Freeing yourself from anxiety with Hypnotherapy

With the rising rates of anxiety disorders, a better understanding of effective treatment options is becoming more vital than ever. This blog outlines the huge potential of hypnotherapy in providing lasting relief from anxiety and its associated symptoms.

I will explain how hypnotherapy empowers the subconscious mind to reframe anxiety-provoking thoughts, and how I teach techniques to re-train the brain's response to stressors through guided relaxation and visualisation. While discovering new positive life paths of growth and personal development, it will become clear how hypnotherapy, although underutilised in most healthcare systems, is an extremely valuable treatment approach.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is, in simple terms, the imagining of a future event or scenario and then worrying about that imaginary scenario until one feels terrible. This imagined 'future event' could be months, weeks or merely seconds away; either way, the mind is focused on an imagined fantasy and not on the job at hand, whatever that may be. Physiologically, anxiety can be seen as a body's natural response to stress. When we perceive a threat, our bodies release adrenaline and cortisol, activating a 'fight, flight or freeze response'. This creates a high-alert mindstate, increased heart rate and breathing, our muscles power up, and senses heighten, which is great if you've just come face to face with a tiger, as it will help you survive. But when the response is triggered over and over without any 'real' danger present, it becomes physiologically damaging, potentially leading to a plethora of problems such as high blood pressure, digestive issues, insomnia, weight gain or loss, a weakened immune system and heart and circulatory issues. In addition to the physical impact, anxiety also takes a psychological, social, and spiritual toll, impacting mood, confidence, self-belief, and inevitably, relationships. Emotionally, feelings of worry, fear, anger and restlessness are brought to the surface, which then go on to feed additional problems such as depression, panic attacks, hypersensitivity and social phobias.

A diagram showing the perpetual cyclic effect of stress on the physical and emotional states of being

How Hypnotherapy helps alleviate anxiety

Hypnotherapy works by allowing one to connect more consciously to their subconscious mind. A skilled hypnotherapist will guide a patient into a deeply relaxed state where negative or self-limiting beliefs can be let go of and superseded by more positive life-affirming beliefs, where bad habits, including negative thinking, can be replaced with healthier, more life-beneficial 'habits', and where a perception of any past trauma can be transposed into a more evolved perception. Hypnotherapy is a path of guiding one's mind and body to overcome anxiety in a natural and lasting way. Adopting such relaxation techniques and letting go of irrational negativity while occupying a safe space, negotiating psychological agreements to restore a sense of internal harmony, all lead to a more positive life path, and to get to that place, living a calmer, happier, more contented existence, it's fundamentally important to have your mind on your side, working for you... not for 'the opposition'.

My clinic protocol to alleviate Anxiety.

1. Hypnotherapy to quell negative thinking and reduce anxiety. 

Transforming past trauma or future worry perceptions to feel less threatened, understanding and reframing negative thoughts.

2. Hypnotherapy to develop the ability to relax. 

Inducing deep relaxation, learning to let go, developing a comfortable place with oneself and creating a softer, easier, calmer state of being.

3. Hypnotherapy to grow confidence. 

Building confidence, courage, self-belief and esteem and developing a sense of self-love and gratitude.

4. Hypnotherapy to clear emotionally repeating trauma. 

Difficult events in one's life leave echoes of hurt. Hypnosis is the safest and simplest way of breaking free from repetitive emotional pain, whether one initially has an awareness of its presence or not.

5. Hypnotherapy to develop resilience. 

Developing a duck's back from which water easily rolls. Developing effective coping strategies to reduce anxiety and create 'a knowing' that one will cope in all situations.

6. Understanding the power of mindfulness. 

Practising awareness and mindfulness to help gain perspective over anxious thinking patterns and avoid negative spiralling.

7. Gaining a deeper insight into the self. 

Understanding where one sits in the universe, developing a sturdier sense of self and a path to very much liking that self.

8. Skills for life, learning how to live happier.

Many of these skills and abilities are not only for anxiety, but for anyone wishing to learn how to live a happier life.

1. Hypnotherapy to quell negative thinking and reduce anxiety

In treating anxiety, it is important to understand 'negative thinking', seeing it as merely a part of you, which could be quiet and unobtrusive, and that it is not 'all of who you are', although it may feel that way at the time. It's the part of you that works as 'the punisher of perceived wrongdoings' and, for some, can be relentless, if they've trained it to be so. With hypnotherapy, we work on quietening that part, quietening negative ideas, and directing that part to become smaller and more insignificant, while enhancing and enlarging a positive, feel-good mindset.

"Treating anxiety with hypnotherapy is not only possible but efficient and effective. Hypnotherapy is very much a shortcut to personal growth and development"

2. Hypnotherapy to develop the ability to relax

Relaxation is important for discovering a happy state of being. In my practice, it's common for patients to come out of a session saying, "I don't think I've ever been that relaxed, ever!" or "Why doesn't everyone do this?"... and I answer, "Simply because they don't know about hypnotherapy".

Finding a place of deep relaxation could be a first for some, and this can be quite enlightening in itself, as it clearly shows the patient that they can feel relaxed and that it's within themselves. It's the start of the understanding that all they have to do is get out of their own way, meaning, to drift beyond that cumbersome and distractive critical mind.

