NDHypno®: Neurodivergent Hypnotherapy Training

NDHypno® is specialist neurodivergent hypnotherapy training for hypnotherapists and other therapeutic practitioners who want to work more effectively and affirmingly with autistic, ADHD and other neurodivergent clients.

The next live NDHypno® workshop takes place on 28th–29th November 2026, with a self-paced online version coming soon.

It’s less than a decade since I was diagnosed as autistic, and later as AuDHD. At the time, I literally knew nothing about autism or neurodivergence. Very quickly afterwards, however, it became my area of specialism, leading to the publication of two books on autism and to my writing regularly for Psychology Today as one of their panel of experts.

NDHypno®: Neurodivergent Hypnotherapy Training is the culmination of all those years of passionate research, clinical work and advocacy for autistic and neurodivergent people. And it’s a course that is very different from other neurodivergent hypnotherapy training programmes.

NDHypno® Double Workshop

Neurodivergent-Affirming Practice: Day 1

The live workshop training is split across two days. Day 1 focuses on how to establish a neurodivergent-affirming practice, which is fundamental when you’re working with neurodivergent clients.

Neurodivergent people can process and experience the world differently, including differences in sensory processing, communication and emotional regulation. Approaches that work well for many clients may not suit neurodivergent clients and, when differences are misunderstood or ignored, some therapeutic interventions can even be unhelpful or damaging.

Understanding these factors is essential if you want to provide therapy that is genuinely sensitive, affirming and effective for neurodivergent clients.

If you’ve already studied our Adaptive Therapy for Autistic Clients (ATAA®) training, much of Day 1 is covered within that course and you’ll qualify for a discount on this training.

NDHypno® Neurodivergent Hypnotherapy: Day 2

Day 2 is where the approach becomes completely unique and draws on my many years of working therapeutically with neurodivergent clients.

Knowing how to establish a neurodivergent-affirming practice is essential, but it doesn’t necessarily teach you how to adapt hypnotherapy itself for neurodivergent clients.

NDHypno® is a trademarked approach designed to help you develop specialist skills in neurodivergent hypnotherapy. It starts from the fundamental principle that every neurodivergent person is unique and that different processing styles can have a significant impact on how someone experiences hypnosis, therapeutic language and the hypnotherapy process itself.

Someone who is neurodivergent may identify with a range of conditions and differences, including ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. But simply learning about different forms of neurodivergence doesn’t teach us how to ensure that individual clients get the most from hypnotherapy.

For that, we need a different approach – and this is where NDHypno® offers a unique and in-depth level of training.

Moving Beyond Diagnosis to Individual Processing Styles

Rather than assuming that all ADHD clients, autistic clients or other neurodivergent clients will experience hypnosis in the same way, NDHypno® focuses – from the client intake form onwards – on how each individual processes information, understands communication and experiences their internal world.

Likewise, we move beyond outdated assumptions that, for instance, autistic people inherently lack empathy or cannot identify their emotions. Instead, we focus on that individual client’s experience of emotional regulation, relationships, communication and connection with others.

The diagnosis may provide useful context. But the person in front of you provides the information you need to adapt your therapeutic approach.

Adapting Hypnotic Language for Neurodivergent Clients

Hypnotherapy is inherently language-based, which makes understanding neurodivergent communication and processing styles particularly important.

NDHypno® focuses on how we can use hypnotic and therapeutic language that fits the way an individual client processes information. This means moving beyond assumptions about how particular neurodivergent people experience the world and recognising that there are different processing styles – and, crucially, learning how to identify which of these may be most relevant for the client you are working with.

I often hear, for instance, that autistic people “lack imagination” or are non-visual. For many autistic people, this is simply not the case. I’d be an example of someone who is so imaginative that it can be difficult to stay in the real world at times – and not always in a good way! I also happen to be highly visual, as are many of the autistic and neurodivergent clients I have worked with.

But for some clients, imagining the future in a more abstract way can be a real challenge. That means we need to consider a completely different style of therapeutic and hypnotic language.

