Common Questions People Ask About Hypnotherapy
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a natural state of deep relaxation with focused attention inward that allows a person to achieve at a high level of performance, whatever the area of inner contemplation may be.
What if I can't be hypnotized?
Everybody hypnotizes themselves every day although they don't usually realize it. Whenever you drive your car to a frequented destination without having been consciously aware of just “how” you got there, or when you are concentrating on something so completely that you don't hear someone speaking to you, or if you are really involved doing something and discovered you scraped your arm but didn't feel or notice it until someone asked you about it much later, these are all examples of how we naturally enter a trance state-of-mind throughout the day.
All of these routine occurrences are examples of self-hypnosis, so everyone CAN be hypnotized. However, the level of hypnosis a person achieves is most often associated with their desire to succeed. It has been observed that people with intelligence, creativity and a open mind obtain the best and fastest results from their hypnotherapy sessions. But really to succeed, all you need to do is relax and let the natural process unfold in the way that is best-suited and most comfortable for you.
All of these routine occurrences are examples of self-hypnosis, so everyone CAN be hypnotized. However, the level of hypnosis a person achieves is most often associated with their desire to succeed. It has been observed that people with intelligence, creativity and a open mind obtain the best and fastest results from their hypnotherapy sessions. But really to succeed, all you need to do is relax and let the natural process unfold in the way that is best-suited and most comfortable for you.
What if I don't come out of hypnosis?
You WILL come out of hypnosis, I guarantee you. No one stays hypnotized forever. No matter how deeply you are in a trance state of increased alpha and delta brain-wave activity, and no matter how deliciously pleasant it may feel to stay there, everyone comes out of their hypnotic trance state. This is because your rational, conscious mind is still aware of yourself, at some level. Eventually, you realize you are hungry, you have to go to the bathroom, you have to fix dinner for the family, or you just get bored, reclining a chair, thinking about things...you feel an impulse to do something else and so the trance state of mind naturally comes to its end. It's something like eating pie; maybe you will have a piece and even some more, but eventually, you will have had your fill of pie and you will get up from the table and do something else. No one told you to do this...you just find yourself being done eating pie for now, so you stop.
Why is it I can do something under hypnosis that I normally can't do otherwise?
The reason you can solve problems, gain deep insights, and do things that otherwise you can't normally do is because under hypnosis your critical-thinking, conscious mind is bypassed while the subconscious mind is still highly receptive to positive suggestions. In effect, under hypnosis, there is little or no conflict in your mind introduced by skepticism, doubting, or denying...therefore, this allows the conscious and the subconscious minds to agree that you CAN accomplish your goal. With this focused, positive mind power, you are able to do all sorts of things you otherwise would not think were possible for you to accomplish.
Will you make me cluck like a chicken?
The stock answer is, “Not unless you want me to.”...But even though it seems like a funny answer, it really is not, because I WILL NOT give you any suggestions that are negative in nature, period. Period. Period. Even IF you want me to, I WILL NOT give you any suggestions that are negative in nature. It's a matter of personal ethics and professional standards. I am here to help reduce accumulated negative effects of mind, not to add to them. I also record all my sessions, so there is always an audio record of everything the client and I say during the trance experience. This creates a base of comfort and safety for both you and me.