When people think about treating addiction, they often imagine force, control, or willpower. But in the space I hold for my clients, the work is much more gentle. I don’t believe in telling someone’s subconscious what to do or how to feel. Our minds are wise and protective, and when we try to push or shame them, they usually push back. That is why I take a deeply collaborative approach to hypnotherapy, especially when supporting someone through addiction.
Rather than trying to override behaviours, I invite conversation. We explore together. I might gently ask: What was this habit trying to offer you? Was it comfort? Numbness? Safety? Escape? And just as importantly, is that need still there? Or has something shifted?
Addiction is rarely about weakness. It is often a way the mind has tried to cope, to meet a need, or to survive. And once we understand that need, we can look for more life-affirming ways to meet it. Maybe the addiction offered connection, or control, or relief. Maybe it offered identity or purpose. Hypnotherapy allows us to get curious about all of this, without judgment.
Together, we start to notice whether these behaviours are still in line with the client’s values, goals, or who they want to become. From this place, change can unfold more naturally. Not from a place of shame, but from understanding. Not through punishment, but through choice.
I do not use aversion techniques or hardline commands. Instead, I help clients strengthen their inner compass. We revisit core beliefs. We rewire old associations. And we uncover new ways of being that feel like freedom rather than resistance.
Because addiction is not just a behaviour. It is a story that has been repeated so many times, it started to feel like the truth. In hypnotherapy, we get to reimagine that story together.
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