Hypnosis for anxiety involves a therapist guiding clients into deep relaxation to address the sources of their worries and distress. The therapist and client work together to develop goals for treatment based on the person’s symptoms and unique struggles. Therapists can help individuals reframe negative thoughts, beliefs, and behavior under a hypnotic trance.
What Is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy emphasizes the relationship between the conscious and subconscious minds.1 Sometimes, erroneous beliefs and counter-productive habits get “stuck” in the subconscious, contributing to various conditions, like anxiety. In hypnosis, the hypnotherapist aims to help individuals resolve problematic issues through relaxation, guided imagery, positive hypnotic suggestions, and other methods.
How Does Hypnosis for Anxiety Work?
Hypnosis for anxiety disorders often starts with pre-session hypnosis “training.” A therapist may provide these as written scripts or recordings of hypnotic inductions.3 During the initial assessment, a person may be asked about their past and current anxiety symptoms and experiences.
The therapist and client work together to identify triggers that precede anxiety episodes, noting any associated physical and emotional symptoms. Using this information, the person will then work with the therapist to create hypnotic suggestions and a plan of treatment that will best support anxiety relief.
Below are techniques used in hypnosis for anxiety:
Post Hypnotic Suggestions
While in hypnosis, a person is more amenable to accepting and implementing positive suggestions. These are most effective when delivered in the present tense. For example, “Whenever I sit on an airplane, I remember to breathe and relax.” The key to post-hypnotic suggestions is that they are both believable and offer desirable alternative responses to the cause of the anxiety.
Anchoring to Ease Anxiety
Anchoring is a technique that teaches a person how to create positive triggers for more desirable outcomes. While in a trance, a person will be guided into a state where they feel relaxed, safe, and at ease. The hypnotherapist will instruct them to create an “anchor” to these calm feelings, like a phrase, specific place, or physical gesture. The client can then enter the desired state whenever the chosen anchor is activated in the future.
Memory Regression
Often, chronic anxiety and specific phobias stem from memories of past events. In hypnosis, it is possible to revisit those memories with better resources. For example, a person who is anxious or phobic around dogs may remember bad experiences from childhood. In the trance state, they can re-experience the event knowing they are capable of protecting themselves as adults, and that not all dogs are a threat.
Hypnosis for Anxiety Techniques
Hypnotherapy for various types of anxiety can be highly effective. Hypnosis as a complementary treatment to more traditional approaches, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or medications, can increase the chances of successful outcomes.
Hypnosis for anxiety may include methods, such as:
Relaxation
A hypnotherapist guides a person through progressive muscle relaxation to enter the hypnotic trance state. The person can then release tension and stress through mindfulness, focused awareness, and soothing suggestions. Anxiety symptoms are often significantly reduced, allowing any therapeutic work to begin.
Right-Sizing
Anxiety is often caused by or exacerbated by obsessive and fearful thoughts about the future. This can take the form of catastrophizing, filtering information, and magnification. While in the trance state, the therapist will guide the person through “right-sizing” their fears and worries to reflect the reality of their situation.
Reframing
This technique relies on the use of imagination and guided imagery. In the dreamlike state of hypnosis, a person imagines experiencing the situations that trigger anxiety. They can bring new resources, perspectives, and attitudes to those situations, allowing them to practice healthier responses. For example, a person who is phobic of flying in airplanes will be asked to repeatedly imagine themselves taking a long flight with confidence and self-assurance. This creates new mental habits and associations that can make facing the phobia easier in real life.
Self-Management
In addition to these techniques, many hypnotherapists will suggest various self-management tools to deal with anxiety as it comes up in the future. These can include instructions for self-hypnosis, deep breathing exercises, and self-guided relaxation meditations.
Can Hypnosis Help With Anxiety?
Hypnosis by itself and as an adjunct to other treatments has been proven to help calm anxiety in cancer patients, burn patients, and those experiencing pre-test anxiety.4,5,6 One study found that hypnosis was more effective in treating anxiety than other methods alone.4 Hypnosis for anxiety can also yield positive results when treating state anxiety (e.g., surgery, medical procedures, exams, etc.) and anxiety-related disorders, including headaches and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).7
Drawbacks & Benefits of Hypnotherapy for Anxiety
Before beginning hypnotherapy for anxiety, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of this treatment.
Pros of hypnotherapy for anxiety may include:
- No medication: Although medications for anxiety can be effective, they carry the risk of adverse side effects like sleeplessness, dizziness, and headaches. In addition, medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can take up to six weeks to take effect.
