What Actually Happens in a Hypnotherapy Session?

By Dr. Jennipher McDonald  |  Clinical Hypnotherapist  |  Somatic Practitioner  |  Perth, WA

 What Actually Happens in a Hypnotherapy Session

If you've never experienced hypnotherapy before, you might be picturing swinging pocket watches, mysterious trances, or losing control of your own mind. I want to gently put that picture down for a moment — because what actually happens in a hypnotherapy session is far more grounded, far more collaborative, and far more you than that.

Let me walk you through it.

We begin with conversation. Before any relaxation work happens, we talk. I want to understand what's really going on for you — what you're noticing, what you've already tried, and what change would actually look and feel like in your life. This isn't small talk. It's the foundation everything else is built on.

Then, we relax — properly. Using calm, simple language and a comfortable pace, I guide you into a state of deep physical and mental relaxation. You may notice your breathing slow down. You may notice your shoulders drop, your jaw soften, your thoughts begin to quieten. This is hypnosis — and it's a completely natural state your mind already knows how to enter. You experience something similar every time you're absorbed in a film, or driving a familiar route and arriving without quite remembering the trip.

You remain awake, aware, and in control the entire time. This is one of the biggest misunderstandings about hypnotherapy. You are not asleep. You are not unconscious. You can hear me, you can choose to open your eyes at any time, and you cannot be made to do or say anything against your will. What you're doing is simply allowing your conscious, analytical mind to step back — so that we can speak directly with the deeper part of you that holds your habits, your patterns, and your automatic responses.

This is where the real work happens. Using carefully chosen language, gentle metaphor, and the principles of NLP, we begin to work with that deeper part of your mind — updating old patterns, easing anxious responses, and helping new, more helpful ways of thinking and feeling take root.

And then, gently, you return. Fully alert, fully present, often surprised by how calm and clear you feel.

People often ask, "What did I do?" And I love that question — because the honest answer is: you did the changing. I simply helped create the conditions, and held the space, for your own mind to find its way there.

If you're curious to experience this for yourself, I'd love to welcome you in for a session.

By Dr Jennipher McDonald

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Thank you for the beautiful image Marika Dzedyshiko