Relaxation brings about many benefits, including breaking the cycle of stress, relieving tension, digestive issues, improving focus, energy, sleep and physical wellbeing. Everything improves with relaxation, plus, of course, more smiles.

3. Hypnotherapy to grow confidence and self-belief

To find a sense of happiness and contentment, it's crucial to have a level of self-confidence and self-belief. In fact, without them, happiness is difficult to attain. The happiest people have positive self-belief. In clinic, I always build positivity, confidence and a sense of self-worth. It's so important to put these foundations of 'a positive self' in place, and in time, once the green shoots appear, this growth and development creates the firm base upon which happiness and a sense of contentment can sit.

It's the same with children, though that confidence and self-belief may not yet be rooted in 'the self', but rather in parents, friends and family life. Which is why, when things go wrong, long-lasting emotional trauma can occur, and why hypnotherapy to help children develop confidence and an authentic belief in themselves will create more relaxed, self-assured adults.

4. Hypnosis to clear emotionally repeating trauma

Sometimes feelings of unpleasant past events recur in one's life, often triggered by certain situations, potentially many years later, and commonly a behaviour that remains throughout one's life if not addressed. Without hypnotherapy, these can be difficult issues to change; however, with hypnosis, one can relatively quickly and easily reach those deep places where 'programming errors' are located and positively change those patterns.

5. Hypnotherapy to develop resilience

Resilience is important, an ability that is clearly diminishing in today's society. Simply put, resilience is the natural outcome of authentically believing in oneself, learning to control what to adopt and what to let go, and then, upon developing positive skills and self-reliance, resilience naturally and comfortably falls into place.

6. Understanding the power of mindfulness

Understanding the past is merely a memory; the future does not exist in any form except as an imaginary perception, and the present is the only real existence, and always will be your only true reality.

Placing one's awareness of being, one's consciousness, into the present moment, we call mindfulness. Not thinking about future imaginations unconsciously, the home of anxiety, not thinking about the past unconsciously, the home of depression, but psychologically spending periods in the present moment is of great benefit to mental health. Practising this skill helps prevent any negative spiralling that occurs with anxious states and leads to a more relaxed, easy-going self-awareness. Understanding mindfulness can be tricky, so experiencing it and getting the feel for it under hypnosis can be very useful, giving one a target to aim for and creating confidence to practice when away from the clinic.

7. Hypnotherapy to gain a deeper insight into life, awareness and the self

What is actually occurring during my hypnotherapy sessions is the opening of a path to positive personal growth and development. Learning how to grow and enjoy the journey, and discover a path from which one can free oneself from negative states of being and realising that it's really the only way... the only way without the perpetual use of mind-numbing pharmaceuticals or self-medicating bad habits, that is.

8. Skills for life and learning how to live happier

Many of these skills and abilities are not only for 'anxiety', they're for developing the ability to live a more contented and happier life, no matter what you've got going on. The truth is, 'only you can change you' and hypnosis is merely a natural tool, used throughout history by most civilisations such as Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Romans and American Indians, that allows you to do this quickly, safely and easily.

“You're going to realise it one day... that happiness was never about your job or your degree or being in a relationship. Happiness was never about following in the footsteps of all of those who came before you; it was never about being like the others. One day, you're going to see it... that happiness was always about the discovery, the hope, the listening to your heart and following it wherever it chose to go. Happiness was always about being kinder to yourself; it was always about embracing the person you were becoming. One day, you will understand that happiness was always about learning how to live with yourself, that your happiness was never in the hands of others. It was always about you. It was always about you.” ~ Bianca Sparacino

The Customised Treatment Approach

After the initial consultation regarding all aspects of your condition, symptoms and triggers, everything will be fully explained, including hypnosis, what it feels like, how it's a natural and normal state, what to expect, how easy and pleasant it is and how you can't do anything wrong. The session plan will be agreed upon according to what you want. Everything is individually tailored to your specific needs. The whole session usually lasts around 60-70 minutes, and you will feel extremely relaxed following each session. Be clear about what you want and commit to several sessions to achieve significant change towards living the life you want to live. Treating anxiety with hypnotherapy is very efficient and effective; it's a wonderful shortcut to positive personal growth and development.

Emerging from Hypnosis

Ending the session, you will be gently brought out of your hypnotic state feeling calm, refreshed, empowered and optimistic. You will feel all the positivity and, over a handful of sessions, really notice the benefits as you enjoy your daily life.

Nick Malyon MSc. BHSc. Dip.(hypno) - Hypnotherapy for Anxiety in Adelaide

www.nickmalyonhypnotherapy.com 

www.nickmalyon.org 

Research

The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: a meta-analysis. mchadmin | Jul 10, 2025

In short, hypnotherapy didn’t just help in the moment; it continued to work after treatment ended, and the improvements were substantial.

CBT + Hypnosis: Synergistic Potentiation Effect. Kirsch et al. (2018)

Reported that integrating hypnosis with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) led to 70% greater improvement in anxiety symptoms compared to CBT alone. This synergy is attributed to hypnosis enhancing emotional regulation and bypassing conscious resistance.

PACFA Literature Review on Hypnotherapy for Anxiety.

The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) conducted a literature review showing that hypnotherapy is effective in reducing anxiety across multiple studies. The review found that the studies provided evidence for the effectiveness of hypnotherapy as a treatment to assist in the reduction of pain and anxiety. A stronger evidence base for hypnotherapy has developed over the past decade.