About Me

Dr. Barbara Schmidt

Enthusiasm and Expertise

I am fascinated by the effect hypnosis has on people. I use hypnosis in a way that taps into and activates people’s inner resources, allowing them to reach their full potential. After all, everything you need to do that is already within you.

Über mich - Hypnose-Expertin Barbara Schmidt

  • 2026Moving

    The practice has moved to new premises: Triftstraße 13, 80538 Munich

  • 2025Private Practice

    Opening of his own practice at Habsburgerplatz 2, 80801 Munich
    Planned transfer to LMU Munich

  • 2024Habilitation

    Habilitation and venia legendi in Medical Psychology at Jena University Hospital; new title: Privatdozentin

  • 2022-2024Funding

    Individual Grants from the German Research Foundation

  • 2021- 2024Academic Career

    Research Associate at the Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy, and Psycho-Oncology at Jena University Hospital

  • 2015- 2021Academic Career

    Research Associate at the Department of Clinical Psychology at the University of Jena

  • 2015Research

    Research Stay at the University of Victoria in Canada

  • 2011-2014Doctorate

    at the University of Würzburg

  • 2011Research

    Research Fellowship at the University of Arizona in the United States

  • 2011Graduation

    Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Tübingen

  • 2005-2011College

    Studied psychology at the University of Regensburg and the University of Tübingen

  • 1985Born

    in Munich

About Me

Where am I from? 1985-2011
I was born and raised in Pullach, near Munich. During my school years, I began playing the flute and piccolo in various Munich orchestras. Looking back now, that’s where I had my first trance-like experiences. That feeling when everything just flows, when everything is exactly as it should be, and I felt that overwhelming sense of happiness at being part of this wonderful ensemble.

I graduated from high school in 2005 and decided to study psychology. I became passionate about research right from the start of my psychology studies in 2005. As a result, I published my first scientific article in 2009—while I was still a student—together with my professor at the time, Simon Hanslmayr. I demonstrated that EEG brain activity can predict how people rate music. I began my psychology studies at the University of Regensburg and earned my diploma in psychology in 2011 from the University of Tübingen.

I am very grateful for everything I was able to learn there and for the many wonderful encounters I had. My experiences there showed me that research is the right path for me.
Let's take on new challenges in research! 2011-2015
After that, I spent an exciting time at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where I became familiar with the international research culture. I spread my wings and rose to the challenges. I worked on an equal footing with my internationally renowned colleagues, Prof. John J. B. Allen and Prof. Mike X. Cohen, and wrote a MATLAB code for a new method of analyzing EEG data.

I then completed my doctoral dissertation at the University of Würzburg under Prof. Johannes Hewig. There, I studied risk-taking behavior. For example, my participants exercised on a stationary bike before playing a risk-taking game for money. The results showed that higher levels of physical arousal led to less risky behavior. In further studies, I also examined the influence of motivation and the payout method on risk-taking behavior, including in relation to EEG brain activity.

