Top 10 Fears About Hypnotherapy (And The Truth Debunking Them)

If you’ve ever been curious about hypnotherapy but felt hesitant to try it, you’re not alone. Hypnosis has been misunderstood for decades—thanks to stage performances, Hollywood, and myths that make it seem like mind control. Even I was a serious skeptic when I first started as a client (but was quickly won over when I experienced the results).

The truth? Hypnotherapy is one of the most powerful tools for rewiring deep-seated beliefs, breaking negative patterns, and stepping into your most confident, empowered self.

Let’s break down the 10 biggest concerns people have about hypnosis—and why these fears might be keeping you stuck in old cycles.

1. “Will I lose control?”

The fear: “I don’t want to be brainwashed or manipulated.”

The truth: Hypnosis isn’t about losing control—it’s about gaining it.

You’re fully aware during hypnosis. You won’t say or do anything against your will. In fact, hypnosis works because you’re in control—it’s a partnership between your conscious and subconscious mind.

Think of it like this: If I tell you to cluck like a chicken and flap your arms like wings right now, you can choose whether or not you do. I didn’t make you, just because I told you to, you chose to accept my suggestion or reject it based on several conscious and subconscious factors.

For some people, resisting suggestions gives them the illusion of control (like when your mom tells you to wear a jacket so you don’t get sick, but you rebel even though you know she’s right). In hypnosis, you’re no longer fighting your ego or your conscious mind so you can easier accept the positive suggestions you want to give to yourself (like it’s safe to be yourself) and focus on just doing what you think is right (like being productive rather than doom-scrolling). Hypnosis helps you update your human operating system, so you can delete outdated programming and install upgrades that work for you.

💡 Reframe: Hypnotherapy isn’t about someone controlling you—it’s about you taking back control from your fears, doubts, and self-sabotaging patterns.

2. “What if I can’t be hypnotized?”

The fear: “Maybe I have a strong mind that can’t be influenced.”

The truth: Hypnosis isn’t about being weak-willed—it’s about focus.

If you’ve ever been so absorbed in a book, movie, or daydream that you lost track of time, you’ve already experienced hypnosis. It’s a natural state of deep focus and relaxation. Hypnosis is a sleep of the nervous system in which your brain shifts into theta waves— the same brain state as deep meditation or REM sleep.

There’s no right or wrong way to feel hypnotized— a skilled hypnotherapist tailors the experience to your mind, guiding you in a way that feels effortless and natural. Plus, I have a pre-session hypnosis prep audio that primes your mind to relax and be able to have a successful session. My clients love this and have told me how even just the preparation audio has helped them shift, even before their actual hypnotherapy session!

💡 Reframe: If you can follow a guided meditation, get lost in a good story, or visualize a purple hippopotamus, you can be hypnotized. It’s simply a deeper level of focused awareness.

3. “Will I forget what happens?”

The fear: “I don’t want to wake up and not remember anything.”

The truth: You’ll remember as much as you would from a deep conversation.

Hypnosis isn’t sleep. Your mind stays active and engaged the whole time. Some moments might feel more vivid, like when you’re in a deep creative flow. Others may feel like when you zone out on a long drive—but you’re still there.

You’ll be able to recall what we talked about, the experiences that came up for you, and we’ll also debrief after your session as well as in a 30-minute follow-up session at the end of your transformation.

💡 Reframe: Hypnosis brings clarity, not confusion. You’ll remember what matters—especially the insights that help you shift your life.

4. “Will I get stuck in hypnosis?”

The fear: “What if I can’t wake up?”

The truth: Hypnosis is a natural state, and you can exit anytime.

If left in hypnosis, you’d either gently return to full awareness or drift into regular sleep (like taking a nap). There’s no “getting stuck.”

In cases where you may feel like a past memory is too painful, I’m able to easily and safely guide you out of it so you’re not ever reliving the past, but rather just observing it like you would on a movie screen. If you needed to fully be alert for whatever reason, it’s also a easy process to get you back to full consciousness.

💡 Reframe: Hypnosis is like a guided journey—you can open your eyes and return to normal anytime. You’re always in control.

5. “Isn’t hypnosis just woo-woo nonsense?”

The fear: “I need something real, not spiritual fluff.”

The truth: Hypnotherapy is backed by neuroscience and psychology.

Studies show hypnosis can:
✅ Reduce stress and anxiety
✅ Rewire negative thought patterns
✅ Improve sleep
✅ Aid in pain management
✅ Strengthen confidence and self-belief

RTT® (Rapid Transformational Therapy), which is the modality of hypnotherapy I’m trained in, is a multi-award winning technique that blends hypnosis with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and neuroplasticity techniques—so you get practical, lasting results.

💡 Reframe: Hypnosis isn’t magic—it’s science. Your brain is designed to rewire itself, and hypnotherapy speeds up that process.

6. “How do I know it will work for me?”

The fear: “What if I don’t see results?”

The truth: Hypnotherapy works by shifting the subconscious first, so change feels effortless.

