All sessions incorporate a blend of hypnosis, guided imagery and visualization, to varying degrees. The following elements are regularly used to facilitate therapeutic change.

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• Fork in the road  This preliminary technique encourages you to contemplate how your life might unfold depending on whether or not you address the issue at hand. For instance, if you are guided to imagine a future five years from now where your issue remains unchanged, you may perceive a scene that is dark, heavy, and joyless. In contrast, envisioning a future where positive change has occurred may evoke images that feel open, light, and playful. This short exercise not only initiates the process of change but also powerfully illustrates the influence of thoughts and mindset on personal outcomes.

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• Guided relaxation  Most sessions commence with a focusing activity designed to soothe and settle both mind and body. This could involve a guided body scan, progressively relaxing each part of the body, or it may consist of picturing, feeling, or sensing an imaginary scene. These relaxation methods help cultivate an environment of calm, setting the stage for deeper therapeutic work.

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• Deep trance identification  This technique involves stepping into the perspective of an imaginary person who has qualities or behaviours that you are seeking. It is particularly useful if you are struggling to connect with unfamiliar emotions or perspectives. Embodying and rehearsing new ways of being in this way can make unfamiliar experiences more accessible and support the adoption of positive changes in real life.

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• Control room  A well-established hypnosis technique, the Control Room metaphor can assist you in managing pain, stress, or specific thoughts and emotions. You are invited to imagine the aspect you wish to change as a dial, button, or lever, granting yourself complete autonomy to experiment with your current 'setting' and adjust it as needed. This approach is often used to conclude a session, helping to consolidate the changes achieved.

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• Inner child  Described more fully in the Regression & Inner Child section, this technique involves re-experiencing moments from one's past, as if they are happening right now, to offer the comfort and support that may have been lacking at the time. Any memory can be revisted, from early childhood to recent work challenges. Alternating between your perspectives of present and past self can bring clarity and comfort to the situation, whilst also signalling to the brain that old painful associations can be transformed into neutral ones, which are more likely to be let go of or forgotten.

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• Future pacing  Often used towards the end of a session, Future Pacing invites you to vividly imagine your life in the near future, having implemented the desired changes. Sensing your new self and life in vivid detail helps to establish the desired outcome as a mental target, enabling your brain's reticular activating system to begin seeking out opportunities to realise these goals automatically.

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• Suggestion  During states of relaxed inner focus, agreeable suggestions offered by a therapist may be more readily accepted by your subconscious.  Depending on the session's structure, beneficial suggestions can be introduced at various points, helping to guide your subconscious towards more positive and helpful behaviours or reactions. These suggestions can have a beneficial impact whether you are consciously aware of them or not, i.e. even if you have fallen asleep!

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The techniques outlined above represent just a selection of the many approaches utilised in hypnotherapy. While not magical, they have been employed by therapists for decades—if not centuries—and continue to offer effective support for personal transformation and well-being.​

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