Clinical Hypnotherapy / Trauma
Trauma-Informed Hypnotherapy in Orlando, FL and Online
Hypnotherapy for trauma offers a gentle, body-aware way to settle the stress response that can stay switched on long after a difficult experience. Sessions are guided by our Clinical Hypnotherapists, Shannon Rollins-Rodriguez and Jennifer Adams, at our Orlando office near Lake Nona, or online from anywhere in Florida and beyond.
Book a Free 15-Minute Consultation Read common questions
Why trauma lives in the body
After a frightening or overwhelming experience, the nervous system can stay on guard. You may know you are safe now, yet your body still braces, startles easily, or shuts down when something feels familiar.
That is not a failure of willpower. It is a protective response that learned to stay switched on. Healing often begins by helping the body feel safe again, one small step at a time.
How trauma-informed hypnotherapy helps
In hypnosis, your body settles into deep relaxation while your mind stays aware and in control. From that calmer place, it becomes easier to build inner resources, soften old reactions, and relate to difficult memories with more distance.
Sessions move at your pace. You never have to share more than you choose, and you leave each session with grounding and breathing tools to use between appointments.
Experiences hypnotherapy can support
Trauma looks different for everyone. These are some of the experiences clients bring to us.
Childhood experiences
Patterns rooted in early experiences that still shape how safe, worthy or seen you feel today.
Relationship trauma
The lasting effects of a painful or controlling relationship on trust, boundaries and self-worth.
Grief and sudden loss
Shock and heaviness that follow the loss of a person, a relationship or a way of life.
Accidents and medical experiences
Fear that lingers after a car accident, surgery, birth experience or frightening diagnosis.
What to expect in your first session
Free consultation
A 15-minute call with our team to talk through what you are experiencing and whether hypnotherapy is the right fit.
Gentle intake
The first part of your two-hour session focuses on your goals, your sense of safety and what support looks like for you. You share only what you choose.
Guided hypnosis
A personalized session that settles the body, builds inner resources and works with the patterns behind the stress response.
Integration
Time to ground and talk through what shifted, plus breathing and self-hypnosis tools to use between sessions.
Meet your hypnotherapists
You can work with either of our Clinical Hypnotherapists, in person in Orlando or online. Both take a trauma-informed, nervous-system-aware approach, and both offer a free consultation first.
Shannon Rollins-Rodriguez
Shannon is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Somatic Breathwork Facilitator and Coach. She specializes in helping women and men with relationship issues, heartbreak, dating, loss, and major life transitions, helping clients feel safe in their bodies again when life or love has knocked them off center.
Shannon blends hypnotherapy, breathwork, and nervous system work so clients don't just understand their patterns, they feel the shift. Her sessions draw on parts work, IEMT, NLP, and hypnotic belief work, and as a QHHT® Level 2 Past Life Regression Practitioner, she also guides clients through past life sessions. She especially loves guiding women through her group program, Wired for Secure Love, where they rewire old attachment patterns and learn to attract love from a regulated, secure place. Shannon is the founder of A Way Forward.
Jennifer Adams
Jennifer is a Clinical Hypnotherapist who specializes in regression and root-cause work, helping clients understand what may be happening beneath the surface. She often works with confidence and self-worth, stress and overwhelm, self-sabotage, repeating patterns, and personal or professional blocks.
With a background in sales, entrepreneurship and real estate, Jennifer understands performance pressure firsthand. She offers a grounded, supportive space where clients can shift old patterns and give the subconscious mind a way forward.
Learn more about clinical hypnotherapy at A Way Forward, explore hypnotherapy for anxiety, or read answers to common questions on our FAQ page.
What the research says about hypnosis and trauma
Research on hypnosis for trauma is growing. Here is what the evidence suggests, and where results vary, so you can decide with clear expectations.
PTSD symptoms
A 2016 meta-analysis of six controlled studies found that hypnosis-based approaches reduced PTSD symptoms, with benefits that held at follow-up. The evidence base is still small, so results should be viewed with care. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 2016.
