Living with psoriasis is about far more than red or flaky patches on your skin. It can affect how you feel about yourself in almost every situation.
You may be choosing clothes to hide plaques, avoiding swimming, intimacy or holidays, or worrying about what people will think if they notice your skin. Even on better days, you might find yourself scanning for new patches and waiting for the next flare.
For many people the emotional side of psoriasis is as hard to live with as the physical symptoms. Clients often describe feeling exposed, on show or as if their own body is working against them. Over time it can feel as though psoriasis has taken over your identity.
At The Surrey Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy we use hypnotherapy for psoriasis to work with both the physical experience and the emotional impact. We cannot change your genes or replace medical treatment, however we can help to influence the autoimmune response and your nervous system so that stress, emotion and flare patterns are not so tightly locked together. Our focus is plaque psoriasis, which is the type of psoriasis that has responded best in our clinical work.
This page sits within our physical symptoms and pain section, and you can also see how it fits within the wider picture on our main problems we help with page.
On this page
Common Psoriasis Traits And Feelings
Over the years we have noticed that many people with psoriasis share certain thoughts and feelings about themselves and their skin. You might recognise some of these.
- Feeling ashamed or unattractive because of how your skin looks
- Worrying that other people will think you are contagious or unclean
- Feeling different or less than other people
- Constantly checking your skin and scanning for new plaques
- Avoiding clothes, activities, intimacy or social events to hide your skin
- Feeling angry, either at your skin, at yourself, or at life in general
When you live with a visible skin condition for a long time, it is understandable that confidence can drop and self criticism can grow louder. Psoriasis can start to feel like who you are, rather than something you have. Hypnotherapy for psoriasis aims to shift these deep beliefs at a subconscious level so that your sense of identity is no longer fused with the condition.
Why Psoriasis Starts And Keeps Coming Back
Psoriasis is usually understood as an immune mediated skin condition, where your genetics, immune system and the environment all play a role. For some people the main triggers are infections, physical irritation or contact with certain products, for others major life events, shocks or ongoing emotional strain seem to turn the volume up on an already sensitive system. We cannot rewrite your basic biology, however what we are interested in is how active that process needs to be in your day to day life.
In our own work we have seen plaque psoriasis begin or worsen around events such as divorce, bullying, bereavement, moving home, changing schools or periods of high pressure. We do not treat these patterns as simple cause and effect, however we do pay attention to them. They give us useful clues about how your immune system, nervous system and emotional learning have become linked, and how hypnotherapy for psoriasis might help loosen those links.
By working with your nervous system, overall stress load and the meanings your mind has attached to your skin, we aim to turn the volume down on flare ups and give your body a better chance to settle. For some people that means shorter, less intense flares, for others it means long periods where plaques are minimal or in remission and, if things start to stir again, they can often calm them quickly by going back to their personal hypnosis audio for a few weeks. It is not a guaranteed cure, however the pattern of your psoriasis is often far more changeable than you have been led to believe.
Not all psoriasis responds the same way, we will help you work out whether this approach fits your type.
Because of both research and experience, we focus our approach on plaque psoriasis. Other forms, such as guttate psoriasis, have not responded as consistently to this kind of work, so it would not be honest to suggest the same expectations. If you are unsure which type you have, we will always encourage you to discuss that with your GP or dermatologist first and we can then look together at whether hypnotherapy for psoriasis is likely to be appropriate.
How Hypnotherapy For Psoriasis Can Help
Hypnotherapy for psoriasis gives us a way to work directly with the mind and body patterns that sit alongside the condition. We focus on three main areas.
- Calming your nervous system so that everyday stress does not automatically push your immune system towards flare
- Influencing the immune response and flare patterns by using targeted imagery and suggestion to encourage a quieter inflammatory response, less itch and longer gaps between flares
- Rebuilding confidence and self image so psoriasis is no longer the first thing you think about when you look in the mirror or step into a social situation
In practice sessions might include guided imagery to cool and soothe the skin, suggestions that support more balanced immune signalling, and work on memories or life events that seem tied into the flare pattern. We also use hypnotherapy for psoriasis to reduce the urge to scratch and to break habits of checking, hiding and self criticism that keep attention locked on your skin.
