Hypnosis: myths, facts and your questions
No, you will not lose control. Yes, the vast majority of people can be hypnotized. Yes, it works online, and yes, the research backs it up. Here are Myriam Elias's answers, as a clinical hypnotherapist in Montreal, to the questions she hears most often about therapeutic hypnosis.
What hypnosis is, and what it is not
- What is therapeutic hypnosis?
- Therapeutic hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and deep relaxation, close to the one you pass through every night just before falling asleep. In that state the subconscious, where automatic patterns are stored, becomes more receptive to change. The hypnotherapist guides you there with her voice, then offers suggestions targeted at what you want to change: the stress response, sleep, self-confidence.
- Will I lose control during the session?
- No. You stay aware, you hear everything, and you keep control from start to finish. You can speak, move, open your eyes and stop at any time. Hypnosis only works with your agreement: a suggestion that goes against your values is simply rejected. What you see in stage shows is entertainment, with volunteers picked for their willingness to play along, not clinical practice.
- Will I be asleep or unconscious?
- No. At every moment you are awake and aware of what is happening. Most people describe the hypnotic state as very deep relaxation with attention that stays sharp, a bit like being absorbed in a good book. You remember the session afterwards.
- Will I reveal secrets?
- No. Hypnosis is not a truth serum. You only say what you choose to say, exactly as in an ordinary conversation. The session is about what you want to change, not about what you want to keep to yourself.
Does it work?
- Can I be hypnotized?
- Very probably. The vast majority of people can enter a hypnotic state, to varying degrees. Hypnosis is teamwork: you have to want it, be receptive and trust the practitioner. People who "cannot do it" are almost always people who resist, consciously or not, often out of fear of losing control. Once that fear is lifted, it comes.
- Does hypnosis really work?
- Yes, and that is not just our experience: it is what published research says. A 2019 meta-analysis pooling 17 trials found that, on average, a person who received hypnosis reduced their anxiety more than about 79% of people in the control groups, with the benefit maintained at follow-up. A sleep-laboratory study (2014) measured about 80% more slow-wave deep sleep after a hypnotic suggestion in receptive people. We go through these studies in our article Sleep hypnosis: what the research actually says.
- What can hypnotherapy help with?
- At Axis, we use it mainly for what professionals under pressure live with: chronic stress and anxiety, insomnia and night wake-ups, low self-confidence and imposter syndrome, procrastination, the inability to switch off, and burnout setting in. It fits easily alongside any other approach, including medical or psychological follow-up, which it does not replace.
- How many sessions does it take?
- In general, people feel positive changes from the second session. After that, the number of sessions varies from person to person and with the goal: a few sessions for a specific situation, a three-month program when there is ground to rebuild (sleep, chronic stress, burnout). What matters most is keeping the rhythm of sessions, so the subconscious consolidates the new response between them.
- How many hypnosis sessions are needed for anxiety?
- The protocols studied in research on hypnosis and anxiety are short, often four to eight sessions. At Axis, anxiety is rarely isolated: it comes with degraded sleep and a depleted body. That is why the one-on-one program combines hypnotherapy and naturopathy over three months, so that the calm you regain holds. Our article on natural approaches to anxiety explains the reasoning.
In practice
- Is online hypnosis as effective as in person?
- Yes. Hypnosis requires no physical contact, only voice and attention. An online session at home, in a quiet spot with headphones, is often even more conducive to relaxation than a trip downtown before and after. Axis works with clients across Quebec, Canada and the United States this way.
- What does a session look like?
- First, a conversation about what you are living with and what you want to change. Then Myriam guides you into the hypnotic state with her voice, within a few minutes. The suggestions target your goal. The session ends with a gradual return to your ordinary state; most people leave relaxed and clear-headed. The exact length and format are explained during the discovery call.
- Are there side effects?
- Reviews of hypnosis studies report rare and mild adverse effects, such as slight drowsiness after a session. Therapeutic hypnosis, practised by a trained hypnotherapist who belongs to a recognized association, is a low-risk approach. It does not replace medical follow-up: if you are in significant distress, see your doctor first.
- What is the difference between hypnotherapy and psychotherapy?
- Psychotherapy is a reserved act in Quebec, practised by psychologists and licensed professionals. Hypnotherapy works with the subconscious on specific goals, in the present: how you feel now, and what you want to change. The two approaches are complementary, and nothing prevents you from doing both.
- Is it covered by insurance?
- Often in part. Axis issues hypnotherapy receipts (member of ARCH Canada and Groupe RITMA) and naturopathy receipts (member of the ANPQ). What your plan reimburses depends on your insurer: our insurance FAQ explains what to ask.
Want to talk it through?
A free, no-obligation 30-minute discovery call to see whether Axis's naturopathy and clinical hypnotherapy support is right for you. In Montreal or online, anywhere in Quebec.