I completed my Ph.D. in 2014 and then went to the University of Victoria in Canada for a research fellowship. There, I worked with my highly respected colleague, Prof. Clay Holroyd, in the field of reward research. While there, I analyzed my EEG data, which allowed me to demonstrate that EEG activity can reveal when people are impulsive and do not like to wait for rewards.
How I Discovered Hypnosis, 2015–2021
In the fall of 2015, I began conducting research at the University of Jena, where I first started working on the topic of hypnosis. My supervisor at the time, Prof. Wolfgang H. R. Miltner, approached me at a conference where I was presenting the results of my EEG studies. He knew me through my doctoral advisor in Würzburg, who had previously been a postdoc under him. I was standing in front of my poster and initially thought he wanted to talk to me about it, since the results I was presenting were based on his pioneering work in the field of EEG research. Surprisingly, instead of discussing my data, he offered me a position! And it was in a project on hypnosis! I was initially astonished, because I had never had anything to do with that before. When I asked him about it, he replied, “I know you’re the right person for this!” Today, I’m very grateful for that trust and foresight, because he was right! In the years that followed, I had my first experiences with hypnosis and was incredibly impressed. In my previous EEG experiments, the effects were around 5 microvolts; in the hypnosis studies, they were around 20 microvolts! I’d never seen anything like that before! And it happened simply because I told the participants something. In the first studies, I told them while they were under hypnosis that they had a wooden board in front of their eyes, that they were wearing a protective glove on their hand, or that they had earplugs in their ears. The presented stimuli were then processed in a completely different way. Although the stimuli still reached the brain, their subsequent processing was drastically altered. I could see that in the EEG. This fascinated me completely, and I began to think further about what is possible with hypnosis. Through my experiences with the participants, I realized that they especially enjoyed the feeling that I was devoting myself so completely to them, perceiving exactly what was going on inside them, and gently guiding them. So in my subsequent studies, I developed a hypnosis intervention designed to give the participants a sense of security. And that felt very good, both for me and for the participants. And it worked. For those who felt safe, monetary rewards, for example, were less important—which was also evident in the EEG. Even in very challenging situations, such as during mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit, this suggestion worked—and in fact, it worked particularly well there! I attribute this to the natural trance state that occurs during intense fear and stress.
My Time at Jena University Hospital, 2021–2024
My article on the positive effects of a safety suggestion in the intensive care unit garnered a lot of attention and recognition, and so my new boss, Prof. Bernhard Strauß, offered me a position at Jena University Hospital. I have been working at Jena University Hospital since 2021, where I am expanding my scope of work. In 2021, I secured a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG), which is considered a major accolade in the field of research.

On the one hand, it is recognition of my research achievements to date; on the other hand, it reflects the confidence that my research ideas deserve to be funded. As part of my DFG project, I also worked with blood and saliva samples for the first time to measure stress markers such as adrenaline and cortisol. I centrifuged the blood samples, pipetted them out, and froze them so that they could later be analyzed in a specialized laboratory.

We are currently publishing the results (HypnoStress Study). In addition, as part of my DFG project, we conducted a study on preparing young children for surgery (HypnoChild Study). In this study, the children listen to a hypnosis recording one day before their tonsillectomy to reduce their anxiety. This was well received, and we are currently submitting the paper for publication. In the third subproject, two of my doctoral students are visiting several hospitals in Germany to use hypnosis to help patients undergoing weaning from mechanical ventilation regain independence from the ventilator (HypnoWeaning Study). As part of my teaching duties at Jena University Hospital, I teach medical students how to communicate with patients.

To that end, we train student actors to play specific roles. My students then conduct conversations on challenging topics such as depression, delivering serious news, addiction, and sexuality. The trained patient actors provide feedback, which is invaluable for learning medical communication. As a result, students gain a sense—even in the early years of medical school—of how important it is for patients that solutions be developed together with them. Although this is often unfamiliar, it leads to much better outcomes and increases compliance. This means that patients actually put the doctor’s recommendations into practice. And that is the cornerstone of any therapy! An active patient who also knows their own strengths is much better able to implement changes in their own life—such as exercising more, eating healthier, and building a stable social network.

I’m really pleased to see how much it benefits the students to be able to have these kinds of conversations. It’s especially important to me that we treat each other with appreciation and respect. I’m proud that my students awarded me a gold medal for my teaching at the 2023 Vorklinkerball!
Habilitation and Outlook for the Future
In January 2024, I officially submitted my habilitation thesis to the Faculty of Medicine in Jena. In it, I summarize my work on hypnosis under the title: “Shine bright like a diamond: Therapeutic interventions to activate resources in challenging situations.” The habilitation qualifies me to accept a professorship. I have also applied for the venia legendi, which entitles me to teach in the field of medical psychology and to hold the title of “Privatdozentin.”

I look forward to using my expertise to help you as well and to support you as you tackle your challenges. For a more detailed overview of what I offer, please take a look at the following pages. There, I describe my past projects, and you’ll find numerous interviews, documentaries, and podcasts in which I discuss my work.