We are careful not to promise complete clearance, even though some clients do reach that point. Our realistic focus is on reducing the severity and frequency of flares where possible, easing itch and discomfort, and improving confidence and quality of life so that psoriasis is no longer running the show.
Working With Itch, Discomfort And Sleep
Itch, soreness and poor sleep are some of the toughest parts of psoriasis. The urge to scratch can feel almost irresistible, and broken nights can quickly drain your resilience. The more exhausted and frustrated you become, the harder it can be to cope with flares that already feel unfair.
Hypnotherapy for psoriasis can be particularly helpful here because it allows us to work directly with your experience of sensation. We might use imagery that cools and numbs the skin, or suggestions that move the urge to scratch into a different, less damaging outlet. We can also help you build new evening routines and responses so nights become less about bracing for another battle and more about genuine rest.
Over time many clients find that itch feels less urgent, scratching reduces and sleep improves. Those changes do not mean ignoring your skin, they mean that your nervous system is no longer reacting to every sensation as an emergency, which in itself can help your system cope better.
What Sessions Are Like
Sessions are calm, collaborative and grounded in your real life. In the early meetings we will look at your medical history and current psoriasis treatment, when your psoriasis began and how it has changed over time, patterns between stress, emotion and flares, and how psoriasis is affecting your daily activities and confidence.
Together we will agree clear, realistic goals, such as feeling more comfortable in certain situations, improving sleep, reducing scratching, or managing a particular flare pattern more effectively.
During the hypnosis itself you usually sit or recline comfortably while we guide you through focused relaxation and imagery.
Evidence And Research
Although the research base is still relatively small, there is evidence that hypnosis and related mind and body approaches can help some people with plaque psoriasis.
One pilot study from Johns Hopkins School Of Medicine explored hypnosis in adults with stable, chronic plaque psoriasis. Those who were highly responsive to hypnosis and received active, skin focused suggestions showed greater improvement in their plaques than those given neutral hypnosis, suggesting that targeted hypnosis may be a useful option for some people. You can read the abstract at Karger.
Reviews of psychological and mind body treatments for skin conditions report that hypnotherapy can reduce itch, improve sleep and enhance quality of life in conditions such as psoriasis, even though more large scale trials are needed. You can find examples of these overviews in dermatology and psycho dermatology review papers and in resources from organisations such as the British Association of Dermatologists.
Larger studies on psoriasis and mental health show how strongly the condition can affect mood, self esteem, work and relationships. That underlines the importance of approaches that address both the skin and the person living in it, rather than focusing on creams or medication alone.
At The Surrey Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy we combine this emerging research with our own audit data and many years of experience using hypnotherapy for psoriasis. Our aim is to offer an honest, hopeful approach that works alongside your medical care and targets the parts of the condition that are most open to change.
Most people experience this as being deeply absorbed, similar to being caught up in a book or film. You remain aware and in control throughout. We tailor the language and imagery to you, using your own ideas of cooling, calming and healing, and working with specific situations where you would like to feel more at ease.
If anxiety, frustration or shame are a big part of the picture, we may also draw on our wider anxiety and stress work. If that feels relevant you can read more in our anxiety and panic section.
Psoriasis In Children And Teenagers
Psoriasis can be especially hard for children and teenagers. They may already feel self conscious about their changing bodies, and visible plaques can make them worry about being teased or judged. Young people often become very skilled at hiding their skin and avoiding activities they used to enjoy.
Our paediatric hypnotherapist uses gentle, age appropriate hypnotherapy for psoriasis to help children and teenagers feel calmer, scratch less and rebuild confidence. Sessions use stories, imagery and simple explanations about how the mind and body work together, always alongside dermatology care. Parents are involved so they can support changes at home.
If you are seeking help for a younger person you may also want to read more about how we work with children in general on our children and teenagers page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hypnotherapy For Psoriasis
Hypnotherapy for psoriasis is not offered as a cure and it does not rewrite your basic biology. Psoriasis is usually understood as an immune mediated skin condition, where genetics, the immune system and the environment all play a role. What we are interested in is how active that process needs to be in your day to day life.
