Hypnotherapy for anxiety

Yes. Hypnotherapy can help reduce anxiety by changing the thoughts, expectations and automatic reactions that keep you feeling on edge. I use clinical hypnosis alongside NLP and coaching, with work on the specific problems you describe, such as worrying before meetings, feeling panicky when you go out or struggling to switch off at night.

Hypnosis uses focused attention and therapeutic suggestion to help change how you respond to anxious thoughts and situations. In sessions, I use techniques such as mental rehearsal, imagery and work on limiting beliefs. For example, we can rehearse speaking in a meeting while changing the expectation that you will embarrass yourself.

I mean working with learned reactions that happen automatically. You might know a situation is safe but still tense up or feel your heart race. Hypnosis gives us a way to address those responses, alongside beliefs such as ‘I can’t cope’, so you can respond with greater calm and confidence.

A 2019 meta-analysis of 15 studies containing 17 trials found that hypnosis reduced anxiety compared with control conditions. Benefits were greater when hypnosis was combined with other psychological approaches. The studies covered different settings and forms of anxiety; the findings do not give an individual success rate or a fixed number of sessions.

Solution-focused hypnotherapy helps you identify how you want to think, feel and behave, then uses conversation and hypnosis to practise those changes. For anxiety, that could mean travelling without constant dread, contributing to meetings or going to bed without rehearsing everything that could go wrong.

CBT examines the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour and is a recommended treatment for anxiety. Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis and therapeutic suggestions to address reactions and expectations. My approach draws on several methods, including cognitive approaches, NLP and coaching. Tell me about any therapy you are having so we can discuss how hypnosis would fit.

Meditation often involves practising awareness of thoughts and sensations. Hypnotherapy is a treatment in which I use suggestions, imagery and other techniques for a particular problem. Both can involve focused attention and relaxation, but an anxiety hypnotherapy session includes therapeutic work on the fears and reactions you want to change.

Yes, you can seek hypnotherapy for longstanding anxiety. We look at what is keeping the anxiety going now, including avoidance, repeated worry and self-doubt. You do not have to remember an exact starting point. The plan depends on your symptoms, previous treatment and what you want to be able to do more comfortably.

Hypnotherapy can help you change repeated worst-case thinking, replaying conversations and constantly questioning your decisions. I use hypnosis to address the expectations and self-criticism behind the worry, alongside rehearsal of situations where you want to feel more at ease. We can also identify checking or reassurance habits that keep the worry going.

Hypnosis can help reduce anxiety-related tension and work on the fear attached to sensations such as blushing, trembling or a racing heart. Treatment includes calming the stress response and changing anxious expectations. New or unexplained physical symptoms should be checked medically rather than automatically attributed to anxiety.

Hypnotherapy can address the fear of another panic attack, anxious interpretations of bodily sensations and avoidance of places associated with panic. I use suggestions and rehearsal to help you approach those situations with greater confidence. Tell me about any diagnosis and current treatment; the NHS explains treatment options for panic disorder here.

Generalised anxiety can involve worry about many different parts of life, rather than one specific fear. Hypnotherapy can address persistent tension, catastrophic thinking and difficulty switching off. We can work with examples from your day, such as worrying about family, health or work. Tell me if you have a diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder.

Yes. Social anxiety hypnotherapy can address fear of being judged, blushing, saying the wrong thing and replaying conversations afterwards. In hypnosis, we can rehearse social situations and work on the beliefs that leave you expecting rejection. Read more about my hypnotherapy for social anxiety.

Yes. I help people with racing thoughts, a shaky voice, going blank and fear of being watched when speaking. Hypnosis can address anxious expectations and help you mentally rehearse contributing to meetings or giving a speech with confidence. My public speaking hypnotherapy page explains this work in more detail.

Yes. If you lie awake worrying or wake and immediately start thinking about tomorrow, hypnosis can help change that response. I use suggestions for rest and work on the expectation of another bad night. Sessions can address both daytime anxiety and sleep-related worry. See my insomnia hypnotherapy page.

