Living with high blood pressure can feel oddly invisible. You may not feel ill, yet every reading at the GP reminds you that your numbers are too high and your risk is creeping up. That can leave you on edge, frustrated with your body and perhaps a bit lost about what to do next. Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure offers a way to work with the emotional and behavioural side of the problem, so you are not left relying on willpower alone.
Hypertension is rarely caused by one simple issue. For most people with a diagnosis of primary or essential high blood pressure, it is a mix of genetics, lifestyle, stress and long term patterns your body has learned over the years.
In the Physical Symptoms And Pain part of our Problems We Help With section, this page focuses specifically on how hypnotherapy for high blood pressure can support your heart health alongside medical care.
Rather than treating you as a walking set of numbers, hypnotherapy for high blood pressure looks at how your mind and body are responding to pressure, and what can be changed safely and realistically. Our aim is not to replace medical treatment, it is to help you feel calmer and more in control while you make the lifestyle and stress related changes that your medical team are recommending.
You can also visit our Physical Symptoms And Pain section if you are dealing with other body symptoms or pain alongside hypertension, and the main Problems We Help With hub for a wider view of the issues we treat.
Table of Contents
- Keeping The Hypnotension Approach At The Heart Of Your Care
- Working Alongside Your Medical Treatment
- How Hypnotherapy For High Blood Pressure Helps You Change Habits
- Understanding The Role Of Stress And Past Experience
- What Hypnotherapy Sessions Are Like
- Is Hypnotherapy For High Blood Pressure Right For You
- Getting Help With High Blood Pressure
Keeping The Hypnotension Approach At The Heart Of Your Care
We are accredited Hypnotension practitioners, using a structured programme created specifically for people with primary hypertension. Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure, delivered through the Hypnotension approach, is calm, focused and practical.
There are no gimmicks and you stay in control throughout. The work centres on helping you change the beliefs, habits and stress responses that quietly keep your blood pressure higher than it needs to be.
The Hypnotension programme was co created by Paul Howard of The Surrey Institute Of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Rob Woodgate, with a focus on understanding why so many people still struggle with high blood pressure despite medication and good advice. It combines clinical hypnotherapy with gentle psychological tools and lifestyle coaching, so that you have support on both the emotional and practical sides of change.
Together we explore what the founders call the X factors, unresolved stress, guilt, anger, long term pressure, environmental stressors and unhelpful beliefs about health, age or family history. Using hypnotherapy for high blood pressure, we then begin to update those patterns at a subconscious level, so that new ways of thinking and behaving start to feel natural rather than forced.
Working Alongside Your Medical Treatment
Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure always sits alongside your medical care, it never replaces it. Your GP or specialist remains responsible for diagnosis, medication and monitoring and we will always encourage you to keep them fully informed. If there is anything in your history that gives cause for concern, we will ask you to speak to your doctor before or during treatment, and we are happy to write to your GP with your consent.
Most people with hypertension already know the standard advice, stop smoking, drink less alcohol, move more, lose weight if needed, eat less salt and try to manage your stress. The problem is not usually knowing what to do, it is getting your brain and body to cooperate when old habits have become your main way of coping. Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure focuses on that gap between good intentions and what actually happens day to day.
If anxiety is a major part of the picture for you, for example worrying about readings, medical appointments or your health in general, you may also find our Anxiety And Panic section helpful. Some clients choose to work primarily through hypnotherapy for high blood pressure, with a session or two that focus more directly on anxiety once they feel ready.
How Hypnotherapy For High Blood Pressure Helps You Change Habits
In your sessions we look at the specific factors that may be keeping your blood pressure higher than it needs to be. These often include smoking, especially when cigarettes have become your main way to calm down or take a break, stress from work, family, money or caring responsibilities, comfort eating, heavily salted foods, using alcohol to switch off, a lack of movement and long standing beliefs such as high blood pressure runs in my family.
Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure works with the part of your mind that runs these patterns on autopilot. In a relaxed, focused hypnotic state you rehearse new responses and begin to disconnect automatic links between stress and smoking, anxiety and overeating, boredom and drinking. Over time, reaching for a short walk, a glass of water or a simple breathing exercise can start to feel more normal than another drink, a cigarette or a packet of crisps.
We also pay attention to the situations in which your blood pressure tends to spike. For some people it is at the GP surgery or when the cuff goes on, for others it is after difficult conversations, work deadlines or family disputes. Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure gives you ways to prepare for those moments in advance, so that your nervous system has a realistic alternative to simply bracing and pushing through.
If you also struggle with IBS or gut related pain, you may find it useful to read more on our Hypnotherapy For IBS page, which explores the link between digestion, stress and the nervous system in more detail.
Evidence And Research
The research base on hypnotherapy for high blood pressure is still relatively small, mostly early trials and pilot studies, however taken together these studies suggest that hypnotherapy can play a useful supporting role alongside medical treatment for high blood pressure rather than replacing it.
Leo 2024, review of hypnosis and cardiovascular physiology A recent review article in Frontiers In Psychology summarises how hypnosis can influence the autonomic nervous system, including heart rate and blood pressure, and discusses the Gay and Raskin hypertension trials as part of a wider hypno cardiac physiology model. The paper, “Close Your Eyes And Relax, The Role Of Hypnosis In Cardiovascular Diseases”
Gay 2007, hypnosis for mild essential hypertension A randomised controlled trial of 30 people with mild essential hypertension compared eight individual hypnosis sessions with no treatment. The hypnosis group showed significant reductions in blood pressure that were maintained at six and twelve month follow up. You can read the abstract in the International Journal Of Clinical And Experimental Hypnosis via PubMed
Upoyo et al 2022, audio hypnotherapy sessions in primary hypertension In a randomised pilot study of 64 adults with primary hypertension, people who listened to a fifteen minute audio hypnotherapy recording had greater short term reductions in systolic blood pressure, heart rate and subjective distress than those who simply rested quietly for the same amount of time. The paper is indexed on PubMed at
Kurnia et al 2021, brief hypnotic induction and blood pressure control This study looked at a brief hypnotic induction protocol for adults with hypertension and found that the intervention helped reduce blood pressure and heart rate, with most participants reporting a positive relaxation effect. The full text is available as a conference paper, Blood Pressure Control And Heart Rate, Effectiveness Brief Hypnotic Induction Methods On Adults
Seitz et al 2024, hypnosis in pregnant women with pre eclampsia Although this study focuses on pregnancy, it is relevant because it explores hypnosis in a group with raised blood pressure and high cardiovascular risk. Pregnant women with pre eclampsia who received hypnosis showed reductions in anxiety and blood pressure compared with those receiving usual care alone. The open access article is in the Journal Of Education And Health Promotion
At The Surrey Institute Of Clinical Hypnotherapy we draw on this research base and on many years of clinical experience. Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure is used to help clients reduce stress, change unhelpful habits, feel more in control and support the lifestyle changes recommended by their medical team. We do not claim to cure hypertension, but we do see that for many people, hypnotherapy and the Hypnotension programme can be a powerful part of a thoughtful, joined up plan for long term heart health.
Understanding The Role Of Stress And Past Experience
For many people with hypertension, stress is one of the biggest drivers of raised blood pressure. You may feel as though you have been on alert for years, managing work and family demands, finances, caring duties or difficult relationships.
Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure helps you recognise your personal stress triggers earlier and gives you tools to calm your nervous system before it spirals.
The Hypnotension approach also acknowledges that old experiences can linger in the body. Childhood pressure, criticism, fear, bullying, trauma or chaotic homes can all leave your internal alarm system set too high.
In hypnotherapy sessions we work gently with these memories, helping your subconscious mind to stand down from threats that belong in the past, so that your body does not have to stay in constant high alert mode.
For some clients, this overlaps with issues such as long term stress, burnout or feeling constantly wired and tired. If those patterns are very strong for you, you may also find it useful to explore our Stress section, which looks more widely at the ways chronic stress affects both mind and body.
