I have tried it at several junctures in my life & I found it to be a stupendous tool.

Hypnotism is what we do every day without control or with it if we are in a healthy mental/emotional place.
We give ourselves our morning messages of how what to do this day, or say before we appear somewhere & we 'tell' ourself how we will behave ie "I won't be afraid I won't be afraid.
Having a Hypnotist Guide & Teacher can help by taking us into trance & finding our better, stronger self & they should teach you how to use the Tool with yourself.

When I was 43 I taught myself to swim to participate with my 'bosses' in a Triathalon after being allergic to pools all my life (Chlorine). After 4 months I had gotten to 6-7 laps & stuck there over & over; but I needed 18 for the race. Finally one day I wondered if I could use the hypnotism training I was getting (to get through my 3yr court divorce) & while under water started a Trance that I was a shark & knew how to swim like one. It was amazing!! cz it seemed even my veiw of the water changed & I hit 10 laps like that! When I got out of the water a fellow said Wow you swim just like a shark! I swear! I'm like OK that worked. In 3 more days I hit the 18 laps I needed.
In the end I didn't do the race cz I thought "you know Life is a Triathalon & I just won."

I'm glad you have brought this up to remind me. Thank You.

Currently through more emotional & financial stress than I can deal with, I have 'Hypnotised' my self into staying at home 95% which is not my usual way to solve problems. Granted I do like a large amount of time alone & reclusiveness but usually bcz I am very self contained & busy with projects; not licking my wounds.
I find myself now before I am out of bed weighing the outlook & convincing myself, hypnotising myself, into believing I am Only safe at home & if I talk to No one 'cept via Tribe. I have even stopped opening my e-mail (eeee what a mess that is after 4 months....)
& now that you have said the word I feel like *boing* a light bulb!

'Course I have been physically ill as well & that is good to become reclusive to heal. & I will say that thru hypnotising myself that I Will, I Will keep going, I will find away, I will keep going that I probably led myself into becoming more ill than if I could have sat down in the beginning to notice......

Now to find a therapist that will come to the house..... lol *-*

I am a Psychologist, (I am 50% agoraphobic, on my mom's side ...LOL) and I am trained in Hypnotism....
and YES it works. I have performed it on others & have had it performed on me as well.

EMDR(eye movement desensitization reprocessing) works MUCH better!!
It is just like hypnotism, except the person IS aware of what's going on! ...it has a MUCH better success rate than Hypnotism, especially with people who have phobias(including agoraphobia)...

When I got my Masters Degree in 1996...I ALSO took a 12 week(3 hours a week) course in EMDR. ...and I am FULLY Trained & Certified in EMDR(for over 9 years)

In fact, I performed EMDR on my Aunt over XMAS, ( who will NOT drive on Freeways, & has not for over 20 years due to a bad car accident) and now she CAN drive on the freeways again :-)

Look into EMDR(and Hypnotism too, if you want) it DOES work!!