Hypnotherapy for a problem

Can Hypnotherapy Help With Anxiety? What to Expect

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Can hypnotherapy help with anxiety? Research suggests hypnosis can reduce anxiety, and that it works best alongside an established psychological treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) rather than as a stand-alone cure. If your anxiety is persistent and affects daily life, the first step is still an assessment; hypnotherapy fits best as part of the plan that follows.

What does the research say?

A 2024 review in Frontiers in Psychology summarizes the evidence. It describes a 2019 meta-analysis of 17 trials covering general anxiety, performance anxiety, dental anxiety, and anxiety around medical procedures and surgery, in which people treated with hypnosis reduced their anxiety more than people in control groups did. The same meta-analysis found hypnosis even more effective when combined with other psychological treatments such as CBT.

The review also points to more specific findings: a meta-analysis of five randomized trials on exam anxiety in students, a meta-analysis of 20 studies on anxiety in people with cancer, and small studies of athletes and of patients before heart surgery.

Two cautions come with that summary. The authors describe their review as narrative, lacking a systematic approach, and note that the studies they gathered varied markedly in methods, design and size. And for anxiety before medical or dental procedures, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is more reserved: some studies show promising results, but the overall evidence is not conclusive.

Is my anxiety the kind hypnotherapy is used for?

Anxiety comes in several forms, and the evidence differs for each:

  • Everyday worry and stress, which most people feel at times.
  • Generalized anxiety disorder, where worry is hard to control and affects daily life.
  • Panic attacks and panic disorder.
  • Social anxiety, health anxiety and phobias.
  • Performance and exam anxiety.

The NHS guidance on generalized anxiety disorder notes that most people feel anxious sometimes, and that this does not always mean an anxiety disorder; it is more likely to be one if you feel anxious most of the time and it affects your everyday life. A GP may diagnose it when worry covers a wide range of things, is hard to control and has been present a lot of the time for at least six months.

Where does hypnotherapy fit with standard treatment?

Alongside it. For generalized anxiety disorder, the NHS lists the main treatments as talking therapies, usually CBT, and medicines, usually a type of antidepressant called an SSRI, and says a GP will usually suggest talking therapies before prescribing medicine. In England, adults can also refer themselves directly to NHS talking therapies.

Given that the strongest hypnosis findings come from combining it with other psychological approaches, a sensible plan is hypnotherapy as an addition to CBT or other recommended care, or hypnosis delivered by a licensed therapist who integrates it into their treatment.

What happens in sessions?

Expect a course to start with a conversation about your specific anxiety: what triggers it, how it shows up in your body and thoughts, and what you would like to happen instead. Sessions then use relaxation, focused attention and suggestions aimed at those triggers, and may include rehearsal of the situations you dread. Practitioners may give you a recording to practice between sessions; plan on change over several sessions rather than one.

Occasional anxiety or something more?

If anxiety is occasional and tied to specific situations, hypnotherapy from a qualified practitioner is a reasonable thing to try, with a clear measure such as a 0 to 10 anxiety rating before the situation. If it is most days, hard to control or affecting work, sleep or relationships, see a GP or licensed mental health professional first, and add hypnotherapy to that care rather than using it instead.

If you ever feel unable to keep yourself safe, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Outside the United States, contact your local emergency number or crisis line.

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

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