Where the time goes in a shorter session
Think about what has to fit into a one-hour appointment. There is usually some catching up at the start, an explanation of what will happen, a short induction into hypnosis, the main work, and a few minutes at the end to come back and wrap up. Once all of that is accounted for, the time left for the actual work of change can be surprisingly short.
With limited time, the work tends to become more standardised. A short, general script can be delivered in the time available, but there is little room to adapt it to the person, to go deeper, or to deal with something unexpected that comes up.
The next session often starts by covering some of the same ground again. Progress can still happen this way, but it tends to come in small steps, with each appointment picking up where the last left off rather than building to a turning point.
What happens in the extra time
In Steve’s longer sessions, the extra time goes into five things. Each one makes the next more effective.
1. Understanding the person, not just the problem
A session starts with an in-depth conversation about what you want to change, how the pattern works, when it shows up, what you have already tried, and what life will look like when it changes. This is not a form to fill in. It is how Steve builds a detailed picture of the person in front of him, which shapes everything that follows.
2. Preparing your mind for deeper hypnosis
Not everyone can drop straight into a deep hypnotic state, and doubts, a busy mind or old misconceptions can all get in the way. Time spent preparing the mind clears those obstacles, so that when the hypnosis begins, you can go deeper and get much more out of it. (More on this below.)
3. Working through every thread
Most problems are made up of several connected threads. Smoking, for example, is often tied to stress, routine, identity, social life and alcohol. In a longer session, there is time to work through each thread in one sitting, rather than tackling one per week and hoping the others hold.
4. Rehearsing the change
With time to spare, new responses can be rehearsed thoroughly: stepping into the situations that matter most and experiencing them differently, until the new response starts to feel natural rather than something you have to force.
5. Bringing it into everyday life
Before you leave, there is time to talk through what has happened and how to carry the change into daily life, so you walk out with a clear sense of what is different and what to do next.
Why the parts build on each other
These steps are not just added together. Each one strengthens the next. A detailed understanding makes the preparation more precise. Better preparation allows deeper hypnosis. Deeper hypnosis makes the work on each thread more powerful. And that work is more likely to hold when it has been rehearsed and integrated before you leave. That is why a single well-used long session can achieve more than several short ones added together. Continuity matters too. In a short appointment, the work often has to stop just as it is gaining momentum, and the next session has to rebuild it. In a longer session, each step flows straight into the next, so the gains keep building rather than starting again each week.
Steve keeps these sessions engaging throughout. Because the work is active and built around you, most people find the time passes far more quickly than they expected.
Preparing the mind for deep hypnosis
Of everything the extra time makes possible, this is one of the most important, and one of the least common.
Deep hypnosis is a profoundly absorbed state, where the outside world fades, imagination becomes vivid and real, and change can happen at a deeper level. Some people reach it easily. Many do not, at least not straight away. Common obstacles include:
- worry about losing control or saying something embarrassing
- misconceptions picked up from films, stage shows or past experiences
- a busy, analytical mind that keeps checking whether it is ‘working’
- low trust or rapport, especially with someone new
- simple uncertainty about what to expect.
If these are not addressed, a person may sit through a hypnosis session and feel that ‘nothing much happened’. That is not because hypnosis cannot help them, but because they never fully got there.
In Steve’s sessions, time is set aside to work through these obstacles before and during the hypnosis. That includes building trust, explaining what is happening, clearing up misconceptions and guiding the person step by step towards deeper states. The aim is to get the person’s head in the right place, so they can go as deep as their goals require and get the full benefit of the work that follows.
Working with the person, not a script
This kind of preparation cannot be done from a script. Many hypnosis sessions follow a standard script, read in much the same way for everyone with a similar issue. Scripts can be useful, but they cannot respond to the person in the room.
Steve works with the person and the presentation in front of him. He pays attention to how each person responds, what is holding them back and what they need next, and adapts the session as it unfolds. That responsiveness takes time, and it is a large part of why the longer format works.
What the research says
It is worth being clear about what the evidence does and does not show.
