If you're a tobacco user, you may be interested in quitting smoking. While there are many ways to approach a smoking cessation program, one addition to such a program could include hypnotherapy. We'll discuss how it works, success rates, statistics, and cost so you're prepared to make a decision on whether hypnotherapy will be effective in helping you to stop smoking.

Table of Contents

Does Hypnotherapy Work for Smoking?

How Does Hypnotherapy Work for Quitting Smoking?

Success Rates and Statistics

How Many Sessions Will I Need to Stop Smoking?

Cost

Will My Insurance Pay?

Will Medicaid Pay?

Medicare Reimbursement

Books and CDs

Free Hypnosis Sessions Online

Does Hypnotherapy Work for Smoking?

You may be wondering if hypnotherapy is effective for smoking cessation. While there are success stories to be heard, research indicates that hypnosis may be effective, but has not definitely proved it. While more research will certainly need to be done, after seeing some of the statistics below, you may decide hypnosis is worth a try.

How Does Hypnotherapy Work for Quitting Smoking?

There are many different approaches a hypnotherapist may take to help you quit smoking. You'll work with your hypnotherapist to determine the best approach for you and to personalize the hypnotic statements and images used to help you quit smoking.

One approach is to weaken your desire to smoke. Hypnotic suggestions here may include statements like, "You are free from the desire to smoke," or "Your desire to smoke will lessen as I count backward from 10 to 1."

Other methods may seek to strengthen their will to quit. Hypnotic suggestions here may include statements like "You are strong in your ability to resist smoking," or "Your will power increases as I could from 1 to 10."

Success Rates and Statistics

According to this study, 50 percent of patients treated with hypnotherapy alone were nonsmokers, compared with 50 percent in the NRT/hypnotherapy group, 25 percent in the control group, and 15.78 percent in the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) group.

Hypnotherapy and Smoking Statistics

Group

% non-smokers

Hypnosis

50

NRT/hypnotherapy

50

Control

25

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

15


In addition, research suggests that hypnosis:

  • Is twice as effective as quitting cold turkey

  • Doubles the impact of nicotine gum and other NRT therapies

How Many Sessions Will I Need to Stop Smoking?

You may be able to stop smoking in as few as six sessions. However, if you feel the urge to smoke after you stop smoking, additional sessions may prove useful in curbing the desire.

Cost

A hypnotherapy session ranges from $75 to $150 according to the National Association of Professional Hypnotherapists. Many hypnotherapists offer smoking cessation packages which include a certain number of sessions at a fixed cost.

Will My Insurance Pay?

Some insurance companies will cover the cost of your smoking cessation hypnotherapy sessions. However, you'll likely need to see a therapist who is covered under your insurance.

For example, according to Cigna, "Many behavioral health professionals use hypnotherapy as part of their treatment services. If the therapist you see uses hypnotherapy for the treatment of a covered disorder, it may be covered."

Will Medicaid Pay?

Many state medicaid programs will cover the full cost of your smoking cessation hypnotherapy sessions. However, some states, like North Carolina, exclude hypnosis and smoking cessation.

Medicare Reimbursement

By seeing a Medicare provider, Original Medicare will cover the cost of your smoking cessation hypnotherapy at 100% of the Medicare-approved amount. Medicare Part B can provide you up to eight sessions to help you quit smoking. Sessions are provided in sets of four face-to-face sessions.

Books and CDs

Here are some recommended books for hypnotherapy and smoking cessation.

Free Hypnosis Sessions Online

Here are some free online hypnosis sessions on YouTube that may help you stop smoking.

References

American College of Chest Physicians. "Hypnotherapy For Smoking Cessation Sees Strong Results." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 October 2007.

Dare S, Mackay DF, Pell JP. Relationship between smoking and obesity: a cross-sectional study of 499,504 middle-aged adults in the UK general population. PLoS One. 2015;10(4):e0123579. Published 2015 Apr 17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0123579.

Hasan FM, Zagarins SE, Pischke KM, et al. Hypnotherapy is more effective than nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation: results of a randomized controlled trial. Complement Ther Med. 2014;22(1):1-8.

Joseph P. Green & Steven Jay Lynn (2000) Hypnosis and suggestion-based approaches to smoking cessation: An examination of the evidence, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 48:2, 195-224, DOI: 10.1080/00207140008410048.

Tashkin, Donald P. et al. Smoking cessation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Respiratory Medicine , Volume 103 , Issue 7 , 963 - 974.