The world of hypnotherapy is really divided into two types of hypnotherapist. There are those who prefer the indirect method of working with clients, which was widely regarded as highly successful by Milton Erickson. And there are those who prefer the Dave Elman-type of direct suggestion. Both seem to work. Some clients prefer one type over another. And some therapists use a mixture of the two. Let’s take a look at what solution-focused hypnotherapists can do if they find themselves in a situation where they don’t have any handy scripts or language patterns available to them. Or they want to tailor what they say to their client and the client’s needs.
It’s usually easy enough to start with those scripts or language patterns that you know well and make up the bits that you can’t remember. But that probably won’t give you a 30-minute trance session, and won’t tailor what you say to your client’s needs. The question is what else can you do?
Utilization
Milton Erickson used utilization by accepting and incorporating everything a client brought into the therapy room – including their symptoms, resistance, quirks, and environment – as the exact tools to facilitate their healing.
Instead of trying to change or fight against a client’s problematic behaviour, Erickson assumed that whatever the client presented and whatever was in the room was a valuable resource. His famous philosophy was to “meet the client where they are” and use their existing worldview to create change.
The core principles of Ericksonian utilization are:
Zero resistance – Erickson generally viewed resistance as information that the therapist should adapt their approach rather than attempt to battle against the client.
Symptom prescription – he frequently encouraged clients to perform their symptoms intentionally, changing the symptom from an uncontrollable urge into a controlled behaviour.
Environmental inclusion – he seamlessly wove sudden background noises, interruptions, or the physical layout of the room into his therapeutic suggestions.
Validation of reality – he never argued with a client’s delusions or negative mindsets; he stepped inside them to find a therapeutic leverage point.
Pacing and leading
Erickson paced (or copied) his clients across multiple dimensions simultaneously to bypass their conscious resistance. For example:
Physiological pacing – he would match the client’s breathing rhythm, blink rate, posture, and hand gestures. If a client spoke rapidly, Erickson spoke rapidly; if they slumped in their chair, he subtly slumped too.
Verbal and conceptual pacing – he used the client’s exact vocabulary, slang, and sensory predicates (visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic words). If a client used engineering terms, Erickson framed his therapy using engineering metaphors.
Experiential pacing – he would state undeniable truths about the client’s immediate physical environment. For example, in hypnosis, he might say: “As you sit in that chair, hearing the sound of traffic outside, noticing the light in this room ... “. Because the client’s brain says “Yes, that is true” to these facts, it lowers their critical guard.
Once the client’s unconscious mind accepted the therapist as a trusted reflection of themselves, a subtle shift happens. The therapist introduces a small change (the lead part). Because of the deep behavioural lock established during the pace, the client automatically adopts the change. Typically, a hypnotherapist will use three pacing statements followed by one leading statement.
Calibration
Calibration is the act of ultra-fine observation. It is the process where the therapist tunes their senses to notice the minute, involuntary physiological shifts a client makes in response to their internal psychological state. Calibration is the process of making informed observations about a client’s changing internal state through subtle behavioural and physiological cues. In trance, the therapist can calibrate a client’s baseline state (their normal waking state) so that the therapist can instantly spot when the client enters a trance, hits a subconscious emotional roadblock, or achieves a therapeutic breakthrough.
The hypnotherapist looks for micro-expressions and autonomic nervous system shifts that the client cannot consciously fake or hide. For example:
Breathing changes – as a client enters a trance, their breathing typically shifts from shallow chest breathing to deep, abdominal breathing, and the rhythm slows down significantly.
Skin tone and colour – the therapist can look for changes in blood flow. A client’s face may suddenly flush (redden) or blanch (become pale) when an emotional memory is triggered, or they become uniform and relaxed during a deep trance.
Muscle relaxation (tonus) – the tiny muscles around the eyes, jaw, and mouth smooth out. The lower lip may become slightly fuller or droop, and the jaw may go slack.
Eye movements and blinking – fast, fluttering eyelids (rapid eye movement) often indicate deep internal processing or visualization. A fixed, glassy stare usually precedes trance onset.
Pulse points – the pulse in the carotid artery (neck) or temple often becomes visually noticeable as the body relaxes or shifts states.
There are three steps in the calibration process. They are:
Establishing the baseline – before any hypnosis begins, during the casual intake conversation, the therapist calibrates the client’s ‘normal’. They notice how the client breathes when talking about everyday things, how they move their hands, and their facial muscle tension.
