productive at all times to have value. For others, it’s an unconscious expectation of threat rooted in earlier experiences. Identifying this changes everything.

3. Rewriting the Automatic Response

Once the underlying driver is identified, hypnotic suggestion and visualisation are used to install a new, calmer automatic response. This isn’t about pretending stress doesn’t exist — it’s about changing how the subconscious mind interprets and responds to pressure. Clients often describe this as feeling like the volume has been turned down on everything.

4. Building a Practical Anchor

I teach every stress client a personalised anchoring technique — a specific mental or physical trigger they can use in daily life to rapidly access a calmer state. This gives clients agency between sessions and in real-world situations: before a difficult meeting, during a commute, or at 2am when the mind starts racing.

What I See in Practice: Common Stress Profiles

Stress manifests differently in different people, and my approach adapts accordingly. Here are three patterns I work with regularly.

The High-Functioning Burnout

These clients are still performing well externally — meeting deadlines, managing teams, keeping up appearances — but they’re running on empty. There’s often a deep resistance to slowing down because their identity is tied to output. Hypnotherapy helps disentangle self-worth from productivity, which is often what allows the nervous system to finally begin recovering.

The Anxious Overthinker

Some clients experience stress primarily as a mental loop — constant planning, ruminating, catastrophising. The conscious mind is working overtime trying to control outcomes it can’t actually control. Because hypnotherapy bypasses this mental loop and works at the subconscious level, it can be particularly effective here when talking therapies have plateaued.

The Physical Stress Carrier

Other clients carry stress almost entirely in their body — chronic tension headaches, tight chest, digestive issues, persistent fatigue. They may not even identify as ‘stressed’ because they’ve normalised these symptoms over years. The body often responds very quickly to hypnotherapy, sometimes faster than the mind, because the relaxation response is immediate and physical.

How Many Sessions and What to Expect

For stress specifically, I typically recommend between 4 and 6 sessions, though many clients notice a meaningful shift after the first two or three. The first session always includes a thorough consultation so I understand the full picture — the history, the specific triggers, the physical symptoms, and what the client actually wants their life to feel like.

Between sessions, I provide clients with a personalised audio recording to use at home. Consistency between sessions makes a significant difference to outcomes — the subconscious responds to repetition, and daily practice accelerates the recalibration process.

Sessions are available in person at my City Road practice in London EC1V, or online for clients who prefer to work from home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is hypnotherapy safe for stress?

Yes, entirely. Hypnotherapy is a natural, drug-free approach. You remain conscious and in control throughout every session. There are no side effects. The worst that typically happens is that a client feels very relaxed and a little sleepy afterwards.

What if my stress is caused by real external problems I can’t change?

This is one of the most important questions I get asked. Hypnotherapy doesn’t make problems disappear. What it changes is how your nervous system responds to them. Two people can face identical external pressures and have very different stress responses — the difference lies in the subconscious patterns they’re carrying. Adjusting those patterns doesn’t eliminate the challenge, but it dramatically changes your capacity to handle it.

Can hypnotherapy help with stress-related physical symptoms?

Often, yes. Tension headaches, digestive issues, disrupted sleep, and muscle tightness are all commonly linked to chronic stress, and many clients report these improving alongside their mental state. I always recommend that clients consult their GP to rule out other causes for any persistent physical symptoms.

I’ve tried meditation and it didn’t help. Will hypnotherapy be different?

Hypnotherapy and meditation are related but distinct. Meditation asks you to observe your thoughts without engaging with them. This is genuinely useful, but it’s a conscious practice that requires sustained effort. Hypnotherapy goes a step further — rather than just observing the patterns, we actively work to change them at the subconscious level. Clients who have found meditation helpful but insufficient often find hypnotherapy addresses what meditation couldn’t quite reach.

Ready to Break the Stress Cycle?

If chronic stress has become your normal — if you can’t remember the last time you genuinely switched off — I’d encourage you to get in touch. I offer a free initial phone consultation where we can talk through what you’re experiencing and whether hypnotherapy is a good fit.

My practice is at 364 City Road, London EC1V 2PY. I also work with clients across the UK online. You can book via the link below or call 020 7101 3284.