By working with your nervous system, stress responses and the meanings your mind has attached to your skin, we aim to turn the volume down on flare ups and give your body a better chance to settle. For some people that means shorter, less intense flares, for others it means long periods where plaques are minimal or in remission and, if things start to stir again, they can often calm them quickly by going back to their personal hypnosis audio for a few weeks.
So it is not a guaranteed cure, however the pattern of your psoriasis is often far more changeable than you have been led to believe.
No. Hypnotherapy for psoriasis is designed to work alongside your dermatology care, not instead of it. We will always encourage you to continue any treatment recommended by your GP or dermatologist, and to discuss any changes in medication with them. Our role is to support your nervous system, autoimmune response and emotional wellbeing so that you can make the most of your medical treatment.
Our main focus is plaque psoriasis, because this is where both the research evidence and our own clinical experience suggest that hypnotherapy can be most helpful. Other forms such as guttate psoriasis have not responded as reliably, so we would want to talk with you in more detail before making any recommendations. If we do not feel hypnotherapy for psoriasis is a good fit for your type of psoriasis, we will say so openly.
Every person is different, however for hypnotherapy for psoriasis we often suggest planning an initial block of around four to six sessions. Some people notice meaningful changes sooner, others need a little longer, especially if we are working with long standing stress or trauma as well as skin symptoms. In your first meeting we will give you a realistic idea of how many sessions feel appropriate for your situation.
Yes, this is often where hypnotherapy for psoriasis makes a very practical difference. By working with your nervous system and your focus of attention, we can help reduce the urgency of the itch and strengthen your ability to respond differently to it. At the same time we work on the shame and self consciousness that so often accompany visible plaques, so you feel more at ease in your own skin, even when psoriasis is not behaving exactly as you would like.
Getting Help For Psoriasis At SICH
If you recognise yourself in what you have read here, you do not have to manage psoriasis on your own. Hypnotherapy for psoriasis offers a way to work with your nervous system, immune response and self beliefs so that your skin and your life are not dominated by the condition to the same extent.
To see how this page sits within the wider pattern of physical issues you can visit our physical symptoms and pain section, or return to the main problems we help with page.
When you are ready, you are welcome to contact The Surrey Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy for an initial conversation. We can talk through your history with plaque psoriasis, answer any questions you may have about hypnotherapy for psoriasis, and suggest a way forward that fits alongside your dermatology care and your real life.
Psoriasis Case Histories
This client had Plaque Psoriasis for 22 Years. The top two pictures were taken at the start of the hypnotherapy for psoriasis, the middle pictures were taken at the end of treatment after 8 weeks of hypnotherapy and the bottom pictures were taken after a 1 year follow-up. The treatment included Hypno-analysis, Self-hypnosis, suggestion therapy and NLP techniques.
Alison, Age 44
Alison developed plaque psoriasis on her elbows, knees and ankles at 39. Before coming to see me she had tried steroid creams and UV treatment, neither brought lasting change. By the time we started, she was mainly relying on E45 as a moisturiser.
Her psoriasis began very soon after her father died suddenly from a heart attack. She was away on holiday and could not return in time for the funeral, and she carried a heavy sense of guilt about that. In our work we did not treat the skin as “just stress”, and we did not ignore the medical picture either. We treated the pattern her nervous system had slipped into, the unfinished grief, the self blame, the constant internal tension, and the way all of that can keep the body stuck in a threat response.
Using hypnotherapy for psoriasis, we focused on helping her mind process what she had not been able to face at the time, including a personal goodbye that felt real to her, even though it happened later. Alongside that we did ego strengthening and confidence building, because her self esteem had taken a real hit and it was showing up everywhere, not just in how she felt about her skin.
Her psoriasis did not shift immediately. It took around seven weeks before she noticed a clear improvement, and she attended four sessions in total. By around 12 weeks she reported that her skin had cleared. When I later followed up, she told me she was still clear five years on.
As always, outcomes vary, and no case study is a promise. What it does show is the kind of link we often see, a flare or onset after a major shock, then meaningful change once the system stops bracing and the underlying emotional load is finally processed.
Christine, Aged 8 – An Unexpected Trigger
This client first developed plaque psoriasis in September 2022. By the time her mother brought her to see us she had extensive plaques across her scalp, face, torso and feet, with only a few scattered patches on her legs. She was sore, itchy and very self conscious, and getting dressed for school had become a daily battle. The family were already beginning to search for anything that might offer more than creams, including hypnotherapy for psoriasis, but they had been warned not to expect very much.
