Does hypnotherapy really work?

Yes. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) is backed by neuroscience and clinical evidence. It is grounded in the understanding of how the brain processes stress and anxiety, and multiple studies support its effectiveness for anxiety, IBS, phobias, and chronic pain. Hypnotherapy for IBS is recommended by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) in the UK. Most clients at First Step Therapy notice meaningful improvements within 2–4 sessions.

Is hypnotherapy scientifically proven?

Yes. Clinical hypnotherapy — especially Solution Focused Hypnotherapy — is grounded in neuroscience. It works by calming the brain's threat-detection system (the amygdala) and strengthening connections to the prefrontal cortex, which governs rational thought and positive emotion. NICE recommends hypnotherapy for IBS. Research supports its use for anxiety, phobias, sleep disorders, and chronic pain.

Will I lose control during hypnosis?

No. You remain fully aware and in control throughout a hypnotherapy session. Hypnosis is simply a deeply relaxed mental state — similar to the feeling just before you fall asleep, or being absorbed in a book. You will not say or do anything you would not want to. It is nothing like stage hypnosis, which is entertainment. Clinical hypnotherapy is therapy, and your consent and comfort are central to everything.

What is Solution Focused Hypnotherapy?

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) is a modern, evidence-based therapy that combines Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) with clinical hypnosis. Unlike traditional therapy, it does not ask you to revisit painful memories. Instead, it focuses entirely on where you want to be — your goals, your strengths, and your future — and uses deep relaxation to help your subconscious mind absorb those positive changes more effectively. It is typically short-term: most issues resolve within 6–12 sessions.

How is hypnotherapy different from CBT or traditional talking therapy?

Traditional talking therapies, including CBT, often focus on analysing problems, exploring past experiences, and challenging negative thought patterns. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy takes a different approach: sessions are entirely forward-focused, exploring what a better future looks like rather than dwelling on what went wrong. The addition of clinical hypnosis allows the subconscious mind to absorb positive suggestions in a deeply relaxed state, which can accelerate change. Many clients find SFH more positive and less emotionally demanding than traditional therapy.

What happens in a hypnotherapy session?

A session at First Step Therapy lasts approximately 50–60 minutes and has two parts. The first part (around 20–30 minutes) is a structured, forward-focused conversation — you talk about what has felt a little better, what small wins you have noticed, and what a better version of your life looks like. The second part (around 20–25 minutes) is the hypnosis itself: a deeply relaxing experience in which you sit or lie comfortably while Vikki guides you into a relaxed state and offers positive suggestions aligned to your goals.

How many hypnotherapy sessions will I need?

Most clients at First Step Therapy work through between 6 and 12 sessions. For phobias, results can come in as few as 1–3 sessions. For anxiety, depression, or long-standing habits like smoking or weight management, 8–12 sessions is more typical. The exact number depends on the issue, how long you have had it, and how much you engage with the at-home relaxation recording provided between sessions. A free initial consultation with Vikki will give you a realistic sense of what to expect.

What can hypnotherapy help with?

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help with a wide range of issues, including: anxiety and panic attacks, stress and burnout, low confidence and self-esteem, sleep problems and insomnia, depression and low mood, phobias (flying, needles, heights, spiders, social situations), OCD and intrusive thoughts, grief and bereavement, exam nerves and performance anxiety, weight management, stopping smoking and quitting vaping, IBS, chronic pain, anger management, and relationship difficulties.

Can hypnotherapy help with anxiety?

Yes. Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek hypnotherapy, and it is one of the conditions that responds particularly well to Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. SFH works by calming the amygdala — the brain's threat-detection centre — which becomes overactive in anxiety. The talking part of each session shifts focus from problems to solutions, gradually lowering the baseline anxiety level. Most clients notice meaningful changes within 2–3 sessions. Vikki at First Step Therapy in Hertfordshire specialises in anxiety and has helped many clients reduce or eliminate anxiety symptoms.

Can hypnotherapy help me stop smoking or quit vaping?

Yes. Stop smoking hypnotherapy is one of the most effective ways to quit, because it addresses both the physical habit and the psychological patterns (the rituals, the emotional triggers, the identity of being a smoker) that willpower alone cannot overcome. At First Step Therapy, Vikki uses Solution Focused Hypnotherapy to build a clear, vivid identity as a non-smoker and to strip the emotional charge from triggers. The same approach works for quitting vaping.

Does hypnotherapy work for OCD?

Yes. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can be very effective for OCD and intrusive thoughts. Rather than focusing on the content of the obsessions, SFH works at the neurological level — calming the overactive amygdala response that drives compulsive behaviour. Clients often find that the urgency and anxiety around intrusive thoughts reduces significantly over a course of sessions. Vikki has personal experience with OCD, which informs her empathetic, non-judgemental approach.

Do I have to talk about my past or relive difficult memories?

No. This is one of the most significant differences between Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and traditional therapy. You will never be asked to revisit painful memories or discuss difficult events in detail. Sessions are entirely forward-focused — what you want your life to look like, what small steps you can take, what is already going well. Many people find this a relief, particularly those who have had difficult past experiences they would prefer not to re-examine.

