Is Hypnotherapy Like Voodoo? Understanding What Makes Hypnosis Work
Hypnotherapy isn't magic, it's collaboration. Discover why some clients get amazing results while others struggle, the role of secondary gains, and what you need to know before your first session
After years of practicing hypnotherapy, I’ve noticed something: the clients who get the best results are almost always those who’ve attended one of my workshops first. There’s a clear pattern here, and it has nothing to do with magic or luck. It has everything to do with understanding what hypnosis actually is, and what it isn’t.
The Workshop Advantage
Most of my clients have come to me after attending my workshops, and I find these clients to be the best to work with. Why? Because they’ve spent an hour or two listening to me explain exactly what they’re experiencing and, more importantly, why they’re experiencing it. I demonstrate that I understand their struggles, explain what hypnosis actually is, and give a short group hypnosis session so they can experience it for themselves before committing to individual work.
Workshop attendees and former client referrals are my favorite clients to work with. They arrive at their first session with realistic expectations, an understanding of the process, and most crucially, they recognize that they are active participants in their own transformation. They don’t expect me to wave a magic wand while they passively receive a cure.
When Expectations Don’t Match Reality
Clients also come to me from other sources, and nine times out of ten, they’re great too. I recently received a fantastic review from a wonderful client who found me through ChatGPT, which shows that people can find quality help through various channels. But sometimes and I say this with compassion, clients who haven’t attended a workshop first arrive with some interesting misconceptions about how hypnosis works.
Some seem to think hypnosis works like voodoo. They believe they can just close their eyes, have a sleep, and I’ll perform some kind of magic spell on them that will instantly cure whatever they’re dealing with. They expect to wake up completely transformed without having done any of the actual work themselves.
Others are so deeply attached to their issue that they unconsciously turn the session into a battle of wills. They resist the process, hold onto their problem with white knuckles, and then despite the fact I have told them they need to commit to the change, they email me twenty minutes after the session claiming it didn’t work. The truth? It’s not that hypnosis didn’t work, it’s that they didn’t allow it to work.
Hypnosis Is Not Magic. It’s Collaboration
Let me be clear: hypnotherapy is not voodoo. It’s not magic. I cannot simply sprinkle fairy dust over someone’s problems and make them disappear while they take a nap. Although, I give all clients access to the content here on Substack and a place on one of my monthly programs. They could literally listen to this content while playing video games and still see a change, but they don’t bother, that’s too much effort. They want me to change them. Hypnosis is a collaborative process that requires your active participation, willingness, and genuine desire to change.
Think of me as a guide, not a magician. I can show you the path, give you the tools, and help you access the powerful resources of your own mind. But you have to be willing to walk that path. You have to be willing to pick up those tools and use them. You have to want the change you’re seeking.
The Critical Factor: You Must Want to Change
This might seem obvious, but it’s worth stating plainly: hypnotherapy only works if you genuinely want to change. Not if your partner wants you to change. Not if your doctor thinks you should change. Not if society says you should change. You have to want it for yourself.
I’ve worked with a few clients who consciously claim they want to overcome their anxiety, quit smoking, or lose weight, but subconsciously, they’re holding on tight to their problem. Why? Because on some level, that problem is serving them. This brings us to one of the most important concepts in therapeutic work: secondary gains.
Understanding Secondary Gains
Secondary gains are the hidden benefits we receive from maintaining a problem or symptom. While the primary problem might be causing distress, there are often subtle advantages that keep us anchored to our issues, even when we consciously want to let them go.
For example, someone with anxiety might receive extra attention and care from loved ones. Someone who smokes might use cigarettes as their only “me time” during a stressful day. Someone struggling with weight might be using their body size as protection from unwanted attention or as an excuse to avoid situations that feel threatening.
These secondary gains aren’t usually conscious. Most people aren’t deliberately choosing to maintain their problems. But the subconscious mind is designed to protect us, and if it perceives that a problem is providing some form of benefit or protection, it will resist letting it go. No matter how much we consciously say we want change a secondary gain will create a block that makes change impossible.
This is why some clients unconsciously sabotage their own progress. They come to the session, they go through the motions, but part of them is fighting against the very change they’re seeking. Then they wonder why “it didn’t work.”
What Successful Clients Understand
The clients who get remarkable results understand several key things:
They understand hypnosis is a natural state. It’s not sleep, it’s not unconsciousness, and you’re not under anyone’s control. It’s a focused state of awareness that you move in and out of naturally throughout your day.
They know they’re in charge. You cannot be hypnotized against your will, although there are ways all kinds of thoughts get put into your head. Some people have spent years swiping through brainrot on TikTok or watching anxiety-inducing news, then expect me to take all their issues away in 90 minutes. You’re always aware of what’s happening, and you can choose to engage or disengage at any moment.
They come ready to participate. The best clients arrive with an open mind, a willingness to explore their inner world, and a genuine commitment to change. They understand that I’m facilitating their transformation, not performing it on them.
They’ve examined their motivations. They’ve asked themselves the hard questions: Do I really want this change? What might I be getting from maintaining this problem? Am I willing to let go of any secondary gains? What will my life look like without this issue?
They’re willing to do the work. Hypnotherapy isn’t a one-and-done magic trick. It often requires multiple sessions, practice with self-hypnosis, and a commitment to reinforcing new patterns and behaviors in daily life.
Creating the Conditions for Success
If you’re considering hypnotherapy, I encourage you to approach it with curiosity rather than skepticism, and with realistic expectations rather than magical thinking. Understand that you’re embarking on a partnership where your active participation is essential.
Before your first session, take time to reflect on what you truly want and why you want it. Be honest with yourself about any part of you that might be resistant to change. Think about what you might be gaining from your current situation, even if those gains are subtle or unconscious.
Come to your session well-rested, open-minded, and ready to engage. Trust the process, trust yourself, and trust that real, lasting change is possible when you’re willing to do your part.
Hypnotherapy isn’t voodoo. It’s a scientifically-supported method that helps you access your own inner resources, reframe unhelpful patterns, and create lasting change. But that power comes from you, not from me. I’m simply here to guide you in unlocking what’s already within you.
The question isn’t whether hypnosis works. The question is: are you ready to let it work?