Many people are curious and fascinated by hypnosis. However those same often have reservations, misconceptions, and an overall picture of a person standing over someone with a pendulum telling the subject they will become very sleepy and to do whatever the hypnotist says. For others it is simply getting past the word itself Hypnosis” (Bolduc).
Interesting fact: there are hypnotists that use the pendulum technique (it is real!) and there are many who do not. (Full disclosure: I don’t). What many people think is hypnosis is actually “stage hypnosis”. Stage hypnosis meant purely for entertainment and fun; it is real, and it is pretty cool!
In contrast, hypnotherapy has a long track record of helping clients lose weight, develop more self-confidence, helping police solve crimes, healing past-lives, and healing inner child trauma; making hypnosis a powerful healing and transformative therapeutic tool for the mind, body, and spirit.
Probably the most common misconception of hypnosis is that the hypnotist has control over the subject. This is why many hypnotherapists term achieving a hypnotic state as going “into hypnosis” versus being “under hypnosis”; it is to reassure the client that there is no one “over” them.
Another concern almost all clients have is revealing any inner dark secrets or embarrassing tidbits about themselves. Fact: it is impossible for someone to behave in a way against their own free will, and/or reveal secrets in a state of hypnosis because:
1) In reality at the end of the day all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. Believe it or not, people go into states of hypnosis every day whether they’re aware of it or not. The two most immediate examples are during long highway driving or becoming engrossed in a book.
2)Whether it’s stage hypnosis or hypnotherapy, the same axiom exists: the subject has willingly has agreed to walk on stage and be an active participant, or has voluntarily made an appointment and come with 100% free will to make a shift in their lives, and the client has made the choice that he or she does not want certain personal information exposed.
3) Furthermore, the client has full control over how deep into hypnosis he or she wants to go. Hypothetically, if I had total and complete control “over” my clients, they’d all be dropping weight in three days and never pick up a cigarette again!
4) At the end of the day it’s all based on free will. Hypnosis cannot take away one’s free will since it is the will of the person’s mind who is allowing them to go into hypnosis in the first place.
I often am asked HOW is hypnosis done? How do I hypnotize someone?
My style of hypnosis is taking my clients through guided-visual imagery and breathing techniques and guiding clients to basically get out of their own way. The conscious mind-Ego is a wonderful driver and ambitious, however it can also hinder us. So, while going into hypnosis I’m temporarily asking the client to give their conscious mind a break, so their subconscious can step up and absorb the suggestions being spoken. The subconscious is where all are true desires lie and it is also where we hold all our own answers.
There is no right or wrong way to help someone achieve a hypnotic state; it’s just a matter of the hypnotherapists’ training, background, and style.
For instance, a popular and effective method of inducing a subject into hypnosis is having the client imagine a set of stairs, in which each step represents a deeper and deeper level of relaxation. Or if a client has a step-phobia I would take them through a more well-suited guided visualization.
So if all hypnosis is self-hypnosis what exactly is the role of the “hypnotherapist”?
I once had a mentor tell me that I “...wasn’t qualified to be doing hypnosis, since I didn’t have a degree in psychology”, and they “...wouldn’t trust someone who didn’t to hypnotize them…” Admittedly, this stung a bit and I was rather stunned, and was unsure how to process these statements since it came from an individual I respect and trusted. However, it got my wheels turning. What makes hypnotherapy different from a general mainstream therapist? And what and how makes someone “qualified”? A degree? Is it truly the letters behind their name? Or is the percentage they scored on the passing exam? Or is it something deeper than that?
In response, my teacher and mentor, Dr. Allen Chips, dubbed as the “Hypno Buddha” in the Hypnosis community, described that the relationship between client and transpersonal hypnotherapist as, “Divine, it is a relationship of personal growth for both therapist and client, and each client brought through the door is brought by higher forces.” That being said if you feel called to pursue the work of hypnosis then pursue it for your own self -healing and others. The clients that walk through the door are clients who are drawn to you on some level, like attracting like. And as always you trust your intuition by knowing and exercising your limitations.
