What is hypnotherapy, and how does it actually work?
Clinical Hypnosis Explained | Anneliis Way, Adelaide SA
WHAT TO EXPECT
Access to the part of your mind where patterns are stored.
Most people are surprised by how familiar hypnotherapy feels.
Hypnosis is a naturally occurring brainwave state that you move in and out of every day. You experience it in the moments just before sleep, when deeply absorbed in a book, and on those drives where you pull up at your destination and wonder how you got there.
In sessions people tend to feel deeply relaxed, internally focused and very much themselves. Most people remain aware of things like the sounds around them and their passing thoughts. The conscious mind remains active to some degree, however its tendency to filter or doubt new ideas relaxes. This creates a powerful opening for the subconscious to update, allowing beneficial change to take hold.
HOW IT WORKS
Working with the cause, not just the symptom.
Most approaches work at the level of conscious understanding, but hypnotherapy takes a different approach.
Using techniques such as parts work, revisiting past experiences, or working directly with a limiting belief, we identify when and why a pattern originally formed. Rather than fighting the current symptom, we work directly with the belief, emotional imprint, or younger part of self that is still running the show.
When the origin is updated and integrated, the present-day reaction no longer needs to operate in the same way. The pattern doesn’t just get managed. It opens up to change.
IS IT RIGHT FOR ME?
Who hypnotherapy works best for.
Hypnotherapy works particularly well for people who are open, willing and genuinely motivated for change, who are coming to sessions because they themselves want something to be different.
It is especially powerful for people who have already done conscious work (therapy, coaching, self-development) and who sense there is a deeper layer still to address. If you understand your pattern and still can't shift it, working with the subconscious mind may be the missing piece.
Hypnotherapy is equally accessible to those entirely new to therapeutic work who simply know something needs to change.
Hypnotherapy is not recommended for people with a history of psychosis. Anyone with epilepsy is required to seek medical clearance before engaging in sessions, as deep relaxation can be a trigger for some.
ONE OF MY MOST COMMON QUESTIONS…
Can I actually be hypnotised?
It is highly likely that you can experience hypnosis.
The vast majority of people can be meaningfully hypnotised, though the depth reached varies from person to person. Many people who don’t feel they went very deep, or aren't sure anything "happened", still experience results. A dramatic experience isn't required for the work to be effective.
You're likely more suggestible than you realise. Have you caught someone else's yawn without meaning to? Or noticed an injection hurt less when a doctor says "small pinch" rather than "big sting"? Perhaps you’ve felt your heart rate rise while imagining a conversation or event that hasn't even happened yet? Your mind and body respond to suggestion frequently, Hypnotherapy uses that same natural capacity with intention.
Hypnotherapy Frequently Asked Questions
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Most people describe it as deeply relaxing and familiar, similar to the state just before sleep or being fully absorbed in something. You stay aware; you can think hear and choose to move or speak if you want to. Some people experience physical sensations like heaviness, lightness or tingling. Many people are expecting something dramatic and are suprised by how ordinary and gentle it actually feels.
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No. Hypnosis is not mind control, it's a state of deep relaxation and focused attention. You maintain awareness and can bring yourself out of hypnosis any time you choose. Suggestions that conflicted in any way with your values simply would not take hold.
I don't hypnotise you. What I offer is guidance that allows you take yourself into hypnosis. Nobody can be hypnotised against their will, and someone who decides not to be simply won't be. The results come from the meeting point of the guidance I offer and your willingness to receive it. You are always in control.
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No. Just as you can bring yourself out of a daydream or close a book, you can terminate the hypnotic state at any time you choose.
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Emotional responses can be a natural and important part of the process. A skilled practitioner will always slow the session, resource you, and ensure you feel safe and settled before continuing or closing. You are never left alone with difficult material, and the session always works to end with you in a grounded, settled state.
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Hypnotherapy works progressively. The subconscious patterns that took years to form often shift most durably through consistent, layered work. The Change Starter Pack is designed as a foundation: three sessions that build on each other to identify, access and begin shifting the pattern at its source. Single sessions are available for ongoing work after the initial pack.
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Whilst each person is unique, a full course of hypnotherapy treatment is typically 3 to 6 sessions, depending on the issue and the individual. The Change Starter Pack covers the initial 3 sessions and creates meaningful progress for most clients, and for some, that is enough.
For others, extending beyond the initial 3 sessions leads to better and more sustained outcomes. Clients who complete a full course of treatment tend to maintain their results at higher rates than those who stop early, so if the work calls for more time, continuing is always worth considering.
We will track progress together as we go and discuss what makes the most sense for you at each stage.
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Psychotherapy refers to a range of therapeutic techniques that support emotional and psychological change. I blend psychotherapy and hypnosis, meaning the work is not limited to suggestion alone, but draws on a deeper understanding of how patterns form, how the mind protects itself, and how lasting change can be supported.
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Hypnotherapy is not appropriate for people with a history of psychotic illness or those who have consumed alcohol or drugs before a session. Anyone with epilepsy will need to seek medical clearance prior to starting hypnotherapy.
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Yes. I personally do not treat depression or work with people experiencing acute mental crisis, sexual performance issues, alcoholism or drug addictions beyond nicotine, vaping and marijuana.
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No, I do not work with children or adolescents.
The subconscious is where the pattern lives. This is how we reach it.
In-person sessions on the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia. Online sessions Australia wide and internationally.