Hypnosis is a term used to describe a non-ordinary state of consciousness that allows clients to respond to suggestion with higher than normal receptivity. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. Hypnosis is a state that can spontaneously come about for a person or it is a state that can be self-induced or induced with the help of a facilitator or hypnotherapist.

Hypnotherapy is the practice of therapy that takes place in the non-ordinary state of hypnotic consciousness. Hypnotherapy directly engages the client's conscious and subconscious mind in the process of doing therapy. The hypnotherapy process is usually interactive and involves verbal and non-verbal communications between the client and hypnotherapist while the client is in the hypnotic state. Most therapeutic work is greatly enhanced while clients are in a hypnotic state because they are able to access information, healing, creativity, memories and insight that is not normally available when in the waking conscious state. Change is facilitated from within the clients in hypnotherapy; it is inwardly generated and intrinsic to the clients themselves. The hypnotherapist is responsible for having the tools and skills to assist the clients in helping themselves, which minimizes the often incorrectly perceived "power" the therapist has over the client.