- Quick results: People can often find immediate relief from anxiety symptoms when receiving hypnosis treatment. Feelings of anxiety and panic naturally subside after calming and relaxing the body and mind. Even if symptoms return after a session, they can be treated again as needed with hypnotic techniques, such as focused breathing, progressive relaxation, and anchoring.
- Can resolve underlying issues: Anxiety can have roots in past experiences. These experiences can be major or minor traumas from accidents, injuries, or abuse. Hypnosis alone or as an adjunct treatment can help the person find a psychological resolution for the underlying cause of anxiety.
The potential negatives of hypnotherapy for anxiety may include:
- Results vary: As with any treatment, not everyone will experience the same results. Although the person-centered approach of hypnotherapy can be a great advantage to many people, sometimes the treatment will be more or less effective. As a result, a person may have to seek out more than one hypnotherapist if they are dissatisfied with the initial outcome.
- Standards: Services and treatments provided by hypnotists may vary. Nonetheless, most practitioners follow ethical and professional standards. Ensure your hypnotherapist belongs to a reputable trade organization such as the National Guild of Hypnotists.
- Insurance: Many insurance companies do not cover hypnosis treatment which can result in out-of-pocket costs.
How to Find a Hypnotherapist for Anxiety
As hypnotherapy becomes more popular and accepted, the consumer has more choices available to them than ever before. However, the requirements for practicing hypnosis vary from state to state, country to country. Check any credentials to ensure a therapist fits your needs and can practice in your region.
Many hypnotherapists offer initial consultations for free, so you can personally meet several therapists and compare their services. You can also “get the feel” of the person through your conversation. An online therapist directory can help you locate a provider based on area, expertise, and insurance.
What to Expect During Your First Session
During the first session of hypnotherapy, the therapist will be devoted to gathering information about you, your symptoms, and your goals. At the same time, they will ensure you understand the risks and benefits of hypnotherapy. I
Preparing for hypnotherapy does not have to be a challenging task. Sometimes, the best preparation is entering the situation with an open mind and a hopeful outlook. Researching, studying, and worrying about the process of hypnosis may derail your experience. As long as you meet with a trained, experienced, and competent hypnotherapist, trusting in their path will be all the preparation you need.
Self-Hypnosis for Anxiety
There are many techniques employed by hypnotherapy that one can use at home. These techniques can be used before, after, and between sessions with a hypnotherapist.
Here are four ways to practice self-hypnosis for anxiety:
1. Body Awareness
Because anxiety often manifests as physical symptoms, developing a more fine-tuned awareness of the body can help. This can be done by regularly practicing progressive relaxation techniques Over time, body awareness can result in a heightened ability to recognize anxiety as soon as it starts. It then becomes possible to treat symptoms before they intensify.
2. Progressive Relaxation
Progressive body relaxation is easy to learn and apply at home. Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and bring your attention to each body part from the top of the head down to the feet. Spend some time noticing where there is tension or stress, and do your best to let go and relax. These exercises can help release pent-up anxiety, naturally calming and soothing you.
3. Visualization
Once a person is relaxed, they can begin to visualize different scenarios where it becomes possible for the anxiety to subside. One technique is to create a calm, safe place with the imagination. This can be a beach, a forest, or a safe and familiar room. Once “there,” the person should pay attention to sensory details until the experience becomes more real. This can give the person suffering from anxiety a much-needed break and is often enough to treat the immediate symptoms for the short term.
4. Break the Cycle
Anxiety and panic attacks can cause a cycle of fearful emotions and physical sensations. Breaking the cycle by changing the stimulus or environment can bring relief. Going outside for a walk, engaging in some physical exercise, or simply calling a friend are all ways to cut the loop of fearful thinking and feeling.
Other Therapies Effective for Treating Anxiety
While hypnosis can be helpful, some people might need more specialized care if symptoms don’t improve.
Fortunately, there are a lot of therapy options available for anxiety, such as:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT for anxiety helps you identify negative thought patterns that impact your behaviors and emotions. By getting to the root of the thought, CBT empowers you to reshape your experience. CBT can help relieve stress and anxiety related to underlying negative emotions.7
- Interpersonal therapy: Interpersonal therapy helps improve anxieties in relationships by identifying negative and limiting beliefs that can impede healthy relationship growth.
- Exposure therapy: Exposure therapy helps people confront their fears, exposing them to these anxieties slowly (sometimes through virtual reality) to help them move past what’s holding them back. The idea behind exposure therapy is that given that people tend to avoid what they are afraid of, by slowly exposing them to the fearful stimulus, they can move forward from it.
Final Thoughts
If you or a loved one is dealing with anxiety, hypnotherapy may be worth a try to help you move on from those difficult feelings.
Hypnosis for Anxiety Infographics
