Q & A

Q. What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a relaxed state of awareness during which our subconscious mind is more open and receptive to suggestions that are given to facilitate the changes that an individual wants to change. We drift in and out of different levels of awareness many times a day, absorbing information on a subconscious level as well as a conscious one. A hypnotherapist will work with your desires to help you to achieve your goals.
Q. How do I know I will wake up from hypnosis?
No-one has ever remained in hypnosis indefinitely. Even if something were to happen to the hypnotherapist halfway through the session, you would still 'come out' of the trance state once rapport had been broken.
Q. How does it feel to be hypnotized?
Every person's experience is different and unique to that person. Some clients say that they feel like they have gotten 8 hours of rest in ten minutes. Some say that their body feels heavy, others say they feel as though they were floating. Most people will agree that it's a wonderful feeling because they are more relaxed than they have ever been before.
Q. When I am under hypnosis will I be asleep?
You won't go to sleep. You will be aware of everything that is happening and being said the entire time. You will still hear sounds around you, but hypnosis will put you in a deeper and more relaxed hyper-suggestible state and open to suggestion. You will be so deeply relaxed that you may find yourself drifting into different levels of awareness. You will think you can get up from the chair, but you won't want to.
Q. Can I get stuck in hypnosis?
You can't get stuck in hypnosis. You are always aware of what is happening and you can choose to come out of the hypnotic trance at anytime you choose, even in the middle of the session. You will feel so wonderfully relaxed that you simply just choose to allow yourself to enjoy the experience to completion.
Q. Will I remember everything afterwards?
Generally most people do remember either everything or certain parts of the experience. You will find that suggestions which have been given to you in hypnosis will resurface in your conscious, thinking mind after your hypnosis session and these will be the thoughts that produce changes in your behavior or way of thinking and feeling. Remember, we are working on making changes that you want to make.
Q. Will I give away any secrets while I am hypnotized?
No, you won't say or do anything at all that you don't want to. If you were given suggestions that you didn't morally agree with you would naturally disregard the suggestions because these are not the changes you wanted.
Q. Can I be hypnotized against my will?
Anyone can resist hypnosis during a session and it won't work, however the question remains as to why someone would seek hypnotherapy if they didn't want it to help them. Hypnosis requires cooperation between two people - your therapist will show you the way and you can choose if you want to go there or not. If you are not prepared to accept that hypnosis could benefit you then your best option would be to seek alternative treatment - (however - in my own experience - people who feel they can't be hypnotized are very often the best subjects).
Q. Can I be treated for different problems at the same time?
You can - if they are related issues, however because hypnosis requires a complete focus of attention it is far better to concentrate on one problem at a time. People wishing to stop smoking (for example) who are afraid of doing so in case they gain weight can be helped with the correct approach. This is because many of us experience 'symptom substitution' - we can substitute one addiction for another. Your therapist should have the skills to recognize if this is the case and deal with the issue at its core.