Emotional health
Hypnotherapy for addiction
Hypnotherapy can help you break the automatic patterns behind compulsive behaviour, work on what drives it, and build the motivation to change.
How hypnotherapy helps with addiction
Addictive behaviour runs on triggers, cravings and automatic routines, often fed by stress, anxiety or low mood. That is the territory hypnotherapy works in. Tim helps you identify and heal the emotional triggers behind the behaviour, change the beliefs that keep it going, and strengthen your motivation and determination to stop or cut down.
To be straight with you, the research on addiction itself is still limited. For smoking, a 2019 Cochrane review found there is not yet enough high-quality evidence that hypnotherapy beats other stop-smoking support (Barnes et al., 2019). For alcohol, a small 2018 randomised trial found hypnotherapy did as well as motivational interviewing, an established approach, with results at one year leaning in hypnotherapy's favour (Shestopal & Bramness, 2018). There are no controlled trials yet for drug addiction. Where the evidence is good is anxiety: a 2019 review of 17 controlled trials found hypnosis reduced it substantially (Valentine et al., 2019), and clients often tell Tim that calming that anxiety is what finally gives them room to change.
How addictive behaviours develop
People come to addictive behaviours for many reasons. For some, something that began as enjoyment, such as gambling, shopping or sex, has slowly got out of control. For others it started as a way of coping with stress, anxiety or depression. Repeated often enough, any behaviour becomes automatic. If you have recognised that something needs to change, give yourself credit: that is a real first step.
What we work on
- Recognising your triggers and interrupting the automatic sequence that follows
- Managing cravings and difficult moments, with self-hypnosis tools
- Healing the emotional drivers underneath, such as stress, anxiety or low mood
- Building motivation, determination and a positive attitude
- Confidence and belief in your ability to change
- Relaxation and sleep
Behaviours people bring
- Gambling, compulsive shopping, pornography and compulsive sexual behaviour
- Phone, gaming and social media use
- Caffeine, sugar and workaholism
- Alcohol: see hypnotherapy for alcohol
- Smoking and vaping: see stop smoking hypnotherapy
- Cannabis, cocaine and other drugs, and prescription medication, working alongside your GP or a drug service
How sessions work
After a free 15–30 minute consultation, work usually starts with a double (2-hour) appointment to get things moving, followed by one-hour sessions, in person in Farringdon, central London, or online. Sessions are tailored to you, using Ericksonian hypnotherapy and NLP. Your own commitment plays a central part, and Tim is happy to work alongside your GP, a treatment service or a support group. After 7 hours (usually five sessions), any further sessions for the same issue are £97.50 an hour: see the halve-fees promise.
Why Tim
Tim Dunton has over 20 years' experience and has been training since 2004. He is a member of the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), an Advanced and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, and a Master Practitioner of NLP trained by its co-founders, Richard Bandler and John Grinder. He has helped celebrities, film producers, sportspeople and business leaders. More about Tim.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Typical course | Usually around five sessions (7 hours) |
| Session length | 1 hour (first appointment 2 hours) |
| Format | In person in Farringdon, London EC1, or online |
| First step | Free 15–30 minute consultation |
| Fee | £150 an hour online, £195 in person; see prices |
Hypnotherapy works alongside medical care. Please see your GP about any medical condition, and keep taking prescribed medication unless your doctor advises otherwise.
The research
- Barnes J, McRobbie H, Dong CY, Walker N, Hartmann-Boyce J (2019). Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews CD001008. Cochrane
- Shestopal I, Bramness JG (2018). Effect of Hypnotherapy in Alcohol Use Disorder Compared to Motivational Interviewing: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy 9(5):368. Full text
- Valentine KE, Milling LS, Clark LJ, Moriarty CL (2019). The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 67(3):336–363. PubMed 31251710
Individual experiences vary. See all psychological problems Tim works with.
Related treatments
A free, no-obligation 15–30 minute call by phone or video. Or call 07975 653893.