What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis Explained
Have you ever driven somewhere and realised you cannot quite remember the journey, or found yourself lost in a daydream before snapping back to the present, These are everyday examples of the hypnotic state, moments when your attention turns inward and your subconscious takes the lead.
These natural states of focus give a glimpse into what happens during a hypnotherapy session. If you’ve ever wondered what is hypnotherapy, it’s simply a way of using this focused state deliberately to help you make positive, lasting change.
Hypnotherapy offers a gentle way to work with this natural state so you can update unhelpful patterns and create calmer, more helpful responses in everyday life. If you’ve ever asked yourself what is hypnotherapy used for, this is a good example, helping your mind re-learn how to respond in healthier, more balanced ways.
At AbsoluteU Clinical Hypnotherapy in Horsham, West Sussex, I help adults, teenagers and children use their minds in a proactive and positive way.
At AbsoluteU, sessions help you bring the subconscious and conscious mind together so lasting change becomes possible.
Hypnotherapy Explanation
Hypnotherapy allows safe and direct access to the subconscious mind. By communicating with this deeper part of you, it becomes possible to identify and gently reframe outdated patterns, beliefs or fears that may be holding you back. It helps your conscious and subconscious minds work together toward the same goal, whether that is feeling calmer, more confident or more in control.
Many people describe hypnosis as calm and deeply restful, not sleep, rather a state of focused awareness. You remain aware and in control throughout, simply allowing your mind to explore new perspectives in a safe and supported way. When clients first come to AbsoluteU, they often ask what is hypnotherapy really like, and are surprised to discover how natural, pleasant and empowering it feels.
Understanding the Subconscious Mind
Your mind works on two levels, the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious mind handles logical thinking and decision making. The subconscious runs quietly in the background, managing everything you have learned, felt or experienced.
It takes care of habits, emotions and automatic behaviours, the things you do without thinking about them. Understanding what is hypnotherapy helps explain how this deeper part of your mind can be guided to release old patterns and adopt new ones that support your wellbeing.
Once you have learned to drive, your subconscious takes over the repetitive actions, freeing the conscious mind to focus elsewhere. It also regulates vital functions such as breathing and heartbeat. Sometimes it misreads a situation. While your conscious mind knows there is no real danger, your subconscious can still trigger a protection response, like faster breathing and a racing heart.
How Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis Work
Hypnosis creates a state of deep relaxation in both body and mind. In this state your focus turns inward, making it easier to observe thoughts, emotions and behaviours without judgement. When you are relaxed, the conscious mind becomes quieter and the subconscious is more receptive to positive suggestion and change.
Through this process, old responses can be updated and new, healthier patterns established. By working with the subconscious, change can occur more naturally and effectively than through conscious effort alone. This process captures the essence of what is hypnotherapy, creating a relaxed focus that allows change to happen more smoothly and naturally. Many people find the experience calm, comfortable and surprisingly practical.
In sessions we may also use simple CBT and NLP techniques so you have everyday tools to apply between appointments. This blend supports change both subconsciously and consciously.
Getting Started with Hypnotherapy
Sessions at AbsoluteU are designed to be warm, supportive and solution focused.
Whether you want to overcome anxiety, reduce stress, build confidence or change a specific habit, understanding what is hypnotherapy helps you recognise that it’s not about losing control, but about unlocking calm, confidence and lasting change from the inside out.
The Evidence for Hypnotherapy
Below is a summary of peer-reviewed and organisation-based evidence, particularly from the UK and international sources, that supports the use of hypnotherapy in treating psychological and physical symptoms.
- Royal College of Psychiatrists: They acknowledge that studies have shown hypnotherapy “can help to treat a range of physical and mental health conditions.”
- Meta-analytic overview: A review of 49 meta-analyses spanning 261 RCTs found that hypnosis interventions often produce medium or better effect sizes, especially in procedural settings and pain-related conditions.
- Clinical hypnotherapy & anxiety in the UK nonprofit sector: Anxiety UK’s service evaluation (with clinical hypnotherapy, CBT, and counselling) showed outcomes for hypnotherapy comparable to other therapy modalities.
- Complementary therapy in medical settings: Cancer Research UK reports small UK-based studies indicating hypnotherapy can reduce anxiety and pain in patients undergoing cancer treatment.
- Hypnotherapy vs CBT for mental health: In a BMJ rapid response, cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy (CBH) was reported to show ~70% improved outcomes over CBT alone
The results so far indicate that hypnotherapy is not merely anecdotal — it has measurable, clinically meaningful effects.
Nicole’s Approach
Nicole combines Hypnotherapy, CBT and NLP to help you work proactively with your mind. Sessions are engaging and practical, helping you understand how thoughts and emotions influence each other. With guidance, you learn to bring your subconscious and conscious minds into alignment so that lasting change becomes possible.
Take the Next Step
You do not have to keep struggling with the same patterns. With the right support, change is possible. Hypnotherapy can help you find calm, confidence and the freedom to live more fully.
Sessions are available in Horsham, West Sussex, and online. You can contact me by phone, email or through the form on this website.
Your journey towards feeling calmer and more in control can start today.
