Hypnotherapy for Addiction in London
Hello, I’m Susannah. I’m a fully qualified clinical hypnotherapist with over 22 years of experience helping people break free from their addictions and feel more in control of their lives.
I have been awarded the Senior Qualification of Hypnotherapy Practice (SQHP) from the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC), and the HPD from the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH).
If you’re looking for support to change your relationship with a substance or behaviour, I’d be happy to help.
If you’re struggling with addiction, it can feel like a constant battle, especially when part of you wants to stop, but another part keeps pulling you back in.
Addiction isn’t about weakness or lack of willpower. Often, it’s a pattern the brain has learned – a coping mechanism or a habit that’s become deeply wired in. Once that pattern of behaviour is in place, it can be incredibly hard to shift with logic or determination alone.
Whether it’s vaping, alcohol, cannabis, gambling, social media, porn, nicotine or something else, hypnotherapy is an effective alternative treatment for addiction. Instead of fighting with yourself, we work to empower and strengthen the subconscious part of your mind, which drives those automatic behaviours and cravings, to create new, healthier responses.
My bespoke sessions use a combination of coaching, NLP and hypnosis to overcome addiction and help you get back in control. The initial session is a chance for us to talk through your problem and what you would like to achieve from treatment, whether that’s total abstinence or moderation. I’ll explain how the brain works, why it can make it hard to quit, and how hypnotherapy can retrain your mind to adopt healthier behaviours and coping mechanisms. We will then end the session with a relaxing guided hypnotherapy treatment. I will also give you a hypnosis recording to fall asleep to each night to help reinforce the positive changes in between sessions.
If you would like to learn more about my Addiction Hypnotherapy Programme, get in touch.
Common Reasons to Seek Hypnotherapy for Addiction:
- Struggling to stop your addiction, even though it’s harming you?
- Feeling anxious, irritable, or restless when you can't engage in it?
- Hiding the habit from friends, family, or colleagues out of shame or guilt?
- Needing more and more of the substance to feel satisfied?
- Neglecting responsibilities, hobbies, or relationships due to your use?
- Feeling trapped in a cycle of cravings, indulgence, and regret?
- Telling yourself “just one more time” repeatedly?
Susannah Saunders
Hello, my name is Susannah. I am a clinical hypnotherapist and life coach in London with over 20 years of experience helping people to enjoy a happier, more fulfilling life. Get in touch to find out more or book an appointment in London today.
NLP Coaching and Hypnosis for Addiction
Hypnotherapy guides you into a calm, focused state where your mind becomes more open to change. In this relaxed state, it’s easier to let go of old patterns and form new ones, especially the ones that feel automatic or deeply ingrained.
When it comes to addiction, many of the urges and habits are driven by the subconscious – the part of the mind that doesn’t always respond to logic or willpower. That’s why simply “trying harder” often isn’t enough. Hypnosis is a well-established alternative treatment for addiction. Rather than trying to override the habit, it helps you work with your subconscious, not against it.
In our sessions, we will explore the thoughts, feelings and responses that have been keeping you stuck, and help your mind replace them with something more beneficial. Through a blend of hypnotherapy, NLP, and neuroscience, we’ll begin to create new neural pathways that support your long term success. The goal is not just to stop the behaviour, but to help you become the best version of yourself.
Addiction hypnotherapy and coaching can help you:
- Break the cycle of habits that feel out of control
- Stop the spiral of guilt, stress, and starting over
- Feel calmer and more in charge of your choices
- Reduce the emotional triggers that keep pulling you back in
- Create healthier coping strategies
- Strengthen the part of you that wants things to change
- Feel happier and more in control in everyday life
How Addiction Hypnosis Works
Many addictive behaviours begin innocently enough: a way to switch off, wind down, or feel better. But over time, the brain starts to link that behaviour with relief. It becomes the go-to solution, whether it’s lighting up, opening a bottle or scrolling one more time. These patterns can become deeply wired, especially if they’re repeated during moments of stress, boredom, sadness or emotional pain.
That’s because your brain learns through repetition and emotional intensity. It forms shortcuts – habits – so it can act quickly without needing to think. But when these habits no longer feel beneficial, it can feel like your brain is working against you.
My bespoke addiction hypnotherapy works by helping you interrupt those patterns and form new ones. It supports the process of neuroplasticity – your brain’s natural ability to change. That means the same brain that learned the old behaviour can learn a new one, especially when you’re in a calm, focused state of hypnosis where change feels safer.
If you would like to find out how I can help, let's talk
Why Willpower Isn’t the Problem
If you’ve ever told yourself, “This is the last time,” only to do it again the next day, you’re not alone, or weak. Most behaviour is driven by the subconscious mind, the part of the brain responsible for habits, urges, and automatic responses. So when you’re trying to break a compulsive pattern with willpower alone, it often isn’t enough. Not because you’re not trying hard enough, but because you’re working against something deeper.
Hypnosis for addiction doesn’t rely on conscious effort alone. Instead, it works directly with the subconscious, helping you rewire those internal associations, reduce the emotional pull, and regain control.
This is one of the reasons addiction hypnotherapy can feel so different. Rather than fighting yourself, it helps your mind shift from “I have to” or “I can’t stop” to something more freeing – “I don’t need this anymore.” It’s not about forcing change but making change feel possible.
The Neuroscience of Change: Why Hypnotherapy Works
Addictive patterns are often rooted in the brain’s reward system. When you use a substance or behaviour to feel better, your brain releases chemicals like dopamine, creating a sense of relief or pleasure. That momentary reward reinforces the habit, especially when it provides a break from stress, boredom, pain, or discomfort.