Session length on its own is not the answer. A 2024 review of 49 meta-analyses found mixed results on the amount of treatment. Two reviews found that more treatment time led to better results; two others found no difference. In other words, simply adding minutes does not guarantee a better outcome. It depends on what the time is used for.
What the research does support is the way Steve uses that time:
- Preparation improves responsiveness. Studies of the Carleton Skills Training Program found that working on people’s expectations, motivation, attitudes and use of imagination often produced substantial gains in how fully they responded to hypnosis. Research on rapport and reducing resistance found similar benefits.
- Responsiveness matters. The same 2024 review found that, across hypnosis research, people who respond more fully to hypnosis tend to get better results.
- Flexible approaches have outperformed scripted ones. The review also noted an earlier meta-analysis in which modern, indirect hypnosis techniques were significantly more effective than classical, direct suggestion.
- Engagement and completeness count. In a large 2024 trial of hypnotherapy for smoking, people who attended every session were roughly three times as likely to be smoke-free a year later as those who attended four of the six sessions.
Put together, the evidence points to the same conclusion: better results come from preparing people well, adapting to them and doing the work thoroughly. That takes time, which is why the longer format suits it.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a hypnotherapy session at Hobart Modern Hypnosis?
It depends on the type of session. A Starter Session for first-timers runs for 90 minutes. The first two standard sessions run for two hours, and later sessions may be shorter. Intensive Breakthrough Sessions run for three to four hours, and some programs, such as those for quitting smoking or sports performance, use two three-hour sessions.
Won’t I get tired or bored in a three-hour session?
Most people are surprised by how quickly the time passes. The sessions are active and varied, moving between conversation, hypnosis, rehearsal and reflection, and they are built entirely around you. Breaks are taken whenever they are needed.
Does a longer session mean I’ll need fewer sessions overall?
Often, yes, because more can be achieved in each sitting and less time is spent going back over the same ground. Just as importantly, the work is not stopped part way through. When momentum is kept going, the benefit builds on itself, so the overall result can be greater than the extra hours alone would suggest. The exact number depends on your goals and how you respond, and Steve will recommend a plan once he understands your situation.
Are longer sessions right for everyone?
Not always in the same form. Some people prefer to start with a 90-minute Starter Session to experience hypnosis first, while others are ready for intensive work from the outset. The free consultation is the place to work out what suits you.
Is any long session just as good?
Not necessarily. A long session is only as good as what happens in it. The value of Steve’s longer sessions comes from how the time is used: understanding the person, preparing their mind for deeper hypnosis, adapting to them rather than following a script, and working through the whole problem.
Can longer sessions be done online?
Yes. Longer sessions work well online via Zoom, as long as you can set aside a quiet, private space for the full session.
Time well spent
A longer session is not automatically a better one. What makes the difference is how the time is used. In Steve’s sessions, the extra time goes into understanding the person properly, preparing their mind to experience deeper hypnosis, adapting to them rather than following a script, and working through every thread of the problem. Each of those steps makes the next more effective, which is why the results build in a way that a series of short, standard sessions rarely can.
Hobart Modern Hypnosis works with clients at its clinic at 176 Macquarie Street, Hobart, and online across Tasmania and Australia. Steve holds a PhD and has decades of clinical experience, and every session is tailored to the person in front of him.
If you would like to find out which session format suits your goals, a free 30-minute phone consultation is a good place to start. You can get in touch here or call 03 6108 9053.
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for medical or mental health advice. Individual results vary.
Sources
- Rosendahl, J., Alldredge, C. T., & Haddenhorst, A. (2024). Meta-analytic evidence on the efficacy of hypnosis for mental and somatic health issues: A 20-year perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1330238.
- Gorassini, D. R., & Spanos, N. P. (1986). A social-cognitive skills approach to the successful modification of hypnotic susceptibility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Discussed in Is hypnotic suggestibility a stable trait?
- Enhancing hypnotic susceptibility: Interpersonal and rapport factors. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
- Batra, A., et al. (2024). Hypnotherapy compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy for smoking cessation in a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1330362.
