Case Study 00482 — 23 August 2026
30 Questions a Hypnotherapist Might Ask to Customize a Healing Program
The purpose of these questions is to understand the person behind the challenge, rather than simply focusing on a diagnosis or behaviour. The answers can help a suitably trained practitioner determine the appropriate therapeutic focus, goals, triggers, resources, and boundaries for a personalized program.
Important clinical note: Alcohol or cocaine dependence, severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychosis can require medical and psychiatric assessment and treatment. Hypnotherapy should not be presented as a substitute for appropriate medical care. In particular, current psychosis, mania, severe intoxication/withdrawal, or significant instability should be assessed by an appropriately qualified mental-health professional before hypnosis is considered.
A. Understanding the Present Challenge
- What is the main challenge that brought you here, and what would you most like to change?
- When did you first notice that this challenge was becoming a problem in your life?
- How does this challenge currently affect your thoughts, emotions, body, relationships, work, finances, or daily functioning?
- What have you already tried to change or overcome this problem, and what happened?
- If this problem were significantly improved six months from now, what would be different in your life?
B. Addiction and Addictive Behaviours
- What substance or behaviour do you feel you have the least control over?
- How often does the behaviour occur, and what usually happens immediately before you engage in it?
- What do you experience emotionally or physically immediately before, during, and after the behaviour?
- What does the substance or behaviour seem to give you that you feel you are missing elsewhere—relief, excitement, confidence, escape, connection, numbness, control, or something else?
- Have there been occasions when you successfully resisted the behaviour? What was different about those situations?
- With alcohol or cocaine use, have you experienced withdrawal symptoms, loss of control, blackouts, dangerous use, or situations where you felt unable to stop safely?
- What people, places, situations, emotions, memories, or thoughts most strongly trigger your urge to use or engage in the behaviour?
C. FOMO, Anxiety and Stress
- What are you afraid might happen if you miss out, say no, disconnect, or choose not to participate?
- What thoughts typically appear when you feel anxious or overwhelmed?
- Where do you notice anxiety or stress in your body?
- What situations make your anxiety, worry, or stress significantly worse?
- When you feel anxious, what do you normally do to make yourself feel safer or more comfortable?
- What would you like to be able to do calmly that anxiety currently makes difficult?
D. Mood, Depression and Emotional Patterns
- How would you describe your mood during a typical week?
- When your mood becomes low, what thoughts do you tend to have about yourself, your life, or your future?
- What activities, relationships, or experiences used to bring you pleasure that you have lost interest in?
- What happens to your motivation, sleep, appetite, concentration, and energy when your mood becomes low?
- Have there been periods when your mood, energy, confidence, activity, or need for sleep became unusually elevated or changed dramatically from your normal pattern?
- Have you ever experienced thoughts of harming yourself, ending your life, or feeling that life is no longer worth living?
If the answer to Question 24 is yes, this should move the session beyond routine hypnotherapy assessment into an appropriate safety and clinical assessment process.
E. Personal History and Emotional Roots
- Were there significant experiences, losses, relationships, traumas, or periods of instability that you believe contributed to your current difficulties?
- What did you learn about yourself, other people, trust, love, safety, failure, rejection, or success from those experiences?
- What are the strongest beliefs you currently hold about yourself—for example, “I am not good enough,” “I am unsafe,” “I must be in control,” or “I will always fail”?
- What would you like to believe about yourself instead?
F. Transformation and the Therapeutic Goal
- If the old pattern no longer controlled your decisions, who would you become and how would you live differently?
- What is the most important change you are genuinely ready and willing to make in yourself—and what would tell you that your healing journey is working?
The deeper purpose of the 30 questions
The questions move through six layers:
Challenge → Pattern → Trigger → Meaning → Belief → Transformation
The objective is not simply to ask, “How do we stop the behaviour?” but to explore:
“What function has this behaviour been serving, what maintains it, and what healthier response can eventually replace it?”
For conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or psychosis, the assessment should additionally establish current clinical stability, medication/psychiatric care, history of mania or psychosis, substance-related symptoms, and whether referral or co-treatment is required. Hypnosis should never be used to reinforce delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, or distorted beliefs.