Hypnotherapy for a problem

Can Hypnotherapy Help With Depression? What It Can and Can’t Do

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Hypnotherapy is not an established treatment for depression, and the research on it is thin. The NHS overview of depression describes watchful waiting, exercise, guided self-help, talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants; hypnotherapy is not among them. A 2024 overview of 49 meta-analyses found only one focused on depressive symptoms. Hypnosis can support treatment, but it should not replace it or delay it.

How do you know it is depression?

The NHS overview of depression describes symptoms ranging from lasting unhappiness and hopelessness to losing interest in things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful, with physical signs such as constant tiredness, poor sleep, low appetite or sex drive, and aches and pains. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety. At its mildest, depression can feel like being persistently low in spirit; severe depression can make you feel that life is not worth living.

The NHS also notes that most people go through stress or low mood during difficult times, and that low mood may improve after a short period. If it does not, see a GP or doctor; the NHS advises not delaying.

What treatments does the NHS describe?

Treatment depends on severity:

  • Mild depression: your doctor may suggest watchful waiting while monitoring your progress, along with exercise and guided self-help. Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy may also be used.
  • Moderate to severe depression: a combination of talking therapy and antidepressants is often recommended.
  • Severe depression: you may be referred to a specialist mental health team.

The NHS adds that with the right treatment and support, most people with depression can make a full recovery.

What does the research on hypnosis show?

Not much that is specific to depression. A 2024 overview by Rosendahl and colleagues gathered 49 meta-analyses of hypnosis for mental and physical health problems. Only one focused on depressive symptoms: a 2009 analysis of six randomized trials with 258 participants in total. The overview reports nine effects across mental and psychosomatic symptoms, all statistically significant except one on anxiety, but it also rated the methodological quality of 26 of the 49 reviews, 53.1 percent, as critically low.

A single analysis of six trials, inside a body of reviews with those quality problems, is a thin basis for choosing hypnotherapy over the treatments the NHS describes.

What can hypnotherapy do?

Used alongside treatment, and with a practitioner who knows you are being treated for depression, a session might help you:

  • Rest on days when tension and tiredness are hard to shake.
  • Rehearse small steps your treatment plan calls for, such as getting out for a walk or starting a self-help exercise.
  • Prepare for appointments if anxiety makes them hard to attend.

These are supporting roles. None of them is a treatment for depression in its own right.

What can’t it do?

It cannot replace talking therapy or medication where those are needed, and it should not be a reason to put off seeing a doctor. If you are taking an antidepressant, do not stop or change it because you have started hypnotherapy; talk to your doctor first. If you have thoughts of suicide or of harming yourself, get help now: in the United States, call or text 988. Outside the United States, contact your local emergency number or crisis line.

Questions to ask a hypnotherapist first

Before booking, ask: Are you licensed to treat mental health conditions, or do you work alongside someone who is? Will you coordinate with my doctor or therapist? What will you do if my mood gets worse during our sessions? Clear answers to all three are a good sign.

This article is general information, not medical or psychological advice; talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation.

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