As a hypnotherapist, I get a lot of interesting calls. One of the most common questions people ask is something like, “Can you hypnotize me to forget my ex?” Or, “Can you make it so I never met him in the first place?”

Recently, a woman called me just days after ending a five-year relationship. She was heartbroken and asked if I could hypnotize the pain—and the memory of “Johnny”—right out of her life.

I get it. When we’re in pain, especially emotional pain, we want it gone now. If I could wave a magic wand or sprinkle some pixie dust and make the hurt vanish, I would. But that’s not how hypnotherapy works. I can’t erase your memories or undo your past—and honestly, that’s not really what you want, even if it feels like it in the moment.

What I can do is guide you through the healing process in a deeply meaningful way. Hypnosis isn’t about forgetting what happened—it’s about transforming how you feel about it. It’s about releasing the emotional charge that’s tied to those memories so that you can move forward feeling lighter, stronger, and more in control.

Here’s how it works:

First, we deal with the pain. Before we even begin planting positive suggestions about self-worth, confidence, or new beginnings, we need to clear out the emotional clutter. Otherwise, it’s like planting seeds in dry, rocky soil—nothing can grow there.

I help my clients access the root of the pain, and it’s often deeper than the breakup itself. In this case, I asked her, “If you were to know, what’s the earliest time you felt this kind of hurt?” And she suddenly remembered her parents’ divorce when she was a little girl—when her dad walked out and never came back. That wound had never truly healed. Johnny’s departure reopened it.

So we went back to that moment—not to relive the pain, but to release it. Once that first, foundational hurt is released, the recent heartbreak doesn’t feel nearly as overwhelming. Why? Because it’s no longer compounded by a lifetime of unresolved emotion.

Then, and only then, do we revisit the breakup itself. We gather the lessons, the strength, and the clarity from the experience. And finally, we reinforce that healing with hypnotic suggestions—planted now in fertile, healthy emotional soil where they can truly take root.

So, can I hypnotize Johnny out of your life? Not exactly. But I can help you let go of the pain, find peace with the past, and step into the future with confidence and clarity.

If you’re ready to feel better and move forward—without needing magic or pixie dust—hypnotherapy might just be the support you’ve been looking for.

Want to learn more about how it works? I’d love to talk with you.

Jayne Goldman, MBA, C.Ht., is the Founder and Principal of Best Life Hypnotherapy in Los Angeles. She specializes in helping clients rewrite limiting beliefs and achieve their greatest potential through hypnotherapy, NLP coaching, and Time Line Therapy®.