Dr. Barbara Schmidt in the Media

My book on hypnosis and anxiety:
https://www.utb.de/doi/book/10.36198/9783838556871

Documentaries, interviews, and podcasts in which I discuss hypnosis and how it works:
Podcast on the Pixar movie “Inside Out 2,” published on July 13, 2024: https://wissenhinterdenkulissen.podigee.io/6-alles-steht-kopf

Event marking the 100th anniversary of the EEG on July 6, 2024, in Jena:
https://dgkn.de/100jahreeeg

Podcast "Dealing with Anxious Children: Discover Your Superpower!" on the Pediatric Anesthesia Talk with Armin and Gordon, published on June 8, 2024:
https://www.kinderanaesthesie-talk.de/unsere-podcasts

Article in Focus magazine, Issue 14/2024, “Electrical Currents in the Brain,” marking the 100th anniversary of the EEG, invented by Hans Berger in Jena:
https://www.focus-magazin.de/

Newspaper article “Just Live! Jena Psychologist Offers These Three Practical Tips for Mental Health” published on March 9, 2024, in the TZ:
https://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/kultur/article241841136/Jenaer-Psychologin-Lebt-einfach.html

PULS Report (Bayerischer Rundfunk): “Hypnosis: Can I Quit Smoking This Way?” February 14, 2024:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNw_5Do1c5A&t=5s

YouTube video “Your Questions, Our Farewell: The Final Episode of Science vs. Fiction,” December 28, 2023:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCP3Bae8Gx8&list=PL0IWTz7tiz0ZgFiOlA6UmX-TineG-fT1n
Starting at the 20:30 mark, I answer the question: “Is hypnosis as powerful as in ‘Get Out’ really possible? Is a single sound enough to instantly incapacitate a person?”

Science documentary “Healing with Hypnosis: What Happens in the Mind and Body?” on 3sat on November 23, 2023:
https://www.3sat.de/wissen/wissenschaftsdoku/231123-heilen-mit-hypnose-sendung-wido-100.html

Podcast “Hypnosis: Does It Really Work?” on Wissen Weekly on November 13, 2023:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1WPyr7F9uM8Zv1pvEo8ehs

"Hypnotherapy" podcast by Miriam van Lijnden, November 11, 2023:
https://www.miriamvanlijnden.de/podcast/folge19

DPA Interview “Psychologist: Images from Israel Can Have Serious Consequences” in the *Süddeutsche Zeitung* on October 20, 2023:
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/konflikte-jena-psychologin-bilder-aus-israel-koennen-schwere-folgen-haben-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-231020-99-631815

Lecture titled “Hypnosis—An Extraordinary Experience or an Everyday Manifestation of Our Consciousness?” at the IGPP in Freiburg on October 10, 2023:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK7na4psm1Q

Webinar “Hypnosis for Self-Care for Anesthesiologists” on October 5, 2023:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t4PdhC5l00

Interview with Dr. Barbara Schmidt on the topic of clinical hypnosis, conducted by Katrin Hoster of the Wut-Coaches on September 23, 2023:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2omFocJMqJM&t=7s

Interview “Hypnosis in Sports: Some People Swear by It!” on Deutschlandfunk Kultur on December 18, 2022:
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/hypnose-im-sport-manche-athleten-schwoeren-darauf-dlf-kultur-9a0a51eb-100.html

Interview “Hypnosis as Therapy” on TK’s “Gesundheit unter vier Augen” on October 5, 2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHrdBJbrPYE

Podcast “Anxiety Disorders and Hypnosis” by Miriam van Lijnden on August 23, 2022:
https://www.miriamvanlijnden.de/podcast/folge6

Radio feature "Hypnosis—Help for Anxiety and Pain" on Deutschlandfunk Kultur on August 4, 2022:
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/hypnose-hilfe-gegen-angst-und-schmerzen-100.html

Interview “How Hypnosis Can Help with Anxiety” on SRF Wissen on June 8, 2022:
https://www.srf.ch/wissen/mensch/hypnosetherapie-wie-hypnose-gegen-aengste-helfen-kann