Spotting the trance indicators – as the client is guided into trance, the therapist watches for deviations from that baseline. If the client’s jaw relaxes, their breathing slows, and their head tilts, the therapist has visible, physical proof that the client is entering a trance.
Tracking internal states (the ‘aha!’ moments) – during the therapeutic part of the trance, calibration tells the therapist how the client’s subconscious is responding to the suggestions. For example:
• The resistance/conflict signal – if the therapist makes a suggestion and notices, for example a tiny muscle twitch in the client’s jaw, a sudden catch in their breathing, or a finger twitch, this could be a sign that the client’s subconscious is resisting that specific wording.
• The resolution signal – if a client is processing a difficult past memory and suddenly takes a massive, deep ‘cleansing’ breath followed by complete facial muscle smoothing, it’s a sign of a psychological release.
Continuous feedback
Experienced hypnotherapists constantly adapt what they are saying in response to the client’s verbal and non-verbal feedback. Hypnosis is not a one-way conversation where the therapist simply delivers a prepared script. Instead, it is a continuous feedback loop. The therapist observes the client’s breathing, facial expression, posture, muscle tone, and other subtle changes, then adjusts the pace, wording, imagery, or suggestions accordingly. Every response from the client provides useful information about what is working and what may need to change. This flexibility allows each trance session to become highly individualized and responsive to the client’s needs in that moment.
The value of silence
One of the most overlooked therapeutic skills is knowing when not to speak. Moments of silence allow clients time to process suggestions, develop their own imagery, retrieve memories, or simply enjoy the experience of relaxation. New therapists often feel uncomfortable with silence and rush to fill every pause with more words. Experienced hypnotherapists recognize that silence can be every bit as therapeutic as speech. A well-timed pause often allows the subconscious mind to continue processing without interruption, giving clients the opportunity to arrive at insights or solutions in their own way and at their own pace.
Therapeutic alliance
The therapeutic alliance is the collaborative, trusting relationship between a hypnotherapist and a client. Because trance requires a client to voluntarily lower their conscious psychological defences and enter a state of deep vulnerability, the depth of the therapeutic trance is directly limited by the level of trust in the relationship.
A strong therapeutic alliance explicitly dismantles any ideas the client may have of the hypnotherapist controlling them. It also helps to build strong rapport and a cooperative partnership where the client is always in control.
The ‘critical factor’ is the part of the conscious mind that filters incoming information, judges it, and rejects anything that doesn’t align with current beliefs. If a client distrusts the therapist, their critical factor stays on high alert, scanning for threats. Whereas, if a client trusts the therapist, they feel psychologically safe. This safety allows the critical factor to step aside, opening a direct pathway to the subconscious mind where suggestions can be accepted.
It’s worth noting at this point that the term ‘critical factor’ is traditional hypnotic terminology. Modern cognitive psychology would talk about executive monitoring, cognitive control, expectation, or attentional filtering.
In psychological theory (Bordin’s model (1979)), the alliance consists of three components. In hypnotherapy, they manifest very practically. They are:
Agreement on goals – the client and therapist must be completely aligned on what they want to achieve (eg smoking cessation, anxiety reduction). If the subconscious detects a hidden agenda by the therapist, the trance will fail.
Agreement on tasks – the client understands and consents to the specific hypnotic techniques being used.
The emotional bond – a genuine sense of warmth, mutual respect, and non-judgmental acceptance.
Expectancy
One of the strongest predictors of successful therapy is a client’s expectation that positive change is possible. Research consistently shows that people who believe a treatment is likely to help are more likely to benefit from it. This isn’t simply ‘positive thinking’, expectations influence attention, motivation, confidence, and even physiological processes within the brain. A solution-focused hypnotherapist therefore spends time helping clients develop realistic optimism and confidence in their ability to change. Talking about previous successes, identifying existing strengths, imagining a preferred future, and experiencing a comfortable trance all contribute to building positive expectations. As expectancy grows, clients become more willing to engage with the therapeutic process and to notice the small changes that gradually lead to larger ones.
