Session Structure in Hypnotherapy

The first thing I ask clients at the beginning of a session is "What's been good?" Clients often arrive with a brain full of worries or problems, so asking "What's been good?" gently interrupts that pattern.

It signals that we're looking for progress not problems. Your brain is capable of noticing what's working well for you. 

Over time, this becomes a habit. Clients start spotting positives automatically, which reduces anxiety and increases cognitive flexibility.  

Explaining what happens in the brain when we experience stress or anxiety is a fundamental part of therapy. When clients don’t understand their symptoms, they often assume:

• “There’s something wrong with me.”
• “I’m broken.”
• “I shouldn’t be reacting like this.”

A simple explanation of the brain reframes their experience as a normal biological response, not a personal failure.

Understanding that anxiety, low mood, or overwhelm come from the brain’s protective systems and not weakness gives clients a sense of relief and validation. 

Scaling questions (e.g., “On a scale of 1–10…”) are far more than a measurement tool. They help clients shift their internal state, access resources, and recognise progress.

Many clients arrive with a vague sense of “I feel awful” or “I’m overwhelmed.”
A scale forces the brain to be specific and activates the rational, problem solving part of the brain. For a client to choose a number on the scale they must reflect and think logically. 

This pulls them out of the primitive, emotional brain and into the prefrontal cortex. This is the part responsible for calm, perspective, and decision making.

How scaling and future focus work together

These two tools are especially powerful when combined.

For example:

• “You’re at a 4 today. What would a 5 look like?”
• “What would you be doing differently?”
• “How would you know you’d moved up a point?”

This creates direction and clarity for the client and a motivation for change

Trance is important in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy because it quiets the threat‑focused parts of the brain, activates the calmer, more rational areas, and makes the mind more receptive to forming new, helpful neural pathways. 

We ask future‑focused questions just before trance because they give the brain a clear direction to work with. By imagining how they want things to be, the client activates the networks involved in motivation, planning, and positive expectation. Then, in trance, the brain can deepen and consolidate those ideas, making change feel more natural and achievable.