Alongside other care
In a randomized trial of adults with acute stress after a traumatic event, adding hypnosis to cognitive behavioral therapy led to greater reductions in re-experiencing symptoms than therapy alone. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2005.
Responses vary
Stanford brain imaging research found that roughly one in four adults is not readily hypnotizable, and that people who respond well show distinct patterns of brain activity. Comfort, safety and practice also shape the experience. Stanford Medicine, 2012.
Online trauma-informed hypnotherapy
You do not need to be in Orlando to work with our hypnotherapists. Online sessions run over a secure video call and follow the same gentle structure as in-person sessions.
Many clients feel safer settling in from their own space. All you need is a quiet private room, a comfortable place to sit or lie down, and headphones if you have them.
Orlando hypnotherapy, near Lake Nona
Looking for trauma hypnotherapy in Orlando, FL? Our private office is at 5850 T G Lee Blvd, Suite 205, Orlando, FL 32822, close to Lake Nona, Conway and Winter Park, with easy access from Kissimmee, Oviedo, Winter Garden and Windermere. We see in-person clients Monday through Thursday by appointment.
Not sure which format fits you? Book a free consultation and we will talk it through.
Trauma hypnotherapy questions
Can hypnotherapy help with trauma?
Hypnotherapy can be a supportive part of healing from trauma. In a calm, focused state, many clients find it easier to settle the body's stress response and relate to painful memories with more distance and safety. Results vary from person to person, and the free consultation is the best place to talk about whether it is a good fit for you.
Is hypnosis for PTSD a treatment?
No. PTSD is a diagnosable condition, and hypnotherapy is not a substitute for care from a licensed mental health provider. In line with Florida Statutes Chapter 485, we work with diagnosed conditions only alongside, or with referral from, the appropriate licensed practitioner. Many clients use hypnotherapy as a complement to therapy they are already doing.
Will I have to relive or retell what happened?
No. You never have to share details you are not ready to share. Trauma-informed hypnotherapy focuses on safety, resourcing and how your body responds today, not on forcing memories. You stay in control and can pause or stop at any time.
Which hypnotherapist will I work with?
You can work with Shannon Rollins-Rodriguez or Jennifer Adams. Both are Clinical Hypnotherapists, and your free consultation is a good time to talk about which fit feels right. Somatic breathwork and QHHT® are offered with Shannon.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on what you are carrying and how long it has been present. Some clients notice a shift within a few sessions, while others prefer a longer series at a slower pace. We will talk through a plan with you after your first session.
Is trauma-informed hypnotherapy safe?
Hypnosis is a natural, focused state and is generally considered safe when guided by a trained practitioner. Sessions are paced to what your nervous system can handle, with grounding and breathing tools built in. If you are in an acute crisis, a licensed mental health provider should be your first call.
Can I do trauma-informed hypnotherapy online?
Yes. Online sessions run over a secure video call and follow the same structure as in-person sessions. Many clients feel safer settling in from their own space. You will need a quiet, private room and a comfortable place to sit or lie down.
Will I lose control during hypnosis?
No. You stay aware throughout and cannot be made to do anything against your values. You can open your eyes and return to full alertness at any time.
What is the difference between hypnotherapy and talk therapy?
Talk therapy works mainly through conversation and insight. Hypnotherapy uses focused relaxation to work with the body's stress response and the subconscious patterns beneath it. They can work well together, and we are happy to coordinate with your therapist.
How much does a session cost in Orlando?
A first session is $300 for two full hours, and follow-up sessions are priced by length. We accept major credit cards, FSA and HSA cards, PayPal and Afterpay. See full details on our pricing page, or ask about a session plan during your free 15-minute consultation.
Feel safer in your body, starting with one conversation
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our team. In person in Orlando or online, at your pace.
Book a Free ConsultationA Way Forward Hypnotherapy & Breathwork provides complementary wellness services. Our work does not diagnose or treat medical or psychiatric conditions, including PTSD, and is not a substitute for care from a licensed medical or mental health provider. For any diagnosable condition, we work only with supervision or referral from the appropriate licensed practitioner, in line with Florida Statutes Chapter 485. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.