What Hypnotherapy Sessions Are Like
People are often surprised by how ordinary hypnotherapy feels. You stay in control throughout and you will not be asleep.
You are then guided into a comfortable, relaxed state, similar to being absorbed in a book or daydream. In that state your mind is more open to positive suggestions and new perspectives.
A typical session begins with a conversation about your week, your blood pressure readings if you are monitoring at home, and any changes you have noticed in your mood, stress levels or habits. You can ask questions at any point.
We do not force you to do anything, instead we invite your subconscious to experiment with different ways of responding to familiar situations.
We use targeted suggestions, imagery and techniques from the Hypnotension protocol to help you let go of unhelpful beliefs about your health, respond differently to stress triggers and feel more confident about making realistic lifestyle changes. Over time, hypnotherapy for high blood pressure aims to shift your internal default setting away from permanent alert and towards a calmer, more balanced way of responding.
Is Hypnotherapy For High Blood Pressure Right For You
Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure is not a magic cure and it is not right for every situation. If your high blood pressure has a clear medical cause, such as kidney disease or a specific hormonal condition, your main treatment will always be medical, although hypnosis may still help you cope better with stress or lifestyle changes.
However, if you have been told that your hypertension is primary or essential, if you feel ready to look at the emotional side of your health and if you like the idea of working with your subconscious mind rather than battling with willpower alone, then hypnotherapy for high blood pressure could be a good fit.
We will always be honest with you about what feels realistic. For some people, success means bringing blood pressure down enough for their GP to consider reducing medication. For others it means feeling calmer, sleeping better, drinking less, changing long standing habits or preventing borderline readings from creeping higher. Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure is about changing the conditions in which your heart and blood vessels are working every day.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hypnotherapy For High Blood Pressure
No. Hypnotherapy for high blood pressure is designed to work alongside your medical treatment, not instead of it. Your GP or specialist will continue to manage your medication and monitoring. We never advise changing tablets without speaking to your doctor first, even if your readings start to improve.
That depends on your situation, how long you have had hypertension and how many lifestyle or emotional factors are involved. Some people notice useful changes within a few sessions of hypnotherapy for high blood pressure, such as feeling calmer or finding it easier to change one habit. Others prefer a longer programme so they can work through several X factors at a comfortable pace. We will agree a plan together after your initial assessment.
For most people, yes. Hypnosis is a natural, focused state of attention and you remain aware and in control. Before we begin hypnotherapy for high blood pressure, we will take a full history and check that hypnotherapy is appropriate for you. If there is anything that needs medical investigation, we will ask you to speak to your GP first.
Many clients come for hypnotherapy for high blood pressure even when their readings are mostly controlled by medication. They want to feel calmer, reduce stress, improve sleep or change habits around smoking, alcohol, food or exercise. Hypnotherapy can still be very useful in those situations, with your doctor keeping an eye on your readings and any medication changes.
Home monitoring is often recommended by GPs because it gives a truer picture than occasional clinic readings. If your doctor has asked you to check your blood pressure at home, we will invite you to keep doing that while we work together. It can be very motivating to see changes in your numbers over time, and we can also help you stay calmer around the readings themselves so they do not become another source of anxiety.
Getting Help With High Blood Pressure
If you recognise yourself in this description, you do not have to wait until things get worse. Whether you are newly diagnosed, have been living with hypertension for years, or are trying to prevent borderline readings from creeping higher, hypnotherapy for high blood pressure can be a practical way to bring more calm, control and confidence into your everyday life.
At The Surrey Institute Of Clinical Hypnotherapy we offer in person and online sessions, so you can choose what fits your energy and schedule best. For a wider view of the physical problems we help with, you can return to the Physical Symptoms And Pain section or to the main Problems We Help With page.
If you would like to explore whether the Hypnotension programme and hypnotherapy for high blood pressure are right for you, you can contact us to arrange an initial conversation. Together we can map out a plan that respects your medical care, your goals and the way your body actually responds to stress and change.