→ Book your free consultation

About the Author

Antonios Koletsas is a clinical hypnotherapist based in London, registered with the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC) and the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR). He specialises in stress, anxiety, confidence and gut-directed hypnotherapy, working with clients in person at his City Road practice and online across the UK.

by Antonios Koletsas
Calm, focused therapeutic setting representing a gut-directed hypnotherapy session with an IBS hypnotherapist in London
Lifestyle

Hypnotherapy in London: Find the Right Hypnotherapist for You

February 1, 2023

If you’re looking for a way to manage stress, anxiety, depression, or IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), hypnotherapy may be right for you. Hypnotherapy is a form of therapy that uses hypnosis to help individuals overcome emotional, behavioral, and psychological issues. By working with a qualified and experienced hypnotherapist in London, you can receive the support and guidance you need to achieve your therapeutic goals.

To find the right hypnotherapist in London, it’s important to consider your individual needs and preferences. You may want to look for a hypnotherapist who specializes in treating anxiety or depression, for example or one who has experience helping individuals with IBS. You can also search for hypnotherapists in your area by using keywords such as “hypnotherapy near me” or “hypnotherapy in London.”

When choosing a hypnotherapist, it’s also important to consider their qualifications and experience, as well as the cost of their services. You may want to ask friends and family for recommendations or read online reviews to help you make an informed decision.

At our clinic, we specialize in hypnotherapy for anxiety, depression, and IBS, and we have helped many individuals in London and the surrounding area achieve their therapeutic goals. Our qualified and experienced hypnotherapists are committed to providing you with the highest standard of care, and we are dedicated to helping you overcome your stress, anxiety, depression, or IBS and build a brighter, more fulfilling future.

If you’re ready to experience the benefits of hypnotherapy for yourself, contact us today to schedule a consultation. We look forward to helping you achieve your therapeutic goals!

To book your session click here or just call me at +447586755862.

by Antonios Koletsas
Lifestyle

World Mental Health Day

October 10, 2022

This is an opportunity to invite you to think about your mental health and how it can affect your relationship with other people you love.

When I started treating people with mild depression and anxiety, I came to a realization that most of the clients had few common complaints. They were all complaining about their relationships with their partners/bosses/parents. The relationship was not working and they thought that something had to be done in order for them to feel better in life. It turns out their mental health was the issue and not the relationships.

Surely you might think that sometimes other people can change their behavior or at least the way they respond to us, but it turns out we are the ones who determine how others behave towards us. If we say always yes, we don’t know how to set boundaries and have low self-esteem, and low confidence turns out humans can sense all of that and it is easier for them to manipulate the situation.

Of course, you might say, and how do I change all that? well, there is no magic pill, it all starts with you.

Firstly we have to understand that the way we think is not the same for everyone around us. We are all unique in a way and have unique ways of processing thinking and deciding. Understanding that you are unique is fundamental to making logic around the world. If we all had the same parents, same teachers, friends, and experiences in life we would still be different. Imagine 2 children from the same family. They both had the same parents, but they are so different from each other, and that is the blessing that we all carry in this world. We all have unique gifts to give to the world.

So moving now to the next on the list that is to find a purpose in life. How? you may ask. Again the answer is within you. You have to identify your own skills and talents. usually, the easiest way to do this is to see what we do so much easier than others, without too much effort. If you can identify one congratulations! You now know one gift that you have and can use to help the world become a better place!

And of course, I will also include some tips for general well-being.

Number one on the list starts with sleep. Sleep is the number one priority you have to make on your list to improve your mental state. Improving the quality of your sleep can dramatically improve your mental health. Aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night!

2. Social media. What we see on social media it is far from the truth. The way people present themselves is actually not very accurate on social media and that is something you need to make a note of. You only see a snapshot of their day. Most individuals are using social media to promote their businesses. This is something most of us are unaware of unless you had some marketing class!

3. Exercise and food choices! Okay, I know this you probably heard it many times. But it is crucial for your mental health. How often you exercise and what foods you eat can play a role in your mental state. Avoiding processed foods, and increasing your intake of whole foods, fruits, and vegetables alongside protein is another way to improve your mood! Omega 3 from fatty fish has proven to be the number one food choice that can have a positive effect on your happiness!

