image
Mental Health

by Alexandra Mansilla

Reprogramming the Mind. Hypnotherapy Through The Eyes Of Client And Therapist

10 Jul 2025

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

Lately, I keep hearing about hypnotherapy a lot. It helps people get rid of phobias, kick bad habits, and deal with all sorts of issues. But what actually is hypnotherapy? How does it work? Why does hypnosis help people tackle things that have bothered them for years? Is hypnotherapy safe? What exactly is hypnosis, and are there different levels to it? As you can see, I have a lot of questions. And the best way to understand it all is to hear from both sides: someone who has tried hypnotherapy, and the hypnotherapist themselves.
image

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

Faissal El-Malak on how hypnotherapy helped him quit smoking

My first truly transformative experience with hypnotherapy was when I decided to quit smoking. I just googled “hypnotherapy quit smoking Paris,” found a practitioner near my house, and booked a session.
His approach was to combine hypnotherapy with practical changes over five sessions. After each meeting, he would give me a new habit to break the automatic routines around smoking, like only allowing myself to smoke without doing anything else, or gradually cutting my cigarette intake in half. Each session was intentional and focused on a specific step.
What really fascinated me was the hypnotherapy itself. Although the intention was to quit smoking, we never directly talked about cigarettes during the sessions. Instead, he would ask me about my happy place and guide me on an inner journey through it. There was no “when you wake up, you won’t want to smoke” suggestion. It was more subtle and indirect, but somehow much more powerful.
As the sessions went on, I started to notice real changes. By the final session, the process felt complete. He told me how my morning would go: I would wake up, smoke a cigarette, smoke another one outside the clinic — and that would be it. After the last session, I tried to follow the routine, but suddenly, I just didn’t want to smoke at all. In fact, the idea of even holding a cigarette felt almost disgusting. I was surprised at how my mind had changed without ever directly discussing the habit itself.
That was what struck me the most: the way hypnotherapy works through images and feelings, not explicit conversation. It is completely different from other approaches I have tried. With hypnotherapy, it is more about reprogramming the mind without confronting the issue head-on.
Did it work? Absolutely. I didn’t smoke for over ten years after those sessions. I even went back to the same hypnotherapist later, for help with grief and for other topics. Each time, I found it genuinely helpful. For me, hypnotherapy has been a powerful and effective tool, and I wouldn’t hesitate to turn to it again for new challenges.
That is one side of the story — a person who has actually been helped by hypnotherapy. But even if the process seems a little clearer now, there is still so much that happens behind the scenes, since the person under hypnosis isn’t always aware of everything that is going on. So, how does it really work? To get some answers, we reached out to an expert: Daniil Makarov, a practising psychologist and hypnotherapist who also trains others in the field.
image

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

The hypnotherapist explains it all

— Daniil, could you briefly explain what hypnotherapy is, what types exist, and who it is suitable for?
— There are actually two very different types of hypnotherapy: directive and non-directive. It is important to understand this distinction because the approach really shapes what happens in a session, and who it is right for.
Directive hypnotherapy is the more classic, “tough” approach. The hypnotherapist deliberately guides the person into reliving painful memories or unresolved inner conflicts. So, for example, if someone has phobias — like panic attacks, a fear of flying, or even a fear of riding the subway — or struggles with psychosomatic symptoms or physical tension, this method can be very effective. The goal is to get to the root of the issue: to bring old, unprocessed experiences to the surface so they can finally be released. Sometimes it only takes a session or two to resolve a trigger. But this approach requires real readiness — the person might need to face intense emotions or re-experience old pain or fear. It is a good fit for someone who wants fast, targeted results, who is willing to go deep, and isn’t afraid to meet their feelings head-on.
Non-directive hypnotherapy, also called the Ericksonian approach, is much gentler and more nuanced. Here, the therapist doesn’t work directly with pain, but instead pays attention to what is already happening for the client — how they breathe, how they move, and what images come up in their mind. The whole process is based on trusting the unconscious and gently exploring the self. People learn to notice their states, work with symbols, and rely on their own inner resources and the natural flow of healing. This approach uses lots of imagery, paradoxical tasks, and working with sensations and emotions. It is ideal for people who want to move carefully, who aren’t ready for an intense confrontation with trauma, or who want change without dramatic upheaval. It is also great for working on chronic issues, overall well-being, or for anyone looking to tap into new internal resources.
And the point I would really like to highlight is this: unlike the directive approach, the non-directive method works by gently dissolving into the unconscious, rather than confronting it head-on. It often relies on subtle techniques and “tricks” to quietly remove old, unwanted beliefs and plant new, more desirable ones in the client.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — in many cases, it can actually be very effective. But it doesn’t ultimately make the client less suggestible in everyday life. By contrast, the directive approach — precisely because it is more straightforward and direct — can help the client develop real resilience to psychological pressure and face reality as it is.
Personally, I don’t think there is a universal answer — everything is individual. Some people are best suited to the directive path: fast, clear, and deep. For others, it is important to move gently and slowly, trusting their unconscious — and for them, non-directive hypnotherapy is perfect. The most important thing is to listen to yourself and choose the approach that truly resonates with you.
image