Self-efficacy
Psychologist Albert Bandura introduced the concept of self-efficacy to describe a person’s belief in their own ability to achieve a desired outcome. Clients who believe they can successfully make changes are far more likely to persist when faced with setbacks than those who doubt themselves. Much of solution-focused hypnotherapy is devoted to strengthening self-efficacy. Scaling questions, exploring previous successes, identifying personal resources, and mentally rehearsing future achievements all help clients develop confidence in their own abilities. Rather than depending on the therapist to ‘fix’ them, clients begin to see themselves as capable people who already possess many of the skills needed to achieve their goals.
Working from the client’s language
One of Erickson’s greatest strengths was his ability to borrow the client’s own words, metaphors, and descriptions. If a client described themselves as “stuck in a rut”, Erickson was likely to continue that metaphor rather than replace it with one of his own. By speaking the client’s language, the therapist reduces the effort required for the client to engage with the imagery and increases the personal relevance of every suggestion. Listening carefully during the talking part of the session therefore provides much of the material needed during trance.
Individual differences
It’s important to recognize that people are different. So, what worked brilliantly with one client may leave another client cold. What I’m saying is that some clients respond well to direct language, others to metaphor, some prefer imagery, and other like silence. And that’s why being flexible is very important when working with clients.
It’s not just what you say
The effectiveness of hypnotic language depends not only on the words that are chosen but also on how they are delivered. Changes in pace, rhythm, pitch, volume, emphasis, and the strategic use of pauses all influence how suggestions are received. Slowing the voice encourages relaxation, while a slight lowering of volume often draws a client’s attention more closely to what is being said. Important words can be emphasized with a subtle change in tone or followed by a brief pause to give the subconscious mind time to process them. Over time, therapists develop their own natural speaking style, allowing the words and the way they are spoken to work together to create a calm, engaging, and therapeutic experience.
Useful phrases to use
In the indirect Ericksonian tradition, there are a number of linguistic ‘frames’ or sentence stems that can be used as building blocks. Here are some examples grouped by function:
Sensory awareness stems
These stems direct attention inwards and downwards into the body, which is itself trance-inducing – shifting someone from external, analytical awareness into internal, somatic awareness.
Can you feel ...?
The phrase is a direct invitation to access the kinaesthetic (tactile and visceral) processing system. It shifts the client’s awareness out of their racing thoughts and drops it directly into the physical body or an emotional sensation. Even though it sounds like a closed question, the subconscious mind cannot answer it without first searching the body to find the sensation. This search automatically activates the feeling the therapist is suggesting. The therapist might say, “Can you feel that solid anchor of confidence right in the centre of your chest?”
Where do you feel ... ?
This moves the client’s focus away from abstract thoughts and squarely into immediate, physical experience, acting as an interrupt while they scan their body. It also presupposes that they do feel something. It works best with a pause after the phrase before continuing with the rest of the sentence, and a longer pause at the end of the sentence. A therapist might say, “Notice where you feel that relaxation most clearly right now ... and let it spread from there”.
How would it feel if you ... ?
Because the human brain cannot answer a question about a feeling without first experiencing a brief representation of that feeling, this phrase functions as a powerful vehicle for indirect suggestion and transderivational search (an NLP term). It can sidestep logic and deflect resistance. For example, this phrase allows the client to visualize a future event – one that they want to be able to do differently from what happens at the moment. The therapist might say, “How would it feel if you sat and chatted with your mother-in-law the next time she calls round?”.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“Are you aware of ... ?”
“Can you sense ... ?”
“What do you notice about ... ?”
“Can you notice ... ”
“You might be sensing ... ”
“Perhaps you can feel ... ”
“I wonder if you can hear ... ”
“You may already be noticing ... ”
“Without trying, just observe ... ”
“Become curious about the feeling of ... ”
“Let your awareness drift to ... ”
Conjunction/linking stems
This is the core of the pacing and leading technique. The therapist states something verifiably true (pacing), then links it – using “and”, “as”, or “while” – to a suggestion (leading). The client’s mind tends to accept the link as causal even when it’s just grammatical proximity. It builds trust and momentum because the first half is always true, so the second half rides on that credibility.
A classic example of linking things that aren’t really linked in order to create the desired result would be where the therapist says, “As you listen to the sound of my voice, your eyes become heavier”.
... and as ...
