Well, I haven't tried hypnotherapy with a real person, but I have listened to Paul McKenna's mind programming cd which is a form of hypnosis/relaxation/affirmation, and I have had good success. I'm pretty much at (within 5 lbs) of my goal weight. So, I tend to think that it would work, but I'm not sure of the costs (with a live person). You can check out his website at mckenna.com. (some people on his forum have had trouble purchasing the book from the website, so I would suggest getting it from barnes and noble, if you want to order). He has some really basic ideas about eating (not dieting!) and then the cd reinforces that. After the first time I listened to it, I noticed that I had no desire to drink Crystal Light Tea. It was really weird to me. Also my afternoon munchie snack attack didn't hit me. It really worked for me. I still have little binges sometimes, but nowhere near what they were.
Best wishes