Hypnotherapy Explained Simply

1. What It Is About

Hypnotherapy is a psychotherapeutic procedure. This means it belongs to treatments that work through conversations and exercises. In hypnotherapy, a trained therapist induces a state of trance in a person. Trance refers to a state in which attention is strongly focused on one thing, similar to the concentration experienced when reading an engrossing book. In this state, the therapist uses calm phrases, known as suggestions. These are proposals that can alter perception, behaviour, or physical processes. The method was developed from older approaches in the 18th century and refined in the 20th century by psychology and brain research. Therapists use language, vivid imagery, or relaxation exercises to induce the trance. There are established procedures for different applications, for example, for pain, anxiety, or gastrointestinal complaints. The duration and frequency of sessions vary.

2. What Research Shows

The best-studied application of hypnotherapy is for irritable bowel syndrome. This is a disorder in which the bowel frequently causes pain without identifiable damage, and bowel movements change. In a study of 100 patients for whom other treatments had not worked, one group received ten group sessions of hypnotherapy, while the other received standard treatment. After twelve months, 54 out of 100 patients in the hypnotherapy group showed significant improvement, compared to 25 out of 100 in the comparison group 7. Another study followed 52 children over about five years. Of the children who received hypnotherapy, 68 out of 100 remained symptom-free, compared to 20 out of 100 in the comparison group 3. In adults with irritable bowel syndrome, a study found that hypnotherapy and a specific diet were similarly effective: after six weeks, symptoms improved in both groups, and after six months, 74 out of 100 in the hypnotherapy group maintained the improvement 2. In a study of ulcerative colitis, a form of bowel inflammation, hypnotherapy extended the symptom-free period by 78 days, and after 52 weeks, 68 out of 100 patients were relapse-free, compared to 40 out of 100 in the comparison group 5. In children with cancer who received hypnotherapy before a bone marrow puncture, pain and anxiety were lower than in children who received cognitive behavioral training 1. In adults with non-cardiac chest pain, 80 out of 100 reported improvement after hypnotherapy, compared to 23 out of 100 in the comparison group 6. Postmenopausal women with hot flushes experienced a 74% reduction in hot flushes after twelve weeks, compared to a 17% reduction in the comparison group 4.

3. What Remains Unclear

Many studies include only small numbers of participants, and neither patients nor therapists knew who received which treatment. This can distort the results. Often, there is also no comparison group receiving a sham treatment. As a result, it is difficult to determine how much of the effect is due to hypnosis itself and how much is due to the therapist’s attention or the patients’ expectations. It is also unclear whether hypnotherapy has a direct effect on the body, for example, on bowel movement or inflammatory markers, or whether it primarily works through stress reduction. There is little research on chronic inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease, skin diseases, or cardiovascular diseases. Direct comparisons with medications are also almost entirely lacking. How hypnotherapy affects the brain remains to be clarified.

4. What This Means in Everyday Practice

Hypnotherapy is a procedure that has shown promising results in studies for some conditions, particularly irritable bowel syndrome and pain associated with medical procedures. For other conditions, there is evidence but no definitive results. Anyone interested in hypnotherapy should know that it is delivered by trained therapists and that its effects can vary from person to person. Research is still needed to answer some questions, such as whether hypnotherapy directly alters physical processes and which patient groups benefit most. What needs to be clarified next: whether hypnotherapy directly changes physical processes and for which patient groups it is most suitable.

All details with study numbers and sources: detailed page on hypnotherapy. For children: Hypnotherapy for children.