Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Find answers to common questions about Hypnotherapy, working with a Tranquil Mind, and more. If you have any questions that we haven’t answered please reach out, we are happy to answer any other hypnotherapy questions you have. 

Quick Answers to Common Questions

    What are hypnosis and the hypnotic trance?

    A formal definition is that Hypnosis is a natural yet altered state where , when the Critical Factor (filtering mechanism) is relaxed, the conscious and subconscious mind may communicate and selective thinking, along with increased focus and concentration result. Think of the Critical Factor as a filter between the Conscious (10% of your mind) and the remaining 90%, Subconscious mind.

    In layman’s terms Hypnosis is also a method of communication to induce a trance. Trance is a naturally occurring state when your attention is narrowly focused and relatively free of distractions. This natural state is common and people experience it routinely throughout the day, either when day-dreaming, concentrating or engrossed in a book or movie and sometimes at the wheel of a car….that period when you have not really been watching the road but your mind has shifted elsewhere!

    A Hypnotherapist will use imagery and mutually agreed upon suggestions to communicate with your subconscious mind whilst your conscious mind is in a very relaxed state…so relaxed that the brain waves when you are hypnotized are very similar to those when you fall asleep. This means the conscious mind “chatter” is quiet. When accessing the subconscious directly, hypnosis suggestions that are compatible with a person’s belief system can then be accepted as new reality. The suggestions have to be congruent with someone’s moral belief system otherwise the suggestions will be rejected. Your old behavior, habits, and beliefs are stored in the subconscious mind. Your conscious mind may have an idea of what it wants to change but in reality is working against the subconscious that keeps repeating the same old behavior, habits and beliefs. Hypnotherapy helps you the client to align the subconscious mind to agree with the conscious mind.

    How can hypnosis help me?

    Since reaching your own subconscious, consciously, is very difficult , the deep concentration you experience in trance helps you ignore that incessant “chatter” of the mind so that conscious analysis is minimal and therefore your suggestibility is enhanced. Hypnosis can also enhance your ability to visualize, imagine and aid you in accessing your “higher mind”, intuition and problem solving capability. So if you are ready and willing to change habits or overcome an issue in your life, hypnosis makes it easier and is a great way to modify long held habits and unwanted beliefs..

    How much does it cost?

    Fees $95 per hour with a flexible fee schedule:

    1st Session = 120 minutes intake, explanation of mind, discussing your issues and developing a plan and more.

    2nd Session = 120 minutes or more offering Hypnotherapy, Custom CD (included), teaching you affirmations, reversing trauma if needed, discussing continued plan of action.

    One Session is needed thereafter for each new issue. A Custom CD is included in the full session cost.

    Sessions with hypnotherapy are normally 120 minutes or less after the first two sessions. The more accustomed you are to hypnosis the quicker you self-hypnotize!

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    Do you offer a FREE initial Consult?

    Yes, a FREE telephone consult of approximately 20 minutes is available. Please Ask!

    How long does a session take?

    First session with paperwork takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. Thereafter a normal session is 120 minutes (the minimum required for session to include the Custom CD/Download).

    How many sessions do you think I will need?

    Typically you will need somewhere from 2 to 6 sessions depending upon your issue.

    Is everyone hypnotizable?

    Since the hypnotic trance is a natural state such as day dreaming – the answer is “yes”! Having good rapport and trusting your hypnotherapist is primary. Also having an agreement between the two of you that you are ready, willing and motivated to work with your hypnotherapist towards positive change is equally important. If you are consciously “fighting” the idea or are not motivated to change then it is possible that your conscious thoughts will prevent you from achieving the trance state and hence your goal.

    My husband smokes, can I get him to come and see you to quit?

    This is an often asked question. No one can be coerced by someone else to change. The individual must come to the conclusion themselves (possibly with some good and timely advice from their wife!) to make a change about some unwanted habit but no other person can MAKE someone see a hypnotherapist to change them and it be successful.

    When I am hypnotized can I be made to do something that is against my will?

