Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a focussed state in which we bypass the conscious mind and use our imagination to engage our subconscious mind to make more rapid changes than we can by using willpower alone. You can be led into hypnosis by a trained hypnotist or you can easily learn self-hypnosis.
Does Online Hypnosis Really Work?
Yes! Similar to many other professionals during the pandemic, hypnotists discovered that many techniques they used with in-person sessions worked equally well online.
Hypnosis Is Not A Substitute For Medical Advice Or Treatment
If you have a physical or mental/emotional condition that requires medical attention, I will need you to go to the appropriate licensed medical practitioner for suitable diagnosis and treatment before I can work with you.
What Does It Feel Like?
You may feel just the same as you do outside of hypnosis, or you may feel a variety of sensations, including a sense of deep relaxation, warmth or tingling in various parts of your body, a sensation of floating, and more. Each person is different, and the experience may be different in each session or may even shift within the session.
You will be relaxed, but not asleep. Your mind will be active and alert the whole time. You will hear everything I say, you’ll still be thinking, and you will remember everything you would in a normal conversation.
Will Hypnosis Solve All My Problems?
Hypnosis is powerful, and it can help you achieve many things, but it is not a cure-all. Although hypnosis helps many clients most of the time, there is no guarantee it will achieve what you are hoping for.
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
That depends on what you are coming to see me for. My goal is to make you be as self-sufficient as possible as quickly as possible. I usually start out with booking clients for three sessions, but sometimes only one or two sessions are necessary to do the work, in which case we can cancel the remaining booked sessions or use them to reinforce the work already done. If we find you need a longer time, we can always book more.
Some matters do require a longer commitment, possibly up to 12 sessions. Those who are living with a terminal illness may choose to continue indefinitely.
Finally, sometimes people will check in for a refresher every so often.
Will I Lose Control?
Because you stay aware the whole time, you control the information you share and whether you co-operate with any suggestions given. In addition, your subconscious safeguards you from doing anything against your own self-interest.
Plus, a private session is not the same as stage hypnosis. When you come to see me, I will not direct you to start clucking like a chicken or to sing like Elvis!
Will I Get Stuck?
You will never be stuck in hypnosis. During our session, I will bring you out of hypnosis, and although it’s possible you might be enjoying the feeling of relaxation that can come with trance so much you don’t want to come out, that would be your choice to remain in.
Of course, as I practise online over Zoom, there’s always the chance our session could end due to technical reasons. If that were the case, one of two things would happen. Either you would become aware that you were no longer hearing my voice and you would come out of trance on your own, or you would fall asleep briefly and wake up feeling relaxed.
I Don’t Know If I Can Be Hypnotised
Hypnosis is a natural state of imagination and focus, so you can be hypnotised if you are willing and able to participate.
If you are not willing to be hypnotised (perhaps because you don’t trust the process or your hypnotist, perhaps because you don’t want to be there but someone pushed you to be), then it’s possible you won’t go into trance.
If you are under the influence of recreational drugs or alcohol, it’s possible you won’t be able to be hypnotised.
If you have certain forms of mental illness, you may find it difficult to be hypnotised.
Certain forms of inductions (the techniques that lead you into hypnosis) might work better than others at taking you into hypnosis.