Hypnotherapy — Your Questions Answered
Curious about hypnotherapy? You're not alone. There are many myths and misunderstandings — so here are the clear, honest answers you need. Based in Swindon, serving Cirencester, Wiltshire, and across the UK online.
What Is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a professional, evidence-based therapeutic approach that uses guided relaxation and focused attention to communicate directly with your subconscious mind — the part that controls habits, emotional patterns, beliefs, and automatic responses.
Unlike stage hypnosis — which is entertainment — clinical hypnotherapy is a serious, respected therapy used worldwide. It works because it meets you where real change happens: beneath the level of everyday thinking.
At Best Mind Therapy, award-winning hypnotherapist Gary Smith uses a Solution Focused approach — concentrating on where you're going, not just where you've been.
How Does It Actually Work?
When you relax deeply, your brain shifts into a state where suggestions and new ideas are absorbed more easily — like planting seeds in prepared soil. This isn't something done to you; it's something you enter into willingly.
Physiologically, hypnosis activates the parasympathetic nervous system — your body's natural rest-and-repair mode — and encourages the release of endorphins, your body's natural feel-good chemicals. It literally changes how your brain processes experience.
And here's the best part: you already do this naturally. Every time you drive and "zone out," get lost in a book, or daydream — you're in trance. Hypnotherapy simply guides that natural state toward positive, intentional change.
What Is Solution Focused Hypnotherapy?
Most traditional approaches spend a lot of time looking backwards. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy works differently — it looks forward.
We don't need to dissect every detail of your past to build your future. Instead, we ask:
- What does your ideal outcome look like?
- How will you know things are getting better?
- What are you already doing that works — and how can we do more of it?
Then we use hypnosis to install those new patterns at subconscious level — so they become your natural, automatic way of being. It's practical, positive, and surprisingly fast.
What Can Hypnotherapy Help With?
Hypnotherapy is one of the most versatile therapeutic approaches available. It supports change across a remarkably wide range of areas:
- Anxiety & Worry
- Stress Management
- Confidence & Self-Esteem
- Depression & Low Mood
- Trauma & PTSD
- Phobias & Fears
- Sleep & Insomnia
- Panic Attacks
- Stop Smoking / Vaping
- Weight Management
- Nail Biting & Habits
- Public Speaking Nerves
- Sports Performance
- Exam & Test Anxiety
- Pain Management
- IBS & Physical Symptoms
Frequently Asked Questions
Completely safe — and absolutely not mind control.
This is the most common myth. In clinical hypnotherapy, you remain fully aware, fully present, and fully in control. You can hear everything, speak at any time, and end the session whenever you choose.
You will never be made to do or say anything that conflicts with your values, beliefs, or wishes. Stage hypnosis is entertainment — clinical hypnotherapy is completely different. You are the one in charge. Always.
You are not asleep — you are in a state of deeply relaxed, focused awareness.
Most people describe it as that lovely space between being awake and drifting off — heavy, calm, and peaceful, but still alert. You might feel:
- Warm and heavy — deeply relaxed
- Floating or light — physically detached from tension
- Quiet inside — thoughts slow down, mental noise fades
- Still aware — you know exactly where you are
Everyone experiences it slightly differently — and every session can feel different too. All of it is right for you.
You already go into hypnosis naturally every single day.
It happens when you're driving and realise you don't remember the last few miles. When you're reading and lose track of time. When you're watching a film and forget your surroundings. That's natural trance — and it's the same state we use in sessions.
Almost everyone can experience hypnotherapy. The only people who can't are those who truly don't want to — because willingness is the only requirement. If you're reading this, you're already ready.
It depends on what you're working with — but here's a realistic guide:
- Specific habits/phobias: Often 3–6 sessions
- Anxiety, confidence, stress: Typically 6–8 sessions
- Longer-term or complex issues: 8–12 sessions or more
Many people notice positive shifts after the very first session. The key factor isn't just the number of sessions — it's what you do between them. Listening to relaxation recordings and practising new patterns speeds up progress dramatically.
We review where you are at every session — you decide when you're ready to finish.
Yes — almost always.
Most people remember everything clearly. Occasionally, when someone relaxes very deeply, they might feel a little "dreamy" or wonder if they drifted off — but that's perfectly normal and still beneficial. You'll always remember what matters.
Afterwards, many people feel refreshed, lighter, calmer — like a weight has lifted. Some feel different straight away; for others, the change unfolds gently over the following days and weeks.
Both — and both work equally well.
You can see me in person in Swindon or Cirencester, or we can work online from anywhere in the UK. Many clients actually find they relax more easily in their own familiar surroundings — making online sessions surprisingly effective.
We'll discuss what feels right for you during your free initial consultation.
Yes — and it comes with absolutely no obligation.
It gives us a chance to meet, talk through what you're experiencing, explain exactly how we'd work together, and answer any questions you have — big or small. You'll leave knowing exactly what to expect, how long it might take, and what it costs.
There's no pressure to book. Just clarity — so you can decide what's right for you.
Yes — and fully accredited and insured.
Gary Smith is an award-winning Solution Focused Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist, member of:
- ✅ National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH)
- ✅ Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapists (AfSFH)
- ✅ Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)
- ✅ DBS Checked & Fully Insured
These bodies enforce strict codes of conduct, ethics, and ongoing professional development — so you can be confident you're in safe, experienced hands.
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