Six steps — described as a possibility, not a programme.

The first conversation is about understanding what is actually being described. That usually covers current concerns in specific terms, the personal goals the individual has in mind, their expectations of what this might involve, any questions they want answered before going further, and the relevant circumstances surrounding all of it.

Questions are welcome at this stage, including sceptical ones. A person who wants to know what the basis for something is, or what happens if it does not work, is asking exactly the right things.

Each person’s experience can be influenced by different factors: previous experiences, current stress, environment, existing support, health circumstances, and what has already been tried. Two people arriving with the same description may be in entirely different situations once this is explored.

This step is not an assessment or a diagnosis. It is an attempt to understand the shape of the individual situation well enough to have a sensible conversation about what, if anything, might be appropriate.

Hypnotherapy may not be suitable for every person or every concern. Individual circumstances should be considered carefully.

This step exists because it is the point at which the answer may reasonably be “not this”, or “not this yet”, or “this only alongside something else”. Where a concern would be better addressed through medical, psychiatric or psychological assessment and care, saying so is the appropriate outcome of this conversation — not a failure of it.

Where someone is already working with another professional, discussing how anything additional would fit alongside that is part of considering suitability rather than an afterthought.

Where the individual chooses to proceed, and where it is considered appropriate, sessions may involve relaxation, focused attention, guided imagery, personal reflection and therapeutic suggestion, in whatever combination suits the person and the goal they have described.

The specifics depend on the individual’s circumstances and on the approach taken. Nothing about this stage is standardised, and nothing about it promises a result. What can reasonably be said is that the individual sets the pace and can stop at any point.

Reviewing what was experienced, what was noticed, and what — if anything — seems different. This includes noticing where there has been no change, which is information rather than a disappointment to be talked around.

Individual responses vary considerably. Some people report noticing something quickly; others report nothing for some time; others report changes in one area and none in another. All of these are ordinary and none of them predict what follows.

Possible next steps may include further sessions where appropriate, a period of personal reflection without further sessions, discussion with other qualified professionals, or exploring alternative approaches that may be better suited.

Deciding to stop is a legitimate outcome and does not require justification. So is deciding that a different form of support is the better fit.