Furthermore, the hypnotherapist’s role (in my belief) is as follows:
1) Hold sacred space for their client one hundred percent of the time with the highest intention of good. This space is held from the time the client walks in the door and fills out an intake form to the time the client is putting their shoes back on and walking out my door.
2) I’m simply guide, a facilitator. Sometimes people think the therapist does all the work and if the client isn’t losing weight or achieving a particular goal/end result right away, it is something at fault with the therapist. In my belief there is equal exchange of energy between the client and hypnotherapist that is taking place while they are in session. I truly believe and have seen with my own eyes that a hypnotherapist who shows up with 100% focus attention and is on their “A-game” for their client will generally tend to have a client is 100% satisfied with their session.
And sometimes holding 100% sacred space for a client has even means being 100% honest, and referring them out to someone who is a better fit. For example, I had a couple who came into my office for fertility and conception. After explaining to me their situation, I realized this couple was not for me. Not because they were bad people, or anything of that matter. However, I knew in my heart I would not be able to hold 100% sacred space for this couple in their journey to conceiving. I had myself have no children (yet) and am not in that phase of my life where I could begin to understand the complexities of fertility. So, I was honest with myself and my client and referred them out. As a result, they found a hypnotherapist who specialized in hypno-birthing and are doing extremely well.
At the end of the day, I firmly believe a divine and personal rapport is established between hypnotherapist and client, a powerful and transformative exchange of energy for both parties.
Is hypnosis for everyone?
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure. Optimistically, I want to say yes it is! The most recent research says that 91% of the population is susceptible to hypnosis. However, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone who tried hypnosis is satisfied with the end result. When people are ready to do try hypnosis and make the change, they’re ready, plain and simple.
To illustrate, when I have spouses or significant others call on behalf of their partner, I tend to hold a strict policy that their spouse must make their own appointment and if they’re ready to talk to call me. People may think Geez Meredith, why’re such a hard-nose about this? It’s rooted in my belief when people are ready to do their OWN healing, they’ll make the call and make their own appointment. It is simply a waste of the spouse’s time and my time, if they really don’t want to be there in the first place, since actively they’re not coming upon their own free will, but rather another’s will. And let’s get real time is valuable.
Success rates?
I don’t believe in success rates because in my opinion each client is unique and there is no one-size fits all formula. As Henry Leo Bolduc stated, “Hypnosis is like love, everyone experiences it differently.” For example, some people feel and see immediate results in themselves after a session, while others may take more sessions over a longer period of time. And then there are the rare times when a client has declared they’ve had zero benefits from hypnosis for various reasons. This is usually due to lack of rapport or trust, or they in reality didn’t really want to be there in the first place, hence my strict ‘spouse must call and make own appointment’ policy.
Why Hypnotherapy, what makes it beneficial?
Hypnotherapy is not “therapy” in the mainstream sense that it’s thought of, and it has many therapeutic benefits. Often times, hypnotherapy is a client’s last resort when they’ve generally exhausted all other options. It should be noted that during the initial client interview of the first session the interview can often run like a general ‘talk therapy’ session.
Benefit 1) Many people report feeling grounded, calm, and centered, and really relaxed after a hypnosis session. Living in the Washington DC area, this is always nice to hear from a client!
Benefit 2) Every 1 hour of hypnosis is an equivalent to three hours of deep REM sleep (Bennet).
Benefit 3) Although talk therapy has many benefits and is valuable, clients can move into the past via hypnosis and partake in deep healing on a super conscious and subconscious level. Often times clients are able to resolve an issue that generally would’ve been 15 years of talk therapy in a few sessions of hypnosis.
Benefit 4) Hypnotic regression allows clients to go to the origin of an issue whether it be emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual. Often times in the acknowledgment of the root cause comes healing on various levels.
Benefit 5) Hypnotherapy if done by a certified hypnotherapist only, does not count as “therapy” therefore if you have a security clearance or work in a profession where going to a psychologist or therapist would affect job qualifications, hypnosis puts you and your paycheck in the clear.
To Learn More About Hypnotherapy
Suggested Reading
- Clinical Hypnotherapy: A Transpersonal Approach By Dr. Allen Chips.
- Self-Hypnosis By Henry Leo Bolduc
