26/08/2025
The Science of Clinical Hypnotherapy and How It Helps You Heal đ§
When we go through a difficult or traumatic life event, our brain starts forming new neural connections in response to that experience.
Letâs use anxiety as an example.
Imagine youâve just had an overwhelming experience and notice a feeling you havenât experienced before. One key player in your brainâthe amygdalaâkicks in. This part of the brain is responsible for detecting threats and triggering emotional responses, especially fear or anxiety. In response to the event, your brain starts wiring new patterns, essentially saying, âRemember thisâit wasnât safe.â
A great way to visualize this is with the movie Inside Out 2. When Riley tries to fit in with the older kids, a new emotion shows up in her control center: Anxiety. At first, it seems helpful and eager to keep things under control. But soon, anxiety starts to dominate, pushing aside the other emotions and taking charge.
Thatâs a pretty accurate metaphor for how the amygdala can override your brainâs more balanced, logical systems when it perceives danger.
Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortexâthe part of your brain responsible for reasoning, decision-making, and regulating emotionsâstruggles to stay in control. (You can think of this like Joy in the movie trying to reach the control panel but getting pushed out of the way.) When anxiety is high, the prefrontal cortex has a harder time accessing those âlogic and calmâ controls.
The good news? You can retrain your brain. By becoming aware of your feelings and gently shifting your thoughts, you send signals that help calm the amygdala. This allows the prefrontal cortex to step back in and help regulate your response. Over time, your brain learns that youâre not in constant dangerâand the emotions that were once trying to protect you can relax their grip.
We often wish uncomfortable emotions like anxiety would just go away. But theyâre not the enemyâtheyâre signals. Their job is to keep us safe when real danger is present.
Clinical hypnotherapy can help teach your brain and body that safety is possible again, and that these protective emotions donât always need to lead.