Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about our services here:

 

 

HYPNOSIS – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What Is Hypnosis?   
 
Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state that we all enter into inadvertently, many times a day.  We automatically go into hypnosis anytime we become deeply relaxed or highly focused on a given activity.  For example, people frequently become hypnotized when they are driving, reading, watching television or a movie, working on a hobby and under many other circumstances.  Anytime a person mentally lets go of their current reality for an extended period of time, hypnosis can occur.


What Hypnosis is not: You will not be:
  • sleep
    		•
  • surrendering your will
  • being unconscious
    		•
  • divulging secrets
  • being gullible
    		•
  • failing
  • being weak-minded
    		•
  • acting foolish
  • being controlled by someone else
    		•
  • staying stuck in hypnosis
  • a loss of self-control
    		•

    How Does Hypnotherapy Work?   

    The hypnotist guides you into a relaxed state by helping you to focus and relax.  It is, however, up to you to allow the hypnosis to occur.  As your conscious mind becomes highly focused and/or deeply relaxed with hypnosis, it’s as if a doorway to your subconscious mind opens, enabling you to receive suggestions in accordance with your goals.  It is during this time that positive statements, affirmations, and visualizations are given by the hypnotherapist.  Thereafter, your subconscious and conscious can work together to bring about desired change.  During a session about 90% of clients are able to hear and consciously remember most of the session.  This is normal because hypnosis is not sleep and it is not being unconscious.  When you are hypnotized, you are actually more aware—not less aware.  You are more aware of your body, more aware of your breathing, more aware of outside sounds and smells, and your memory is much sharper.  That is why hypnosis works so well. Your desire and your motivation to change, however, are paramount to the success of your hypnotherapy. 

    What Does Hypnosis Feel Like?   

    During your hypnosis session, you may feel some of the following sensations:                          

  • warmth
    		•
  • numbness
  • a feeling of heaviness or lightness in your body
    		•
  • a tingly sensation
  • a change in your breathing pattern
    		•
  • your eyes fluttering
  • body jerks
    		•
  • a need to swallow
  • a floating sensation
    		•
  • disorientation/mind wandering
  • sounds fading in and out
    		•
  • heightened awareness of sound
  • heightened awareness of room temperature
    		•
  • a sensation of color or light
  • a far away feeling
    		•
  • a disinclination to move

    • What Is Self-hypnosis And How Do I Do It?    
    All hypnosis is self-hypnosis.  Self-hypnosis is the process of entering hypnotic relaxation, then creating positive changes from the helpful suggestions you either repeat to yourself, or by listening to a self-hypnosis recording or to the hypnotherapist.  Even though you may be with a hypnotist during a session, you will actually be hypnotizing yourself.  You are the one with the actual power.  The hypnotherapist acts only as a facilitator leading clients to healthy paths, which they can choose to take.  Any positive change, which occurs during or after the session, is actually created by you!

    What Happens In A Hypnosis Session?

    If it is your first session, your completed intake form is reviewed and discussed. Your goals are clarified and all your questions are answered.  Generally this takes lasts approximately 1 hour.   If it is a subsequent session, a review since your last session, including your successes and goals are discussed, generally only lasting about 15 – 30 minutes.  The hypnotist then guides you into relaxation and through imagery, suggestions and affirmations helps you to create new behavior, thoughts and actions that support your positive goals.  Of course, the more focused and relaxed you become, the more open the door to your subconscious mind becomes, which enables you to receive more suggestions, more powerfully, which further helps you to succeed at your goals.  This part of the session lasts about ½ hour.  Right after the session, when you are fully alert and clear, a review of your experience is discussed and any questions are answered.  All sessions are recorded for you to take home for daily reinforcement.

    Do I Have To Be Deeply Hypnotized For It To Be Effective?   
     
    A deep state of hypnosis is not needed to be effective.  Even if you only relax and focus slightly, you will probably be at least 20 times more open to suggestion than you are right now.  If you go into a medium or deep level of hypnosis you could be hundreds of times more open to suggestion. There are many cases in which a deep trance is not as helpful.  Those working on behavior modification issues such as weight loss or smoking cessation do well with a lighter trance.  This lighter state allows you to process the information at both the conscious and subconscious levels.  A deeper trance may be more helpful if working on painful issues or for past life regression.  So again, it is up to you to focus and relax, and how deeply hypnotized you become depends totally on how much you allow yourself to focus and relax.  Your active participation is key to the total success of the hypnosis.

    How Many Sessions Do I Need For Results?

    There are many factors that determine the number of sessions needed for each client.  The variety of applications hypnotherapy can be used for, coupled with the of each individual there is not a definitive answer.  Generally speaking, three sessions might be an average number of sessions.  However, for example, smoking cessation is most often done in one sitting.  Other goals may be more complex and take more than three sessions. 

    Does Hypnosis Have Age Requirements?

    I prefer to have children reach an age of eight before beginning to use hypnosis.  Until that time, creative meditations using simple visualizations can be very help to children in many ways such as, sleeping peacefully, learning to quiet themselves, developing concentration, awakening creativity and quieting fears to name a few.  As adults, hypnotism can be used for the rest of our physical lives.

    What Can Hypnotherapy Help? 
      
    Hypnotherapy can be used for just about everything. If there is any area in your life where you want to make positive change, hypnotherapy, along with your desire and motivation can help you to help yourself succeed.  What the mind imagines, the body responds.