TV segment on SRF Wissen in the program "Einstein" on the topic of treating fear of flying with hypnosis, aired on June 2, 2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG5ivcGvJ-Q

Interview on ZDF today, "The War Brings Back Memories," on May 28, 2022, at 7 p.m.:
https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute-19-uhr/krieg-erinnerungen-video-100.html

Interview “How the War in Ukraine Is Affecting Our Mental Health” on Deutsche Welle News on April 14, 2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxaKKeL9Ysg

Newspaper article “Jena Researcher on War Anxiety: Too Much Fear Can Make You Sick” in the Ostthüringer Zeitung (OTZ) on March 28, 2022:
https://www.otz.de/regionen/jena/jenaer-forscherin-zu-kriegsangst-zu-viel-angst-kann-krank-machen-id234931675.html

TV segment “Hypnosis: Hocus-Pocus or Remedy?” on WDR Quarks, aired on February 17, 2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPVeRyHNFF0

Newspaper article “Research in Jena: Hypnosis and Its Therapeutic Potential” in the Ostthüringer Zeitung (OTZ) on February 6, 2022:
https://www.otz.de/regionen/jena/forschung-in-jena-hypnose-und-ihr-therapeutisches-potenzial-id234490991.html

TV segment “Hypnosis—Increasingly Used in Medicine” on SWR Doc Fischer on January 3, 2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onUJEvf7eUY

Interview “Hypnosis—A Trump Card in the Intensive Care Unit” in the newspaper *Management und Krankenhaus* on December 1, 2021:
https://www.management-krankenhaus.de/restricted-files/150285

ZDF TV segment “What Can Hypnosis Really Do? With Mai Thi from @maiLab” on the show Terra Xplore, November 9, 2021:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5_IXt1zbDY

Radio segment on Hessischer Rundfunk Inforadio titled “COVID-19 Despite Vaccination: The Bicycle Helmet Effect” from November 9, 2021:
https://www.hr-inforadio.de/programm/themen/corona-trotz-impfung-der-fahrradhelm-effekt,corona-trotz-impfung-fahrradhelm-effekt-100.html

UKJ press release on the HypnoChild collaboration project, “A Great Friend for Young ENT Patients,” dated September 17, 2021:
https://www.uniklinikum-jena.de/Uniklinikum+Jena/News/Press+Releases/A+Great+Friend+for+Young+ENT+Patients-pos-0-p-26294.html

Article “Stress Relief Through Hypnosis: Can It Work?” in the magazine *Handwerk* on September 9, 2021:
https://www.handwerk.com/stressabbau-durch-hypnose-kann-das-funktionieren

TV segment and live interview on “Hypnosis as a Form of Therapy” on the show “Punkt 12” on RTL on July 30, 2021:
https://www.rtl.de/videos/hypnose-als-therapieform-6107f7f23ef07e2b300adfa2.html

Interview titled “Hypnosis: The Miracle Cure” aired on March 23, 2021, on ARD as part of the program “live nach neun”
https://www.daserste.de/information/ratgeber-service/live-nach-neun/videos/wundermittel-hypnose-live-nach-neun-video-100.html

MDR Wissen report “Hypnosis Eases Anxiety in the Intensive Care Unit” from February 19, 2021:
https://www.mdr.de/wissen/corona-intensivstation-hypnose-nimmt-angst-100.html

YouTube video featuring Jack Pop, “Does Hypnosis Really Work?” from September 27, 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBYmHdRGQFA

RBB documentary “The Truth About… Hypnosis” from August 24, 2020:
https://www.rbb-online.de/wahrheit/videos/hypnose.html

MDR Wissen report “Hypnosis Research: I Know of No Other Form of Brain Manipulation That Is This Powerful” from June 9, 2020:
https://www.mdr.de/wissen/hypnose-therapie-hirnforschung-102.html

University of Jena Interview “Less Anxiety Through Changed Assessments” from March 27, 2020:
https://blog.uni-jena.de/2020/03/weniger-angst-durch-veraenderte-bewertungen/