Question 1

Does everyone respond to hypnotherapy?

Accepted Answer

Anyone with even average intelligence and a bit of imagination can be hypnotized to one degree or another. Once hypnotized, if the therapist knows what they are doing, therapy can be conducted in a way that works best for the client.

There is a range of susceptibility to both hypnosis and hypnotherapy, but in general, "yes", virtually everyone will respond. In some cases, a person may be only capable of only light levels of hypnotic trance, but the good news is that most therapies can be conducted at even Stage 1 on Arons Scale of Hypnotic Depth.

Hypnosis almost always requires a willing participant. If you actively resist or work to prevent trance, then you would be the exception to this. You can actively resist being hypnotized and there is virtually nothing I could do about it.

Question 2

Who can be hypnotized?

Accepted Answer

Anyone who wants to be. If you can pay attention and follow instructions, you are going to go under. The "depth" of the trance may vary with the natural ability and experience of the subject, but hypnotic trance is natural and we all slip in and out of it daily even without a hypnotist being present.

Question 3

What is hypnosis?

Accepted Answer

Hypnosis is a focus and imagination. Usually, relaxation is part of the clinical experience, but it's really a secondary benefit.

The Scottish surgeon James Braid coined the term "hypnotism", then later he sought to change the name to ""monoideism"", but the name had already caught on. He changed his mind on the name because as he researched it, he found that "hypnosis" had a lot less to do with "hypno" (Greek for "sleep") than it did with focus.

In a hypnotic trance, the noise in your mind stops and you are able to focus with crystalline clarity on the voice of the hypnotist and the suggestions being made.

Question 4

Altoids, what's with them? Why do you keep offering me one?

Accepted Answer

"Do I need one? Is my breath bad? Are you trying to tell me something subtly or not so subtly?"

Sorry... No, I don't mean anything by it. I like Altoids and almost always have a tin of them around my office. Usually, when I want one, I will offer one to whoever is with me in the office as well.

Please don't read anything more into it. When I offer, take one, don't take one, no matter to me. If you see them sitting out, you may have one, you don't even have to ask.

Question 5

What is an "induction"?

Accepted Answer

"Induction" just means an "entry point". Dictionary.com defines it as: "the process or action of bringing about or giving rise to something".

A hypnotic induction is just a technique to transition a subject into a hypnotic trance. There are hundreds of techniques that work.

Some inductions happen slowly, relying on relaxation to ease the subject into a trance. Others use the "startle reflex" to surprise the client into transitioning into a trance. Still, others use a monotonous action, like a pocket-watch swinging to bring about a trance.

The best induction is the one that works for you. Some people react better to one method than another and it's my job to figure that out before we start.

Question 6

Can I get 'stuck' in a hypnotic trance?

Accepted Answer

Nope. You cannot get stuck. In 4000 years of recorded hypnosis history, the only one who has ever gotten stuck is that guy in the movie "Office Space" and to be fair, he kind of needed it. In that movie, the hypnotist dies of a heart-attack while his client is hypnotized and for the rest of the movie, the client is still in trance and ultra-relaxed.

In reality, what would happen is that the client would come out of trance and try to help the dying hypnotist or he would fall into a deep, relaxing sleep and awake naturally, then try to help the already dead hypnotist. There is no 'stuck'.

I'll let you in on a secret. If people could get stuck, we hypnotists would create armies of "hypnozombies" to do our bidding for us, while we lived lives of luxury and pleasure. Muahhahahahahha! Just kidding. (Or am I?). Nope, No stuck. Instead, we try to help people.

Question 7

Are some people better at hypnosis than others?

Accepted Answer

Most certainly.

There is a natural ability inherent in hypnosis, but willingness goes a long way toward overriding that.

I would rather work with a willing participant who is low on the hypnotizability scale than someone with a ton of natural ability who won't do the work.

There are people who are naturally gifted at hypnosis. They are known as "somnambulists" or "sleepwalkers". While somnambulists have a natural ability to experience hypnotic trance, it is a skill that can be learned and improved by anyone who is so inclined. Practice, practice, practice.

Question 8

How many sessions should I expect to need?

Accepted Answer

That's a completely fair question, and I hate having to answer this way; "It depends."

Okay, now we have that out of the way, let's explore what that means. First, let's acknowledge that there are no "hypno-miracles."" With some issues, with some people, there is dramatic reduction and even elimination of the complaint during the first session. But I ALWAYS recommend at least one follow-up session, even in those cases. Some issues, like phobias, tend to see results in fewer sessions than others. From there, "it depends."

I would love to be able to say with precision; "this will be resolved in x sessions," but in most cases that is not practical. You need to know how long/how much and I don't have enough information to get there.

So, in an attempt to resolve this dilemma, here's our best bet:

Let's discuss the details around what you are facing and what you want to accomplish. Email is fine, or we can talk on the phone. Between what you offer and the answer to questions I will ask, I can usually get to the point where I can say; "At least x sessions..."

I want to give you an exact number just as much as you want that number, but anyone who quoted a number for me without knowing the specifics about me would immediately raise my suspicions.

Question 9

Is hypnosis like sleep or being unconscious?

Accepted Answer

Hypnotists commonly use the word "sleep" to induce hypnosis and during hypnosis to deepen the state, but hypnosis is not like sleep or unconsciousness.

In hypnosis, you are aware of what is going on around you, you are responsive to outside stimuli and you can control how things proceed. If you have ever looked into "lucid dreaming", some people describe it and hypnosis as being a similar state.

Question 10

Do you do work with grief and loss?

Accepted Answer

I do. Grief and loss are intertwined with trauma and anxiety, both of which can be addressed with hypnosis.

The loss of a close friend, a child, spouse or another family member can one of the toughest things we will ever face. We may be well aware of the inevitability of death and to speak in terms of it ""being part of life"", but when it happens to someone close to us, there is just no way to be prepared.

Hypnosis can help to stop the spinning, falling, out of control feeling and to begin to restore some semblance of order to a mind on overload. From there, healing can begin.