Hypnotherapy: when understanding the problem is not enough
You understand everything, yet the problem remains.
Perhaps you know where your problem comes from. You understand your childhood, relationships, losses, and the events that shaped you. You may even know how you should think, feel, or act differently.
Yet when you find yourself in the same situation again, your body responds as it always has.
Anxiety, fear, tension, the need to withdraw, anger, or a feeling of helplessness may arise. Your conscious mind tells you that there is no danger, but a deeper part of you has not yet recognized this.
Understanding is important. It is often the first step. But understanding a problem and changing an automatic internal response are not the same thing.
Clinical hypnotherapy is a structured therapeutic process in which hypnosis, focused attention, therapeutic language, and work with unconscious patterns are used to create the conditions for change at the level where the problem is actually triggered.
I offer therapy sessions in Ljubljana, Buje in Istria, and online via Zoom.
What Happens During Hypnosis
Deep Relaxation (the body relaxes, stress disappears)
Heightened Focus (the mind becomes clear and focused)
Clarity of Experience
(a stronger connection with your inner world)
Access to the Subconscious (easier understanding of the origins of difficulties)
New Possibilities (openness to positive change)
Inner Strength (activation of hidden potential)
Aleksander Grunčić Krajnc, MD
Physician with 14 years of clinical experience, internationally certified clinical hypnotherapist, and founder of the Academy of Hypnotherapy.
What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic approach that uses hypnosis with the aim of changing unwanted emotional, physical, and behavioral patterns.
Hypnosis itself is not therapy.
Hypnosis is a state of altered or focused attention in which perception, experience, emotions, and responses to suggestion may change. Hypnotherapy uses this state as part of a broader therapeutic process that includes understanding the client’s difficulty, defining the desired state, activating internal resources, transformation, evaluating the outcome, and integrating the change.
In my approach, hypnosis is not the goal. What matters is not how deeply the client is “hypnotized” or how unusual the phenomena they experience may be.
What matters is whether their response in real life has changed.
A person can experience a very deep trance and yet nothing in their life may change. Conversely, a profound internal shift can occur during what may appear to be an ordinary conversation.
Therefore, hypnotherapy is not simply listening to suggestions with your eyes closed. It is a process that involves the therapeutic relationship, attention, therapeutic language, working with the body, emotions, memories, symbols, and the client’s own inner intelligence.
Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are not the same
Hypnosis could be compared to an open door.
Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, is the entire journey we take through that door.
In hypnotherapy, we first explore:
- what is actually happening to the client;
- when and where the problem occurs;
- how they experience it in their body;
- what triggers it;
- what maintains it;
- what the client truly wants instead.
Only then do we use hypnosis as a way to temporarily quiet the ordinary analytical mind and direct attention toward deeper processes.
Hypnosis is therefore only one part of hypnotherapy. In my book, I describe it as one of the seven basic steps of a hypnotherapy session.
Why is understanding the problem often not enough?
Imagine a construction site at night.
Understanding is the light that illuminates the space. It allows us to see where the problem is, how it arose, and what needs to be changed.
But light alone does not dig the foundations.
For that, you need the right tools and actual work.
The same applies to people. The conscious mind can understand very well why fear arises. It knows that a particular situation is safe. It knows that it is no longer a child dependent on its parents’ responses. It knows that a relationship, job, or circumstance from the past no longer exists.
Yet the body may still react as if the old danger were happening right now.
The heart begins to beat faster. Breathing changes. The chest tightens. An impulse arises to run away, attack, please others, or withdraw completely.
Such a response is not necessarily the result of a conscious decision. It is often automatic, learned, and connected to experiences that were once important for our survival.
Understanding can illuminate the problem. Change, however, must take place where the pattern is automatically triggered.
This is the space we enter through hypnotherapy.
Do you lose control during hypnosis?
No.
Hypnosis is not unconsciousness, sleep, or a state in which the therapist takes control of your mind.
In most cases, the client can hear the therapist’s voice, remain aware of their surroundings, speak, open their eyes, change their body position, or stop the process at any time.
Hypnosis also does not mean that you will automatically accept every suggestion. Suggestion works in relation to your values, expectations, trust, motivation, and willingness to participate.
The therapist’s task is not to break your will.
The therapist’s task is to establish sufficient trust and appropriately direct your attention so that you can access processes that were previously obscured by your usual inner dialogue.
The answer does not come from the therapist
The client is not an empty glass into which the therapist must pour their knowledge.
Nor are they a broken machine that the therapist needs to repair.
A person often already carries within themselves everything they need:
- the ability to feel;
- a memory of safety;
- creativity;
- bodily intelligence;
- courage;
- love;
- intuition;
- the possibility of responding in a new way.
The difficulty is that old defensive patterns prevent access to these resources.
That is why I do not believe that the essential role of the therapist is to give advice.
