What Really Happens During a Hypnotherapy Session? A Beginner’s Guide

For many people, the word hypnotherapy brings up uncertainty or curiosity. What actually happens during a session? Is it safe? Can it help with real challenges such as trauma, addiction, or long-standing habits?  This guide breaks down what hypnotherapy entails, who can benefit, and what you can expect from the process.

Understanding Hypnotherapy: What It Really Is

Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that uses guided relaxation and focused attention to access the subconscious mind, the part of your mental processing that shapes automatic thoughts, habits, emotional reactions, and beliefs. Unlike stage hypnosis, clinical hypnotherapy is entirely collaborative and grounded in psychological science.

During a session, you remain awake, aware, and in control. The goal is not to “fix” you but to help you connect with the deeper drivers behind your behaviors and emotional responses. By working with both the conscious and subconscious mind, hypnotherapy can support shifts that talk therapy alone may not always reach.

For many clients, this approach helps them finally break patterns they’ve struggled with for years, whether related to food, self-esteem, addiction, avoidance, or trauma responses.

What Happens During a Telehealth Hypnotherapy Session?

For clients using online or telehealth hypnotherapy services, the process is the same. All you need is a private, quiet, and comfortable environment, making this modality convenient for clients throughout Albuquerque, New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma.

A typical online hypnotherapy session includes:

1. A Collaborative Conversation

Each session begins with a discussion about your goals, challenges, and progress. Your provider will focus on understanding what you hope to change and what specific obstacles you’re facing.

2. Guided Relaxation

You will then be led through structured relaxation techniques. These are designed to quiet the conscious mind and create space for deeper internal work.

3. Targeted Subconscious Work

Once you reach a calm, focused state, therapeutic suggestions or imagery tailored to your goals will be introduced, whether you’re seeking behavior change, trauma processing, or emotional regulation.

4. Integration and Debrief

You return to full awareness and review insights, sensations, or shifts experienced during the session. Together, you apply these to a practical plan to support long-term growth.

Who Should Consider Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy can benefit individuals who:

· Struggle to break habits or behaviors despite multiple attempts

· Want to change their relationship with food or pursue healthier living

· Are healing from trauma or traumatic experiences

· Are managing depression, anxiety, or substance use disorders

· Are “great at starting” but have difficulty maintaining long-term change Seek a deeper, more integrated therapeutic experience

Hypnotherapy is not a magic cure. But for many, it serves as a powerful adjunct to traditional counseling.

What Does Research Say About Hypnotherapy?

Numerous studies support the use of hypnotherapy for behavioral, emotional, and trauma-related concerns. Research shows:

· Improved outcomes for trauma and PTSD when hypnotherapy is combined with psychotherapy

· Significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms

· Enhanced success rates for addiction recovery and habit change

· Positive results for weight loss and long-term lifestyle modification

By tapping into the subconscious, clients often experience change that feels more natural, internalized, and sustainable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to common questions clients have before beginning hypnotherapy. These insights can help you feel more prepared, informed, and confident as you consider this approach.

Is hypnotherapy safe?

Yes. You remain in control the entire time, and the process is guided by a licensed therapist trained in trauma and addiction.

Will I be “asleep” or unaware?

No. You are awake, alert, and able to stop the session at any time.

Does online hypnotherapy work as well as in person?

Absolutely. Telehealth hypnotherapy is highly effective when clients have privacy and comfort. Many prefer it because there’s no travel involved.

How many sessions do I need?

This varies by individual goals. Some experience noticeable change quickly, while others benefit from a longer therapeutic partnership.

Find Real, Sustainable Change With Hypnotherapy

Whether you’re working to break a habit, recover from trauma, manage anxiety, or create a healthier lifestyle, you don’t have to do it alone. With over 30 years of experience and specialized training in hypnotherapy, trauma, and addiction, Dr. Keith Crownover is ready to partner with you on meaningful, lasting transformation.

If you’re ready to explore hypnotherapy online in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Oklahoma, or Colorado, contact Healthy Living Counseling today and begin building the life you’ve been striving for.