Purpose

This page clarifies when a client’s problem is better addressed through hypnosis rather than continued talk-based psychotherapy.
It is designed to help licensed therapists determine when to refer a client for hypnotherapy as a complementary or alternative approach.

The Key Difference

Psychotherapy and hypnotherapy both aim to create positive change, but they do so in different ways.

• Psychotherapy focuses on changing understanding, perspective, and meaning. It works through discussion, reflection, and insight — helping clients gain awareness and make conscious decisions.
• Hypnotherapy focuses on changing automatic responses and conditioned reactions. It works through focused attention and unconscious learning — helping clients update habits and emotional patterns that operate outside conscious control.
• In short, psychotherapy helps change how a person thinks about the problem, while hypnosis helps change how they automatically respond to it.

When Referral Is Appropriate

Refer to hypnotherapy when the client’s symptoms are:

• Automatic, habitual, or reflexive
• Persisting despite insight or cognitive understanding
• Emotionally or physiologically driven rather than logical
• Reinforced by body memory or conditioned response

Typical phrases that indicate suitability:

• “I understand it, but I still react the same way.”
• “I know it’s irrational, but I can’t stop.”
• “It just happens automatically.”
• “I keep talking about it, but nothing changes.”

Common Issues Suited for Hypnotherapy

Anxiety & Stress Response

• Panic, tension, or restlessness not relieved by reasoning
• Overactive startle or fear reactions

Habits & Compulsions

• Nail biting, smoking, overeating, skin picking, procrastination

Somatic and Psychophysiological Symptoms

• Chronic pain or tension that worsens under stress
• Functional disorders (e.g., IBS, TMJ, bruxism)

Sleep and Rest Regulation

• Difficulty falling asleep or quieting the mind
• Nighttime rumination or early-morning waking

Performance & Confidence

• Test anxiety, public speaking fears, creative blocks

Residual Trauma Responses

• Emotional overreactions after trauma has been processed
• Persistent physiological activation despite therapy progress

When to Continue or Prioritize Psychotherapy

• Unstable mood or unsafe behavior patterns
• Active psychosis or untreated substance use
• When meaning-making, relationship work, or cognitive restructuring are primary goals

Framing the Referral for Clients

You might say:

“We’ve done a lot of good work helping you understand this pattern. Hypnotherapy could help retrain the automatic part of your mind that’s still holding the old reaction. It’s a way to align what you consciously want with how your body and emotions respond.”

Summary Statement

Therapy changes understanding. Hypnosis changes automatic responses.
Refer when understanding is no longer the barrier to change.

Special thanks to hypnotherapist Mark Williams for the use of his photo.