Hypnotherapy for trauma and performance: how it compares with EMDR, neurofeedback and breathwork

Biohackers talk about "releasing" trauma the way they talk about sleep or glucose: as something you can measure and work on. Dave Asprey, who has spent more on his own nervous system than most people spend on a house, has tried most of the options. Here is what each one actually involves, what the evidence says, and where hypnotherapy fits.

One thing first. If trauma is affecting your daily life, start with your GP. In Australia the national PTSD guidelines from Phoenix Australia recommend trauma-focused CBT and EMDR as first-line treatments for adults. Everything below sits alongside proper care, not instead of it.

Signs a past trauma is still affecting you

Fear and anxiety after something frightening are normal. According to healthdirect, when they last more than a month and get in the way of everyday life, they may be a sign of PTSD, which about 12 in every 100 Australians experience at some point. It groups the symptoms into four types:

• Re-experiencing: flashbacks, nightmares, and a racing heart or panic when something reminds you of it.
• Avoidance: steering clear of places, people or conversations that bring it back.
• Negative thoughts and mood: blame, guilt, numbness, or losing interest in things you used to enjoy.
• Increased alertness: being easily startled, always scanning for danger, poor sleep and poor concentration.

If several of these sound familiar, that is the moment to see your GP, whichever approach below you end up choosing.

The options, side by side

EMDR

EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing) has you hold a difficult memory in mind while you follow a therapist's fingers or hold buzzers that tap left and right. Asprey describes it as moving a memory out of the "fear" folder and into the "safe" one. It is one of the two first-line treatments in Australia's guidelines, and he is clear it needs a trained practitioner.

Neurofeedback

Asprey's own company, 40 Years of Zen, runs multi-day neurofeedback intensives built around EEG sensors and guided forgiveness work. He is also the first to warn that in inexperienced hands it can backfire: "some people have gained anxiety and lost restful sleep for months." It is expensive, and the research on neurofeedback for trauma is still mixed.

Breathwork

Long breathing sessions can bring up strong emotion and a sense of release, and Asprey has paired breathwork with hypnosis in workshops. There is little trauma-specific research, and intense styles are not for everyone, so start gently and with someone who knows what they are doing.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy

Since 1 July 2023, the TGA has allowed specially authorised psychiatrists to prescribe MDMA for PTSD and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, as part of psychotherapy. Outside that pathway it is illegal in Australia. Asprey ranks the psychedelics he discusses by risk, and every one of them sits in a clinical setting, not a weekend retreat.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Hypnotherapy is the quietest option on the list. You sit or lie comfortably, a practitioner guides you into focused relaxation, and from there you work on whatever you came in with: a memory that still has a charge, a fear, or a habit. Asprey points to hypnosis as a way to calm the brain's self-talk, and describes using it alongside breathwork to reach memories he could not get to by talking.

The research is small but encouraging. A 2016 review that pooled six studies (Rotaru and Rusu) found a large effect in favour of hypnosis-based treatment for PTSD symptoms, still strong four weeks later. Six studies is not many, which is why it is not first-line, and why it works best as part of wider care.

For trauma work it matters who you see. In Newcastle, Holistic Health Hypnotherapy in Newcastle is a clinical hypnotherapist with more than three decades in health and wellness, working one person at a time. Whoever you see, ask about their training, how they handle a session that gets intense, and how they work alongside your GP or psychologist.

Is EMDR better than hypnosis for trauma?

For diagnosed PTSD, on the evidence we have today, yes. EMDR is one of the two first-line treatments in the Phoenix Australia guidelines, backed by many trials. Hypnotherapy is not on that first-line list, mostly because there are far fewer studies, not because the studies that exist are negative. Some people try hypnotherapy because EMDR did not suit them, or because they want something gentler for a memory that bothers them without being a full diagnosis. That is a reasonable choice as long as it sits beside proper care.

Complex PTSD and childhood trauma

Complex PTSD usually follows long or repeated trauma, often in childhood, and it shows up as more than flashbacks: trouble managing emotions, a harsh view of yourself, and difficulty trusting people. The current Phoenix Australia guidelines are the first Australian version to include complex PTSD as its own diagnosis.

This is where who you see matters most. Work on childhood trauma can stir up a lot, and a good practitioner goes slowly, builds safety and coping skills first, and knows when to refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist. If someone promises to "clear" decades of trauma in a single session, keep looking.

What a first session usually looks like

Most hypnotherapists start with a long conversation: what brought you in, what you want to change, your health history and any other support you have. The hypnosis itself is guided focused relaxation. You stay aware, you can hear everything, and you can open your eyes and stop at any point. For trauma, many practitioners spend the first session or two on calming and safety skills before going anywhere near a difficult memory.

A useful habit is to agree before you start on a signal for "pause", and on what happens if a session gets intense. You should leave feeling settled, not raw.

Self-hypnosis for trauma

Recorded self-hypnosis and relaxation tracks are easy to find and cost little or nothing. They can be a handy way to calm your body before sleep or between sessions. They are not a way to work through a traumatic memory on your own: if a track brings up flashbacks or panic, stop it and talk to a professional.

Cost, Medicare and registration in Australia

Medicare's Better Access program pays benefits for up to 10 individual mental health sessions a year with eligible GPs, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists. A hypnotherapist on their own is not on that list, so a hypnotherapy session is usually paid out of pocket. Some psychologists are trained in clinical hypnosis and use it inside a normal Medicare-rebated session, which is worth asking about if cost is the barrier.

Hypnotherapy is also not one of the professions registered by Ahpra, so there is no national register to check. Ask which professional association a hypnotherapist belongs to, what training they did and how long ago, and whether they have worked with trauma before.

Hypnosis for performance

The same focus that helps with old memories is used the other way too: rehearsing a race, a pitch or a hard conversation in your head until it feels familiar. Athletes have used guided imagery for decades. Hypnosis adds deeper relaxation to that rehearsal. It will not add muscle or replace training, but for nerves, focus and routines it is cheap, low-risk and easy to try.

The bottom line

• For diagnosed PTSD, start with the first-line treatments: trauma-focused CBT or EMDR.
• Hypnotherapy has a small but positive evidence base and suits people who want a gentle, practical approach, ideally alongside other care.
• Neurofeedback and breathwork are interesting tools with thinner evidence; go slowly.
• Psychedelic-assisted therapy is only legal in Australia through authorised psychiatrists.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you are struggling, talk to your GP, or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Sources

1. Phoenix Australia, Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of ASD, PTSD and Complex PTSD
2. Therapeutic Goods Administration, MDMA and psilocybine hub
3. Australian Government Department of Health, Better Access initiative
4. healthdirect, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
5. Ahpra, Who we are
6. Rotaru and Rusu, A meta-analysis for the efficacy of hypnotherapy in alleviating PTSD symptoms, Int J Clin Exp Hypn, 2016

Last checked 3 November 2026. Corrections are welcome: details on the about page.

General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP first, especially if you are pregnant, have a heart condition or take medication.