This phrase is a fundamental and powerful linguistic linkage (or conjunction) used in Ericksonian hypnosis. It is the ultimate tool for pacing and leading – joining an undeniable physical reality (the pace) directly to a desired hypnotic outcome (the lead). It hooks two events together in a seamless timeline. The subconscious mind assumes that because the first part of the sentence is happening, the second part must happen too. The therapist might say, “ ... and as you look at that old memory from this safe distance ... you can watch the colours rapidly fade away ... ”. The phrase can also be used to string together very long language patterns. For example, “ ... and as you focus your attention on the gentle rise and fall of your chest ... you can discover a profound stillness growing inside ... because you’re unconscious ... mind ... is ready to lock in these shifts ... and yet, you don’t even have to try to let go ... you might have noticed how quickly that old anxiety has vanished ... you may remember this feeling of total control ... and best of all, you will wake up tomorrow knowing this strength belongs to you completely”.
Because
This word acts as a linguistic bridge between two parts of a sentence that may not naturally be strongly linked. It also allows embedded commands – placed before the word ‘because – to be accepted. The therapist might say, “You will find it easy to say ‘no’ to smoking, because you value your health above all else”.
... and yet ...
This linguistic bridge is known as a conjunction of paradox. It links two seemingly contradictory ideas or feelings, yet the subconscious accepts them both at the same time. The therapist might say, “You can clearly remember how big that problem used to feel, and yet now it seems so small”.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“ ... and while ... ”
“ ... and even as ... ”
“ ... and with that ... ”
“ ... which means ... ”
“ ... and that causes ... ”
“ ... and the moment you ... then ... ”
“Just by sitting there, you are ... ”
“While (x) happens, (y) can begin ... ”
Temporal/contingent stems
These borrow the logical structure of cause-and-effect (“if x, then y”) without needing an actual causal relationship. The brain is highly responsive to conditional language – it creates anticipation and readiness for the suggested response, almost like setting up a trigger.
As soon as (x) ... you’ll (y) ...
This is an advanced contingent bind and an accelerated form of cause-and-effect language. It implies that when one thing happens, the second thing will also happen. The therapist might say, “As soon as I count down to one ... you’ll be completely relaxed”.
When you X ... then ... Y
This is a temporal linguistic bridge and a form of cause-and-effect binding. Once the client does the first thing, they are automatically led to the linked second part. X can be considered to be the trigger (the inevitable reality), and Y is the suggestion (the therapeutic goal). The therapist might say, “When you put your key in the front door tonight ... then ... you will feel a wave of calm wash over you, leaving the stress of the day outside”.
Every time you ... then (y) ...
This cause and effect language pattern links a specific behaviour with a goal that has to happen every time. X must be a high-frequency habit. The therapist might say, “Every time you hear that difficult person’s voice ... then ... you will find yourself feeling curiously detached, as if you are watching a movie on a screen far away ... “.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“The moment you (x) ... (y) will happen ... ”
“Once you notice (x) ... (y) can begin ... ”
“Before you (x) ... you’ll already (y) ... ”
“After you (x) ... you may find (y) ... ”
“You may/might/can” softeners
These are permissive rather than authoritarian. Because they don’t issue commands, they bypass the critical/resistant part of the mind that pushes back against direct instructions. Permissive language often produces more compliance than direct commands, because there’s nothing to resist.
You may ...
This is the ultimate permissive invitation. It sounds like you are granting permission, but it is actually a subtle way to deliver a powerful suggestion. Because it offers absolute freedom of choice, the conscious mind cannot fight it, leaving the door open for the unconscious mind to accept it. The therapist might say, “You may find yourself going so much deeper into trance”.
You might have noticed ...
This powerful linguistic tool is known as an implication or truism in Ericksonian hypnosis. It bypasses resistance because saying “you might” leaves room for choice, which makes it non-confrontational. It also presupposes that a change of sensation is already happening. Lastly, it redirects the client’s focus. The therapist might say, “Does it not feel a bit lighter to finally lay that old burden down?”.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“You can begin to ... ”
“You may discover ... ”
“Perhaps you’ll notice ... ”
“I wonder ... ” stems
This activates unconscious search – the mind almost can’t help but start looking for an answer once a genuine, open-ended question is posed, even rhetorically. It also subtly removes the practitioner as the source of the suggestion; the “wondering” implies the answer will come from within the client, not be imposed by the therapist.
I wonder if ...
Clients don’t feel the need to resist if their therapist is only ‘wondering’, and that allows suggestions or embedded commands to be given to the client. The therapist might say, “As you sit there listening to my voice, I wonder if you’ll be surprised by how easily your mind can let go of that old habit later today ... “
I wonder when ...
