Can I Make a Good Living as a Hypnotherapist?

There are some great hypnotherapists out there, doing some amazing work. And others who are really struggling financially, sometimes to the point they give up on their dreams of creating an amazing hypnotherapy practice. I recently came across a hypnotherapy training site which said that, although it's possible to make a living as a hypnotherapist, don't imagine you can make a good living at it! From my experience, you can make a great living, and have a fantastic work-life balance, all whilst you're providing clients with a truly transformative service.

Whilst the vast majority of us who train as therapists do so because we want to help others, and have often experienced the transformative effects of therapy for ourselves, it's also nice to make a comfortable living doing what you love. And becoming a hypnotherapist provides the opportunity to do just that.

The problem is that there are a lot of great therapists out there who don't know how to market their business properly. When I started out, I had no idea how to attract clients. By the time I paid for room hire and travel, I was lucky to make about £20 per client (which, when you consider the prep time, session time and admin time amounted to less than the minimum wage!). Much as I enjoyed the work, I had a family to support. And so, I learned about effective marketing. It took me a long time but eventually I reached the point where I was earning three times as much as I had as an academic.

Can I Make a Good Living as a Hypnotherapist?

This is something which isn't covered fully on most hypnotherapy training courses and unfortunately some therapists simply find they can't keep going because they can barely cover their costs. One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is mentoring and supporting caring, ethical hypnotherapists so that they can keep helping their clients whilst they support themselves (and often other family members) financially.

And I'm not talking her about scraping by. I'm talking about living well, being able to live independently, and have a good quality of life.

What hypnotherapists typically charge (and what that means for you)

Hypnotherapists charge, on average, anywhere between £75 to £250 per session. Where you sit in that range depends on your experience, your location, the type of client you work with, and—most importantly—how clearly you position what you do.

If you’re wondering, “Will I be able to hypnotise people?” it’s worth reframing the question slightly: the real path to success is learning how to create the right conditions for hypnosis (rapport, expectation, language, and safety), and then building a practice that makes it easy for the right clients to find you.

Specialising helps you stand out (and makes marketing easier)

Specialising in a particular area is one of the simplest ways to attract clients and stand out from the crowd. When you’re “a hypnotherapist,” you’re competing with everyone. When you’re “a hypnotherapist who helps with X,” you become memorable—and searchable.

I have clients throughout the world who contact me specifically because of the areas I specialise in, including:

• Menopause

• IBS

• Children

Specialising doesn’t mean you can only work in one area. It means you lead with a clear message so the right people know they’re in the right place.

Most hypnotherapists work in private practice

The majority of hypnotherapists work in private practice, which means you set up your own business and attract your own clients. That can feel daunting at first, but it’s also empowering—because you’re in control of your income, your diary, and the type of work you do.

The key is consistency. As long as you’re getting yourself out there and promoting yourself using a mix of free and paid advertising, you will attract clients.

Free and paid promotion can include:

• Free: social media posts, short videos, networking, talks, collaborations, email list content

• Paid: Google Ads, Facebook ads, directory listings, sponsored posts, local publications

And when you do a great job, you’ll attract word-of-mouth clients too—often the easiest and most enjoyable clients to work with.

Confidence is the real “missing piece” for many students

Having the confidence to set your business up is key. I wish I knew fifteen years ago what I know now, because I could have been up and running within a very short period of time.

Instead, it took me ages to feel confident enough to even put my photo on my website.

That’s why I spend a lot of time helping students work through the internal blocks that can quietly sabotage progress—especially limiting beliefs about:

• Talking about themselves

• Being visible online

• Charging properly

• Feeling “good enough” to work with real clients

When you build confidence alongside skill, you stop hesitating and start taking the actions that actually create momentum.

You can earn a great living doing work you love

With a bit of practical knowledge, plenty of self-development work, and a genuine desire to turn hypnotherapy into a financially rewarding business, you can absolutely earn a great living doing what you love.

Hypnotherapy is not just about technique—it’s about communication, leadership, and creating change. When you combine solid training with the confidence to put yourself out there, you’ll find that clients don’t just come from “being good at hypnosis.” They come from being clear, consistent, and visible.

A simple next step

If you’re at the stage of wondering whether you’ll be able to hypnotise people, the best next step is to practice the fundamentals repeatedly—then start showing up as the practitioner you’re becoming. Skill grows with reps, and confidence grows with evidence.

You don’t need to be perfect to begin. You just need to begin—and keep going.