Pictures before start of hypnotherapy for psoriasis
Between September 2022 and early 2023 the family did everything they were told to do medically. They saw their GP, were referred to a dermatologist and followed the advice they were given. Various topical steroid creams were prescribed, along with emollients to soothe the itch.
Phototherapy with UVA and UVB was discussed as an option, but the family were warned it could only be used for a limited number of sessions and that any improvement might rebound worse than before. The overall message they received was that she would probably have psoriasis for life and that the best that could be offered was symptom management in short bursts. This was devastating for her parents and only added to the emotional load her nervous system was carrying.
We began seeing her in January 2023 to explore whether hypnotherapy for psoriasis might give her a bit more control. In the first three sessions we focused on helping her feel safer in her own body, reducing anxiety and giving her simple ways to calm her nervous system. At the same time we paid close attention to where and when the plaques were appearing. The pattern was unusual, most of the psoriasis was on areas covered by her white school uniform, her T shirt and socks, rather than spread evenly across the rest of her body.
When we explored this with her mother, it emerged that a new whitening laundry product from the supermarket had been introduced around the time the psoriasis started. Together we agreed a practical experiment, stop using the product completely, rewash all of her white clothes in a gentle detergent and continue the hypnotherapy for psoriasis to support her nervous system and confidence while her skin had a chance to recover.
Within a week there was a marked change. The plaques were significantly less angry, the itching reduced and no new areas appeared. We have photographs documenting the improvement and, at a follow up two years later when she was ten, there had still been no recurrence of her psoriasis. Her family continue to use her personal hypnotherapy for psoriasis audio from time to time if they notice any early signs, more as a way of keeping her system settled than as a rescue treatment.
We would describe this as a long remission rather than a cure. The underlying immune sensitivity has not magically vanished. However it is a clear example of how combining careful medical care with hypnotherapy for psoriasis and detailed pattern spotting can uncover environmental triggers that sit outside the standard story.
In this case, removing the whitening product and supporting her nervous system allowed her skin to settle and stay clear, and the family no longer felt that “you just have to live with it” was the only option on the table.
2 Year Follow-up
Simon, Age 27
Simon, Age 27
Simon came to see me with plaque and guttate psoriasis affecting a large area of his body, he estimated around 45%. He had already tried steroid creams, Chinese herbal approaches, acupuncture, and UV treatment, the UV had helped a little but it had not held.
In our hypnotherapy for psoriasis work, we explored whether there was an earlier point where his system had learned to stay on high alert. Using a gentle regression approach, we connected his symptoms to an experience around the age of eight, when he was being bullied at school quite severely. He reported that his psoriasis began soon after that period.
What stood out was not only the bullying, but the lack of support around it. He described a home environment where distress was minimised rather than soothed, his father, a former army officer, told him to toughen up and stop complaining, and his mother’s alcohol use meant he often felt emotionally, and practically, unseen. He also went without proper attention for some time until a teacher raised concerns and he received medical help. That combination, threat at school and no safe landing at home, can teach a child to stay braced, and then to carry that bracing into adult life.
From there our hypnotherapy for psoriasis focused on changing the meaning his younger self had taken from those experiences, the feeling of being alone, unlovable, and not worth protecting. We used a structured therapeutic approach to help him integrate the memories with adult understanding, alongside targeted suggestion work to reduce the sense of ongoing threat and improve his ability to settle. Later sessions included reframing and future focused work, including building a more stable internal narrative about safety, belonging and self worth.
He reported noticeable improvement after the third session. Over the following weeks the areas of psoriasis reduced significantly, and by around five weeks he described his skin as close to clear. We then consolidated progress with self hypnosis, plus a simple ongoing practice that he could use to keep his nervous system steadier.
At a four month follow up he told me he was still clear, and that he was continuing to listen to his self hypnosis recording about once a week. As always, this is one person’s outcome, not a guarantee, but it shows the kind of pattern we often see, earlier threat plus low support, then improvement when the system learns it no longer has to stay on guard all the time.