4. Caffeine! Yes! That’s right! If you are overdoing caffeine it can have the opposite effect that you desire. The mental clarity that you crave from caffeine can turn to anxiety and panic attacks and that will have an effect on your mental health. Limiting your caffeine intake daily can help you achieve high-quality sleep and also become more productive as a result of that!

5. Your Social Life! Being too restricted with work can have a negative impact on our mental health. You have to make sure that your social life is on the list of your priorities. It’s all about balance! Meeting a friend for a coffee, going to a gathering, and exchanging ideas is an ancient activity that humans have used to express themselves. Turns out that this habit can increase your overall happiness! Finding people that you enjoy spending time with and making you laugh is the secret!

That’s all for today. I wish you start looking at ways to improve your mental health and start with you!

And don’t forget, when things are not easy, you may need a little help from a professional. That is ok too!

With love,

Antonios

Ready to Take the Next Step?

I offer a free, no-obligation 15-minute consultation to talk through what you are experiencing and whether hypnotherapy could help. Sessions are available in person near Angel, London, or online via Zoom.

Book your free consultation or call 020 7101 3284.

by Antonios Koletsas
Health

Can Hypnotherapy Help With Anxiety? A Psychologist’s Guide

July 21, 2022

Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people contact me. Some describe a constant low hum of worry that never quite switches off. Others describe racing thoughts at 3am, a tight chest on the Tube, or a sense of dread before work that has no obvious cause. Many have already tried talking therapy, apps, breathing exercises or medication, and are now asking a simple question: can hypnotherapy help with anxiety?

As a psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist, I want to give you an honest answer. This guide explains what anxiety is actually doing in your body, how hypnotherapy works with it, what the research does and does not show, and what you can expect if you decide to try it.

What Anxiety Is Really Doing

Anxiety is not a character flaw and it is not “all in your head”. It is your nervous system’s threat response doing its job a little too well. When your brain decides something might be dangerous, it releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Your heart speeds up, your breathing becomes shallow, your muscles tense and your mind starts scanning for what could go wrong.

That response is useful when danger is real. The problem comes when it is triggered by things that are not actually dangerous: an email from your manager, a crowded platform, a twinge in your body, or simply lying in bed with nothing to distract you. Over time the brain learns to react faster and more often, and anxiety becomes a habit of the nervous system rather than a response to what is actually happening.

This is also why understanding your anxiety, while helpful, is rarely enough on its own. Most of my clients know perfectly well that the presentation, the flight or the headache is not a real threat. The part of the mind that sets off the alarm simply has not received that message.

What Hypnotherapy Is (and Is Not)

Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and deep relaxation, similar to being absorbed in a good book or driving a familiar route on autopilot. In this state the mind becomes more open to new ways of responding. Hypnotherapy is the use of that state for therapeutic change.

It is not stage hypnosis. You are not asleep, you remain aware of what is happening, and you cannot be made to say or do anything you do not want to. Most people describe it as feeling deeply calm while still being fully present. You can read more about how hypnotherapy works here.

How Hypnotherapy Helps With Anxiety

I use an Ericksonian approach, which means every session is tailored to you rather than read from a script. In practice, the work usually covers four areas.

1. Calming the nervous system. Deep hypnotic relaxation activates the body’s rest-and-digest system, the natural counterbalance to fight-or-flight. With repetition, your baseline level of arousal comes down, so everyday stresses are less likely to tip you into anxiety in the first place.

2. Changing the automatic response. In the focused state of hypnosis, we rehearse the situations that usually trigger you, whether that is a meeting, a journey or a quiet evening at home, and practise meeting them with calm instead of alarm. This helps the brain learn a new default response rather than simply trying to talk yourself out of the old one.

3. Softening anxious thinking. Anxiety tends to run on “what if” loops and worst-case predictions. Suggestion and imagery help loosen the grip of those patterns and build a more balanced inner voice, one that notices a worry without being carried away by it.

4. Giving you tools you can use yourself. I teach every client simple self-hypnosis techniques, so you have a reliable way to settle your nervous system between sessions and long after our work together ends.