Hypnotherapy can help with fear of making mistakes, self-doubt, speaking in meetings and anxiety before difficult conversations. We can use hypnosis to challenge limiting beliefs and rehearse those situations with more confidence. Tell me which parts of your working day are difficult so the sessions address the problems you actually face.

We talk about your anxiety, how it affects you, your health and any treatment you are receiving. I explain the approach I recommend and answer your questions. Your first appointment includes hypnosis as well as this discussion, so treatment starts during the first session.

People describe hypnosis differently. You might feel physically relaxed, absorbed in my voice or focused on an imagined experience. Some people notice lightness or heaviness; others feel quite ordinary. There is no special sensation you need to produce. I adapt the pace and techniques to how you respond.

Yes. A busy mind does not mean you cannot benefit from hypnosis. You do not have to empty your mind or get relaxation ‘right’. I can adjust the pace, use a different way of directing your attention and work with the tension or expectations that make relaxing difficult.

The number of sessions depends on your symptoms, how long they have been affecting you, previous treatment and how you respond. I discuss a plan with you and review it as we go. A single worry about an event can need a different approach from anxiety affecting several parts of your life.

Some people notice a difference after the first session, while others need several appointments and practice at home. We look at changes outside the session, such as less avoidance, fewer hours spent worrying or feeling more comfortable at work. Feeling relaxed during hypnosis is useful, but everyday changes are how we judge progress.

You can ask about hypnosis even if you have tried counselling, CBT or another approach. Tell me what you tried, what helped and what remained difficult. That information helps us decide what to include in treatment and whether my approach is a suitable next step for you.

Yes. After each session, you receive the personalised recording of that session to listen to between appointments. Repeating it reinforces the suggestions and techniques we have used together. Listen somewhere safe and comfortable where you can give it your attention, never while driving or doing anything that needs your full attention.

No. You can book without knowing why the anxiety started. We can begin with what happens now: the situations you avoid, the thoughts that repeat and the physical reactions you notice. We discuss past experiences when they are relevant, rather than assume every anxiety problem has one hidden cause.

I offer one-to-one anxiety hypnotherapy at City Hypnotherapy Centre, Longcroft House, 2–8 Victoria Avenue, London EC2M 4NS, near Liverpool Street station. You can also choose online appointments. Contact me to ask about availability and which format you prefer.

Yes. I offer individual anxiety hypnotherapy sessions by Zoom. You need a quiet, private room, a reliable connection and a phone, tablet or computer. Online appointments include the conversation and hypnosis, with the same opportunity to discuss the anxiety you want help with.

An anxiety hypnotherapy session costs £198 including VAT and lasts approximately 50 minutes. Your first appointment includes hypnosis as well as the consultation. You receive the personalised recording of your session to use between appointments. See the fees and appointments page for full booking information.

Tell me about any medication and the condition it is prescribed for when you enquire. We can discuss how hypnotherapy would fit alongside your care. Keep taking prescribed medication unless the clinician who prescribes it advises a change; booking hypnosis is not a reason to stop or alter it yourself.

Tell me what therapy you are receiving and what you are working on. We can discuss whether adding hypnosis would be useful and how the approaches would fit together. If you are under the care of a mental health team, please mention that before we arrange treatment.

I have a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, a Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma and the Senior Qualification in Hypnotherapy Practice. I established City Hypnotherapy Centre in 2003 and am registered with the CNHC and GHR. You can read more on my experience and qualifications page.

Look for specific changes in situations that used to be difficult: contributing to a meeting, going out without cancelling, sleeping with less worry or recovering more quickly after a stressful event. We discuss these changes at appointments and adjust the work around anything that remains difficult.

Yes. You can send an enquiry or call 07973 896907. Briefly explain what you want help with, any current treatment and whether you prefer London or online sessions. I can answer questions about my approach before you decide whether to book.

Hypnotherapy can work on the cycle of checking your body, searching symptoms online and needing repeated reassurance. In hypnosis, we can address frightening expectations and practise tolerating uncertainty without immediately checking again. Health anxiety does not mean every symptom is anxiety: new symptoms still deserve appropriate medical assessment. CBT is also an established treatment to consider with your GP.

