Hypnotherapy for stress, pain, and the habits holding you back

Hypnosis is a technique that induces a state of relaxation and focused attention, making the mind highly open to beneficial suggestions. In this state, you can reframe negative thoughts and limiting beliefs, essentially rewiring unhelpful patterns into healthier ones. By promoting calmness and using positive suggestions to shift your perceptions, hypnosis often enhances overall well-being and serves as a valuable tool for positive change.

Yes, and the body of evidence has grown substantially in recent years. Hypnosis has been studied in randomized controlled trials and large-scale meta-analyses across dozens of applications, with particularly strong findings in chronic pain, anxiety, depression, IBS, smoking cessation, and menopausal symptoms.

A landmark 2024 review published in Frontiers in Psychology examined 20 years of meta-analyses and confirmed hypnosis as an evidence-based approach. The American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the British Medical Association have all formally recognized hypnosis as a legitimate tool. The North American Menopause Society even rates hypnosis at Level I (their highest evidence designation) for menopausal hot flashes.

Neuroscience supports these findings as well. Recent brain imaging studies using EEG, fMRI, and MRS have confirmed that hypnosis produces measurable, objective changes in brain activity and neurochemistry.

Brain imaging research from Stanford University shows that hypnosis changes how key brain networks work together. In people who respond strongly to hypnosis, activity dropped in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, a region that helps determine what deserves your attention. At the same time, connectivity increased between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which supports focus and control, and the insula, which tracks signals from the body. Connectivity also decreased between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the default mode network, which is active during mind wandering and self-reflection. In short, hypnosis helps the mind settle into focus, quiet the self-monitoring chatter, and tune in to the body.

Yes. Hypnosis is safe when practiced by a qualified professional. Unlike pharmacological interventions or invasive treatments, hypnotherapy encourages you to become an active participant in your healing, providing practical tools and strategies for long-term success. Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Mount Sinai, and UCLA Health all offer hypnosis as a safe and effective complement to conventional care, particularly for stress, chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and unwanted behaviors such as smoking.

Most people can benefit from hypnosis, including many who arrive worried that they are too analytical, too distractible, or too strong-willed. Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention, much like being absorbed in a good book, and I guide you into it step by step. Your willingness and openness shape your experience more than any special ability.

Hypnotherapy is not psychotherapy. Psychotherapy (which I do not provide) is the diagnosis and conversational treatment of emotional and mental disorders. Hypnotherapy (which I do provide) is the use of relaxation and suggestion to adjust habits of thought, feeling, and behavior. Hypnosis is considered complementary and is not a substitute for traditional medical care or counseling.

Yes. Whether we meet in person or online, your session is confidential. In person, we meet in a private room at Very Well KC. Online, I use HIPAA-compliant Zoom for Healthcare. Booking runs through secure scheduling software, and I communicate by encrypted email.

Yes. Hypnosis is a guided mental process that depends on your willingness to follow verbal cues into a state of focused relaxation. A voice, carefully chosen words, and a quiet space are all it needs. None of those things require you to be in the same room as your hypnotherapist. Most clients are surprised by how natural it feels, and many find that being in a familiar, comfortable space helps them relax more quickly than sitting in an unfamiliar office.

Yes. I offer in person sessions every Thursday at Very Well KC, a healing arts collective at 7905 Santa Fe Drive in downtown Overland Park, where I serve as an Integrative Care Partner. If you are outside the Kansas City area, or simply prefer the convenience, I work with clients nationwide through virtual sessions on HIPAA-compliant Zoom for Healthcare. The approach and results are the same in both formats, so the choice comes down to what suits you best.

I recommend starting with a series of three sessions. While many clients notice meaningful changes after their first visit, research shows that results are stronger and last longer with multiple sessions. I encourage clients to return whenever additional support would be helpful.