No. You'll feel deeply relaxed but stay aware, and most people remember most or all of the session.

Can I be made to do something I don't want to?

No. Clinical hypnosis isn't stage hypnosis, and you stay in control throughout.

What if I can't be hypnotised?

People vary in how deeply they go, but most can reach a light-to-moderate state, and that is usually all that's needed. We adapt the approach to suit you.

Is hypnotherapy safe?

It's gentle, and side effects are uncommon. It isn't suitable for everyone, for example during an episode of psychosis, so we talk about your health at the assessment.

How many sessions will I need?

It depends on the goal. For anxiety, about six sessions after the assessment is typical, and a single fear may need fewer. We review progress as we go.

Can hypnotherapy be done online?

Yes. Online sessions work in the same way, and many people find it easier to relax at home.

How much does hypnotherapy cost?

The 90-minute session, including your initial assessment, is £150. Follow-up sessions are £110 for 60 minutes, and 6- and 12-session programmes are available. The first 15-minute call is free.

( Clinical Hypnosis )

Clinical hypnotherapy

Clinical hypnotherapy uses a relaxed, focused state of mind to help you change how you think, feel and respond, while you stay aware and in control throughout. People come to it for anxiety, confidence, fears, sleep, stress and unwanted habits. I'm a registered mental health nurse with more than 13 years in the NHS, and I offer hypnotherapy in person in Wymondham, about 25 minutes from Norwich, and online.

( 01 )

What hypnotherapy is, and isn't

Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and deep relaxation, a bit like being absorbed in a good book or a daydream. In that state the mind is more open to new perspectives, which is what makes it useful for change.

It isn't stage hypnosis. You hear everything, you can talk, and you can stop at any time. Nobody can make you do or say anything you don't want to.

“Clinical” means it's used for a goal you've chosen, by a trained practitioner, as part of a plan. The word “hypnotism” was coined by the Scottish surgeon James Braid in the 1840s. Its clinical use was developed in the 20th century by doctors and psychologists, among them the American psychiatrist Milton Erickson.

( 02 )

What happens in a session

01
Your goal
We start with what you'd like to feel or do differently.
02
Relaxing
I guide you into a comfortable, focused state, usually with breathing and gentle imagery.
03
The work
Suggestions, imagery and rehearsal chosen for your goal, for example picturing a situation that worries you and practising a calmer response.
04
Coming back
I guide you back to full alertness. Most people feel calm and clear-headed.
05
Between sessions
You learn self-hypnosis to use on your own, and you can have a personal Custom Hypnosis recording if it would help.

( 03 )

What people come to hypnotherapy for

Anxiety

Hypnotherapy can help relieve anxiety by teaching your body to settle and by changing the patterns that keep worry going. Read more about hypnotherapy for anxiety.

Confidence

Rehearsing the situations you dread, such as presentations, interviews or social events, until they feel familiar, and strengthening the beliefs that help you.

Fears and phobias

Flying, needles, dentists, spiders: gently lowering the fear response, often alongside EFT tapping.

Sleep

Learning to switch off at night, with a recording to use at bedtime. The research on sleep is mixed, so I treat hypnosis as one part of good sleep habits, not a replacement for them.

Stress

A reliable way to find calm when you need it, and to step out of the stress cycle.

Stopping smoking

Hypnotherapy can support you to stop smoking by working on the cravings, routines and beliefs that keep you lighting up. It works best once you've decided to quit, and it can sit alongside the NHS's free stop-smoking services if you'd like extra support.

Eating habits

Changing habits around food, such as snacking, comfort eating or eating on autopilot. This is about habits, not diets or weight loss, and it isn't a treatment for eating disorders. If food feels out of your control, please talk to your GP.

Other habits

Changing the automatic patterns behind other habits you'd like to break. It works best when you're ready to change, and your commitment matters as much as the sessions.

Children and teenagers

I work with children from age 5 and with teenagers. Hypnotherapy with children is gentle and imaginative, often built around stories. A parent or guardian comes to the first session and stays nearby for the rest.

Hypnotherapy is a supportive therapy, not a cure, and it doesn't replace medical care. If you have a diagnosed condition, keep your GP involved.

( 04 )

Does hypnotherapy work?

It depends on what for, and the honest answer is mixed:

Anxiety: The strongest evidence. A 2019 analysis of 17 trials found that, on average, people who had hypnosis ended up less anxious than about 79% of people in comparison groups. That rose to about 84% at later follow-up. Hypnosis worked better combined with other approaches.
The brain: A 2017 Stanford brain-imaging study found that hypnosis changed activity in areas linked to attention, body awareness and self-reflection, in people who are easily hypnotised. It was a small study, but it shows hypnosis is a real, measurable state.
Sleep: A 2018 review found benefits in some studies, but many were small or of low quality.
Stopping smoking: A 2019 Cochrane review found there isn't enough evidence that hypnotherapy works better than other support for quitting.

So hypnotherapy has good evidence for anxiety and mixed evidence elsewhere. It tends to work best as part of a wider plan, which is how I use it.

( 05 )

Hypnotherapy with a mental health nurse

I spent more than 13 years as a mental health nurse in the NHS, including in GP surgeries and community mental health teams in Norfolk. That clinical background shapes how I use hypnosis: carefully, at your pace, and with a clear sense of when something needs medical care. I trained in clinical hypnosis, and I often combine it with EFT tapping, NLP and Havening. Most people start with a 90-minute assessment.

( 06 )

In person or online

In-person sessions are at The Sawyers, a quiet 17th-century house just outside Wymondham, about 25 minutes from Norwich, with free parking. Hypnotherapy works well online or by telephone too, and I can visit you at home by arrangement.

( 07 )

Questions people ask

Will I be asleep?: No. You'll feel deeply relaxed but stay aware, and most people remember most or all of the session.
Can I be made to do something I don't want to?: No. Clinical hypnosis isn't stage hypnosis, and you stay in control throughout.
What if I can't be hypnotised?: People vary in how deeply they go, but most can reach a light-to-moderate state, and that is usually all that's needed. We adapt the approach to suit you.
Is hypnotherapy safe?: It's gentle, and side effects are uncommon. It isn't suitable for everyone, for example during an episode of psychosis, so we talk about your health at the assessment.
How many sessions will I need?: It depends on the goal. For anxiety, about six sessions after the assessment is typical, and a single fear may need fewer. We review progress as we go.
Can hypnotherapy be done online?: Yes. Online sessions work in the same way, and many people find it easier to relax at home.
How much does hypnotherapy cost?: The 90-minute session, including your initial assessment, is £150. Follow-up sessions are £110 for 60 minutes, and 6- and 12-session programmes are available. The first 15-minute call is free.

Hypnotherapy isn't a crisis service. If you're in crisis, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or 999 in an emergency. Samaritans are available any time on 116 123.

Written by Danielle Sands, RMN, clinical hypnotherapist. Last reviewed October 2026.

Valentine KE, Milling LS, Clark LJ, Moriarty CL. The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 2019.
Jiang H, White MP, Greicius MD, Waelde LC, Spiegel D. Brain activity and functional connectivity associated with hypnosis. Cerebral Cortex 27(8), 2017.
Chamine I, Atchley R, Oken BS. Hypnosis intervention effects on sleep outcomes: a systematic review. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 14(2), 2018.
Barnes J et al. Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019.

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