Yes. Sessions can address the thoughts that arrive as soon as you wake, such as expecting a difficult day or checking how anxious you feel. Hypnosis gives us a way to rehearse a calmer start and reduce the pressure to feel completely fine before getting on with your morning. We also look at sleep and the stress you carry into the evening.

Hypnotherapy can help with anxiety, disrupted sleep and loss of confidence during perimenopause and menopause. Sessions can address what has changed for you, whether that is panic before work, irritability or feeling less able to cope. My menopause hypnotherapy page explains symptom support and the research on clinical hypnosis for hot flushes.

Anxiety can affect digestion, and worrying about stomach symptoms can add to the stress. Hypnotherapy can address that anxiety and the expectation of symptoms when travelling, eating out or going to work. Persistent digestive symptoms should be assessed by your GP. If you have IBS, see my IBS and gut-directed hypnotherapy page for more specific information.

Sessions can address repeated fears of rejection, reading too much into messages and needing constant reassurance from a partner. In hypnosis, we can work with beliefs about your worth and rehearse responding with greater calm when you feel uncertain. We also distinguish anxious assumptions from genuine problems in a relationship that need attention.

Hypnotherapy can help you respond differently to unwanted thoughts, so having a thought does not automatically lead to hours of analysing it. We can work on the meaning you attach to it and the urge to seek certainty. If intrusive thoughts come with compulsive checking or rituals, tell me: OCD needs an appropriate assessment, and CBT with exposure and response prevention is an established treatment.

Yes. Many people carry on working, caring for family and meeting deadlines while privately feeling exhausted by worry. The term high-functioning anxiety describes that experience, rather than a formal diagnosis. You do not need to wait until you can no longer cope to ask for help. Sessions can address over-preparing, perfectionism and the feeling that you must always be in control.

Hypnotherapy can help you prepare for situations you have started avoiding, such as travelling, meetings or social events. In hypnosis, we can rehearse taking manageable steps and work on the expectation that anxiety will be unbearable. We agree practical goals that fit your circumstances, so progress means doing more of what matters to you, rather than waiting to feel no anxiety at all.

Look for recognised training, experience with anxiety and a clear explanation of how treatment would address your concerns. Ask about fees, recordings and how progress is reviewed. Rapport matters too: you should feel listened to and comfortable discussing what is happening. You can read about my experience and qualifications and contact me before booking.

There is no single best hypnotherapist for everyone. Qualifications and relevant experience are important, but so is how comfortable you feel with the therapist and their approach. Reviews can help you learn about other people’s experiences; they cannot predict your own result. Try my free hypnosis audio to hear my voice, or contact me to discuss what you need.

You can try my free 30-minute relaxation hypnosis audio to get a feel for my voice and the experience of listening. It is a general relaxation recording, rather than a personalised treatment for your anxiety. Get the free hypnosis audio here. Listen somewhere quiet and safe, never while driving.

You can contact me directly without a GP referral. Tell me about any diagnosis, medication or other treatment when you enquire so we can discuss whether my approach fits your needs. If anxiety is new, severe or accompanied by unexplained physical symptoms, a GP assessment is useful alongside considering hypnotherapy.

You do not need to practise hypnosis or prepare a detailed account of your life. It helps to think of a few specific examples: when anxiety starts, what you do to cope and what you would like to do more comfortably. For Zoom appointments, choose a private room, check your connection and find a comfortable place to sit.

No. Some people imagine clear pictures; others respond more to words, sounds, feelings or simply a sense of what is being described. I can adapt suggestions and rehearsal to the way you experience them. Hypnosis does not require you to produce a perfect mental image or pass a test of imagination.

Hypnotherapy can help you reduce persistent anxiety and change habits that keep it going. The goal is to feel calmer and able to handle situations with more confidence. Some anxiety is a normal response to pressure, so I do not promise you will never feel it again. Recordings and the techniques you learn give you ways to support yourself when life becomes stressful.

Speak to your GP if anxiety is severe, persistent or making everyday life difficult, or if symptoms are new or unexplained. New chest pain, collapse or severe difficulty breathing needs urgent medical assessment rather than being assumed to be panic. The NHS guide to anxiety, fear and panic explains treatment and support options.