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

— And could you tell me how a hypnotherapy session actually works?
— For me, it is important right from the start to sense which approach makes the most sense for the client — directive or non-directive.
A key concept in my work is something called “bridges” — a term I first encountered while training in regression hypnotherapy. A bridge is basically a reaction to a trigger. It is not always a specific external event; sometimes the trigger is just how life is, or a recurring thought like, “I’ll never succeed.” When that thought keeps looping in your mind, it becomes what I call a cognitive or verbal bridge. This is the first type of bridge.
The second type of bridge is emotional. I will ask the client, “What do you feel when you repeat that thought to yourself?” Maybe anxiety comes up, or a cold sensation in the chest, or a sense of despair. The point is to really let yourself feel those emotions, so you can work with them directly. That is the emotional bridge — when someone is ready to sit with a feeling rather than running from it.
The third kind of bridge is physical. Sometimes clients experience clear bodily sensations — like a stabbing pain in the back, heaviness, tightness around the head, or numbness in the legs. Occasionally, there are strong mental images, like seeing yourself in a bright space, or feeling surrounded by threatening people. All of these bridges are echoes of earlier, unprocessed experiences — stuff that still lives on in the mind and body until it is integrated.
For deep, directive work, it is ideal when the client can access both an emotional and a physical bridge. That is a direct road to really feeling and releasing old internal “charges.” When enough bridges are identified, I might ask the client to close their eyes and return to the moment when those feelings were strongest, or even to the very first time they ever felt that way. From there, we work on processing and letting go of what has been stuck — this is the classic directive approach, focused on relieving internal tension.
If I choose a non-directive approach, things look different. I might invite the client to notice what they are experiencing right now — maybe imagine themselves in a field, or in their “soul’s home,” meeting different parts of themselves. Or I will ask them to visualise a place where they feel most like themselves and simply let themselves be there. There is a lot of gentle imagery, symbolic work, and soft entry into altered states. The main goal is not to force anyone into reliving trauma, but to provide a supportive space for gentle exploration and integration.
Both approaches have their strengths and limitations. The real art is sensing what each person truly needs in the moment, and choosing the right tools for their unique experience.
— What exactly is a hypnotic state? How deep can you really go into the unconscious?
— This is actually one of the most complex — and still not fully understood — topics in the field. There isn’t a single, universally accepted explanation of what a hypnotic state really is. If you look back at the origins of the concept, hypnosis was first defined as “monoideism”: an intense fixation on a single thought or idea, a kind of maximal focus. That is why classic techniques use things like a swinging pendulum, or focusing on a single spot — these are all ways to narrow your awareness so the unconscious can open up.
In the classical (directive) tradition, we usually talk about three levels of hypnotic depth:
The first level is basic trust between the client and the therapist. The client recognises the therapist as an important figure and is willing to follow their lead. Without this trust, real work isn’t possible.
The second level, the “cataleptic” stage, is when a person loses some conscious control over their body — maybe they can’t open their eyes or move a limb. This is what you often see in stage hypnosis shows. Personally, I don’t support this kind of spectacle, because it is built on splitting the personality and exploiting a person’s vulnerable spots for entertainment, which I find unethical.
The third, amnestic level is the deepest form of trance, where someone can actually lose conscious control over parts of their mind. At this depth, phenomena like amnesia (forgetting parts of the session) or even genuine hallucinations are possible. For example, you could suggest to someone that they are a chicken, and they will genuinely act that way. But it is important to understand: not everyone is capable of reaching such a deep trance. In fact, high hypnotizability is less about talent and more about a person’s degree of psychological vulnerability or internal fragmentation. The deeper someone can go, the more split or unintegrated their psyche may actually be.
And here is a key point: In directive hypnotherapy, a truly successful outcome is when the person becomes less hypnotizable, meaning more whole and resilient. But there is a dark side: some practitioners use deep trance techniques to “block out” memories of trauma or even the hypnosis session itself. This might offer short-term relief, but it is risky in the long run. Repressed psychic energy can resurface years later and lead to serious breakdowns. I am absolutely against these kinds of practices.
Non-directive, or Ericksonian, hypnotherapy is very different. There, the goal isn’t to strip away someone’s control or “block out” experiences. The entire process is built on trust in the unconscious, gentle dissolving and expansion of awareness. The client learns to enter altered states more naturally, without losing their connection to themselves. There are no harsh suggestions; everything is handled delicately. The soul itself decides what is important to recall, what to keep, and what to leave behind.
That is why, in my view, the choice of approach — and how deep you go in trance — should always be made with a lot of care and self-awareness.
image

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

— Have you ever met people who are not susceptible to hypnosis?
— There are people who aren’t able to create mental images in their imagination — this is called aphantasia. It is important to understand that aphantasia isn’t a disorder; it is just one form of imagination. There is also the opposite — hyperphantasia — when someone can create incredibly vivid, lifelike pictures in their mind, practically “seeing” and “feeling” them as if they are real.
For a therapist, it can definitely be a challenge when a client has aphantasia, because many hypnotherapy techniques are based on working with inner imagery. But that doesn’t mean hypnosis is impossible! Even if a person can’t “see” images, they still have bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions — there is always a way to find an individual “bridge” into a trance state using whatever is available to that particular person. Sometimes, instead of visualisation, we work with physical sensations, sounds, or even drawing. In nearly every case, it is possible to find an approach that fits the person.
Among directive hypnotherapists, there is a belief that not everyone can reach certain depths of trance, like the cataleptic stage, where you lose voluntary control over parts of your body. Some people respond very easily to suggestions, while others struggle to even enter a light altered state. And this isn’t always just an innate trait — it is often the result of life experiences, psychological defence mechanisms, or even years of meditation practice, where a person develops a part of the psyche that manages their trance states and can set up mental blocks, sometimes unconsciously.
Still, even if someone is “hard to hypnotise,” in almost every case it is possible to find an individual path — it just sometimes takes more time, patience, and flexibility from the therapist.