This phrase presupposes that something will happen, it’s just a question of when. This is a presupposition of time. And, because you’re wondering, there’s no need for the client to resist. The therapist might say, “As you sit there focusing on your breathing, I wonder when you will notice your eyelids becoming too heavy to keep open ... “.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“I wonder how soon ... ?”
“I wonder what it would be like if ... ?”
“I wonder which part of you ... ?”
“Some part of you ... ” stems
This uses dissociation language to separate the client from a stuck pattern. It implies that resourcefulness or change is already present somewhere in them – you’re not installing something foreign, you’re pointing to a part that already exists. This is especially useful when someone feels unable to change; it reframes the resource as internal and available.
Is there a part of you ...
This phrase is taken from Parts Therapy. Rather than an individual feeling that they are an anxious person, they now think that there is just a part of them that is anxious, for example. It helps overcome all-or-nothing thinking. The therapist might say, “Is there a part of you that already knows exactly how to handle this situation calmly?” or “Is there a part of you that is afraid of what life will look like once this problem is gone?”
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“Some part of you knows ... ”
“Some part of you already understands ... ”
“There’s a part of you that can ... ”
Time-distortion stems
These loosen the client’s normal sense of time passing, which is a hallmark of trance states. They also lower resistance to the idea of quick change – “before you realize it” implies change can be effortless and doesn’t require conscious struggle.
Sooner or later ...
This phrase is truism and time-binding suggestion that creates an illusion of choice, and also makes the goal seem inevitable. The therapist might say, “sooner or later you’ll be looking forward to the tandem parachute jump ... and sooner or later you’ll be counting down the days with impatience”.
Eventually
“Eventually” is a time-distortion tool known as a temporal presupposition. It is used to pace a client’s resistance by removing the pressure of time, while simultaneously guaranteeing that the desired change will happen. It can be used to embed long-term therapeutic change. The therapist might say, “You might feel that old urge to smoke a cigarette tomorrow, and yet, eventually, you will find yourself saying, ‘no thank you, I don’t smoke”.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“In a moment that feels like no time at all ... ”
“By the time you count to three ... ”
“Sometime between now and then ... ”
“Even before you realize it ... ”
“At just the right moment ... ”
“When your unconscious mind is ready ... ”
“Not until you feel completely safe ... ”
“The next time you ... you’ll find that ... ”
“Long after this session is over ... ”
“At a time when you least expect it ... ”
“Not ... until ... ” stems
These stems create expectancy while removing pressure. When the therapist says that change doesn’t have to happen yet, they paradoxically reduce the resistance that comes from demand, and that often allows the change to happen sooner. It also implies inevitability – the “until” presupposes it will happen eventually.
Useful examples include:
“You don’t have to relax until you’re ready ... ”
“Nothing needs to change until it’s the right time ... ”
“You won’t notice it until it’s already happened ... ”
“The more ... the more ... ” stems
This is a compounding/escalating suggestion structure – it creates a feedback loop in the client’s mind where one experience (eg trying, listening) is explicitly tied to an increasing depth of another (relaxing, going deeper). It borrows credibility from being stated as if it’s a natural law.
The more (x) ... the more (y)
This is a double bind or a law of association pattern. It implies that any amount of x automatically creates more of y. The therapist might say, “The more you hear the traffic outside ... the more you can drift inwards”.
Useful examples include:
“The more you listen, the more you relax ... ”
“The more you try, the easier it becomes ... ”
“The deeper you go, the safer you feel ... ”
Avoiding resistance
Sometimes, it’s useful to say things that allow the client to imagine a situation where things are closer to their desired goals than they are now, without triggering their critical faculty into thinking that change is not possible. It’s sort of change under the radar. We might say:
Can you imagine ... ?
We know that getting clients to visualize their life with those changes having happened is one of the most powerful ways of helping them to start to make those changes. The therapist might say, “can you imagine going to bed and finding yourself drifting off after only a few minutes ... And can you imagine waking up in the morning completely refreshed and ready to take on the day”.
I don’t know how ...
This is a classic Ericksonian utilization technique. It aligns perfectly with the client’s conscious helplessness to subtly pass all control, problem-solving, and healing over to the vastly more capable unconscious mind. Using the phrase in trance along with some goal makes it seem that the goal is inevitable. The therapist might say, “I don’t know how your unconscious mind will get you to feel confident around spiders”.