    No – your value or moral systems are still intact whether you are in trance state or not. A Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist has a set of legal and ethical standards to maintain and is working WITH you to obtain YOUR goals and objectives with YOUR permission. We work with you; the co-hypnotist to make sure your session is comfortable and rewarding for you whilst respecting your values. Additionally, we give you our HIPPA form.

    Won't hypnosis make me give up control to others?

    In fact the answer is just the opposite. It gives YOU the power to GAIN CONTROL over your OWN negative and unruly emotions, thoughts and resulting behavior.

    “Hypnosis is not mind control. It’s a naturally occurring state of concentration; it’s actually a means of enhancing your control over both your mind and your body.” Reference: Dr. David Spiegel, Assoc. Chair of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine.

    Will I go unconscious?

    You will not be unconscious however you will be deeply relaxed and yes you may fall asleep!

    Will I fall asleep?

    As above, in a deep trance stateyou may believe you have been asleep but your subconscious mind will still “hear” and respond as if awake and you will be able to respond with head nods, talking etc. We also utilize sleep therapy recordings to be used at night since this is the “normal” time that the human being’s mind “tries” to sort out ongoing emotional issues. This night time therapy has since our inception of using it (2010) proved to be extremely effective.

    What happens physically when I am in hypnosis?

    If you are in a light trance you feel very relaxed and it’s easy to concentrate and you remain aware of your surroundings. You can move, may be asked to open and close your eyes and nod your head or talk. Many people will argue that they have not been hypnotized despite being so. When in a deeper hypnotic state, you feel even more relaxation, may feel as if you are in dream state, may feel “asleep” and may or may not remember your session or every word spoken. This is all quite normal and this totally relaxed feeling is the place where you communicate with your higher mind to resolve issues.

    Hypnosis is not a magical cure but does have astounding results. As with everything, though, there are no guaranteed results.

    Are there some people who should not go into hypnosis?

    People who are actively abusing drugs or alcohol or who are delusional or have limited mental capacity and those who are suicidal are not accepted by this practice for hypnotherapy. If you have certain physical issues which are discussed at the initial consultation then you may be requested to seek professional physician advice for underlying physical causes and or evaluation.

    Do you help children with hypnosis?

    Apart from very tiny tots , school age children are very open to visualization and imagery and we use those along with story telling to help them overcome unwanted behavior or positive encouragement for certain tasks such as schoolwork. Teenagers respond well to hypnosis if they are willing and motivated and cooperative.

    We also teach parents to learn Child Sleep Therapy where parents can go a long way to helping modify their small children’s behavior…including bed wetting. With older children, the parent is asked and agrees to obtain the child’s permission to do this type of therapy.

    Can I use hypnosis to recover memories?

    Hypnosis can be used as a forensic tool to recover a memory that is lost (e.g. the name of an attorney who produced a lost Will – actual example from a successful client).  Clients who are in hypnosis often can recall previously forgotten and vivid details from their childhood etc.  We do NOT perform past life regression.

    Will hypnotherapy work?

    Everyone who is hypnotized by a professional hypnotherapist enjoys many benefits depending upon the issue they wish to resolve. Check out our numerous 5 star reviews for all the proof you need (Sylvia link to Reviews page HERE)

    Do you offer medical advice?

    No we never offer medical advice. Please see your medical practitioner for this. If you are at all unsure about your health, please make an appointment to see your physician to get this checked out BEFORE you come to see us.

    What sort of issues can you deal with?

    Please refer to our Services section for more details but the easiest answer here is please ask us for our advice – it’s FREE and a telephone consultation is always available. If we feel that your issue is something we cannot help with we will refer you to someone who can.

     

    What is the difference between the conscious and subconscious mind?

    Your “conscious” mind represents that much smaller part of your mind where your reasoning, logic, will, choice and drive are located. The remainder, somewhere in the region of 90%, is your “subconscious” mind and is responsible for your emotions, beliefs, imagination, memory and very importantly your autonomic nervous system….that part which moves you away from pain and danger towards safety and pleasure…your “fight or flight” mechanism. Within the subconscious mind is your “super conscious”…more commonly characterized at the Higher Mind where your creative, intuitive, healing and spiritual qualities reside? When a hypnotherapist refers to your subconscious mind, they are referring to that part which is most easily reached when you are either extremely relaxed state or in a hypnotic trance, again extremely relaxed where you can respond to hypnosis suggestions and changes most easily occur.