What the Research Says

The evidence for hypnosis in anxiety is encouraging. A 2019 meta-analysis of 15 controlled studies found that hypnosis produced substantial reductions in anxiety compared with control conditions (Valentine et al., 2019). An earlier meta-analysis found that adding hypnosis to cognitive-behavioural therapy improved outcomes compared with the same therapy without hypnosis (Kirsch, Montgomery and Sapirstein, 1995), and clinical reviews describe hypnosis as a useful part of treatment for a range of anxiety and stress-related problems (Hammond, 2010).

It is also important to be honest about the limits. Hypnotherapy is not currently one of the treatments recommended in NICE guidelines for anxiety disorders, which focus on cognitive behavioural therapy, applied relaxation and, where appropriate, medication. Many of the studies on hypnosis are small, and more high-quality research is needed. I see hypnotherapy as a valuable option that works well alongside other support, not as a replacement for medical care.

What Types of Anxiety Can Hypnotherapy Help With?

I regularly work with people experiencing:

What to Expect in a Session

We start with a free 15-minute call to talk through what you are experiencing and whether hypnotherapy is the right fit. Your first full session begins with a detailed conversation about your anxiety: when it started, what triggers it, how it shows up in your body and what you would like to feel instead.

I then guide you into a relaxed, focused state and work with the patterns we have identified, using suggestion, imagery and rehearsal tailored to you. Afterwards we talk about how it felt, and I give you techniques to practise before we next meet. You can read a fuller description in what happens in a hypnotherapy session.

Many people need between three and six sessions for anxiety, depending on how long it has been present and how many areas of life it affects. Some notice a difference after the first session; for others the change builds steadily. I have written more about how many sessions people usually need.

When to Speak to Your GP First

If your anxiety is severe, has come on suddenly, or is accompanied by physical symptoms such as chest pain that have not been checked, please see your GP first. The same applies if you are thinking about stopping or changing medication. If you are in crisis or worried about your safety, contact NHS 111, your GP, or 999 in an emergency. Hypnotherapy can be a helpful part of your support, but it should sit alongside proper medical care, not replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is hypnotherapy safe for anxiety? Yes. When practised by a trained, registered professional, hypnotherapy is a safe, non-invasive and drug-free approach. You remain aware and in control throughout.

What if I cannot be hypnotised? Most people can enter a hypnotic state. It is not about being “weak-minded”; it is about being willing to focus and relax. If your mind races, that is completely normal, and part of my job is to work with a busy mind rather than against it.

Can hypnotherapy replace medication or therapy? Hypnotherapy works well alongside other treatment, including medication and talking therapies. Please do not stop or change any medication without speaking to your doctor.

Does online hypnotherapy work for anxiety? Yes. Many of my clients work with me via Zoom, and being in your own familiar space can make it even easier to relax. You can read more about online hypnotherapy here.

In Person in London or Online

I see clients in person at 364 City Road, London EC1V 2PY, a short walk from Angel and Old Street stations, and online anywhere in the UK and abroad. You can find out more about my anxiety hypnotherapy in London, or book a free consultation below.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If anxiety has been holding you back, you do not have to keep managing it alone. I offer a free, no-obligation 15-minute consultation to talk through what you are experiencing and whether hypnotherapy could help.

Book your free consultation or call 020 7101 3284.

References

  1. Valentine, K. E., Milling, L. S., Clark, L. J. & Moriarty, C. L. (2019). The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 67(3), 336-363. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2019.1613863
  2. Kirsch, I., Montgomery, G. & Sapirstein, G. (1995). Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy: a meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63(2), 214-220. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7751482/
  3. Hammond, D. C. (2010). Hypnosis in the treatment of anxiety- and stress-related disorders. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 10(2), 263-273. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20136382/
  4. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management (CG113). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg113
by Antonios Koletsas
Lifestyle, Tips

How Does Your Lifestyle Affect Your Mental Health?