I only want you to ...
This is a restrictive framing technique. It sounds like a strict limitation, but it is actually a clever way to unburden the conscious mind. By limiting the client’s conscious responsibility to one tiny, easy task, you free up the unconscious mind to do the heavy therapeutic lifting. The therapist might say, “I only want you to relax and allow yourself to go deeper”.
Perhaps ...
Another opportunity to visualize a different way of doing something that bypasses conscious resistance. The therapist might say, “Perhaps you’ll find you actually enjoy spending Christmas with Cousin Gertrude this year?”.
What happens when ... ?
Another way to get a client to visualize a situation that bypasses conscious resistance. The therapist might say, “And you might consider what happens when you start to act like the other team leaders at your company ... and what happens when you start to speak up at meetings?”.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“You don’t have to ... ”
“You don’t need to ... ”
“There’s no need to try ... ”
“It’s okay if ... ”
“You can take all the time you need ... ”
“Nothing to do, nothing to achieve ... ”
“It’s perfectly fine to simply ... ”
“Allow yourself the luxury of not knowing ... ”
Embedded commands
In my last article, How to write scripts, we looked at embedded commands and how to create them. Here are some techniques to use around embedded commands.
And you can ... (name) ...
The use of a client’s name personalizes a command and gets the attention of the unconscious mind. It can then be followed by an embedded command. The therapist might say, “As you feel the weight of your body supported by the couch ... and you can allow yourself to drift even deeper now ... Sarah ... drifting deeper than ever before”. Adding a pause before the name results in a greater effect.
Don’t (x) too quickly ...
This is a rate-limiting bind and a classic form of reverse psychology. By telling the client not to do something too quickly, the therapist is subtly presupposing that they are absolutely going to do it. The conscious mind focuses entirely on regulating the speed of the action, completely forgetting to question whether it wants to perform the action at all. The therapist might say, “Don’t change that old habit too quickly ... let your mind fully adjust to how good it feels to be free of it first ... “.
I once heard ...
This is the classic opening line for a metaphor, storytelling, and third-party suggestions. It is an effective way to deliver a deep therapeutic message because it completely removes the client from the spotlight. By talking about someone else, the client’s conscious defences are completely disarmed, allowing their subconscious to absorb the lesson effortlessly. The therapist might say, “I once heard about a man who carried a heavy stone in his pocket everywhere he went, thinking it protected him ... until one day he realized it was just tearing holes in his clothes and weighing him down ... and he decided he could just drop it on the path and walk away.”
Sometimes ...
This is an essential truism and soft generalization pattern. It operates as a gentle, undeniable fact that opens the door to hypnotic phenomena. Because it is impossible for the statement to be false, the critical mind cannot argue with it, allowing the subconscious to easily accept the underlying suggestion. The therapist might say, “And sometimes ... people are surprised to find that an old craving just feels entirely irrelevant ... almost like a memory from a different lifetime ... “.
There’s no need to ...
This is a comforting permission frame. It sounds like a burden off the client’s shoulders has been lifted, but it is actually a stealthy way to deliver an indirect command. By telling the conscious mind it doesn’t have to do something, that very action is made to feel completely effortless and attractive to the unconscious mind. The therapist might say, “There’s no need to try to relax ... and there’s no need to listen closely to every word I say ... you can just let your mind wander ... “.
You’re unconscious ... mind ...
This is a classic Ericksonian phonetic ambiguity (or structural pun). It plays on the identical pronunciation of the possessive pronoun “your” and the contraction “you are” (you’re). By inserting a strategic pause, the therapist delivers a dual message that speaks to the conscious and subconscious minds simultaneously. The conscious mind hears a grammatical sentence (“Your unconscious mind knows ... ”). Meanwhile, the subconscious mind isolated the direct command: “You’re unconscious”, The therapist might say, “And the more you listen to my voice, the more you’re unconscious ... mind ... appreciates this profound stillness”.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“ ... allow yourself to feel peaceful.”
“ ... begin to let go, now.”
“ ... you can be comfortable, right now.”
“ ... all parts of you can work together.”
“ ... trust the process.”
“ ... you can heal, deeply.”
“ ... feel good about this change.”
Negative commands
This is a way to embed a positive suggestion using a negation.
I won’t tell you ...