    Why do you need to work with my subconscious?

    Consciously your mind processes about 50 bits of information a second, subconsciously that figure is around 11 million bits per second. It is more efficient to make changes in habits, behaviors etc. since the processing power of your subconscious is so much faster….and whilst making changes subconsciously one does not have hindrance from the conscious. Your subconscious mind is around 220,000 times faster than your conscious mind!

    Additionally if you have two thoughts, one conscious i.e. “I must quit smoking” and one subconscious i.e. “Oh go on, have just one more cigarette – it can’t hurt you”….the subconscious mind will nearly always win because the emotions attached to that feeling are far stronger and have a bigger impact than conscious reasoning.

    What is NLP work?

    NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It is a study of word patterns and linguistic structure and observation based theories resulting from the study of subjective experience, behavior and communication. We do combine some NLP with Hypnotherapy as it produces great results. We also use eye movement patterns, Gestalt therapy and physical anchors. These will be explained to you during session if required.

    Why do you offer free Downloads/CD's with a session?

    Most Downloads are about 40-50 minutes and should be listened to every day (mostly night time listening) for a minimum of 21 to 30 nights during hypnotherapy treatment depending upon our instructions. These re-enforce the positive suggestions which help permanent change. One download or CD is included with your first hypnotherapy session (after initial intake) and for each separate issue session (minimum 2 hours charge). Additional day time download/CD for the same issue is charged at $35. A day time recording brings you awake and ready for the day.

    What sort of issues can you deal with?

    Please refer to our Services section for more details but the easiest answer here is please ask us for our advice. If we feel that your issue is something we cannot deal with we will refer you to someone who can help.

    Will Hypnosis conflict with my religious or spiritual beliefs?

    You will be asked at the beginning of the session about your beliefs. Nothing we say or do will conflict with them.

    Is Hypnosis medically approved?

    The American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association have approved hypnotherapy for use by professionally responsible individuals. The British Medical Association also adopted hypnosis as a viable therapeutic tool in 1958. Hypnotherapy has been used as an adjunctive or complimentary treatment by many hospitals for help with cancer for many decades.

    Who uses hypnosis to help them?

    Many famous people as well as millions of average people all over the world use hypnosis to help them. Some of the bigger names are:

    Matt Damon, Kevin Costner, Jackie Onassis, Tiger Woods, Ellen DeGeneres and countless other celebrities to address habits, behaviors, and athletic performance.

    Some interesting quotes from publications but also see: Research Page for scientific proven results.

    “Hypnosis can help adult patients control other forms of pain, relieve gastrointestinal problems, stimulate weight loss, clear up skin problems, and accelerate the healing of bone fractures and surgical wounds.” reference: Consumer Reports, January 2005.

    “Hypnosis has gained credibility in the past five years because of research using the latest brain-imaging technology. Studies show hypnosis can help treat a multitude of disorders.” reference: Business Week, February 2004.

    “Hypnosis can help. A growing body of research supports the ancient practice as an effective tool in the treatment of a variety of problems, from anxiety to chronic pain.” reference: Newsweek, September 2004.

    Do you work with doctors and regular medicine practitioners?

    Yes – we routinely work with Functional Medicine Practitioners whose philosophy is similar to ours in that it is “event” based. It is well known that many dis-eases are rooted in the emotional mind hence “the mind affects the body”. You do not need a referral from a doctor. If you are planning on claiming back our fees from your insurance company, it is wise to check with your health insurance to see if they cover Certified Clinical Hypnotherapy for reimbursement.

    How will I feel after hypnosis?

    You feel wonderfully relaxed and refreshed. If you are working to resolve long held emotional issues, and after your session, you may experience more conscious feelings about these and subsequent appointments may be needed – contact us to help you deal with these please.

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