A therapist can provide a professional explanation, point out a danger, set a boundary, or recommend additional medical treatment. But they cannot know what kind of life another person should live.
The deepest answers do not emerge because the therapist has spoken them.
They emerge from the client’s own experience.
In one of the clinical cases in the book, a client discovers the meaning of a symptom that she had previously been unable to understand. I write:
This insight did not come from me. It came from her unconscious.
At that point, change is no longer something the client has to believe in. It becomes something they have directly recognized for themselves.
Ericksonian hypnotherapy
An important part of my approach is based on Ericksonian hypnotherapy.
Milton H. Erickson did not use the same script for every client. He adapted to the individual, their language, resistance, values, way of thinking, and life context.
Instead of giving direct commands, he often used:
- stories;
- metaphors;
- ambiguities;
- permissive suggestions;
- questions;
- the client’s own words;
- unexpected shifts in perspective;
- using the client’s resistance to their advantage.
This approach is not aimed at overcoming or breaking the conscious mind.
Conscious resistance often exists for a reason. It may be protecting a person from something. If we fight against it, we may only strengthen it.
Therefore, the guidance is subtle, non-intrusive, and adapted to the person in front of us.
Rapport: the foundation of successful hypnotherapy
Before every technique comes the relationship.
The client must feel that the therapist is listening, understanding, and not judging them. Without this, it can be difficult to relax the control they may have developed throughout their life.
Rapport is not simply a friendly conversation.
It is a deep sense that, in the presence of another person, we can stop defending ourselves for a moment.
The therapist’s voice, posture, inner calm, way of listening, and ability to remain present even in the face of difficult emotions become part of the process.
These qualities cannot be learned from a script.
They are the result of knowledge, experience, an ethical approach, and the therapist’s long-term personal development.
What does science say about hypnosis?
Hypnosis is not magic, but neither is it a method for which the evidence is equally strong for all conditions.
A meta-analysis of 15 studies found that hypnosis can be beneficial in reducing anxiety, with effects generally greater when hypnosis was incorporated into a broader psychological process.
Research also indicates benefits for some forms of clinical pain. A meta-analysis of 42 studies, comprising 45 comparisons, found a moderate effect of hypnotic interventions on clinical pain.
The NCCIH cites evidence for gut-directed hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome, as well as promising findings for some pain conditions and anxiety associated with medical procedures. At the same time, it notes that the quality of evidence varies across different areas and that results for some indications, such as smoking cessation, are inconsistent.
This is also my position.
I do not present hypnotherapy as a miraculous solution to all problems. It is a powerful therapeutic tool whose appropriateness depends on:
- the type of problem;
- the client’s motivation;
- their psychological and physical condition;
- the relationship with the therapist;
- the practitioner’s competence;
- the quality and continuity of the process.
Why is the competence of the hypnotherapist important?
Hypnosis is a powerful tool.
That is precisely why it is not enough to learn an induction technique or read a few scripts.
A trained hypnotherapist must:
- understand psychological and physiological processes;
- recognize contraindications;
- know their own limitations;
- know when referral to another professional is necessary;
- know how to establish rapport;
- adapt their approach to each individual client;
- use suggestions without imposing their own values;
- assess whether the change has actually occurred;
- respect ethics, confidentiality, and the client’s autonomy;
- avoid promising results that cannot be guaranteed.
A good therapist is not someone who knows everything.
It is someone who knows how to be present enough to notice what is actually happening with the client, and professional enough not to take the process beyond the limits of their competence.
We can only guide others as deeply as we have come to know ourselves.
That is why at the Academy of Hypnotherapy, training is not based solely on learning techniques. The two-year program includes professional knowledge, practical exercises, clinical demonstrations, supervision, mentoring, and the personal development of future therapists.
My approach to clinical hypnotherapy
I am Aleksander Grunčić Krajnc, MD, a certified clinical hypnotherapist and founder of the Academy of Hypnotherapy.
After studying medicine, I worked in the fields of surgery, rehabilitation, and diagnostics. Over time, I came to realize that there are dimensions of human suffering that medical diagnosis and an understanding of illness alone cannot always reach.
For many years, I have been intensively involved in hypnosis, hypnotherapy, the workings of the unconscious mind, and personal transformation. My work is based on thousands of individual hypnotherapy sessions, international training, and the integration of medical knowledge, Ericksonian hypnotherapy, and a deeper understanding of the human being.
I do not use the same process for every client.
Every person has a different story, inner structure, life context, way of thinking, and pace of change.
The technique must adapt to the person.
The person should not have to adapt to the technique.
What conditions is hypnotherapy used for?
People most often seek hypnotherapy when they understand their problem but, despite their efforts, are unable to change it.
Anxiety, distress, and overthinking
With anxiety, a vicious cycle often develops.