February 19, 2022

A lifestyle choice can have a major impact on a person’s physical and mental health. Certain lifestyle factors may directly affect brain chemistry and contribute to mental illness. Mental illnesses are real health issues in the modern era. Healthy lifestyle choices along with appropriate treatment options will work more effectively and can help improve your mental health.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental health is a state of wellness that allows the individual to realize his capabilities and adapt to regular stressful situations, and also enables him to work in producing, effective, and contributing to his community and his environment. Mental health is not only free of diseases and disabilities but also a state of complete physical, mental, psychological, and social integrity.
Mental health includes social, psychological, and emotional wellness, as it affects the way of thinking, feeling, and behaving in an individual and also affects his social life and his decision-making. Mental health is not associated with a specific age, but rather is important in all stages of life from childhood to different stages of maturity.

Lifestyle Choices and Mental Health

Good mental health provides a sense of well-being and inner strength and it helps you to enjoy life and cope with problems. A healthy lifestyle can be beneficial for mental health. Healthy lifestyle choices along with appropriate treatment options will work more effectively and can help improve your mental health. Thus, identifying healthy lifestyle options that enhance mental well-being and reduce psychological problems are beneficial for preventing major psychiatric disorders. Eating healthy foods can improve mood and restore the structural integrity of brain cells needed for cognitive function. Getting enough sleep improves your mental health and makes your body more able to recover from diseases. Exercise can be very effective in treating mental health problems. Meditation and relaxation techniques can help improve your ability to control your temper, tolerate frustration and manage stress and anxiety. Quitting smoking and avoiding drug use may be one of the best things to do for your mental health. A healthy relationship can help people avoid depression, anxiety, and neurotic personality traits.

10 Lifestyle Factors Affecting Mental Health

There are several factors that affect a person’s mental health, way of thinking, behavior, and feeling. Certain lifestyle factors may directly affect brain chemistry and contribute to mental illness, including:

1. Unhealthy Eating Habits

Unhealthy eating habits such as insufficient intake or high intake both have negative effects on our physical and mental health. Therefore, it is preferable to stay away from fatty and low-nutritional meals and go to a balanced diet, nutritious food, and focus on foods that stimulate brain activity, which can positively affect the mood. A healthy eating lifestyle and quality of food affect human physical health and thus psychological and mental health.

2. Lack of Physical Activity

Not getting enough physical activity or lack of exercise may affect our mental health and can cause psychological problems such as dementia and depression. Exercise actively contributes to solving mental health problems and helps improve and adjust the mood and relieves depression, anxiety, and stress. as well. Exercise or physical activity is not only important for physical health and weight loss, it is also highly important for mental health. It is important for the individual to try to move as much as possible, such as going up the ladder instead of using the elevator and going out to practice walking from time to time instead of using the car. Studies indicate that workout and exercising regularly helps improve brain function, protect memory as well as improve thinking skills.

3. Lack of Sleep

Poor sleep can have a negative effect on your mental health. Lack of sleep can dramatically change your mood and provoke relapse and mania. Sleep deprivation causes irritation and anger and may reduce your ability to deal with stress and depression. Getting enough sleep needed by the human body and organizing sleep times improves mental health and makes the body more able to recover from diseases and even makes the challenges of the day less effective.

4. Poor Physical Health

Poor physical health may lead to an increased risk of developing mental health problems. Physical injuries or symptoms can affect what you think, how you feel, and what you do. Physical illness increases the risk of developing severe depressive episodes. Some physical health conditions such as infections, genetic disorders, congenital abnormalities, gluten sensitivity, brain injury, spinal cord injury, nerve injury can lead to specific types of neurological and psychological disorders. Making healthy lifestyle changes can help you improve your physical health as well as your mental health at the same time.

5. Smoking

About half of the people who suffer from psychological problems are smokers. The health problems caused by smoking, such as problems of the heart, lungs, and colds, may lead to mood problems and changes in mental health, so stopping smoking is one of the best steps to improve mental health.

6. Exposure to Abuse

Exposure to abuse, whether psychological, physical, or sexual, is one of the most important factors that motivate psychological problems to emerge. Therefore, a safe and healthy family and social environment contribute effectively to achieving mental health.

