helping you make positive changes

Frequently asked questions

Top 10 frequently asked questions

For hypnotherapy to be fully effective and help provide the client’s desired solution to a problem, the client must have a suitable frame of mind. Below are some of the common questions and misconceptions around hypnosis. By dispelling these misconceptions and fears for each client, the chances of achieving therapeutic change is greatly enhanced.

1.  Will I be able to be hypnotised?

Anyone who is willing to be hypnotised by a therapist can be. Although analytical, intellectual or intelligent individuals often have a tendency to believe that no-one can hypnotise them, in fact, the more analytical, intellectual or intelligent the client is, the better the chances of success. This is because such a client will only accept a suggestion once they are satisfied that it is consistent with the objective of the therapy, thus increasing its effectiveness.

2.  Will I be unconscious or asleep?

No. The client will not be unconscious or asleep - he or she will be deeply relaxed but retain a focused attention.

3.  Is hypnosis an altered state?

The ‘state’ of hypnosis can be described as an altered ‘state’ of awareness that will allow access to the unconscious mind. The developments in MRI and PET scanning equipment mean that we now are starting to have a much better picture of the neurological events during different brain states, such as waking, sleeping and hypnosis. Results show that there is a distinct alteration in brain activity during the induction of hypnosis, and also during the time therapeutic suggestions are being processed.

4.  What is a trance like?

In a trance, the levels of consciousness range from a state of daydreaming to a deep trance. There are no firm boundaries between one level from the next, instead, the levels blend into each other. General definitions and examples are shown in the table below.

The three middle levels - the trances - are the ones in which therapy is conducted. It should be noted that therapy can be conducted in even a light trance.

5.  Will I be asked to do something or say something I don’t want to - like they do on stage?

No. Most people have seen a show where a hypnotist seems to take control of people and make them do bizarre things for the audience. Some clients have fears of seeing a hypnotherapist based on this. Worse, many people will not consider hypnosis as a therapy as a result of having watched stage hypnotism; they cannot begin to comprehend how and what they have seen in a night club can be used clinically to help someone. However, such fears of losing control or being influenced inappropriately by a clinical hypnotherapist are unfounded.

It is worth considering for a moment some of the factors at play in a stage hypnosis show. People who volunteer or allow themselves to be ‘volunteered’ by their friends will go onto the stage prepared to take part in the show. They will be sufficiently exhibitionist to walk onstage and they will already have an idea as to what will be expected of them. They may also have had some inhibitions reduced by having a drink or two prior to the show. Once on stage and under the eyes of the audience they find themselves under enormous pressure to do whatever the entertainer directs them to do, especially if the entertainer directs applause on to them and calls them ‘a good sport’, or similar right at the start. Once the entertainer has started, the easiest thing for the volunteer to do is simply go along with his suggestions, knowing that (a) it will be over in a short while; (b) that it will be harmless; and (c) that they can later claim that it was the entertainer’s fault or that they don’t recall what happened.

 In very few cases, some people may be genuinely hypnotised. However, someone in a trance will hardly move, and any responses shown will be small and sluggish. In those cases, it is hoped that the entertainer is qualified to restore them to a wakeful state in a safe and considerate way.

6.  Will the hypnotist have control over me?

No. If that were possible, there would be a great number of unscrupulous people who would learn hypnosis and then direct their bank managers to empty their vaults for them! Hypnosis never removes or reduces an individual’s free will and hypnotherapy is not about the practitioner exercising their willpower over that of the patient. No-one can be forced or encouraged to do something that they would not already be inclined to do.  The focused state of attention that is essential to the experience of hypnosis allows anyone to choose to accept or reject any suggestion.

7.  Can I get stuck in hypnosis?

This question is similar to the preceding two questions in that it relates to concerns over how much control the client has over the hypnotic experience. The client controls their own experience throughout the session and can exit their trance whenever they wish to - they do not need the hypnotist to do this for them. Since a trance is a very relaxing experience, there may be a short time while re-orientation occurs, but that is all.

8.  Will hypnosis cure me?

The hypnoidal state allows individuals to access their unconscious mind to learn appropriate new beliefs and act upon them. This results in the breaking of unwanted habits, changing behaviour patterns and overcoming limiting beliefs. While this is hugely beneficial to the client, it cannot be described as a ‘cure’. Because of the false impression that stage hypnosis presents, many people perceive that hypnosis can ‘cure’ them of a certain condition. Such views usually follow the belief that hypnosis is something that is done to them, rather than a process in which they are an active participant.

9.  What can hypnosis do for me that I could not already do for myself?

Some people may have a condition or a habit that they cannot improve or break. For example, a migraine sufferer may not be able to recall a time when they did not suffer from the condition. Smokers may have the smoking behaviour so ingrained in their lives that they cannot imagine themselves without the habit.

The hypnoidal state induced by a professional practitioner can help. When individuals are in a hypnotic trance - focused mentally and relaxed physically - they are more able to receive therapeutic suggestions that they would not usually consider, or would talk themselves out of in their normal wakeful state.  When in hypnosis, the areas of the brain which relate to the controlling responses will be activated and accessible to conscious control, allowing clients to more easily and effectively make the changes they desire.

10.  How many sessions will I require - what will be the cost?

Please see the page “Making an appointment”.