08/26/2025
The Science of Clinical Hypnotherapy and How It Helps You Heal đź§
When we go through a difficult or traumatic life event, our brain starts forming new neural connections in response to that experience.
Let’s use anxiety as an example.
Imagine you’ve just had an overwhelming experience and notice a feeling you haven’t experienced before. One key player in your brain—the amygdala—kicks 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, “Remember this—it wasn’t safe.”
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.
That’s a pretty accurate metaphor for how the amygdala can override your brain’s more balanced, logical systems when it perceives danger.
Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain responsible for reasoning, decision-making, and regulating emotions—struggles 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 “logic and calm” 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 you’re not in constant danger—and 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 they’re not the enemy—they’re 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 don’t always need to lead.
