Hypnotherapy vs CBT EMDR and Psychotherapy: How They Fit Together
Clinical hypnosis isn’t a rival to CBT, EMDR or counselling. It’s a way of delivering therapy that can make those approaches stronger. CBT changes thoughts and behaviours, EMDR reprocesses distressing memories, counselling builds the therapeutic relationship, and strategic psychotherapy designs targeted change. Research shows that adding hypnosis can improve CBT outcomes, and menopause guidelines recommend both CBT and hypnosis for hot flushes.
Key takeaways
- Clinical hypnosis is a tool rather than a separate school of therapy. It tends to strengthen the approach it’s paired with.
- An Australian-led 2021 meta-analysis (48 treatment comparisons, 1,928 participants) found that adding hypnosis to CBT improved outcomes after treatment, with a medium-sized advantage at follow-up.
- EMDR and hypnosis are different therapies, but several well-known EMDR techniques began in hypnosis.
- For menopausal hot flushes, The Menopause Society recommends both CBT and clinical hypnosis at its highest level of evidence. It’s a clear real-world example of the two working side by side.
- Practitioners can add hypnosis to their skills through government-accredited training such as the 11271NAT Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis and Strategic Psychotherapy.
Is hypnotherapy a replacement for CBT, EMDR or counselling?
If you’re a psychologist, counsellor or allied health practitioner, you’ve probably had a client ask, “Can you hypnotise me?” And you may have wondered where clinical hypnosis would sit next to the therapies you already use.
The short answer is that clinical hypnosis doesn’t compete with CBT, EMDR or counselling. It’s a different way of delivering therapy. Some of the best-researched uses of hypnosis come from adding it to approaches practitioners already trust.
Think of it like a theatre production. CBT writes the new script. Hypnosis is the dress rehearsal, where the client experiences the new response vividly before they need it in real life.
Side-by-side comparison
| Approach | What it does | What a session feels like | Where the evidence is strongest | Who typically delivers it in Australia |
| CBT | Identifies and changes unhelpful thoughts and behaviours | Structured, conversational, with homework | Anxiety, depression, insomnia, how much menopause symptoms bother the client | Psychologists, counsellors and other trained clinicians |
| EMDR | Reprocesses distressing memories using bilateral stimulation | Client stays fully alert and follows an 8-phase protocol | PTSD (recommended in Australia’s national PTSD guidelines) | Mental health clinicians with EMDR training |
| Counselling / psychotherapy | Builds the therapeutic relationship; explores and resolves problems | Conversational and client-led | A broad range of life and emotional concerns | Counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists |
| Clinical hypnosis | Uses focused attention, imagery and suggestion so change is easier to experience | Relaxed and absorbed; the client stays aware and in control | Pain, IBS, anxiety before medical procedures, menopausal hot flushes; also as an add-on to CBT | Clinical hypnotherapists, plus psychologists and health professionals with hypnosis training |
| Strategic psychotherapy | Maps how a problem is kept going, then designs brief, targeted interventions | Goal-focused and usually brief | Draws on the Ericksonian and brief strategic therapy tradition | Practitioners trained in strategic approaches, such as 11271NAT graduates |
Hypnotherapy and CBT: better together
The evidence for combining hypnosis with CBT goes back three decades.
- 1995: A meta-analysis by Kirsch, Montgomery and Sapirstein found that CBT with hypnosis added outperformed the same CBT on its own.
- 2021: An updated meta-analysis led by Nicolino Ramondo at the University of Western Australia found that CBT with hypnosis showed small-to-medium, statistically significant advantages over CBT at the end of treatment, especially for depressed mood and pain. At follow-up the advantage was medium-sized, notably for weight management.
- 2024: The same team ran a randomised trial for major depressive disorder. Both CBT and CBT with hypnosis worked, with no significant difference at the end of treatment. At the 12-month follow-up, however, clients who completed the hypnosis-enhanced program were more likely to be in remission. The authors call this promising.
The honest summary is that hypnosis tends to make good CBT a little better, and the gains often last longer.
Hypnotherapy and EMDR
Clients often ask, “Is EMDR just hypnosis?” It isn’t. The two do share some family history, though.
How they differ
- Method: EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps or tones) within a structured 8-phase protocol. Hypnosis uses focused attention, imagery and suggestion.
- Focus: EMDR targets specific distressing memories. Hypnosis is used across a much wider range, including pain, habits, sleep, performance and anxiety.
- Evidence for trauma: In Australia, the NHMRC-approved PTSD guidelines developed by Phoenix Australia recommend EMDR as a trauma-focused therapy for adults with PTSD. For PTSD, EMDR or trauma-focused CBT remains the first-line choice.
Where they overlap
At the 2023 EMDR Association of Australia conference in Melbourne, psychologist Mark Grant pointed out that several familiar EMDR interventions, including float-back, future template and ego-state work, began in hypnosis. Hypnosis can also strengthen the safety and stabilization (resourcing) phase. He also noted that leading complex-PTSD experts have recommended EMDR therapists learn hypnosis.
Hypnotherapy, counselling and strategic psychotherapy
Hypnosis without counselling skills is like a high-performance car without a driver’s licence. Rapport, assessment, safety and ethical boundaries come first. That’s why IAP’s 11271NAT Diploma has 8 core units (4 hypnosis, 2 strategic psychotherapy and 2 counselling) plus 2 counselling electives.