7. Social Interaction

Social isolation has long been known as a key trigger for mental illness and can lead to feelings of loneliness, fear of others, or negative self-esteem. Remember! Having bad company may ruin one’s happiness and life. Having a good friendship shows that you can trust your friends so that they can support you, spend time with you, and be honest with you. Spending time with people you care about and engaging in community and volunteer work that makes you feel important and influencing others, are the most important things that are recommended when talking about mental health. Spending time with friends significantly improves mood and the love of others makes it easier to deal with the challenges of daily life.

8. Emotional Attachment

It’s natural to love and want your partner or things. Excessive emotional attachment is unhealthy when it begins to disrupt your life. In the case of relationships, an unhealthy emotional attachment can also disrupt your partner’s life. Bad emotional relationships negatively affect mental health, and it is best to get rid of them and end them and stay with a partner that makes life look better and more beautiful.A healthy emotional relationship can improve mental health and mood, and contribute to easing nervous features in the individual’s personality.

9. Work Environment

Work is good for mental health, but staying in a job you hate affects your mental health and can make your life miserable. A negative work environment can lead to physical and mental health problems. Employees, both men, and women, who report workplace stress, work pressures, bullying, and lack of ability to make work-related decisions can be more at risk of developing depressive symptoms. A positive work environment makes employees feel good and excited about coming to work and understanding their work roles and responsibilities and this provides the motivation to sustain them throughout the day. When employees are happy and excited, they invest all their energy to ensure the best results.

10. Meditation and Relaxation Techniques

Practicing the wrong meditation technique could be a harmful experience for you and can lead to waves of anger, fear, or jealousy that were sitting deep inside you, and this will make you feel uncomfortable. Unhealthy relaxation techniques can result in poor concentration, uncontrollable thoughts, worrying, and difficulty in making decisions. The continuous practice of different relaxation and meditation techniques actively contributes to increasing the ability to endure frustrating situations, deal with, control emotions, and manage anxiety experienced by the individual.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

I offer a free, no-obligation 15-minute consultation to talk through what you are experiencing and whether hypnotherapy could help. Sessions are available in person near Angel, London, or online via Zoom.

Book your free consultation or call 020 7101 3284.

by Antonios Koletsas
Lifestyle

Natural ways to promote relaxation

February 9, 2021

We have been living in very busy environments the recent years. No doubt that it has an effect on our mental health often. We usually are unable to release the tension and our muscles feeling tight. If that is something you can relate to. I have some tips that worked for me personally and for others.

  1. Try some meditation or breathing exercises. Diaphragmatic breathing has shown an effect to promote relaxation and it is very easy to follow!
  2. Add Peppermint tea to your day. Peppermint leaves have smoothening effects on our digestive tract and can help promote relaxation!
  3. Reduce the amount of coffee, or just stick to the morning coffee. It is no surprise that high amounts of caffeine can have a negative impact on our nervous system. Reduce the amount of stick to a tea for a better mood and less anxiety.
  4. Avoid overeating and try to eliminate white sugar from your diet! Sugar is addictive and we tend to overeat. Also try to avoid processed carbohydrates like white flour, bread, pizzas, etc. When we overeat our body works hard to digest and has an impact on our mood.
  5. A good night’s sleep is a MUST to your overall health and wellbeing. An adequate amount of sleep between 7-9 hours shows the optimal effect on the health of individuals. People who are sleep-deprived usually are a lot more anxious and make easy mistakes. Your judgment is also impaired. So stick to your routine and look for no less than 7 hours of sleep every night.
  6. Go for a Walk! Walking in nature can drop dramatically the amount of stress in our bodies and also promotes digestion. Walk for a minimum of 20 minutes every day for optimal results.
  7. Practice gratitude in your life. It is not easy if you never did but it has an overall impact on your wellbeing! Try to look for the positives in everything that has happened in your life. Keeping a journal and writing also helps.
  8. Smile! Smiling to people and keep a positive attitude makes a huge difference to your health! Your mood will lift and you will feel completely out of anxiety!

That’s it for now! Keep the routine and you will see amazing benefits into your life.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

I offer a free, no-obligation 15-minute consultation to talk through what you are experiencing and whether hypnotherapy could help. Sessions are available in person near Angel, London, or online via Zoom.

Book your free consultation or call 020 7101 3284.

by Antonios Koletsas
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