Somebody asked me a question about using hypnotherapy scripts recently, which sparked a memory, and I thought it would be a good one to share here. The first time I ever worked script free.
At the time, I was working in a little ‘new age’ shop: you know the type I mean, the sort that sells crystals, dream catchers, and whale music. I rented a therapy room upstairs by the day.
If you’re in practice, you will probably know that if you have five clients booked in over a day and one cancels, it’s nearly always the middle slot (the least convenient!). It happened to me that day, and with time to kill, I popped downstairs, looking forward to a nice relaxing cuppa and a chat with the lady serving in the shop.
Using Hypnotherapy Scripts
At this point, I should probably say that I was trained with scripts, I use them with my students, and I have no objection at all to them, if they are seen as a framework and not simply read to the client verbatim. I had my say on that some time ago, and you can read it HERE if you want to.
Anyhow, back on that particular day, before we even got the kettle on, one of my smoking cessation clients came in. She was doing well (not smoking again) but having a few minor issues and wanted to book her follow-up. I was just reaching for my diary when the shop assistant piped up cheerfully: “She’s had a cancellation. She could see you now!”
Which left me with a choice.
Admit to my client that I wasn’t prepared to work without my script… or go it alone.
Script Free Hypnotherapy
Pride won out. I took the plunge and decided to work without a hypnotherapy script, and to my surprise, it went swimmingly. Much easier, in fact, than I had ever imagined.
That was the day (around 6 months after I qualified) that I fully understood that scripts are like training wheels on a bike, but for therapists. They’re invaluable when you’re starting out, but gradually, you learn to trust your balance until you discover you’ve outgrown them and can ride. Usually, that's a process rather than an event, although my 'outgrowing' was more like Alice in Wonderland - nibbling a cookie and suddenly finding yourself growing whether you want to or not!
It’s one reason I ask my students to do some work without scripts before they leave training. That ‘first time’ is often what kicks off a new level of confidence. And if you haven’t yet tried it, here are some ways to start weaning yourself off dependence and trusting your own words.
Tips for Working Without Hypnotherapy Scripts
1. Start small
You don’t have to ditch your hypnosis scripts completely from day one. Try ad-libbing in just one small part of a session. Keep the therapy part scripted while you still need your safety net. Choose something familiar: a favourite induction is a good option. Or even a count-out. (Most of us can confidently count to five without a script! I have even been known to use my fingers to keep track since I like to add an extra suggestion after each number! 😁 The client's eyes are closed, so they never know.)
2. Use prompts, not paragraphs
Instead of a full hypnotherapy script, have a list of favourite suggestions, topics or bullet points for the issue you’re working with. You can download a free sample of this (the ‘Script Free Hypnotherapy Script for Smokers’) at the bottom of this page. This gives you a guide while leaving you free to improvise.
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3. Practise in a ‘safe’ space
Confidence often grows when you’re not under pressure. Try running a relaxation session for a friend, family member, or peer without a script. Or even, if volunteers are few, for a teddy bear (it works, and don’t ask how I know). It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect; it’s about building your confidence.
4. Record yourself
Listening back to your script-free sessions helps you notice what works well and where you tend to stumble. You’ll probably find you sound far more confident and natural than you think you will.
Remember that if you are recording hypnotherapy sessions, you should tell the person you’re working with that you are doing so, and what will happen to the recording afterwards. A bit of a reframe can be useful: ‘for training and evaluation’ sounds better than ‘so I can get rid of my scripts’. And it has the benefit of being completely true.
5. Trust your unconscious mind
Clients respond when your language feels authentic. If a nature metaphor pops into your head because you or the client love walking in the woods, use it. Feeding back the client’s own words, or even an image of a place you have in your own mind, will be more vivid and engaging than anything on paper.
6. Keep a 'rescue script' handy
There’s no rule against having a script in the room. Tuck it on your lap or beside your chair. Just knowing it’s there if you need it can free you up to speak more naturally without actually looking at it.
7. Keep reading and writing scripts
There are plenty of published hypnotherapy scripts and healing metaphors that can spark inspiration … even if you’re not using them ‘off the shelf'. And if you have an idea of your own, write it down somewhere. Even if you don’t need the idea now, you may do so later, and you’ll have a library of ideas ready and waiting. Practice using hypnotic language words and phrases. (See HERE for more information.)
8. It’s not a performance
Scripts are not Shakespearean texts that have to be revered and reproduced in the same way each time. (Just as an aside, even Shakespeare is altered, edited and amended to suit different directors. I have seen The Tempest done on an icy island instead of the usual tropical one – that worked brilliantly. Romeo and Juliet as Sci Fi, not so much. The balcony scene involved the protagonists hanging upside down from trapezes, and most of the audience left at the intermission.)
As far as scripts are concerned, clients haven’t read them and don’t know what to expect. Nor are they sitting there like Strictly judges, waiting to give you a score out of ten. They’re focused on their own inner experience. If you pause, rephrase, repeat yourself, or take a calming breath, it sounds calm and intentional from their side.
9. Reflective practice
At the end of each script-free session, jot down what you said that seemed to resonate most with your client. Over time, you’ll build your own ‘toolkit’ of favourite phrases and approaches to keep handy. One of my graduates held her sessions in a garden office done out like a beach hut, and many useful words and phrases were written on pebbles and the other seaside paraphernalia scattered around the room. You could have similar reminders as word clouds, on posters or even stencilled onto the walls.
10. Don’t be ashamed of your scripts
Although, as I said, I was trained with scripts, it was assumed that clients would never know. I still occasionally have notes in a session – for something brand new or if I’ve prepared a personalised script on a topic I know nothing about, such as Peppa Pig.
- Pilots, however experienced, use a written checklist to make sure their plane is safe for take-off. No one says they are badly trained; it’s recognised that it’s a good way to reduce errors.
- A well-known stage hypnotist (who billed himself at one time as ‘The man who trained Paul McKenna’) never used scripts in his stage act, of course. But he once told me that, when conducting quit-smoking sessions for large groups, he had a fancy music stand and put his scripts on there with a flourish. No one ever questioned it.
I don’t make it that obvious, but whether you call them notes, checklists, outlines, scripts, or hypnotherapy screeds, I no longer make a big deal of hiding them.
A Final Word About Hypnosis Scripts
Hypnotherapy scripts aren’t something to worry about - they’re a tool like any other, and if they help you to help clients, go for it. But learning to work without them, even part of the time, can help you become more flexible, confident, and responsive to your clients.
So, keep your scripts for as long as you need them, but be brave enough to experiment without them now and then. You might be surprised how much easier it feels.
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Author: Debbie Waller is an experienced hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy trainer. She is the author of Anxiety to Calm: a Practical Guide to a Laid-Back Life, The Hypnotherapist's Companion, Their Worlds, Your Words, and The Metaphor Toolbox, all available from Amazon or direct from the author. Find out more about Debbie's services on
Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training - multi-accredited hypnotherapy practitioner training, taster days and foundation levels.
CPD Expert - accredited CPD and other therapy training (online and workshops options), expert and qualified hypnotherapy supervision
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