To understand how hypnosis works, you must understand the functional difference between the conscious and subconscious mind.  

Once you establish your awareness of this functional differnce, you are free to access buried memories, unmask erroneous beliefs, repair your self-esteem and restore your physical, mental or emotional health. The results can sometimes be miraculous.

The conscious mind contains the short-term memory and the intellect. It functions primarily as a yes/no computer, constantly analyzing, rationalizing, and discriminating our thoughts and perceptions. The language of the intellect is logic and reason . We usually become accustomed to ignoring, ingesting or repressing our subconscious feelings to get through our day. That is why stress is called the "silent killer". But the intellect is really just an island floating on a vast subconscious ocean; an ocean the depths of which we are often unaware.

The subconscious mind, however, contains the habit center, emotions,  intuition, long-term memory, self-preservation mechanisms, and controls bodily functions. The language of the subconscious is imagery and metaphor, which doesn't quite make sense to the intellect. And the subconscious is not logical; it does not respond to reason and facts as does the intellect. (Most long-term smokers intellectually grasp the dangers of the habit; but for them it is just a "concept".) Also, the subconscious is lazy and takes the easiest paths.

Yet, there are times in our lives when we are made very aware of this powerful ocean. During stormy emotional turmoil, sudden loss, or trauma, when our lives seem to grind to a halt, we witness the subconscious mind's power to override our bodily functions and intellect: we cannot function, eat, sleep, talk, or even think clearly. Or when we grapple with a persistent habit such as nail biting or fear of public speaking and fail at resolving it. Sometimes, when we "think" we have resolved our sufferings, the subconscious creates a wake-up call: a psychosomatic symptom or illness years after a traumatic event, just to show us who is in charge, that we cannot go on stuffing our feelings indefinitely.

 Healing is not an intellectual process! You cannot improve your life or heal your pain by telling yourself with just your intellect, you "should" change or "just get over it", or "be rational". In trance, you can communicate with your subconscious mind through creating, recreating, or  visualizing  mental images and memories as in a lucid dream state.

But first you Must Want to Heal or Change.