This is an Ericksonian negation pattern. It is a very effective way to deliver a direct suggestion while completely bypassing psychological resistance. It does this by the therapist telling the client what they won’t do, which disarms their defences, while at the same time making them curious. The therapist might say, “I won’t tell you that you will wake up tomorrow with total confidence ... but you might have noticed a shift already”.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“Don’t relax too quickly ... ”
“You don’t need to feel calm ... yet.”
“Try not to notice how comfortable you’re becoming ... ”
“There’s no need to let go ... until you’re ready.”
“Don’t be too surprised when you notice the change ... ”
Illusion of choice
People like to think they have a choice. They can decide what to do, not do what someone else tells them. In trance, the illusion of choice can be used. For example:
How quickly ... ?
This is called a presupposition of rate. It bypasses the question of whether a change will happen and forces the subconscious mind to focus entirely on the speed of the transformation. The client will search internally to calculate the answer. The client can then choose the speed, but accepts that the outcome will happen.
How slowly ... ?
This is the inverse of ‘how quickly’. It is a presupposition of rate used to deliberately put the brakes on a client’s racing mind, create profound physical stillness, or stretch time during trauma processing. It works well on highly stressed or hyper-vigilant clients. The therapist might say, “How slowly can you let that comfortable, warm feeling spread down your spine?”
Will you (x) or ... (y) or ...
The use of the word ‘or’ allows as many options as you like to be offered to a client. This is an advanced variation of the Ericksonian double bind known as an extended bind or multiple-choice bind. A therapist might say, “And as you think about making this change ... will you notice the old habit disappearing tomorrow morning” or “will it happen gradually over the weekend” or “will you just wake up one day soon and realize you’ve forgotten to even think about it ... “
Would you rather
This phrase hides a double-bind. It offers only two possible choices. Typically, the brain stops looking for any other options, and doesn’t notice that both lead to the same result. The therapist might say, “Would you rather relax and drift into trance ... or concentrate on each word I say before enjoying that trance experience.
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“You can relax now, or in a moment ... ”
“Will your right hand or left hand feel lighter first?”
“You can close your eyes whenever you’re ready, or they can close all by themselves.”
“You might notice the change today, or tomorrow ... it really doesn’t matter.”
“Do you want to go into trance quickly, or slowly?”
“Your unconscious mind can work on this now, or wait until you’re asleep tonight.”
Presupposition of change
These include a statement that assumes the desired outcome will happen.
Try ...
The word ‘try’ is used as a deliberate presupposition of failure. It is a highly specialized tool designed to create a hypnotic block or a ‘binding knot’ in the client’s mind. In trance, whenever the imagination and the conscious will are in conflict, the imagination always wins. If the therapist tells a client to “try to open your eyes” while their imagination feels they are glued shut, the harder they consciously try, the more impossible it becomes. The word can be used in trance to build a mental barrier around the client’s old, unwanted behaviours. The therapist might say, “The next time you reach for a cigarette, you can try to smoke it, but you will find the taste completely unappealing.”
You can discover ...
This phrase is a very effective permissive presupposition. It frames the therapeutic outcome as an exciting act of personal exploration rather than a forced command, which naturally lowers a client’s psychological defences. The word ‘discover’ implies that the solution, calmness, or strength already exists deep within the client’s subconscious, waiting to be found. The therapist might say, “You can discover an old, deep-seated confidence that has always belonged to you”.
You may remember ...
This is a very effective temporal presupposition and pacing tool. It is used to activate a client’s memory bank to retrieve past resources, strengths, or positive emotional states without forcing them to do so. The word ‘may’ makes the statement entirely permissive and optional. It removes the pressure of having to remember something on command, which prevents the critical mind from pushing back. It presupposes that a memory exists. It also triggers and automatic search to find the memory. The therapist might say, “You may remember a time when you felt completely, utterly calm ... and as you look at that memory, you can feel that peace returning.”
Other similar stems that might be used include:
“As you continue to relax ... ”
“When the change happens ... ”
“After this feeling settles in ... ”
“Before you fully return ... ”
“Sooner or later, when you notice the shift ... ”
“You don’t know yet how easily this will integrate ... ”
“I’m not sure which part of you will heal first ... ”
Others useful stems
Other useful words and phrases to use in trance include the following:
Really ...
This word can be used as an intensifier or an attention amplifier. It makes a client look in more detail at what’s just been said. The therapist might say, “Remember a time when you felt really safe and completely in control”. The therapist might say, “You can clearly remember how big that problem used to feel, and yet now it seems so small”.