Other clients may struggle to visualise or describe themselves as non-visual. Aphantasia, for example, describes an inability or reduced ability to voluntarily create visual images in the mind. A hypnotherapy approach that relies heavily on visual imagery may therefore be completely unsuitable for some clients while working extremely well for others.

NDHypno® is designed to help you recognise and work with this range of neurodivergent processing styles, adapting hypnotherapy to the individual rather than making assumptions based solely on diagnosis or on questionable and outdated ideas about neurodivergence.

Adapting the Hypnotherapy Process for Neurodivergent Clients

But NDHypno® goes much further than adapting hypnotic language.

The way someone enters into and experiences hypnosis can vary considerably. Some clients may respond well to traditional relaxation-based inductions, while others may find it easier to become absorbed through focused attention, imagination, movement, sensory experience, analytical engagement or simply being given something interesting for their mind to do.

NDHypno® explores how we can adapt the hypnotic process itself around the individual client, rather than expecting the client to adapt to a standardised model of hypnosis.

This includes considering how we approach inductions and deepening, how much structure or choice we offer, the pace of the session, the client’s need for predictability, how we manage transitions between different stages of hypnosis and how we respond when someone needs to understand what is happening before they can comfortably engage with it.

It also means looking at what we actually consider to be hypnosis. A client who doesn’t become physically relaxed, doesn’t close their eyes, continues to move or fidget, or remains highly aware of their surroundings may still be deeply engaged in a hypnotic experience. NDHypno® helps practitioners move beyond narrow ideas of what hypnosis is supposed to look or feel like.

Working With Attention, Absorption and Internal Experience

Attention is another important part of the NDHypno® approach. Rather than viewing differences in attention simply as barriers to hypnosis, we consider how a client’s natural attentional style can become part of the therapeutic process.

For some clients, intense absorption or hyperfocus can provide a powerful route into hypnosis. Others may have attention that moves rapidly between internal thoughts, sensations and external stimuli. Instead of continually trying to bring the client back to a supposedly correct hypnotic state, we can learn how to work with that movement of attention.

We also explore differences in interoception and awareness of internal states. Some clients may be extremely aware of bodily sensations, while others may find internal sensations or emotional states difficult to identify or describe. This has important implications for hypnotic techniques that routinely ask clients to notice where they feel something in their body or to identify a particular emotional or physical change.

Structure, Choice and Predictability

For some neurodivergent clients, knowing what is going to happen during a hypnotherapy session can make it significantly easier to engage with the process.

NDHypno® therefore considers how we can use preparation, explanation, structure and predictability therapeutically without turning hypnosis into a rigid process. For one client, knowing exactly what to expect may create the safety needed to engage fully. Another may respond much better to freedom, spontaneity and choice.

We also consider how much choice we introduce during hypnosis. While permissive language is often presented as universally preferable, too many choices can create additional cognitive demand for some clients. At other times, having genuine choice and control may be fundamental to helping a client feel comfortable enough to engage.

The aim isn’t to develop a new set of rules for neurodivergent clients. It is to become sufficiently flexible as a hypnotherapist that you can identify what helps this particular person engage with hypnosis and adapt accordingly.

Adapting Therapeutic Techniques, Not Just the Induction

The same principles extend into the therapeutic work itself.

Techniques involving visualisation, metaphor, future pacing, regression, parts work, emotional processing, reframing and imagined rehearsal can all place different demands on the way a client processes information.

A technique that feels intuitive and powerful for one neurodivergent client may feel confusing, overly abstract or inaccessible to another. NDHypno® explores how these approaches can be adapted, replaced or approached differently according to the client’s processing style, while retaining the therapeutic purpose behind the intervention.

This is what makes NDHypno® more than simply learning about neurodivergence and then applying conventional hypnotherapy. It provides a framework for thinking differently about the entire hypnotherapeutic process – from assessment and preparation, through induction and the experience of hypnosis itself, to the therapeutic interventions we use and how we integrate the work afterwards.

