We often get this question, so let’s break it down to simple steps. This way, we can take the fear of the unknown out of the equation and get to the good stuff (which is you overcoming your symptoms, permanently). This needs to be said before all else: hypnotherapy is nothing like the fake hypnosis you see in movies and cartoons. That stuff is all pretend. What hypnotherapy really is? A tool to get fast, permanent results for a variety of issues and symptoms, by directly addressing the underlying cause rather than just covering up the symptoms.
Before Your Session:
It’s important to discuss any questions or concerns ahead of time, as they can get in the way of your session. Anything you may be wondering about, even if it may feel silly, should definitely be brought up as you feel comfortable talking about it. Our job is to facilitate your needs. We will plan your goals with you, and discuss what you are comfortable with in your very first session. Sometimes, before we do any hypnosis, we will do some quick tests to check how well you do. It is often as simple as imagination exercises. For example, imagine any car. What color is it? What type of car? If you had an answer to either of those questions, you’re already doing great.
Induction:
The induction is when you are led into a relaxing state known as hypnosis, through a series of mental exercises. Most people feel really relaxed, like they’ve just had a nice massage or a day at the spa. It relaxes both your body and your mind. If you have thoughts that keep popping up, let your hypnotherapist know; they might be important! Sometimes it just means your hypnotherapist needs to switch to a different technique. Sometimes it means these thoughts are important to you and just need you to acknowledge them and let them go. Everyone is different. Once the induction is done, your hypnotherapist will conduct a simple task to test your relaxation. For example, if your hypnotherapist asks you to relax your arm so that they can lift it up, let that arm be heavy and relaxed completely. How heavy your relaxed arm is can tell them if you are where you need to be or not. Also, if at any point you want to be even more relaxed, it’s ok to just let your hypnotherapist know that.
Hypnotherapy:
This is where the real changes can be made. Keep in mind- hypnosis is consent based, and if anyone suggests something to you that is not in your best interest, your mind will protect you and reject this idea. Also, your hypnotherapist will only work on issues that you both agreed to work on. They are there to guide and lead you in the right direction to get you healthy, using years of experience as a compass. Hypnotherapy in person is different than listening to a recording, where they only use post-hypnotic suggestions. They might use suggestions to help you get better, but they are just as likely to use other techniques or methods to help you with your specific needs. Afterwards, your hypnotherapist might teach you techniques to practice at home, or in some cases, give you a recording to listen to between sessions.
Transitioning Out of Hypnosis:
After bringing you out of trance, your hypnotherapist will spend a couple minutes checking in with you about your experience and ensuring your session is complete. Sometimes people have new questions afterwards or just need a little time to process. This is when most people decide they’d like a bottle of water or a snack to help them transition back into the rest of their day. Our appointments are usually around 1 hour, but can sometimes be a little under an hour or a little over. Everyone's a little different, and during the session your hypnotherapist has to find a good stopping point for you. If you’re in the middle of something important when you hit the 1 hour mark, sometimes you will find it’s been an hour and 10 minutes. Alternatively, if it’s nearing the 1 hour mark and your hypnotherapist sees that you’re about to get into something really time consuming that deserves more time, they may end the session a little early if there isn’t time to finish working on it until your next appointment.