An unpleasant sensation appears in the body. Because the person does not want to feel it, they begin to analyze it. The mind creates more and more scenarios, which intensify the feeling. The thoughts then begin to race even faster.
In hypnotherapy, we do not simply try to stop the thoughts.
We direct attention toward the bodily sensation, the automatic response, and the experiences that caused the system to begin anticipating danger even where it may no longer exist today.
Panic attacks and phobias
A panic attack can feel like proof that you are losing control, that you are going to faint, die, or go crazy.
Medical examinations often do not reveal a dangerous physical illness, yet the body still reacts as if it were under threat.
In our work, we explore:
- the first occurrence of the panic response;
- the circumstances in which it occurs;
- the feeling of losing control;
- the unconscious function of the symptom;
- the physical fear that the person is trying to prevent.
With a phobia, gradually approaching the feared object is not always enough. Sometimes it is important to understand what the phobia represents and which older imprint is activated by it.
The effects of traumatic experiences
A traumatic event can end, while the physical response remains.
A person knows that they are safe today, yet their body may react to a particular word, look, sound, or situation as if the past were happening again.
In hypnotherapy, trauma is not opened up by force.
First, a sufficient sense of safety, distance, and inner strength needs to be established. Only then can the client approach a particular memory or feeling and experience it from a different perspective.
The goal is not to erase the past.
The goal is for the past to stop controlling the present.
Depressive mood, lack of motivation, and a sense of meaninglessness
With depression, it is not always enough to ask how to reduce sadness.
Sometimes it is more important to ask:
- what the person has not allowed themselves to feel for a long time;
- what life energy has been suppressed;
- what kind of relationships or circumstances they are living in;
- what in their life is no longer authentic;
- what meaning they have lost.
Hypnotherapy can be used for depressive symptoms as part of a broader treatment approach. In cases of severe depression, suicidal thoughts, or significant instability, appropriate medical or psychiatric assessment is necessary, often involving collaboration between multiple professionals.
Low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence
Low self-esteem is not simply the thought:
»I am not good enough.«
It is often an entire physical and emotional state. The way a person stands, speaks, receives praise, sets boundaries, or responds to criticism.
A conscious positive affirmation does not necessarily change a deeply learned feeling of inadequacy.
In hypnotherapy, we explore when this feeling arose, what purpose it served, and what new experience is needed for a person to begin experiencing themselves differently.
Stress, insomnia, and burnout
Insomnia can be the result of a nervous system that no longer knows how to switch off its state of readiness for danger.
Burnout is not always simply the result of too much work. Sometimes a person has spent years living out of alignment with themselves, trying to please others, prove their worth, or remaining in circumstances in which their system cannot recover.
Hypnotherapy can help regulate inner tension, develop self-hypnosis, and explore deeper patterns that prevent a person from resting.
Psychosomatic difficulties, pain, and digestive disorders
Emotional and physical processes are not separate.
Stress can affect muscle tension, the perception of pain, digestion, breathing, and other bodily functions. Hypnosis is therefore also being studied for chronic pain and irritable bowel syndrome.
Before beginning hypnotherapy, it is important that any potential physical illnesses are appropriately diagnosed and treated.
We effectively address anxiety, panic attacks, and various phobias using hypnosis. In a state of trance, we address fear at its root.
I help you overcome depression, burnout, and feelings of being trapped and without meaning. Depression is often a defense against unpleasant feelings that have accumulated throughout life and that we are not prepared to fully experience. When we process these feelings in a hypnotic trance, natural energy is restored and the will to live returns.
Hypnotherapy is highly effective in addressing the effects of trauma. The work includes healing childhood trauma, working with the inner child, and releasing energies that have remained trapped in your body as a result of past experiences.
Hypnosis can help with managing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and improving dynamics in intimate relationships. By changing subconscious beliefs, we create space for healthier relationships and more stable functioning.
For issues with motivation or a lack of creativity, we use hypnosis to access your inner resources. The goal is to activate your full potential, which is often overlooked or blocked in ordinary states of consciousness.
Hypnotherapy can be effective in addressing burnout and difficulties related to sexuality. Through the process, we release energies that have remained trapped in the body and help you restore vitality and reconnect with your own body.
I realized that there are much deeper causes of human suffering that I could not address within the strictly defined frameworks of conventional medicine.
Aleksander Grunčić Krajnc, MD
Conscious and unconscious mind
Imagine a construction site at night.
Understanding is the light that illuminates the space. It allows us to see where the problem lies, how it arose, and what needs to be changed.
But light alone does not dig the foundations.
For that, the right tools and actual work are needed.
The same applies to the human mind. The conscious mind can understand very well why fear arises. It knows that a particular situation is safe. It knows that you are no longer a child dependent on your parents’ reactions. It knows that a relationship, job, or circumstance from the past no longer exists.
Yet the body may still react as if the old danger were happening right now.
