NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED DIPLOMATE IN CLINICAL
HYPNOTHERAPY (NBCDCH) EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS
RATIONALES 2025/2026 Q & A |INSTANT DOWLOAD PDF
1. What is the primary goal of clinical hypnotherapy?
A. To control patients’ thoughts
B. To enhance self-awareness and behavioral change
C. To perform magic tricks
D. To replace medical treatment entirely
*Correct answer: B – Clinical hypnotherapy aims to help clients access their
subconscious mind to facilitate self-awareness, behavioral change, and
therapeutic goals.
2. Which of the following is an essential characteristic of a hypnotic trance?
A. Complete unconsciousness
B. Heightened suggestibility and focused attention
C. Loss of all motor control
D. Hallucinations
*Correct answer: B – A hypnotic trance involves focused attention and increased
responsiveness to suggestions, not unconsciousness.
3. Which theory explains hypnosis as a form of social role-playing?
A. Dissociation theory
B. Role theory
C. Cognitive-behavioral theory
D. Psychoanalytic theory
*Correct answer: B – Role theory suggests that hypnosis works because the person
enacts a social role expected during hypnotic induction.
4. In clinical hypnotherapy, “anchoring” is best described as:
A. Forgetting past trauma
,B. Associating a stimulus with a desired emotional state
C. Controlling another person’s behavior
D. Inducing hallucinations
*Correct answer: B – Anchoring uses conditioned stimuli to trigger positive
emotional or mental states for therapeutic purposes.
5. Which of the following is a contraindication for hypnotherapy?
A. Mild anxiety
B. Severe psychosis
C. Insomnia
D. Smoking cessation
*Correct answer: B – Severe psychosis or uncontrolled psychiatric conditions may
worsen under hypnosis and require medical oversight.
6. Milton Erickson is best known for:
A. Rapid eye movement therapy
B. Indirect and permissive hypnotherapy techniques
C. Classical Freudian analysis
D. Cognitive-behavioral therapy
*Correct answer: B – Erickson developed permissive and indirect approaches,
emphasizing tailored suggestions and client resources.
7. Which stage of hypnosis involves deep relaxation and heightened focus?
A. Pre-talk
B. Induction
C. Suggestion
D. Post-hypnotic stage
*Correct answer: B – Induction is the stage where the client transitions from
normal consciousness into a hypnotic state.
8. Post-hypnotic suggestion is:
A. A suggestion made to the client during hypnosis that influences behavior after
the session
B. A suggestion given before hypnosis
C. The same as a waking suggestion
, D. A method to control dreams
*Correct answer: A – Post-hypnotic suggestions are intended to produce changes
in behavior or perception after the session ends.
9. Hypnotic analgesia is primarily used for:
A. Treating depression
B. Pain management
C. Inducing sleep apnea
D. Enhancing memory only
*Correct answer: B – Hypnotic analgesia helps clients reduce or manage pain
perception through focused suggestion and mental techniques.
10. Eye fixation techniques in hypnotherapy are used to:
A. Measure visual acuity
B. Induce relaxation and trance
C. Diagnose neurological disorders
D. Replace cognitive therapy
*Correct answer: B – Focusing on a visual object is a classical induction technique
to guide clients into a hypnotic trance.
11. Which of the following best describes dissociation theory in hypnosis?
A. Hypnosis causes complete unconsciousness
B. It involves a split in awareness, allowing selective attention to suggestions
C. Hypnosis has no scientific basis
D. Hypnosis works only by willpower
*Correct answer: B – Dissociation theory suggests the mind can separate aspects
of consciousness, making suggestions more effective.
12. Progressive muscle relaxation is often used in hypnotherapy to:
A. Stimulate adrenaline production
B. Induce physical and mental relaxation before induction
C. Diagnose muscular diseases
D. Perform cognitive restructuring
*Correct answer: B – Relaxation techniques prepare clients for trance by reducing
tension and increasing receptivity.
