Hypnotherapy Frequently Asked Questions

Some people ask, “Can a person be hypnotized against their will?” No, a person cannot be hypnotized if they don’t want to be. There is a surrendering to the process. You cannot be hypnotized against your will. You must be a willing participant, and the hypnotist must have your full cooperation.

You may wonder, “Would a person do or say anything in a hypnotic state that they wouldn’t otherwise?” No, people who are hypnotized will not do anything in Hypnosis that they would not do in the waking state. This applies as well to sexual acts. Hypnosis is not a master-slave relationship. When you are in hypnosis, you are aware of everything that is going on and you continue to retain your values and morals.

Hypnosis is not a truth serum. You retain full control over what you say. Subjects in Hypnosis reveal no secrets in the Hypnotic State that they would not reveal (because they want to) in the waking state.

Your conscious, critical, and subconscious mind will reject anything that isn’t aligned with what you really want. It is the responsibility of the therapist to make sure they understand exactly what the client wants help with, and find the best way to suggest those changes.

Many people are only familiar with stage hypnosis and have the misconception that hypnosis is a “magic pill” and can change any behavior instantly. While stage hypnosis is fun and entertaining, it is very different from hypnotherapy. The stage hypnotist is selecting the most highly suggestible people for demonstration combined with the fact that they are not changing the health or long-term behavior of their hypnosis subjects.

This type of therapy is a process like any other therapy or treatment, however hypnosis is a different experience for everyone and the client should be able to tell after the first session if it is a helpful therapy for them. The therapist can provide recommendations based on past experience but ultimately it is up to the client to know when they feel they don’t need any more therapy.

When it comes to behavior change and habits or ways of thinking therapy might be three to six sessions or more depending on the behavior. Some examples would be, confidence building, stress and anxiety, relationship issues, nail biting, smoking, public speaking, certain fears and phobias, and negative thinking.

In most cases it’s beneficial to have more than one session regardless of what type of issue is being addressed. The first session is opening the window to changing your subconscious, subsequent sessions create the momentum to create lasting change.

Research has proven hypnotherapy to be a very effective treatment for chronic issues however the protocol is quite rigid, meaning one must be willing to spend the time, effort and finances required to obtain the full benefit of this type of therapy. For example if you suffer with IBS, or Leaky Gut, or many of the digestive immune system syndromes, it may take numerous and consistent therapy sessions to attain the desired results..

Treatment using hypnosis requires a serious weekly commitment similar to physical therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. Hypnosis is generally a faster working therapy than other therapies and different in that one wouldn’t go to a counselor for a physical illness or syndrome.

I am happy to answer any questions about my recommendations on number of sessions, please call or e-mail.

A Time For Change Hypnotherapy rates are $175.00 per session. This is not an hourly rate. A session is usually anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes but the rate is $175.00 regardless of the length of the session. If a client knows that they would like at least three sessions, there is a 3-session package for $500.00 with a savings of $25.00 compared to paying $175.00 per session for three sessions.

Read more about price here.

There are many different types of therapy and people have to find a therapy that suits them.

Often times when hypnotherapy is ineffective, it is because the client only had one session and their issue may have required more work than that, or the client may not have felt comfortable with the therapist.

Also consider that medicine doesn’t always work for people and neither does psychotherapy (talk therapy with a counselor). Doctors and counselors don’t offer guarantees because not everything works for everyone. It is the same with hypnotherapy.

Changes in behavior from hypnosis can be immediate or very subtle and happen slowly over time.

For example with smoking cessation, typically, a person will notice immediately that it is easier to stop smoking. For some other behaviors or conditions, the changes may be more subtle, but there is usually a strong awareness of new thoughts or a different way of thinking about the issue the person is working on.

A person’s mind can only handle small incremental changes. It will change, but usually slowly. Change doesn’t always happen the way people imagine it will. Your mind knows exactly what you need, and through hypnotherapy, you can gain access to it. 

It is a pleasant, voluntary, state of relaxed attentive concentration, an altered state of consciousness, during which the conscious critical mind is relaxed and relatively inactive, and the doorway to the subconscious, inner mind is opened with a person’s permission. In this comfortable state, suggestibility is heightened, mental absorption is increased, the senses are heightened, and the imagination is activated in a controlled manner. The inner mind is more receptive to acceptable, beneficial suggestions.

No. Intelligence and level of education really has nothing to do with it. A person who resists will make a poor hypnotic subject. A person who is open to the experience will be a good subject. Hypnosis actually helps people use more of their mind’s potential. It helps people access their inner strength. The subconscious mind is protective. Hypnotized people will accept suggestions that are acceptable, and reject suggestions that are not acceptable. Suggestions must be worded in a form and language that the subject’s subconscious can understand.

Most definitely yes, however, depending on the person in treatment, repeated sessions will likely improve the depth of relaxation, concentration and absorption of the therapist’s suggestions. The number of sessions really depends on the issue the client is working on and their readiness to change.

This is Hypnosis induced by a person by himself without the help of a therapist.

Some experts say that all Hypnosis is Self-Hypnosis since the hypnotherapist is in actuality not doing anything to the subject, but rather guiding the subject into the hypnotic state of consciousness with the subject’s permission. Because the subject permits it to happen, he is really hypnotizing himself with the assistance of the hypnotherapist. The “Alpha” brainwave state is the state of Hypnosis. It is also the brainwave state of someone who is in meditation. Meditation is Self-Hypnosis.