Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Strategic Psychotherapy
Below you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions about Strategic Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy at HNHC. This information reflects the evidence-based approach taught by the Institute of Applied Psychology (IAP) and the work of Jay Haley and Dr Milton Erickson.
What is Strategic Psychotherapy?
Strategic Psychotherapy is a modern, evidence-based approach to talk therapy originally described by Jay Haley. It was developed as an alternative to traditional “insight therapies” that prioritise self-awareness over practical change.
Rather than waiting for a client to discover insights on their own, Strategic Psychotherapy involves a therapist making considered, ethical, and proactive choices about how to guide a client toward change.
How is Strategic Psychotherapy different from traditional therapy?
Traditional therapy often focuses on exploring the past to understand why issues exist. While this can be helpful, it does not always lead to action.
Strategic Psychotherapy is brief, practical, and results-oriented. It:
Helps you identify the processes that create and maintain your problem.
Targets the gaps in your skills or knowledge that perpetuate the issue.
Teaches you how to operate differently in real life so that change becomes sustainable.
This makes Strategic Psychotherapy highly adaptable—it can be integrated into hypnotherapy, coaching, and other therapeutic modalities for faster, more effective results.
Where did Strategic Psychotherapy come from?
Jay Haley, who coined the term “Strategic Therapy,” was strongly influenced by Dr Milton Erickson, a pioneer of medical hypnosis. Together, their work emphasised:
A therapist-led but client-centred approach.
Moving beyond passive exploration to active skill-building.
Using interventions to gently “nudge” clients into new ways of thinking and behaving.
At HNHC, this same philosophy underpins our Strategic Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy sessions.
What does “therapist-led but client-centred” mean?
You are the expert on your own experiences and the challenges you’re facing. As a strategic therapist, however, I bring expertise in processes for change—knowing how to help you break unhelpful patterns and build new skills.
This is not a one-size-fits-all program or a 26-week plan of open-ended exploration. Instead, it’s a collaborative process where we work together to achieve your goals in the most efficient way possible.
Is Strategic Psychotherapy a long-term therapy?
No. Strategic Psychotherapy is typically brief. It’s designed to help clients achieve meaningful change within a shorter timeframe than traditional therapies.
This doesn’t mean it’s rushed; rather, the focus is on practical learning and skill-building from the start so you can continue applying what you learn long after the sessions end.
How does Strategic Psychotherapy work in practice?
In each session, we’ll:
Explore how your problem operates, not just why it exists.
Identify the skills or knowledge gaps that keep the problem in place.
Teach you new strategies so you can behave, think, and feel differently.
Over time, you’ll develop the ability to manage challenges more effectively, reduce unhelpful behaviours, and create healthier, more confident patterns.
What makes this approach effective?
Strategic Psychotherapy combines the proactivity of coaching with the depth of psychotherapy. By focusing on process, skills, and action, it often achieves results faster than models based solely on insight or self-discovery.
This is why so many therapists and hypnotherapists—including those at HNHC—train with the IAP. Clients find it:
Practical and empowering.
Holistic yet structured.
Focused on learning, not just talking.
At HNHC, we integrate Strategic Hypnotherapy and Strategic Psychotherapy to offer you a unique, evidence-based pathway to change—helping you not just understand your problems but develop the skills to overcome them.