Hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, is often used as a technique to relax patients and improve focus, bypassing the conscious mind and delving into the unconscious. When you are hypnotized you are reportedly in a trance, which is a heightened state of consciousness and this allows for patients to shift their focus to their inward thoughts, allowing the person to focus his or her thoughts on a single thought. According to WebMD, this state allows for patients to explore thoughts, feelings, and memories, that they may have hidden in their conscious mind.

This can be beneficial in two ways; the first is analysis and can help to locate the psychological cause of a disorder or symptom, which can then be treated as part of psychotherapy. Or, it could be used to change behaviors like stopping smoking (by changing the way the person feels about smoking or increasing their motivation to quit), as well as control acute or chronic pain.

Hypnosis Training Academy notes several different uses for hypnosis, and in addition to the aforementioned reasons, it could also be used to manage weight (to prevent overeating), addictions, bad habits like nail biting, overcome OCD and also deal with anxiety (among others) — because it helps to get to the root of the problem without medication or covering up the problem and helping you to reprogram your brain.

WebMD also notes a number of other ways that hypnosis can be used to improve the success of treatments for depression, sleep disorders, grief and loss, phobias, fears, and stress. The publication also notes that it could be helpful for people who need crisis management.

Some things to note; according to Psychology Today, it’s important to choose a hypnotherapist that is a member of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) or the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.

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