And best of all
This is an emotional accelerator and peak suggestion anchor. It acts as a linguistic spotlight, signalling to the subconscious mind that the most rewarding, valuable part of the therapy is about to be delivered. The word ‘best’ instantly primes the brain to look for a positive outcome, which builds anticipation and momentum. The therapist might say, “The smoke will taste bitter, the habit will feel foreign, and best of all, you will breathe easily with completely clean lungs”.
Focus your attention on ...
This is a direct command. Ericksonian hypnotherapy would soften the phrasing to guide the client’s mind inward without triggering resistance. Traditional thinking was that it forces the mind to hold a single thought (monoideism) or sensation, which naturally suspends the analytical, critical faculties. The brain naturally tunes out everything else (like outside noise or anxiety). Of course, wherever a person’s attention goes, their ‘subconscious energy’ and physical responses follow.
Modern neuroscience suggests that directing attention in this way alters the balance of activity within the brain’s large-scale networks. As attention becomes more focused, activity associated with mind wandering and self-critical thinking in the default mode network (DMN) may diminish, while networks involved in executive control, imagery and sustained attention become more active. At the same time, the salience network helps prioritize the sensations, memories, or images that are most relevant to the therapeutic goal.
By repeatedly drawing attention to helpful internal experiences, the therapist encourages the client to strengthen those neural pathways while allowing unhelpful patterns of thinking to fade into the background. A therapist might say, “I wonder whether you can focus your attention on that feeling of safety, and notice how it starts to grow”.
How ...
The use of the word ‘how’ shifts the client from their critical, analytical mind into a creative, problem-solving state. It is primarily used to deliver an indirect suggestion or to trigger an unconscious search. Using the word ‘how’ avoids the client thinking whether something could happen to accepting that it will and thinking how it can be made to happen. The therapist might say, ““I wonder how deeply you can connect with that old feeling of total safety”.
Now ...
This word is a temporal anchor and pacing tool. It is used to instantly interrupt the client’s wandering thoughts and pull their subconscious attention entirely into the present moment where change happens. When delivered with a slight pause and a lower vocal tone, “Now ... ” acts as a subtle punctuation mark that flags the upcoming words as a high-priority command for the subconscious mind. It resets the brain to focus on the present. A therapist might say, “Look at that old trigger ... and now ... watch it completely shatter into tiny, harmless pieces.”
Let go ...
This phrase is used to facilitate both physical muscular relaxation and psychological surrender, giving the client explicit permission to drop their defences, tensions, and old baggage. The therapist might say, “You can discover how effortless it is to simply let go of that old habit today”.
That’s right ...
This is a hypnotic feedback loop to validate the client’s subconscious responses, lock in positive behaviours, and build powerful momentum. Saying “that’s right” isn’t just agreeing with the client, it’s telling their subconscious mind, “Whatever you are doing or experiencing at this exact micro-moment is perfectly correct, safe, and exactly what needs to happen”. It works best when the words are said slowly with a downward vocal inflection. If the client’s eyelids flutter, the therapist might say, “That’s right ... those eyes can begin to feel heavy now”.
Other simple phrases can be used as encouragement, such as, “mm-hmm, that’s it, good, and exactly”.
Installation
Sometimes, a therapist may end a session before ensuring that the client has all the resources they need for them to make the changes they want in their life. A way round that issue is for the therapist to say, “You can continue to enjoy this deep trance for a little while longer, until all those wonderful changes are comfortably in place and working perfectly”.
Natural trance
Although hypnotherapists often begin with a formal induction, trance is not an unusual or mysterious state. Most people experience naturally occurring trance many times each day. Becoming absorbed in a good book, losing track of time while driving, becoming completely immersed in a film, or daydreaming while looking out of a window are all familiar examples of focused attention where awareness of the outside world temporarily fades into the background. Erickson recognized these naturally occurring states and often used ordinary conversation to guide clients gently into trance without them even realizing exactly when it had begun. Understanding that trance is a normal part of everyday life helps both therapist and client approach hypnosis with greater confidence and less apprehension.
Conclusion
Once the therapist knows what a client’s goals are, what their best hopes for the current session are, and what hobbies the client enjoys, it is fairly easy to extemporize a 30-minute trance session. It’s even more effective to sprinkle in some of the words and phrases listed above.