The heart begins to beat faster. Breathing changes. The chest tightens. An impulse arises to run away, attack, please others, or withdraw completely.
Such a response is not necessarily the result of a conscious decision. It is often automatic, learned, and connected to experiences that were once important for our survival.
Understanding can illuminate the problem. Change, however, must take place where the pattern is triggered automatically.
This is the space we enter through hypnotherapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hypnotherapy is a completely safe method where you maintain control at all times. During hypnosis, you are not unconscious, but rather in a state of deep focus. Your defense mechanism remains active at all times, so no one can force you into actions or words that go against your values, ethics, or will.
Most people are susceptible to hypnosis, but the method is not suitable for certain psychotic conditions. Since it is a natural state of mind (similar to being completely absorbed while reading a book), almost anyone who wishes to can enter a trance. During the introductory consultation, we will assess precisely whether this approach is the best choice based on your current state and goals.
It works by bypassing the critical conscious mind and directly addressing subconscious patterns. In a state of trance, we can more easily identify the roots of your fears, addictions, or blocks. When we replace limiting beliefs with supportive ones at the subconscious level, the change in your behavior and well-being occurs naturally and without great conscious effort.
The number of sessions is individual, but initial results often appear after just 3 to 5 meetings. For specific problems, such as phobias, changes can be very rapid. For deeper, long-standing patterns (such as depression or complex trauma), a structured process that takes longer is required to permanently anchor the new patterns.
Yes, you will clearly remember the vast majority of what happens during the session. Although your mind is in a deep state of relaxation, you have not fallen asleep. The memory of a session is similar to the memory of a long dream or deep meditation—some details may fade, but the essential insights and feelings will remain in your consciousness.
Clinical hypnotherapy is a therapeutic process aimed at healing, not entertainment. Unlike stage hypnosis, which is about showmanship and quick tricks, clinical work utilizes Ericksonian and modern approaches to resolve serious psychological distress. Here, you are an active participant in the process, using hypnosis as a tool for your own transformation.
Izkušnje uporabnikov
12+ years of experience
At a time when I was experiencing severe anxiety, his therapies were my lifeline.
12+ years of experience
At a time when I was experiencing severe anxiety, his therapies were my lifeline.
12+ years of experience
At a time when I was experiencing severe anxiety, his therapies were my lifeline.
At a time when I was experiencing severe anxiety, his therapies were my lifeline. Just talking to him brings a sense of safety and inner peace, as he radiates a special, calming energy. He always took the time for me and was ready to help, which meant the world to world to me. I highly recommend ????????
Nika Sedlar
My name is thiru.iam from India i have been afraid of deth fear since 6 years and i took the two terapys really its amazing it brought new awareness to me thank you brother your therapy i definitely recommend..
Nika Sedlar
I visited Dr. Grunčić Krajnc based on a very warm recommendation from my personal physician. The first visit/contact felt like I was in a movie—the reception, the treatment… The first walk to his clinic was difficult for me; my legs, body, and head felt heavy. However, right after the first session and completed therapy, I felt relief, as if I had jumped straight up from a lying position and landed firmly on my feet. Because of this, I looked forward to every single therapy appointment. Through the therapies (where finally, there were no medications that only further ‘cover up’ the condition), I discovered how many things I had buried deep within my subconscious that were the quiet, hidden cause of my anxiety, distress, depression, and subsequent exhaustion. I am grateful for this experience. To anyone facing things they feel they cannot process on their own, I would warmly recommend a session, just as my doctor did for me—for which I am also immensely grateful. Of course, one must also be aware of the fact that nothing happens overnight; it takes willpower, desire… It is definitely easier said than done. That is why help is always welcome. The path to happiness is much easier when we support people with good intentions. Traveling the path to happiness is much, much easier with people we can trust!
Nika Sedlar
“With you, I entered the deepest corners of my being, beyond the conscious mind. There, I experienced a deep inner peace, shed all the weight of my past life, and became friends with my thoughts, emotions, and feelings. I discovered joy, gladness, and happiness in their purest form, completely detached from material goods or life relationships. I can always return to these depths. The insights I gained with you are my greatest wealth, something that cannot be bought anywhere. My life has become much better. I came to know you as someone who is always ready to help, highly professionally qualified, and a good person. I recommend this to everyone, for all levels of life. Aleksander, a sincere THANK YOU.
Nika Sedlar
I am immensely grateful that I met Aleksander and decided to try his hypnotherapy. I perceived Aleksander as someone whose desire to help others is truly authentic. With his approach—the right choice of words and actions, a different perspective, his presence, acceptance, and calmness—he helped me overcome a challenge that had been troubling me for quite a while. At the same time, I discovered something completely new, something that until then had been entirely unknown to me. Aleksander, thank you for everything. And I truly, warmly recommend this to anyone who desires lasting change. ☀️
Nika Sedlar
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