In person in London
A quiet, calm space designed for deep therapeutic work, in my private practice in Camden.
- 5 Calstock, Royal College Street, London NW1 0RX
- Within walking distance of King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston
Emotional eating · In person in London & online
Hypnotherapy for Emotional Eating
Explore the emotional patterns behind eating and build a calmer, more intuitive relationship with food. Ericksonian hypnotherapy with Michele Occelli, in London or online.
- Postgraduate diploma, DistinctionEricksonian Hypnotherapy
- Diploma, DistinctionNLP, Advanced Level
- Registered and insuredGHR and GHSC
- 5.0 from 69 Google reviews
- Since 2010 15+ years' clinical practice
Michele has worked with
The short answer
Can hypnotherapy help with emotional eating?
In brief
Yes. Hypnotherapy can help with emotional eating by calming the stress and feelings that drive the urge to eat, and by loosening the automatic habits that turn to food for comfort, relief or distraction.
Emotional eating is rarely about willpower. It runs on fast, automatic patterns: a difficult feeling, a craving, eating before you have really noticed, then guilt afterwards. Hypnotherapy works directly with that layer, which is why it can help when strict rules and good intentions have not been enough to change how you feel around food.
I am Michele Occelli, a London hypnotherapist with over 15 years of clinical experience. Many of my clients come to see me about their relationship with food, often after years of dieting, restarting and feeling they have failed. This is not a weight-loss programme. My aim is to help you understand what the eating is doing for you, and find calmer, kinder ways to meet those needs.
Recognise yourself?
How emotional eating can show up in your life
Emotional eating is using food to cope with feelings rather than hunger. You might recognise some of these patterns:
In your mind
- Reaching for food when you feel stressed, bored, lonely or low
- Strong cravings that feel impossible to ignore
- Guilt, shame or self-criticism after eating
In your behaviour
- Eating quickly, on autopilot or without really tasting it
- Eating in secret or late in the evening after a hard day
- Swinging between strict dieting and giving up altogether
In your body
- Eating when you are not physically hungry
- Restlessness or tension that eases only once you eat
- Finding it hard to notice when you are hungry or full
Emotional eating is very common, and nothing to be ashamed of. You do not need to wait until it feels out of control to get support.
Book a first session → The method
How hypnotherapy for emotional eating works
In hypnosis, your attention becomes focused and absorbed, and the critical, analytical part of the mind steps back. In this state, the nervous system settles and the mind becomes more open to new responses. In our sessions, that allows us to work on four levels:
- 01
Understanding what the eating is for
Emotional eating usually meets a real need: comfort, relief, a break or a reward. Together we explore the feelings and moments that set it off, from stress and boredom to loneliness or low mood, so the pattern starts to make sense.
- 02
Calming the stress behind the urge
Hypnosis settles the tension and restlessness that often come before a craving. Experiencing that calm repeatedly helps your body learn other ways to feel soothed, so the pull towards food becomes less urgent.
- 03
Loosening automatic habits
In hypnosis we rehearse your trigger moments, such as the evening after a hard day, and practise pausing and choosing a different response. Over time, the gap between feeling and eating grows wider.
- 04
Building your own resources
You leave with practical self-hypnosis and grounding techniques for the moments when an urge arrives, so progress does not depend on the therapy room or on strict rules.
- 1
Book a first session
In person in London or online. Each session lasts 60 minutes.
- 2
We start with a conversation
About when and why you tend to eat when you are not hungry, how it began, what you have already tried and how you would like to feel around food instead.
- 3
Hypnosis
I guide you into a relaxed, focused state. You stay aware and in control, can hear everything and can stop at any time.
- 4
A plan that fits you
Many clients notice a change in how they feel around food after the first sessions. Long-standing patterns usually benefit from a series of sessions, often between 4 and 8, reviewed together as we go.
The research
What does the research say about hypnotherapy for emotional eating?
Research into hypnosis for anxiety is encouraging. A 2019 meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, which pooled results from 15 controlled studies, found that hypnosis produced a substantial reduction in anxiety compared with control conditions, with larger effects when hypnosis was combined with other psychological approaches. Research focused specifically on emotional eating is still limited and early, so I do not make claims beyond it. Because stress and difficult emotions so often sit behind the urge to eat, reducing them and practising new responses in hypnosis is a sensible, gentle place to start.
Read more about what happens in the brain during hypnosis First session
“It was my first time doing hypnotherapy, and he helped me make great progress in just a couple of months.”
Google review
In London or online
Hypnotherapy for emotional eating in London or online
Online, wherever you are
Online sessions follow the same structure as in-person work, and many clients find it easier to relax at home.
- Over Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp
- Anywhere in the UK, or abroad while you travel
Low-income clinic: a limited number of reduced-rate sessions each month. Ask about availability · All fees and gift certificates
Your hypnotherapist
About Michele Occelli
I am a registered hypnotherapist practising since 2010, with postgraduate diplomas in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy and NLP from the British Hypnosis Research and Training Institute. I trained with Dr Ernest L. Rossi and Dr Stephen Gilligan, both direct students of Milton H. Erickson.
- Practising since
- 2010
- Registration
- GHR & GHSC, fully insured
- Method
- Ericksonian & clinical hypnotherapy
- Locations
- London, NW1 & online
- GHR
- GHSC
FAQ
FAQs about hypnotherapy for emotional eating
Still have a question? Get in touch or call 07939 228 212.
Can hypnotherapy stop emotional eating?
Everyone eats for comfort sometimes, and that is part of a normal relationship with food, so the goal is not perfect control. The goal is for food to stop being your main way of coping. Many clients find that cravings feel less urgent, that they notice the feeling behind the urge sooner, and that the guilt afterwards eases. Results vary from person to person, and I will always be honest with you about what is realistic.
How many sessions of hypnotherapy for emotional eating will I need?
It depends on how long food has been your way of coping and what sits underneath it. A specific habit, such as snacking late in the evening after a stressful day, may shift within a few sessions. Long-standing patterns, especially after years of dieting, usually benefit from a series of sessions over several weeks. We will review your progress together as we go.
How much does hypnotherapy for emotional eating cost in London?
A 60-minute session costs £150, whether in person in London or online. If you would like to commit to a series of sessions, bundles bring the price down to £140 per session (3 sessions) or £130 per session (6 sessions). A limited number of reduced-rate sessions are available each month through my low-income clinic.
Is this a weight-loss programme?
No. I do not offer diets, meal plans or weight-loss targets, and our sessions are not about changing your body. We focus on the emotions, stress and habits behind the eating, and on moving away from the all-or-nothing cycle of strict rules and giving up. Many clients find that food simply takes up less space in their mind once it no longer has to carry their feelings.
What if I think I might have an eating disorder?
If you binge regularly and feel out of control, make yourself sick, restrict food severely or feel that food and your body dominate your life, please speak to your GP. Conditions such as binge eating disorder, bulimia and anorexia deserve specialist care, and Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, offers confidential support. Hypnotherapy may complement that care, but it does not replace it. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, contact your GP or call NHS 111 for immediate support.
Can I have sessions online?
Yes. Online sessions work just as well as sessions in person, and many clients find it easier to talk about food from somewhere they feel comfortable. Whether you come to the practice in London or join from home, we go at your pace, and there is no judgement about what or how you eat.
Book hypnotherapy for emotional eating
Talking about food can feel personal, and you do not need to have it all worked out before we meet. If food has become the way you cope with how you feel, that is reason enough to start.