You booked the session.
You’ve scheduled the session. And now you’re nervous.
That’s completely normal. Most people arrive at their first hypnotherapy session with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. The mind creates scenarios—ranging from “I’m going to lose control” to “does this really work?”
The truth is much simpler. And that’s exactly what I’m going to explain here.
No beating around the bush. No jargon. Just what really happens in a hypnotherapy session, from the moment you walk into the room until after you leave.
Before the session: the initial conversation
No hypnotherapy session begins with hypnosis. It begins with a conversation.
In the first 15 to 20 minutes, the therapist wants to understand three things:
- What brought you here. What is the specific problem—anxiety, insomnia, a phobia, a habit you want to break.
- What you’ve already tried. What other approaches you’ve used and how they worked (or didn’t).
- What you expect. Your expectations, doubts, and fears about hypnosis.
This conversation has two goals. The first is obvious: the therapist needs context to tailor the session to you. The second is less obvious but equally important: you need to feel safe. Hypnosis works best when there is trust.
This is also where the therapist clears up the myths:
- No, you won’t lose control.
- No, no one will make you say things you don’t want to.
- No, you won’t get “stuck” in hypnosis.
- Yes, you’ll remember everything afterward.
With those questions answered, the session itself begins.
Induction: Entering the Hypnotic State
You sit or lie down comfortably. There’s nothing unusual about the setting—a normal room, soft lighting, a comfortable chair or armchair.
The therapist begins to guide your attention.
Usually, the process starts with your breathing. “Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly.” It’s that simple. As your breathing slows, your body follows—your shoulders drop, your jaw relaxes, your hands feel heavy.
Then comes progressive relaxation. The therapist moves through the body, muscle group by muscle group, inviting each part to release tension. Feet, legs, abdomen, chest, arms, neck, face.
This process takes between 5 and 10 minutes. By the end, the body is in a state of relaxation that most people don’t even achieve on vacation.
This is where many ask: “But am I hypnotized or just relaxed?”
The answer: both. The hypnotic state begins exactly at this point—when the body is deeply relaxed and the mind is focused. It is a combination of physical relaxation and concentrated attention.
What the hypnotic state is like (in practice)
The most common description I hear is: “It’s like that moment between being awake and falling asleep.”
You’re conscious. You hear everything. You know where you are. But at the same time, you feel a sense of detachment—as if the outside world were a little further away and your inner world were more present.
It’s not sleep. It’s not unconsciousness. It’s a natural state that you experience several times a day without realizing it:
- When you’re so focused on a book that you lose track of time.
- When you drive on autopilot and arrive at your destination without remembering the route.
- When you’re watching a movie and jump because someone spoke to you.
The difference is that, in hypnotherapy, this state is used for therapeutic purposes.
Therapeutic suggestions: the heart of the session
Once the hypnotic state is established, the therapist introduces the suggestions.
This is what sets hypnotherapy apart from guided meditation or a relaxation app. Suggestions are carefully crafted phrases, designed to create new associations in the brain.
Some real examples of what you might hear in a session:
For anxiety:
- “Every breath is an opportunity to let go of what weighs you down.”
- “The calm you feel right now is available to you at any moment.”
For quitting smoking:
- “Your body deserves clean air. You choose this.”
- “Cigarettes no longer have a place in your life.”
For insomnia:
- “Your bed is your safe place. Here, you can unwind.”
- “Your body knows how to sleep. It just needs permission.”
Note that these are not commands. They are invitations. The brain in a hypnotic state is more receptive—not passive. The critical part of the mind (the “guard” that judges and analyzes everything) lowers its guard, allowing new ideas to be accepted with less resistance.
That’s why hypnosis works for changes that willpower alone can’t achieve. You aren’t fighting against your brain. You’re speaking to it in a language it understands.
What DOES NOT happen in a session
Let’s clarify once and for all what stage entertainment is and what clinical hypnosis is.
You do NOT lose control. At no point do you stop being in charge. If you wanted to open your eyes and stand up, you could do so immediately. Hypnosis is a state of consent.
You do NOT reveal secrets. No one has access to your thoughts. The therapist does not “read your mind” or extract information against your will.
You do NOT do anything against your values. If the therapist suggested something you consider wrong, your brain would simply ignore it. The hypnotic state does not remove your moral sense.
You DO NOT get stuck in hypnosis. It is physically impossible. Even if the therapist left the room and never came back, you would eventually open your eyes naturally within a few minutes or drift into normal sleep and wake up later.
You do NOT need to be “highly suggestible.” Most people (about 85%) respond well to hypnosis. The depth of the state varies, but even lighter states produce therapeutic results.
After the session: how you’ll feel
The therapist guides you back to your normal state of consciousness. Usually with a count—“I’m going to count from 1 to 5, and when I reach 5, you’ll open your eyes, feeling awake and refreshed.”
The most common sensation upon finishing is one of deep relaxation. Many people describe it as “the best nap I’ve ever had, but without having slept.”
Other common immediate effects:
- Mental clarity—as if the “fog” has lifted.
- A feeling of lightness in the body.
- A noticeable reduction in anxiety.
- A calmness that lasts for hours or days.
Some effects are more subtle and become apparent in the days that follow. These include a shift in perspective, a reduction in cravings (in the case of quitting smoking), or a gradual improvement in sleep.
The first session typically lasts 60 to 90 minutes (including the initial conversation). Subsequent sessions are shorter—45 to 60 minutes—because the initial conversation is no longer necessary.
How many sessions are needed?
The short answer: it depends on the goal.
The honest answer, based on my practice:
- Specific issues (fear of flying, anxiety before a specific event): 1 to 3 sessions.
- Generalized anxiety, chronic stress: 4 to 8 sessions.
- Deep-seated phobias, trauma, chronic insomnia: 6 to 12 sessions.
- Quitting smoking: Specific protocol of 1 to 3 sessions, with optional follow-up.
The important thing: hypnotherapy is not addictive. You don’t need sessions forever. The goal is for you to develop autonomy and for the changes to sustain themselves.
Are you ready to give it a try?
Hypnotherapy isn’t magic. It’s a tool—a powerful tool, based on neuroscience, that taps into the right mechanisms to create real change.
If you’re tired of trying the same things and getting the same results, maybe it’s time to try something different.
Contact Fabio Morus to ask questions or schedule an initial session. No pressure, no miracle promises—just an honest conversation about what hypnotherapy can do for you.