Hypnotherapy is a therapy using hypnosis to alter a person's state of consciousness.
During the session, the hypnotherapist will relax the person and may make suggestions to help with a condition, explore causes of problems or to support goals such as weight loss or quitting smoking.
However, the person being hypnotised remains in control at all times and can end the hypnotic state whenever they want to.
As well as being a popular complementary therapy, hypnotherapy is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a possible treatment option for some people's symptoms of irritable bowelsyndrome.