Where is First Step Therapy based, and who does Vikki see?

First Step Therapy is based at 3, The Courtyard, Shrubbs Farm, Hatfield Heath — a peaceful, private setting on the Hertfordshire and Essex border, just a few minutes from Bishop's Stortford. Vikki sees clients from across the area, including Harlow, Sawbridgeworth, Stansted Mountfitchet, Saffron Walden, Epping, Chelmsford, and beyond. A free initial consultation is available with no obligation.

How much does hypnotherapy cost at First Step Therapy?

The initial consultation is free and carries no obligation. Individual sessions are £80. A 6-session package is available for £450, saving £30 compared to paying per session. Most clients start with the 6-session package to give enough time for meaningful progress. You can continue beyond the package if you wish.

What Is Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy for IBS?

If you have IBS, you've probably tried dietary changes, probiotics, medication, and possibly a low-FODMAP elimination protocol. Some of these may have helped a little. None of them may have solved it. That's because most IBS treatments target the gut — but the driver of IBS isn't only in the gut.

What is gut-directed hypnotherapy?

Gut-directed hypnotherapy is a specific form of clinical hypnotherapy designed to work with the gut-brain connection. It was developed in the 1980s by Professor Peter Whorwell at the University of Manchester, and has since become the most researched non-pharmacological treatment for IBS.

During sessions, you enter a deeply relaxed state — the hypnotic state — in which the mind is more open to therapeutic suggestion. The therapist then focuses attention directly on the gut: calming the oversensitive pain response, restoring a more normal relationship between the brain and the bowel, and reducing the anxiety that drives symptom flares.

Unlike general relaxation or meditation, gut-directed hypnotherapy has a specific therapeutic focus and a structured protocol. It's not about "thinking positively about your gut" — it's a clinical intervention that works on the neurological mechanisms driving IBS symptoms.

Why does NICE recommend it?

NICE — the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which sets clinical guidelines for the NHS — recommends gut-directed hypnotherapy for IBS that has not responded adequately to other treatments. This recommendation reflects decades of clinical evidence.

Research trials, including Whorwell's original work and subsequent studies, consistently show that gut-directed hypnotherapy significantly reduces IBS symptoms — including abdominal pain, bloating, and bowel habit irregularity — in the majority of patients. Crucially, these improvements are maintained after treatment ends: follow-up studies at one, three, and five years post-treatment show that most people continue to benefit long-term.

The gut-brain axis: why IBS isn't just a gut problem

The gut and the brain communicate constantly through the vagus nerve — a bidirectional pathway that carries signals in both directions. In people with IBS, this communication has become dysregulated: the gut overreacts to normal stimulation, sending pain signals for pressure or movement that wouldn't bother someone without IBS. The brain, in turn, amplifies these signals.

This is called visceral hypersensitivity — and it explains why stress, anxiety, and difficult emotions can trigger or worsen IBS symptoms so reliably. The nervous system and the digestive system are not separate. They are one system.

Gut-directed hypnotherapy works directly with this system. In a hypnotic state, the brain's response to gut signals can be retrained — reducing the hypersensitivity and calming the neural pathways that have been generating pain.

What happens in a session?

Sessions at First Step Therapy follow the Solution Focused Hypnotherapy model, which combines gut-directed work with a broader approach to the stress and anxiety that often underlie IBS. Each session has two parts.

The first part is a structured, forward-focused conversation — not about IBS symptoms, but about what life looks like when things are better. This is itself therapeutic: shifting focus from symptoms to solutions begins to change the brain's patterns.

The second part is a deeply relaxing hypnosis experience, during which suggestions are directed toward the gut: calming the hypersensitive response, restoring easy, normal digestion, and building a sense of control and ease in the body. You'll also receive a personalised relaxation audio to use between sessions.

Who is it right for?

Gut-directed hypnotherapy is particularly well-suited to people whose IBS:

Is clearly triggered or worsened by stress, anxiety, or difficult emotions
Has not responded adequately to dietary changes or medication
Involves significant anxiety about symptoms (which tends to worsen them)
Has been present for a long time, with fluctuating severity
Is accompanied by other stress-related symptoms like poor sleep or general anxiety

Gut-directed hypnotherapy works best for IBS that has been properly diagnosed by a GP or gastroenterologist. If you haven't had IBS formally diagnosed, that's the right first step — hypnotherapy complements medical care, it doesn't replace it.

How many sessions does it take?

Research trials typically use 12 sessions over 3 months. Most clients at First Step Therapy notice significant improvement within 6–8 sessions. We recommend a course of 8–12 sessions to achieve lasting results.

Interested in trying it?

First Step Therapy offers gut-directed hypnotherapy for IBS near Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, with sessions available in person at Hatfield Heath or online via video call — equally effective for clients across Harlow, Sawbridgeworth, Stansted, and the wider Essex and Hertfordshire area. A free initial consultation is always the starting point — no pressure, no commitment.