Q: Are there people who should not be hypnotized?

Medical doctors and mental health professionals may indicate that hypnosis is contraindicated for a number of conditions, including: Although hypnosis has seen some amazing results over a wide spectrum of conditions, hypnotherapy is generally an adjunct therapy and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric care.

Q: What do you mean by "Presentations & Training"?

As I described in the "Stage Hypnosis" FAQ , there are three types of stage hypnosis. I have done all three, but for the purposes of this site, I am referring to the final two mentioned there: Another type of stage hypnosis is the hypnosis demonstration. In this type of performance, the purpose is to educate, rather than to entertain. Hypnotic phenomenon takes front stage and the comedy takes a back seat. In this type of show, the purpose is for you to walk out with a better understanding of what hypnosis is and more importantly, what it is not. The final category is the seminar presentation. The purpose of this type of performance is once again educational, but in this case, hypnosis is only used to prove a point about some other topic. A classic example is a performance given before a group of salespeople, where hypnosis is used to show illustrate how a mindset can have a large impact on the success or failure of a sale. I enjoy working on stage, so if you have something in mind, let's talk. I bet we can come up with something that suits your audience and fits your budget." Presentations & Training

Question 1

How do I know you are qualified to help me?

Accepted Answer

That is a great question and probably the most important one in this FAQ.

There are a lot of people out there claiming to be "hypnotherapists". In Washington, the Department of Health has some very specific rules about who can use that title, but in most states, it's completely unregulated.

I recommend you view two pages on this site:

Choosing a Hypnotherapist and Education and Credentials while you are researching this subject.

Question 2

What should I look for in a hypnotherapist?

Accepted Answer

That's a question that is so important that I dedicated an entire page to it.

Please see the Choosing a Hypnotherapist page.

Question 3

What if the hypnotherapist makes a suggestion I don't like?

Accepted Answer

As a rule, the content of a session has been discussed in advance, but it can happen where the hypnotherapist is using imagery you aren't seeing or don't like.

In most cases, if the hypnotherapist keeps saying "green" and you are seeing "blue", you will simply see blue and go on. For most things, the exactness of the image is not the point. If you find it jarring or the hypnotherapist is using an image you can't deal with, you will simply open your eyes and correct what is being said.

I had one client who didn't reveal a phobia to me. With her in a trance, I was using a flock of birds moving in formation in the sky as an image. She opened her eyes and asked if could skip the birds because birds are "too pecky". I changed images and she was back under, more deeply than before.

Question 4

What types of hypnosis do you use?

Accepted Answer

I tend to use Kappasinian ""Emotional/Analytical & Physical" assessments as well as inductions, especially for the first session. Beyond that, I lean heavily into Ericksonian methods, but I am happy to choose, a la carte, as needed to ensure you respond as well as is possible.

The right kind of hypnosis is the kind that works

Question 5

Are there people who should not be hypnotized?

Accepted Answer

Medical doctors and mental health professionals may indicate that hypnosis is contraindicated for a number of conditions, including:

Although hypnosis has seen some amazing results over a wide spectrum of conditions, hypnotherapy is generally an adjunct therapy and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric care.

Question 6

Am I going to cluck like a chicken or bark like a dog?

Accepted Answer

Ah... you have seen those shows too?

No, not unless you want to. In general, acting like an animal is not part of a hypnotherapy session, unless you have specifically asked for that as part of your goals.

It's funny to see imagination run amok on stage, but most hypnotherapy clients would not find it the least bit amusing.

Question 7

Do you take insurance?

Accepted Answer

I do not.

I'll be honest with you, I looked into it, briefly and it looked like a mountain of paperwork, especially with the changing insurance landscape these days. Maybe there's an easy way to do it and I will figure that out down the road. In most cases, the rates I charge would have to be dramatically increased so that the insurance companies could get their cut and I could cover the time for all the extra overhead. In one example, that increase would have been FIVE TIMES my normal rate. I just can't justify that.

For now, it's cash, check and pretty much every major credit/debit card you might carry.

A number of my clients have reported that they are able to submit reciepts from Hypnotechs to their insurance company for reimbursement under the "alternative medicine category". If you choose to try that, all the information you should need is on my credentials page, license number, location and so on.

Question 8

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.

Question 9

Can I be hypnotized against my will?

Accepted Answer

In general, no. Hypnosis requires your participation and consent to work.

There are "shock" inductions that can be performed that startle the subject into hypnosis, but without participation and consent, the subject will pop right back out again in less than a second.

A very skilled hypnotist can make involuntary hypnosis last longer, but you would NEVER find that in a therapy environment where trust means everything.

Question 10

What do you mean by "Presentations & Training"?

Accepted Answer

As I described in the "Stage Hypnosis" FAQ, there are three types of stage hypnosis. I have done all three, but for the purposes of this site, I am referring to the final two mentioned there:

Another type of stage hypnosis is the hypnosis demonstration. In this type of performance, the purpose is to educate, rather than to entertain. Hypnotic phenomenon takes front stage and the comedy takes a back seat. In this type of show, the purpose is for you to walk out with a better understanding of what hypnosis is and more importantly, what it is not.

The final category is the seminar presentation. The purpose of this type of performance is once again educational, but in this case, hypnosis is only used to prove a point about some other topic. A classic example is a performance given before a group of salespeople, where hypnosis is used to show illustrate how a mindset can have a large impact on the success or failure of a sale.

I enjoy working on stage, so if you have something in mind, let's talk. I bet we can come up with something that suits your audience and fits your budget." Presentations & Training