CBT vs. Hypnotherapy: Which One Works Best for Anxiety?

In today’s fast-paced world, where constant doom-scrolling, social media pressure, and fewer real-life connections have become the norm, it’s no surprise that anxiety has become one of the most common mental health challenges we face today. 

 It’s more than just worrying or overthinking — it can affect sleep, decision-making, relationships, and even physical health. 

When it starts interfering with daily life, many people seek therapy. 

But with so many options, how do you choose what’s right for you?

Two approaches are often compared against each other. 

One of these has become widely popular, and goes by the name of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, commonly referred to as CBT. 

This includes the lesser known, but effective technique of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, known as REBT. 

The other is Anxiety Hypnotherapy. 

Both are evidence-based. Both aim to reduce anxiety. But they work in different ways, often complementing each other, or sometimes used independently. 

In this article, we’ll explore how each method works, how they compare, and when one might suit you better than the other.

What Is CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)?

CBT is a structured, short-term psychological treatment focused on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking patterns. It’s commonly used for anxiety, depression, phobias, OCD, and more.

The central idea is that thoughts influence feelings, and feelings influence behaviour. If you can change the way you think, you can shift how you feel and act.

How CBT Helps With Anxiety

CBT helps by:

• Teaching you to identify distorted thoughts (“I’m going to fail,” “Everyone is judging me”)

• Challenging those thoughts with evidence-based reasoning

• Replacing unhelpful beliefs with more balanced ones

• Encouraging gradual exposure to feared situations

• Practising new behaviours to break avoidance cycles

  
  

CBT is goal-focused and skills-based. Clients often receive “homework” to practise new strategies between sessions.

What Is Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)?

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy on the other hand, whilst an extension of CBT, is slightly different. It focuses on the idea that it's not events themselves that cause distress, but the beliefs we hold about those events. 

REBT targets three types of irrational beliefs:

1. Demands – “I must do well or I’m a failure.”

2. Awfulising – “It’s terrible and unbearable if things don’t go right.”

3. Low Frustration Tolerance – “I can’t stand it when things go wrong."

   
   

In REBT, you learn to challenge these rigid, absolute beliefs and replace them with rational, flexible ones. The result is reduced anxiety, better emotional control, and improved resilience.

What Is Anxiety Hypnotherapy?

Anxiety Hypnotherapy can be a really effective technique to solidify the work done during CBT/REBT - it’s one thing to rationally determine the changes, but it’s another to start believing them,

 It can also work independently of CBT/REBT, using its own distinctive methods of healing. 

In a Hypnotherapy session, the Hypnotherapist guides you into a deeply relaxed state.You remain aware and in control, it’s just that your focus goes inwards. 

In this state, the mind becomes more receptive to suggestion. The Hypnotherapist then uses a variety of techniques (which can include guided imagery, positive reinforcement, and mental rehearsal) to help you respond to anxiety differently. Any REBT/CBT work done in other sessions can also be reinforced using Hypnotherapy. 

How Can Anxiety Hypnotherapy Help?

It works by:

• Calming the nervous system;

• Accessing and reshaping any subconscious fears/doubts/negative ways of thinking;

• Reducing any habitual/automatic anxiety triggers;

• Replacing negative associations with neutral or positive ones

• Building internal calm, confidence, and control

Instead of arguing with thoughts, Anxiety Hypnotherapy focuses on changing how your mind and body react -  which is so often instinctive, and based on habit. 

Hypnotherapy focuses on changing these hard-wired responses, to create more helpful ways of thinking. 

Key Differences Between CBT/REBT and Hypnotherapy

Feature	CBT/REBT	Anxiety Hypnotherapy
Focus	Conscious thought change	Subconscious pattern change
Style	Structured, logical	Relaxation-based, intuitive
Homework	Often includes exercises	May include recordings or journaling
Tools	Thought tracking, behaviour experiments	Guided visualisation, suggestion work
Session Feel	Interactive, problem-solving	Calm, meditative, inward-focused
Typical Outcomes	Thought awareness, behaviour change	Emotional release, relaxation, self-trust

Both approaches can be done independently, or in conjunction with each other.

Which One Works Best for Anxiety?

Unsurprisingly, there is no single answer. 

Some people do well with CBT/REBT’s logical structure. 

Others struggle to “think” their way out of anxiety, especially when it's deeply rooted in trauma, physical tension, or long-term habits. Others like a combined approach between the two.

CBT or REBT may suit you if:

• You like structure, logic, and clear techniques

• You’re comfortable with introspection and self-analysis

• You enjoy working through problems step by step

• You prefer a goal-oriented, academic approach

• You want to build mental strategies to handle future anxiety

Anxiety Hypnotherapy may suit you if:

• You’ve tried talk therapy, but still feel stuck

• Your anxiety feels physical (tight chest, fast heart, panic)

• You struggle with overthinking

• You want to feel calm without re-living stressful events

• You’re open to relaxation and mind-body techniques

Some clients even combine both: using CBT/REBT to understand patterns,  and Hypnotherapy for anxiety to shift those patterns more deeply.

What Clients Say

Many clients who’ve tried both approaches have reported the following:

“With REBT, I could spot my irrational thoughts. With Hypnotherapy, I could finally relax and stop reacting. I found using both really effective”

“Hypnotherapy on its own made a bigger shift for me emotionally — but I still use some REBT tools daily.”

The key takeaway? You don’t have to choose one forever. You can explore both and find what works best for your experience of anxiety.

Sanj’s Approach to Anxiety Hypnotherapy

At Sanjit Bal Hypnotherapy, Sanj offers a calm, down-to-earth approach that blends deep emotional work with practical tools. She focuses on helping people shift anxiety from the inside, not just by managing it, but by changing the way the body and mind respond to stress.

Her anxiety hypnotherapy sessions are grounded, personalised, and results-focused. Clients often report:

• Feeling calmer in everyday situations

• Improvements in sleep

• Fewer physical anxiety symptoms

• Less avoidance of triggering situations

• A stronger sense of internal control

While Sanj doesn’t offer CBT directly, she does offer REBT alongside her Hypnotherapy methods, either combining both, or using them independently - it all depends on each client, as sessions are always tailored to what each person responds best to. 

What to Expect in a Standard Hypnotherapy Session

• A short check-in to discuss current anxiety levels and progress

• Gentle induction into a relaxed state

• Guided visualisation or suggestion therapy

• Reinforcement of calm, safe internal responses

• Tools to take away — like breathing strategies or recordings

If we choose to use REBT as a method, this is often intertwined into sessions. For example, one session may be focused on establishing unhelpful thought patterns and creating new ones, the next could be purely Hypnotherapy where we embed the new helpful ways of thinking. We can also work with just Hypnotherapy alone. 

Sessions are often offered online, making them accessible, private, and easy to fit into a busy week.

Final Thoughts: Choose What Works for You

Anxiety shows up differently for everyone, so it makes sense that not all methods work equally the same for all. 

• CBT and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy are great for building mental clarity and problem-solving skills.

• Anxiety hypnotherapy works deeper, shifting subconscious responses that fuel chronic worry or panic.

  
  

You might start with one and move to the other. Or try both and see which creates the shift you need.

What matters is finding something that helps you feel lighter, clearer, and more in control — not just in your thoughts, but in your body and your life.