HYPNOTHERAPY (NBCDCH) EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS
RATIONALES 2025/2026 Q & A |INSTANT DOWLOAD PDF
1. What is the primary goal of clinical hypnotherapy?
A. To control patients’ thoughts
B. To enhance self-awareness and behavioral change
C. To perform magic tricks
D. To replace medical treatment entirely
*Correct answer: B – Clinical hypnotherapy aims to help clients access their
subconscious mind to facilitate self-awareness, behavioral change, and
therapeutic goals.
2. Which of the following is an essential characteristic of a hypnotic trance?
A. Complete unconsciousness
B. Heightened suggestibility and focused attention
C. Loss of all motor control
D. Hallucinations
*Correct answer: B – A hypnotic trance involves focused attention and increased
responsiveness to suggestions, not unconsciousness.
3. Which theory explains hypnosis as a form of social role-playing?
A. Dissociation theory
B. Role theory
C. Cognitive-behavioral theory
D. Psychoanalytic theory
*Correct answer: B – Role theory suggests that hypnosis works because the person
enacts a social role expected during hypnotic induction.
4. In clinical hypnotherapy, “anchoring” is best described as:
A. Forgetting past trauma
,B. Associating a stimulus with a desired emotional state
C. Controlling another person’s behavior
D. Inducing hallucinations
*Correct answer: B – Anchoring uses conditioned stimuli to trigger positive
emotional or mental states for therapeutic purposes.
5. Which of the following is a contraindication for hypnotherapy?
A. Mild anxiety
B. Severe psychosis
C. Insomnia
D. Smoking cessation
*Correct answer: B – Severe psychosis or uncontrolled psychiatric conditions may
worsen under hypnosis and require medical oversight.
6. Milton Erickson is best known for:
A. Rapid eye movement therapy
B. Indirect and permissive hypnotherapy techniques
C. Classical Freudian analysis
D. Cognitive-behavioral therapy
*Correct answer: B – Erickson developed permissive and indirect approaches,
emphasizing tailored suggestions and client resources.
7. Which stage of hypnosis involves deep relaxation and heightened focus?
A. Pre-talk
B. Induction
C. Suggestion
D. Post-hypnotic stage
*Correct answer: B – Induction is the stage where the client transitions from
normal consciousness into a hypnotic state.
8. Post-hypnotic suggestion is:
A. A suggestion made to the client during hypnosis that influences behavior after
the session
B. A suggestion given before hypnosis
C. The same as a waking suggestion
, D. A method to control dreams
*Correct answer: A – Post-hypnotic suggestions are intended to produce changes
in behavior or perception after the session ends.
9. Hypnotic analgesia is primarily used for:
A. Treating depression
B. Pain management
C. Inducing sleep apnea
D. Enhancing memory only
*Correct answer: B – Hypnotic analgesia helps clients reduce or manage pain
perception through focused suggestion and mental techniques.
10. Eye fixation techniques in hypnotherapy are used to:
A. Measure visual acuity
B. Induce relaxation and trance
C. Diagnose neurological disorders
D. Replace cognitive therapy
*Correct answer: B – Focusing on a visual object is a classical induction technique
to guide clients into a hypnotic trance.
11. Which of the following best describes dissociation theory in hypnosis?
A. Hypnosis causes complete unconsciousness
B. It involves a split in awareness, allowing selective attention to suggestions
C. Hypnosis has no scientific basis
D. Hypnosis works only by willpower
*Correct answer: B – Dissociation theory suggests the mind can separate aspects
of consciousness, making suggestions more effective.
12. Progressive muscle relaxation is often used in hypnotherapy to:
A. Stimulate adrenaline production
B. Induce physical and mental relaxation before induction
C. Diagnose muscular diseases
D. Perform cognitive restructuring
*Correct answer: B – Relaxation techniques prepare clients for trance by reducing
tension and increasing receptivity.
