Hypnotherapy has something of an image problem. Mention hypnosis and people immediately think of swinging pocket watches, mysterious stares and people clucking like chickens. And therein lies the problem.

Despite being used therapeutically for many years, hypnosis is still surrounded by myths, misconceptions and some rather persistent clichés. Films, television and stage hypnotists haven’t exactly helped matters. So, what is hypnotherapy, what does hypnosis actually feel like, and how much of what you think you know about it is true? Let’s separate fact from fiction.

1. Hypnotherapy will make you cluck like a chicken

When actor James McAvoy was researching his role in the hypnosis-led thriller Trance, he reportedly visited a hypnotherapist but failed to experience hypnosis. He had apparently hoped to be made to run around naked or cluck like a chicken. Neither happened. I suspect his expectations had something to do with his disappointment. Stage hypnosis is entertainment. Hypnotherapy is therapy that uses hypnosis to help people work towards specific goals, such as managing stress, overcoming unhelpful habits or developing greater confidence. A clinical hypnotherapist has no interest in making you bark like a dog. Unless, of course, you’re researching a film role.

And even then, I wouldn’t recommend it.

2. You can be hypnotised against your will

Hypnosis is a collaborative process. You cannot simply be forced into hypnosis by someone staring intensely into your eyes.Your willingness to participate, your expectations and your relationship with the hypnotherapist can all influence the experience. This is why hypnotherapy begins with a conversation about what you want to achieve and how hypnosis might help you. There is no mysterious power being exercised over you.

You’re an active participant in the process.

3. You lose control when you’re hypnotised

This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions about hypnosis. During hypnotherapy, you generally remain aware of your surroundings and can respond to your therapist. You can speak, move and communicate if you need to. Hypnosis involves focused attention and increased responsiveness to suggestion, not surrendering control to another person. A hypnotherapist cannot reliably compel you to reveal your deepest secrets or do something fundamentally against your wishes.

You are participating in therapy, not handing over the keys to your subconscious mind.

4. Hypnosis is the same as being asleep

Although hypnosis is often associated with deep relaxation, it isn’t sleep. In fact, you don’t even have to feel particularly relaxed to experience hypnosis. Think about those occasions when you’ve become completely absorbed in a good book, lost yourself in a film or found your mind wandering while travelling along a familiar route. These everyday experiences share certain characteristics with hypnosis, particularly focused attention and reduced awareness of distractions, although they aren’t necessarily the same thing. During hypnotherapy, your attention is deliberately directed towards particular thoughts, sensations or experiences for therapeutic purposes. Some people experience profound relaxation. Others feel pleasantly absorbed while remaining fully alert.

Both experiences are perfectly normal.

5. Some people simply cannot be hypnotised

People vary considerably in their responsiveness to hypnosis. Some enter hypnosis easily, while others find it more difficult. Your expectations, ability to concentrate and willingness to engage with the process can all make a difference. However, hypnosis is not a test of intelligence, willpower or suggestibility. And if you don’t experience hypnosis in quite the way you expected, that doesn’t necessarily mean the session has been unsuccessful.

A good hypnotherapist will adapt their approach to you rather than expect you to respond in a particular way.

6. Hypnotherapists use swinging pocket watches

Ah, the pocket watch. Where would Hollywood be without it?

Another cliché I regularly encounter is the journalist who visits a hypnotherapist and subsequently reports that, contrary to popular belief, they weren’t hypnotised by someone with a mesmeric stare and a swinging pocket watch. In doing so, they manage to reinforce the very misconceptions they’re supposedly challenging. Any journalist worth their salt should know better than to use clichés like the plague. (I hope you see what I did there). Modern clinical hypnotherapy generally involves verbal guidance, focused attention, imagery and therapeutic suggestion. I could use a pocket watch if you particularly wanted me to, but really, that’s just so passé.

And you don’t have to look into my eyes either, despite what you’ve seen on Little Britain. Not only that but modern hypnotherapy works really well online. All you need is a comfy chair and a pair of headphones or EarPods.

7. Hypnotherapy is just relaxation

Relaxation can be a useful part of hypnotherapy, but there’s considerably more to it than simply closing your eyes and feeling calm. Clinical hypnotherapy uses hypnosis alongside therapeutic techniques to help people address particular difficulties or work towards meaningful changes. Depending on the approach and the individual, this might involve exploring unhelpful thinking patterns, rehearsing new behaviours, developing coping strategies or using therapeutic imagery.

For example, I combine clinical hypnotherapy with rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT), a form of cognitive behavioural therapy, to help people examine the beliefs that contribute to emotional distress. Hypnotherapy may be helpful for certain conditions and goals, although the strength of the scientific evidence varies considerably depending on what is being treated.

It isn’t a magical cure, and it certainly isn’t mind control.

So, what is hypnotherapy really like?

A typical hypnotherapy session begins with a discussion about you, your circumstances and what you hope to achieve. Your hypnotherapist will then guide you through the process, often using verbal suggestions, imagery and focused attention. You might feel deeply relaxed, pleasantly absorbed or simply more focused than usual. Everyone experiences hypnosis differently.

And if you’re wondering whether hypnotherapy works online, the same general principles apply. You can experience hypnosis from the comfort of your own home without having to visit a consulting room. The important thing is finding a suitably qualified hypnotherapist whose approach makes sense to you.

Preferably one who leaves the pocket watch at home.