Strategic psychotherapy adds the clinical reasoning:
- Strategic psychotherapy asks: what keeps this problem going, and what is the smallest change that would break the pattern?
- Hypnosis asks: how can we help the client experience that change, not just understand it?
One way to picture it: strategic psychotherapy is the GPS that plans the route, and hypnosis is the vehicle that gets the client there. IAP’s Gordian Pillars framework gives practitioners a map of the thinking patterns that commonly sit behind conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, phobias and chronic pain, so each hypnosis session aims at the right target.
Case study: menopause hot flushes, where CBT and hypnosis both get the top recommendation
If you want one clear example of how hypnosis and CBT complement each other, look at menopause.
Up to 80% of women report hot flushes during the menopause transition. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) remains the most effective treatment, but not everyone can take it, or wants to. That includes many women who have had breast cancer.
What the guidelines say
In its 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement, The Menopause Society (formerly NAMS) reviewed the evidence for dozens of non-drug and drug options. Both CBT and clinical hypnosis received a Level I recommendation, the highest level of evidence. Each one helps in a different way:
- CBT reduces how much hot flushes bother women and interfere with daily life.
- Clinical hypnosis could help reduce the frequency and severity of the hot flushes themselves.
The same review did not recommend paced breathing, general relaxation, mindfulness-based interventions or yoga for hot flushes. That distinction is worth noting: clinical hypnosis is not the same as “just relaxing”. It’s a structured intervention using individualised imagery and suggestion. The panel’s endorsement also comes with a condition, that hypnosis is delivered by an appropriately trained practitioner.
The latest evidence
In November 2025, a multicentre randomised trial led by Gary Elkins (Baylor University) was published in JAMA Network Open. Postmenopausal women listened to a 20-minute self-hypnosis recording every day for six weeks, while a control group listened to white noise.
- Hot flush scores (frequency × intensity) fell by 53.4% in the hypnosis group.
- 90.3% of the hypnosis group reported benefit, compared with 64.3% of the control group.
More research is underway, including a 2026 randomised trial at Toulouse University Hospital looking at hypnosis for hot flushes and overall quality of life.
What this teaches practitioners
CBT changes how the client relates to the symptom. Hypnosis changes how the client experiences it. Together they cover both the mind and the body, which is the integration this article is about.
How to add clinical hypnosis to your practice
- Check your scope and your professional body’s code. Hypnotherapy is self-regulated in Australia and is not an Ahpra-registered profession. If you are an Ahpra-registered practitioner, though, your own board’s standards still apply when you use hypnosis.
- Choose government-accredited training with real practice. Look for a course listed on training.gov.au, with live supervised practice and assessment of your skills with real people. The 11271NAT Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis and Strategic Psychotherapy is an AQF Level 5 qualification. If you already hold counselling units, ask about credit.
- Integrate rather than replace. Add a 10–15 minute hypnosis segment to the sessions you already run.
- Measure outcomes. Use diaries or validated scales before and after, so you and your clients can see what’s changing.
- Arrange supervision with an experienced clinical hypnotherapist.
- Update your consent forms and insurance to cover hypnosis.
- Build referral relationships with GPs, menopause clinics and pain services.
Counsellors: IAP’s Clinical Hypnosis Certificate is approved for ACA’s ongoing professional development (OPD), and it is also a pathway into the full 11271NAT Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis and Strategic Psychotherapy.
Ready to add clinical hypnosis to your toolkit?
Whether you’re a psychologist, counsellor or allied health practitioner, or you’re considering a new career, clinical hypnosis can deepen the work you already do. The 11271NAT Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis and Strategic Psychotherapy teaches non-scripted, Neo-Ericksonian hypnosis together with strategic psychotherapy, with live practical training and ongoing supervision.
Call 1300 915 497 or download the course brochure to find out more.
Frequently asked questions
Is hypnotherapy the same as CBT?
No. CBT is a structured therapy that changes thoughts and behaviours. Hypnosis is a way of delivering therapeutic suggestions and imagery. The two are often combined, and meta-analyses show the combination can outperform CBT alone.
Is EMDR a form of hypnosis?
No. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation within an 8-phase protocol to reprocess distressing memories. Some EMDR techniques began in hypnosis, though, and many trauma clinicians are trained in both.
Can psychologists and counsellors use hypnosis in Australia?
Yes. Hypnotherapy is self-regulated, so there’s no separate licence. Practitioners should complete quality training and work within their own professional code and level of competence.
Does hypnosis help with menopausal hot flushes?
The Menopause Society gives clinical hypnosis a Level I recommendation for hot flushes, and recent trials report reductions of more than 50%. It works best alongside the client’s GP, not instead of medical care.
Can hypnosis be combined with EMDR?
Yes, by appropriately trained clinicians. Hypnosis is commonly used to strengthen safety and stabilisation (resourcing) before trauma processing begins.
Do I need a psychology degree to train in clinical hypnosis?
No. Entry to the 11271NAT Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis and Strategic Psychotherapy requires Year 12 (or equivalent) and five years of work experience in any field.
Disclaimer: This article is general information for practitioners and people exploring a career in clinical hypnosis. It is not medical advice.