The result is a more individualised, neurodivergent-affirming approach to hypnotherapy that helps you understand not simply whether your client is neurodivergent, but how they process, communicate and experience hypnosis – and how you can adapt your therapeutic work accordingly.

NDHypno® Live Workshop and Online Training

The next live NDHypno® Neurodivergent Hypnotherapy Training workshop takes place on 28th–29th November.

The two-day training combines the foundations of creating a neurodivergent-affirming therapeutic practice with specialist training in adapting hypnosis and hypnotherapy for different neurodivergent processing and communication styles.

A self-paced online NDHypno® training option is also coming soon, providing an alternative route for practitioners who are unable to attend the live workshop.

Frequently Asked Questions About Neurodivergent Hypnotherapy Training

What is neurodivergent hypnotherapy?

Neurodivergent hypnotherapy is an approach to hypnosis and hypnotherapy that recognises differences in areas such as information processing, communication, attention, sensory experience, imagination, interoception and emotional regulation. Rather than assuming that one hypnotic approach will work for everyone, the hypnotic process and therapeutic interventions can be adapted around the individual client.

What is NDHypno®?

NDHypno® is a specialist neurodivergent hypnotherapy training approach that teaches practitioners how to adapt the whole hypnotherapeutic process for different neurodivergent processing styles. This includes client intake and preparation, therapeutic communication, hypnotic language, inductions, attention and absorption, deepening, therapeutic techniques and the integration of hypnotic work.

Who is NDHypno® training for?

NDHypno® is designed for hypnotherapists and therapeutic practitioners who want to develop their knowledge and skills in working with autistic, ADHD and other neurodivergent clients.

Does NDHypno® only focus on autism and ADHD?

No. The training recognises a broad range of neurodivergent experiences, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. More importantly, NDHypno® moves beyond diagnostic labels to consider the individual processing and communication styles that may affect how a client experiences hypnotherapy.

Do neurodivergent clients experience hypnosis differently?

Some may. Neurodivergent people are not a single group and there is no one “neurodivergent way” of experiencing hypnosis. Differences in sensory processing, attention, language, imagination, visualisation, emotional regulation and information processing can all potentially influence someone’s experience. NDHypno® teaches practitioners to identify and respond to the individual rather than make assumptions based on diagnosis.

Can autistic people be hypnotised?

Yes. Being autistic does not prevent someone from experiencing hypnosis. However, individual differences in communication, attention, sensory processing, imagination and expectations may influence how an autistic person engages with hypnosis. This is why an individualised approach can be more useful than assuming that a conventional induction or hypnotic technique will suit every autistic client.

Can autistic people visualise during hypnosis?

Yes. Some autistic people have extremely vivid visual imaginations, while others may find visualisation difficult or experience aphantasia. This is one reason why hypnotherapists should avoid assuming that all autistic or neurodivergent clients require the same adaptations.

How can hypnosis be adapted for ADHD?

Rather than assuming that difficulties maintaining one particular type of attention are a barrier to hypnosis, hypnotherapy can take account of the client’s individual attentional style. This may include working with absorption and hyperfocus, allowing attention to move rather than continually redirecting it, changing the pace of the hypnotic experience and using approaches that provide sufficient engagement for the individual client.

Does neurodivergent hypnotherapy require different inductions?

Not necessarily. Some neurodivergent clients respond extremely well to conventional hypnotic inductions. Others may benefit from adaptations to pacing, language, sensory demands, structure or the way attention is engaged. NDHypno® teaches practitioners to determine what works for the individual rather than automatically using a separate “neurodivergent induction”.

When is the next NDHypno® live workshop?

The next live NDHypno®: Neurodivergent Hypnotherapy Training workshop takes place on 28th–29th November.

Can I study NDHypno® online?

A self-paced online version of the NDHypno® training is coming soon, providing an alternative for practitioners who prefer to study independently or who cannot attend the live workshop.

To register for the NDHypno®: Neurodivergent Hypnotherapy Training workshop on 28th-29th November please sign up here.