Can hypnosis work if you’re skeptical?

Short answer? Yep.

Long answer? Still yep—but with a few important things worth unpacking. So let’s chat.

Let’s say you’re sitting on the fence. Not quite a believer, not quite a cynic, but definitely side-eying anything that sounds remotely like mind control or swinging pocket watches. Maybe someone recommended hypnosis to help you deal with anxiety, or grief, or that stubborn voice in your head that just won’t shut up at 2am. And your first thought was something like: "Pfft. That’ll never work on me."

Yeah, you wouldn’t be the first.

Most people think being skeptical is a deal-breaker. Like if you don’t walk into a session wearing a robe and clutching a crystal, the whole thing will fail. But here’s the twist: skepticism isn’t the problem. Resistance is.

And yes—those two aren’t the same thing.

Skepticism says, "I don’t know if this will work, but I’ll give it a go."

Resistance says, "I’m here, but I’m not letting you in, not even a little bit."

See the difference? One is a raised eyebrow. The other is a brick wall. And as someone who’s guided plenty of skeptical clients through sessions, I can tell you with complete honesty: you can question the process, you can doubt it, you can even laugh at it a bit. But if you're willing to show up and follow the steps—even with that doubt whispering in the background—that’s enough.

Let me tell you about one of my favorite clients. We'll call her Rachel.

Rachel came to me after her dog passed away. She was heartbroken, anxious, and deeply unsure about hypnosis. She said, "Look, I'm not into this kind of thing. But I'm also not sleeping, and I'm desperate. So do your thing."

Not exactly a wide-open heart and mind.

And you know what happened? She went deep. Like, really deep. Tears. Shifts. That heavy emotional exhale people don’t even know they’re holding until it leaves them.

After the session, she sat there blinking at me and said, "I have no idea how that worked. But it did."

That right there is the sweet spot. You don’t have to believe in hypnosis like it’s some kind of religion. You just have to show up.

Because here’s what most people don’t get: hypnosis isn’t magic. It’s not woo. It’s not about giving up control, either.

It’s about tapping into something you already do all the time. Have you ever zoned out in the shower and had a random memory pop up from 15 years ago? Ever driven home on autopilot and not remembered half the journey? Ever gotten lost in a good book or film and forgotten you were even sitting on your couch?

That’s trance.

That’s your mind, slipping into a focused state where your attention narrows and time bends a little.

Hypnosis just takes that same mechanism and puts it to good use. With intention. With guidance. With outcomes.

And if you’re thinking, "Yeah, but what if my mind is too strong? I can’t be hypnotized," I hear that one a lot too. You know who says that?

Smart people. Analytical people. People who live upstairs in their minds with every light on.

Ironically, those folks often make the best clients. Because once they stop trying to analyze the experience and just haveit, things shift fast.

The trick is this: don’t try to "do it right."

Don’t try to figure it out in real-time. That’s like trying to watch yourself sleep.

Instead, think of it like watching waves roll in. You don’t have to understand the physics of the ocean to get wet. You don’t need to name every species of tree to enjoy a forest. And you don’t need to understand hypnosis to benefit from it.

I mean, do you understand how your phone works on a microchip level? No? Still using it every day though, right?

Hypnosis is kind of like that. It doesn’t need your belief. It needs your attention. Your willingness. Your presence, even if that presence is skeptical.

Look, I’m not trying to convert you. I’m not here to sell snake oil or promise enlightenment or slap a shiny gold seal on your third eye. I’m here to help you feel better. Lighter. Clearer. Less stuck.

And if a voice in your head is saying, "That’s not possible for me," well... that’s the voice I help people turn the volume down on.

There’s also this weird idea that hypnosis is only for dramatic issues. Like quitting smoking or clucking like a chicken on stage. But so much of the work I do is about emotional debris. That low-key stress that builds up. The grief you think you should be over by now. The patterns you can’t seem to shake.

It’s subtle work. Deep, but gentle.

It’s not a hammer. It’s a reset button.

And yeah, you can hit it even if you’re side-eyeing it the whole time.

So what do you need for it to work?

You need to show up.

You need to be open enough to follow a few simple instructions.

You need to not fight it the whole way through. That’s it.

And if you’re carrying some emotional clutter, something like my Mental Detox might be exactly what helps you lighten the load without needing to believe in crystals, chakras, or unicorns. (Although if you do believe in unicorns, I’m not judging. I mean, who wouldn’t want a glitter pony?)

So here’s the truth:

You can bring your doubts. You can bring your crossed arms and arched eyebrow. You can even roll your eyes a little on the way in.

As long as you also bring your willingness to sit down, breathe, and see what happens—you’re good.

Because at the end of the day, hypnosis doesn’t need to dazzle you. It just needs a crack in the door. And most people, even the skeptical ones, have that crack already.

You wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t.

So... you in?