Over time, your brain starts to prioritise that relief, even when it comes with negative consequences. It’s not logical, it’s neurological.
Hypnotherapy for addiction helps break this loop by calming the nervous system and shifting the brain out of fight-or-flight mode. When you’re relaxed and receptive, you’re better able to form new associations, build healthier responses, and reduce the emotional charge that keeps you stuck.
As an alternative treatment for addiction, hypnosis uses the science of neuroplasticity – helping your brain form new connections and behaviours that support long-term wellbeing, not just short-term relief.
When Addiction Is About More Than the Habit
Sometimes, addiction isn’t just about what you’re doing; it’s about what you’re feeling.
Many people use addictive behaviours to numb emotional pain, anxiety, loneliness, shame, grief, or even a sense of emptiness. In those moments, a substance or behaviour can feel like the only thing that offers relief. But what starts as a coping mechanism can become another source of pain.
Addiction hypnotherapy offers a supportive and gentle way to begin untangling these deeper layers. I use a solution-focused approach that doesn’t involve revisiting trauma or talking about painful memories. Instead, we will help your brain and body feel safer so that over time, the need for those old coping behaviours starts to fade.
In our sessions, we use hypnosis, NLP and neuroscience-based techniques to help build emotional resilience so that you can cope better with the demands and pressure of life.
Is Addiction Hypnosis a Quick Fix?
Many people believe that hypnosis for addiction offers instantaneous results, and sometimes, people do experience an immediate shift, however this isn’t guaranteed.
Traditional hypnosis has historically relied on direct suggestion, temporarily suppressing addictive urges or behaviours. While beneficial, it is not a long-term solution, as the root of the problem remains unresolved.
Lasting recovery requires more than symptom suppression as it involves creating new neural pathways in the brain. My solution-focused hypnosis therapy for addiction supports your brain in doing this and promotes sustainable change.
Some people may feel a difference early on, but the true goal isn’t just quick results, it’s long-term freedom and resilience.
Because everyone’s experience with addiction is different, we’ll work together to craft a personalised plan that works with your strengths and supports real progress that lasts.
Addiction Hypnotherapy in London & Online
My private London hypnotherapy practice was founded in 2003. I have been awarded the Senior Qualification of Hypnotherapy Practice (SQHP) from the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC) and the HPD from the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH).
For more information on how I can use hypnotherapy to overcome addiction in my London hypnotherapy clinic or online through Zoom, get in touch. We can talk through your goals and I can explain how I can help.
If you would like to find out how I can help, let's talk
FAQs
Addiction Hypnotherapy FAQs
Yes, hypnotherapy for addiction can help rewire the subconscious patterns that drive cravings and compulsive behaviours. By shifting your mindset and reducing emotional triggers, hypnosis can make it easier to regain control and break free from addiction.
How does addiction hypnotherapy work?
Addiction hypnotherapy works by calming the fight-or-flight response and retraining the brain’s automatic urges. Through hypnosis, we can help reduce cravings, strengthen willpower, and develop healthier coping strategies for long-term change.
Can hypnosis stop alcohol addiction?
Hypnosis for alcohol addiction can work by changing the subconscious associations that keep you stuck in old habits. By addressing the emotional drivers behind drinking, hypnotherapy can support you in making healthier choices and reducing reliance on alcohol.
Is hypnosis effective for breaking bad habits?
Yes, hypnosis can be highly effective in breaking bad habits by interrupting automatic behaviours and replacing them with healthier alternatives. Whether it’s smoking, binge eating, or compulsive scrolling, hypnotherapy can help reset your subconscious responses.
Can you use hypnotherapy for food addiction?
Hypnotherapy for food addiction can help change the emotional and psychological patterns that drive compulsive eating. By reducing cravings and addressing underlying stress, hypnosis makes it easier to develop a balanced and healthy relationship with food.
How does hypnosis for gambling addiction work?
Gambling addiction hypnotherapy works by retraining the brain’s reward system, helping to break the cycle of compulsive gambling. By reducing urges and reinforcing self-control, hypnosis can support lasting behavioural change.
Can hypnosis help with quitting cannabis?
Hypnosis for cannabis addiction can help remove the subconscious associations that keep you reaching for it. By reducing cravings, addressing emotional triggers, and building a sense of control, hypnotherapy can make it easier to stop smoking cannabis.
Can I do addiction hypnotherapy in London and online?
Yes, you can see me in my London hypnotherapy practice but online is just as effective as face-to-face sessions. Many clients find they relax more deeply in their own home, allowing them to fully engage in the process and achieve a deeper level of hypnosis.
Can hypnosis help with phone addiction?
Yes, hypnosis can help break the compulsive cycle of phone addiction by addressing the underlying triggers – whether it’s stress, boredom, or habit. By working with the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy can help reduce the urge to check your phone constantly, retrain your focus, and create healthier boundaries with technology.
Can hypnosis help with porn addiction?
Yes, hypnosis for porn addiction helps retrain the brain’s response to triggers, making it easier to break the habit. By reducing urges and reinforcing healthier behaviours, hypnotherapy can support long-term change.
Can hypnosis help with binge drinking?
Yes, binge drinking hypnotherapy can help break the cycle of excessive alcohol consumption. By addressing emotional triggers and reinforcing healthier habits, hypnosis can support a more controlled and mindful approach to drinking.
Can hypnosis cure addiction?
Hypnosis is not a cure for addiction, but it can be a powerful tool in breaking unhealthy habits, reducing cravings, and rewiring the brain’s response to triggers. Addiction is complex and often requires a combination of approaches, but hypnotherapy can play a key role in helping you regain control and build healthier coping strategies.
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