Think of how kids learn languages easily—because their subconscious absorbs information like a sponge. As adults, we tend to overthink and doubt ourselves. Hypnosis bypasses that resistance, making it easier to adopt new beliefs and behaviors.

I value transparency, and as far as results go, I can’t guarantee what level of results you’ll experience because that will depend on you, the choices you make after our work together, and your starting point. However, I can guarantee I will set you up for success and take you through a tried and true process that has worked for tens of thousands of people around the globe.

You can expect to see results in 3 ways: immediately, cumulatively, or retrospectively. For example, immediately after you may feel lighter, clearer, and more peaceful. Over the next month as you integrate deeper, you may notice that the urge to think or react in the way you always have comes up, but it’s easy to stop yourself and change course. A year later, when you look back, you may notice that how worried you used to be, what you used to fear, or what you used to believe feels so distant and unfamiliar because it’s just not who you are anymore.

💡 Reframe: Change happens when you rewire the root of the issue—not just treat the symptoms. Hypnotherapy does just that and the results can be better than you could even imagine now.

7. “How many sessions will I need?”

The fear: “Is this another long-term commitment?”

The truth: Unlike traditional talk therapy, hypnotherapy is designed for faster results.

Most people experience breakthroughs in 1 to 3 sessions. Some issues resolve in just one. For more complex or deeper rooted issues like low self-esteem, life-long anxiety, or addictions, 3 sessions give you the space to peel back multiple layers of the problem so you can heal deeper and strengthen your transformation.

Most of the testimonials you’ll see here are all from a single session. And as you can see, it’s MAJOR. It’s not uncommon to start with something like money blocks, and then discover deeper issues like low self-esteem and fear of being successful that can then be addressed in following sessions. With hypnotherapy, I really do believe more is more. You’ve likely held onto patterns for decades and while one session can create huge breakthroughs, your results compound— this comprehensive approach to healing ensures you’re getting the level of transformation you want.

💡 Reframe: Instead of months (or years) of talking about your problems, hypnotherapy helps you rewrite the story—fast.

8. “What if I uncover something painful?”

The fear: “I don’t want to relive past trauma.”

The truth: Your subconscious will only reveal what you’re ready to heal.

Hypnotherapy is not about re-traumatizing—it’s about releasing what no longer serves you and being able to rewrite your past in a safe, supportive way. You’re guided through the process with compassion and care.

It’s natural and common to cry in a session. That’s a great sign that you’re releasing all the negative stored energy from your body and actually moving on. A feeling buried alive, never dies. So you feeling it during a session IS proof that it’s working. However, if past memories of abuse comes up, there are certainly techniques I can use to guide you out so you’re never reliving the past, but simply observing it.

💡 Reframe: Facing emotions in a healing space allows you to process and move forward, instead of being unconsciously controlled by them.

9. “How is this different from affirmations?”

The fear: “I already use affirmations—how is this better?”

The truth: Affirmations work on the conscious mind, while hypnosis reprograms the subconscious.

It’s like the difference between paddling a boat (conscious effort) vs. changing the river’s direction (subconscious transformation).

It may take you repeating, “I am successful” 100,000x before you actually feel a shred of success because you’re fighting against the hundreds of other thoughts telling you you’re not good-enough, you’re an imposter, and you’re success is temporary so you better hustle to keep it up. Hypnotherapy is INFINITELY more effective because we’re bypassing the firewall that’s not letting in the affirmations you want.

💡 Reframe: Hypnotherapy makes mindset shifts effortless—because it works at the level where real change happens.

10. “Is it worth the investment?”

The fear: “I’m not sure if I should spend money on this.”

The truth: The real question is—what’s the cost of not changing?

How much longer do you want to…
❌ Struggle with self-doubt?
❌ Stay stuck in procrastination and people-pleasing?
❌ Hold yourself back from the life you know you’re meant for?

One session can create a breakthrough that shifts everything. A huge block for true abundance and freedom is people thinking they need to do it all by themselves, otherwise they’re unworthy, weak, or dumb. But the smartest people all had teachers, the most successful CEO’s all have multiple coaches and mentors, and the most talented creatives have a whole team of people that take on the responsibilities of everything behind the scenes so they can focus on doing what they do best.

💡 Reframe: Investing in hypnotherapy isn’t about spending money—it’s about prioritizing yourself and making progress towards a future where you feel free, confident, and at peace.

Your Next Step: Break Free and Take Back Your Power

Understanding the truth about hypnotherapy is just the beginning. The real transformation happens when you take action. If you’ve been feeling stuck—whether it’s in cycles of self-sabotage, procrastination, people-pleasing, or negative self-talk—it’s not because you lack willpower. It’s because your mind is running patterns that are keeping you trapped.

The good news? You don’t have to stay stuck.

In a Breakthrough Hypnosis Strategy Session, we’ll dive deep into your current challenges, explore how they’re affecting your life, and uncover the conscious patterns keeping you from the change you crave. You’ll walk away with powerful mindset shifts, clarity on why past efforts haven’t worked, and practical strategies to start moving forward immediately.

The life you want is waiting. The question is: Are you ready to claim it?