Can Hypnotherapy Help with Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks can be frightening, overwhelming, and deeply disruptive to everyday life. For those who experience them, even the fear of having a panic attack can create a vicious cycle that feels impossible to break. While many people turn to medication or traditional talk therapy, more and more are discovering that hypnotherapy offers a powerful, natural alternative — one that can address not only the symptoms of panic attacks, but also their underlying causes.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what panic attacks are, why they happen, and how hypnotherapy can help reduce their intensity, frequency, and impact on your life.

What Is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack is a sudden and intense episode of fear or discomfort, often accompanied by physical symptoms that can mimic a heart attack or medical emergency. These episodes typically peak within 10 minutes and may last anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour.

Common symptoms include:

• Rapid heartbeat or palpitations

• Shortness of breath or hyperventilation

• Chest pain or tightness

• Sweating or chills

• Dizziness or light-headedness

• Nausea or stomach discomfort

• A sense of detachment from reality

• Fear of losing control, going mad, or dying

For many people, panic attacks appear to come out of the blue. However, they are usually a result of an overactive fight-or-flight response, triggered by stress, anxiety, or unresolved trauma.

What Causes Panic Attacks?

There is no single cause of panic attacks. Often, they develop as part of an anxiety disorder, particularly panic disorder, but they can also occur in response to:

• Prolonged or intense stress

• A traumatic life event

• Phobias or specific triggers (e.g. public speaking, flying)

• Substance use or withdrawal

• Hormonal changes

• Genetics or family history

Sometimes, the fear of having a panic attack in certain places — like supermarkets, public transport, or social gatherings — leads to avoidance behaviours, which can make the condition worse over time.

How Hypnotherapy Can Help

Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that uses guided relaxation and focused attention to access the subconscious mind, where deep-seated patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour are stored. When combined with a structured therapeutic approach — such as Solution Focused Hypnotherapy — it becomes a highly effective way to address the causes and consequences of panic attacks.

Here’s how hypnotherapy can make a real difference:

1. Calming the Fight-or-Flight Response

Panic attacks are rooted in the brain’s natural survival mechanism — the fight-or-flight response. When the brain perceives danger, it floods the body with adrenaline and cortisol to prepare for action. In a real emergency, this response is helpful. But during a panic attack, it’s triggered unnecessarily and creates a sense of fear that’s out of proportion to the actual situation.

Hypnotherapy helps by:

• Guiding the client into a deeply relaxed state

• Activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest mode)

• Training the brain and body to respond to stress in a calmer, more measured way

With repeated sessions, this calming effect becomes more automatic, helping to reduce the likelihood of future panic episodes.

2. Rewiring Negative Thought Patterns

People who suffer from panic attacks often develop anticipatory anxiety — fear of the fear itself. They may become hyper-aware of bodily sensations and start to catastrophise minor symptoms. This creates a feedback loop that reinforces panic.

Hypnotherapy works by:

• Bypassing the critical, anxious part of the mind

• Replacing unhelpful thoughts with calm, confident suggestions

• Strengthening new, more constructive neural pathways through repetition

This process is supported by neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to reorganise itself. Hypnotherapy helps to create new, more resilient responses to stress and anxiety.

3. Addressing Underlying Triggers

Sometimes panic attacks are linked to specific events, environments, or unresolved emotional experiences. These may not always be accessible through conscious thought alone.

Hypnotherapy allows you to:

• Gently explore the subconscious mind

• Identify and process past experiences in a safe, guided setting

• Release emotional residue that may be contributing to panic

Unlike some forms of therapy that require detailed revisiting of trauma, hypnotherapy — especially the Solution Focused approach — tends to emphasise strengths, goals, and positive change without re-traumatisation.

4. Building Confidence and Control

A major feature of panic attacks is the feeling of being out of control — of the body, the mind, or the situation. Hypnotherapy can restore a sense of control by giving you tools and strategies you can use in everyday life.

Clients often report:

• Greater confidence in social or public situations

• The ability to manage physical symptoms calmly

• Improved self-esteem and emotional resilience

• A renewed sense of personal empowerment

Visualisation, mental rehearsal, and positive suggestion under hypnosis help reinforce a sense of capability — long after the session ends.

5. Improving Sleep and Overall Wellbeing

Sleep and emotional regulation go hand-in-hand. Poor sleep increases stress, and heightened stress makes it harder to sleep — fuelling anxiety and increasing vulnerability to panic.

Hypnotherapy helps promote:

• Deeper, more restorative sleep

• Reduced night-time overthinking

• Healthier daytime energy and mood

Because many hypnotherapy sessions mimic REM sleep, the brain is able to process information and emotions in a way that supports emotional balance.

What Does a Hypnotherapy Session Involve?

A typical hypnotherapy session for panic attacks will involve:

1. A consultation to understand your experiences, triggers, and goals

2. Solution Focused conversation to identify what’s working well and how you’d like things to be

3. Guided hypnosis, where you’ll enter a relaxed trance-like state while receiving calming and confidence-boosting suggestions

You remain aware and in control throughout the process — hypnosis is a cooperative experience, not something “done” to you. Many clients describe it as deeply relaxing, enjoyable, and empowering.

How Many Sessions Will I Need?

This varies from person to person, but many people notice improvements within just a few sessions. For panic attacks, a course of 6–10 sessions is common, though some may benefit from ongoing support for longer-term anxiety management.

Your therapist will tailor the process to your unique needs, pace, and goals.

Is Hypnotherapy Safe?

Yes — hypnotherapy is a safe, natural technique when practised by a qualified professional. It is non-invasive, drug-free, and can be used alongside other therapies or medical treatments.

It’s important to choose a therapist registered with a recognised professional body, such as the AfSFH (Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy) or the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH). (I am!)

Final Thoughts: Reclaim Your Calm

Living with panic attacks can be exhausting and isolating. But you are not alone, and you are not powerless. Hypnotherapy offers a gentle yet effective way to break the cycle of panic, helping you to calm the mind, rewire your response to fear, and build confidence in your ability to cope.

Whether you’ve had one panic attack or have lived with anxiety for years, hypnotherapy could be the key to lasting relief and personal freedom.

Ready to take the next step? Visit www.beechwoodtherapy.co.uk to book a free initial consultation and discover how hypnotherapy can help you find peace, clarity, and control — one breath at a time.