What happens in a hypnotherapy session, and is it safe?
A session is a conversation followed by a spell of guided, focused attention. You stay aware, you stay in control, and you can stop at any time. Here’s what happens from first contact to the end, and an honest answer on safety.
Most people who get in touch have a fear or two they feel slightly silly mentioning. Will I lose control? Will you be messing about with my subconscious? Is it dangerous? These are sensible questions, and after 17 years in clinical practice I’d rather answer them before you book.
What happens, step by step
- A consultation call firstWe start with a consultation over Zoom: £49, or £24.50 with code SLIM, and the fee comes off your first session. We talk about your eating, what you’ve tried and your health. If I don’t think hypnotherapy is right for you, I’ll tell you.
- Sessions online or in HertfordshireMost people work with me online over Zoom. Face-to-face sessions in Hertfordshire are available by arrangement and cost the same.
- We talk firstEach session starts with conversation: what you eat and when, your triggers, and what you want from today. That shapes the hypnosis, so it’s built around you rather than read from a script.
- The hypnosisYou sit somewhere comfortable and close your eyes. I guide you into a focused, relaxed state, then use imagery and rehearsal to practise the changes we’ve talked about, such as pausing before a craving or getting through a stressful evening without the biscuit tin. Then I bring you back gently.
- A recording to keepThe hypnosis from every session is recorded for you to keep and listen to between sessions, alongside the practical changes we agree.
Every price is on my cost and sessions page, and there’s more on online and Hertfordshire.
What does hypnosis feel like?
For most people it feels like being absorbed in a good film, or that drifting moment just before sleep. Your mind may wander off and come back. Some people feel deeply relaxed, and others feel almost ordinary and only notice afterwards how quickly the time went.
You can hear me throughout, and you don’t need to be good at relaxing. If you’re expecting to be knocked out, you might think nothing happened when it did. More on this in Can everyone be hypnotised?
Will I be aware and in control?
Yes. You stay aware and in control the whole time. You can move, speak, open your eyes and stop whenever you like. I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do, and if a suggestion doesn’t fit you, you simply won’t take it on.
But what about stage hypnosis?
Stage shows are entertainment. Volunteers are picked because they’re highly responsive and happy to play along, and the whole thing is set up for laughs. A clinical session is private, with nothing to perform, and everything we do is agreed with you first.
Will you be messing with my subconscious?
I understand the worry, but it’s far less invasive than it sounds. Hypnosis doesn’t let me into your head or plant anything you haven’t agreed to. It’s closer to guided imagination: you picture real situations and rehearse handling them differently while I talk you through it.
Is hypnotherapy safe?
For most adults, yes. Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention, and nothing is done to your body. But it isn’t right for everyone, and it isn’t a medical treatment or a substitute for medical advice, which is why I ask about your health on the consultation call.
- Psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or epilepsy, or under the care of a mental health team: please get your doctor’s agreement before we work together.
- Severe depression or recent trauma: please speak to your GP, or whoever is supporting you, first. Then tell me on the consultation call, so we can decide together whether hypnotherapy is right for you at the moment.
- Pregnant, diabetic or on prescribed medication: please check with your GP first. If you’re on prescribed medication for your weight, read hypnotherapy alongside medical care and speak to your prescriber.
- Under 18: I work with adults only.
If you’re eating very little, making yourself sick, or your eating feels out of control, please speak to your GP or Beat first (details below).
What if I fall asleep?
It happens now and then, especially if you’re tired, and it’s nothing to worry about. Many people who think they fell asleep were actually deeply relaxed. If you do nod off, you wake up as you would from a nap.
Can I get stuck in hypnosis?
No. Nobody gets stuck in hypnosis. If I stopped talking, you would come out of it in your own time, or drift into ordinary sleep and wake up normally. You can open your eyes whenever you choose.
Are there any side effects?
Most people feel fine afterwards, often calmer. Some feel a little drowsy or a bit emotional for a short while, so give yourself a few minutes before driving. If talking about your eating brings up difficult feelings, tell me and we’ll slow down.
What hypnotherapy can and can’t do
Hypnotherapy may help with cravings, habits and emotional eating. It works alongside sensible eating and moving more, not instead of them, and your own commitment still matters. For the honest picture of the research, read Does hypnosis work for weight loss?
Hear what hypnosis sounds like
To hear hypnosis before you book, try these free sessions from my podcast, The Hypnotist. Listen somewhere comfortable, never while driving.
Weight Loss Hypnosis for Evolutionary Change
A gentle session beside a still pond about small, steady changes to portions: a good first taste of hypnosis.
Emotional Eating Hypnosis: The Pool of Resourcefulness
You meet the part of you that turns to food for comfort and find other ways to feel better.
Common questions
What happens in a hypnotherapy session?
We talk first, then I guide you into hypnosis. We discuss your eating, triggers and goals, then use imagery and rehearsal to practise the changes. The hypnosis is recorded for you to keep.
Will I be in control during hypnosis?
Yes. You stay aware and in control the whole time, and you can open your eyes and stop whenever you like. Nobody can make you do or say anything you don’t want to.
Is hypnotherapy safe?
For most adults, yes. It isn’t suitable for everyone, though. If you have psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or epilepsy, or are under a mental health team, your doctor should agree first. If you have severe depression or recent trauma, speak to your GP first and tell me on the consultation call. If you’re pregnant, diabetic or on prescribed medication, check with your GP. I work with adults only.
What if I fall asleep during hypnosis?
It’s nothing to worry about. It happens occasionally, especially if you’re tired, and you wake up as you would from a nap.
Can you get stuck in hypnosis?
No. Nobody gets stuck in hypnosis. If I stopped talking, you would come out of it in your own time or drift into ordinary sleep and wake up normally.
Are there any side effects of hypnotherapy?
Most people feel fine, often calmer. Some feel a little drowsy or emotional for a short while afterwards, so give yourself a few minutes before driving.
Where to start
Is hypnosis right for you?
Take my free four minute suitability test. You get an honest answer about whether hypnotherapy is likely to help with your goals, and how.
Work on it with me
Book a consultation call and we will talk through your eating, what you have tried and whether hypnotherapy is right for you. Use code SLIM at checkout for half price: £24.50 instead of £49 (or $29.50 outside the UK). The fee comes off your first session.
Or start with a recorded session
Sessions from my store, recorded for this kind of eating. Listen somewhere comfortable, never while driving.
Please read this first
Hypnotherapy is not a medical treatment and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you’re pregnant, diabetic or take prescribed medication, please speak to your GP before starting. If you’re eating very little, making yourself sick, or feel your eating is out of your control, please speak to your GP, or contact Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, on 0808 801 0677. I work with adults only. Never listen to hypnosis recordings while driving or doing anything that needs your full attention.