Hypnotherapy Explained
The Depth of Hypnotherapy: Beyond the Myths
When most people hear the word hypnosis, they imagine a stage act: someone clucking like a chicken or falling “asleep” at the snap of a finger. While entertaining, this caricature masks the true therapeutic power of hypnosis. In the hands of a skilled professional, hypnotherapy becomes a profound tool for healing, change, and growth. To understand this difference, it helps to look at the origins of modern hypnotherapy and the levels of training that separate performance from professional care.
Milton Erickson and the Modern Approach
Milton H. Erickson, often considered the father of modern hypnotherapy, revolutionized the way hypnosis was practiced. Instead of commanding clients into trance, he used subtle, conversational methods—stories, metaphors, and carefully chosen language—to guide people inward. Erickson recognized that trance is not an artificial state imposed by a hypnotist, but rather a natural human experience. We slip into trance every day when we get lost in thought, absorbed in music, or drive somewhere familiar without remembering the turns we took.
In therapy, this natural state of focused attention allows clients to access unconscious resources—memories, inner strengths, new perspectives—that are usually hidden beneath everyday awareness. Erickson’s brilliance was in tailoring his approach uniquely to each person, often embedding therapeutic suggestions inside metaphors, making the healing feel as though it came from within the client.
Hypnosis Is Not Sleep
One of the most common myths is that hypnosis means being asleep or unconscious. In truth, hypnotherapy is a state of heightened awareness, not sleep. The mind becomes more focused and receptive, while the body often feels deeply relaxed. Most clients report that they hear every word the therapist says, and they remain in control throughout the session. Rather than losing awareness, they gain access to inner resources that are not usually available in ordinary waking states.
What does it feel like going into a trance? Check out the video on the right to get an idea.
Hypnotherapy Is Not Done To You
Another common misconception is that hypnosis is something a hypnotist does to you, stripping away your control. In fact, the opposite is true. Real hypnotherapy hands the steering wheel back to you. The therapist acts as a skilled guide, but you remain in charge of how far and how deep you go. The process empowers you to make new choices, to respond differently, and to claim authority over parts of yourself that once felt out of reach.
Stage Hypnotist: Entertainment, Not Therapy
A stage hypnotist is an entertainer. Their job is to amuse an audience, not to heal. They rely on showmanship, rapid inductions, and selecting the most suggestible participants from a crowd. The “subjects” often act out exaggerated behaviors because of social pressure and willingness to play along.
While stage hypnotists may use some genuine hypnotic techniques, the context is entirely different: there is no assessment, no ethical framework, and no therapeutic outcome. It is theatre. Fun, perhaps, but worlds apart from clinical practice.
Certified Hypnotherapist: Structured Training and Practice
A certified hypnotherapist has completed professional training, often ranging from several months to a year. This includes learning hypnotic inductions, deepening techniques, therapeutic scripts, and basic counseling skills.
Certification ensures that the practitioner follows a code of ethics, understands safety considerations, and can apply hypnosis to common issues such as stress, smoking cessation, or performance anxiety.
A certified hypnotherapist may help you by following a set script, offering suggestions that support your goal—such as curbing stress or reducing cravings. This can be effective, but the focus is often on applying general techniques for you.
Certification levels vary by country and school, but a certified hypnotherapist has moved well beyond performance—they are trained to work responsibly with individuals who seek genuine change.
Diploma-Level Clinical Hypnotherapist: Advanced Application
A diploma-level clinical hypnotherapist goes deeper: they know how to shape the process with you. They are trained to listen for the nuances of your language, your story, and your unconscious patterns. Rather than delivering pre-set solutions, they collaborate with you to discover your own inner resources. This ensures that you are the one directing the change, which makes it more lasting and empowering.
A diploma-level clinical hypnotherapist takes the hypnotherapy process to another level. This level of training is typically longer, more intensive, and academically structured. Students study psychology, neuroscience, trauma-informed care, and advanced therapeutic techniques. They learn to integrate hypnotherapy with evidence-based practices such as cognitive-behavioral strategies, NLP, or psycho-sensory therapy.
Clinical hypnotherapists at this level are trained to work with complex issues: trauma recovery, chronic pain management, anxiety disorders, phobias, addictions, or the deep scars left by narcissistic abuse. They are also taught how to assess clients, design multi-session treatment plans, and apply tailored interventions—much like Erickson did, blending art and science to match the individual’s unique needs.
In other words, while a certified hypnotherapist may help someone quit smoking with a script, a clinical hypnotherapist can address why the person smokes in the first place, dissolve unconscious triggers, and build lasting emotional resilience.
Why the Distinction Matters
For clients seeking help, the differences between these roles are critical:
- Stage Hypnotist – Entertainment only. No therapeutic purpose.
- Certified Hypnotherapist – Professionally trained, able to help with general issues, often using structured approaches, sometimes “doing hypnosis for you.”
- Diploma-Level Clinical Hypnotherapist – Highly trained in advanced, individualized, and integrative methods; equipped to handle complex emotional and psychological conditions; and most importantly, trained to ensure you hold the control, not the therapist.
Key Takeaway
Hypnotherapy is not about mind control, and it is not about sleep. It is not something done to you—it is something done with you. From Erickson’s pioneering work, we know that the unconscious mind is a reservoir of wisdom and strength. A diploma-level clinical hypnotherapist is trained to unlock that potential in ways that leave you more empowered, not less—ensuring that the changes you make are truly yours, and truly lasting.
Regards,
