Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Hypnosis?
2. Do you give up control in Hypnosis?
3. What does Hypnosis feel like?
4. What happens if I cannot visualise things?
5. Is hypnosis safe?
6. How does hypnosis work?
7. How do you talk to the subconscious mind?
8. What is the difference between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind?
9. Can I get stuck in hypnosis?
10. Will I give away my secrets?
11. Will the hypnotist make me do something I don't agree with?
12. How many sessions will I need?
13. The Effectiveness and Cost of Hypnotherapy Compared to Other Modalities
14. What is meant by personalised/customised CDs?
15. Can hypnosis help me to stop smoking?
16. Can hypnosis help me to lose weight?
17. Can Hypnosis help me with Anxiety and Panic Attacks?
18. Can Hypnosis help me with my Fears and Phobias?
19. Can Hypnosis help me with Drug, Alcohol and other Addictions?
20. Can Hypnosis help me with my Confidence and Self Esteem?
21. Can Hypnosis help me with my Insomnia?
22. Can Hypnosis help me with Improved Studying and Examination Nerves?
23. Can Hypnosis help reduce my Stress?
24. Can Hypnosis help my medical condition?
25. Should I change my medication after hypnosis?

1. What is Hypnosis?
There are many opinions on the exact definition of this very natural state of mind, it can be considered a detached focused awareness. Dictionaries have described hypnosis as an artificially induced sleep but hypnosis is not a sleep state even though a person in hypnosis may appear to be asleep. Hypnosis is actually a natural state of mind and everyone experiences hypnosis every day of their lives. Every time you read a book or watch television, when your mind wanders off as you become engrossed then you have placed yourself naturally into a state of hypnosis. When you drive your car along the freeway and reach your turn off and don't remember driving the last 20 kilometres then it is because you have drifted in to natural hypnosis. There are four states of awareness. BETA, ALPHA, THETA and DELTA. BETA is normal conscious awareness, ALPHA is a daydreaming state, THETA is the dream state and DELTA is deep sleep. Everybody passes through all these states every day of their lives and it is all completely natural. When you daydream and slip into ALPHA it is simply naturally induced hypnosis.

2. Do you give up control in hypnosis?
As hypnosis is a natural state you can drift into and out of how do you give up control? When you attend for a hypnosis session with a hypnotherapist you are there for self improvement regardless of the issue involved. The hypnotherapist guides you into induced hypnosis. You cannot be induced into hypnosis.

3. What does hypnosis feel like?
Hypnosis is not a sleep state. Clients are often surprised at the fact that they are able to sometimes hear every word the hypnotherapist says during a session. Some clients hear very little and it is not unknown for some clients to actually fall into deep sleep (DELTA) and remember absolutely nothing of the session. This does not matter as the subconscious mind will remember everything. Clients will experience deep relaxation and may feel very light or very heavy, almost as if they are sinking into the chair. If you imagine how you feel when you first awaken in the morning, when you are not really awake and not really asleep but you feel aware of sounds and things happening around you but you are not interested, then that is a very similar feeling to how hypnosis feels.

4. What happens if I cannot visualise things?
During hypnosis a client may be asked to visualise or imagine certain things or images. Some clients can picture these things in their minds almost as clear as photographs. Others can only picture a few lines or images and some people find they cannot imagine or visualise at all when asked. It does not matter which category you fall into because the subconscious mind will understand perfectly what is meant and act accordingly to the questions or suggestions being asked or given.

5. Is hypnosis safe?
Hypnosis is perfectly safe. You experience hypnosis naturally every day of your life. When you attend a hypnosis session you are simply being guided into a natural state of mind.

6. How does hypnosis work?
Hypnosis works by allowing the subconscious mind to let go of any negative belief that has been formed by conscious thought or repetition. For instance, someone who experiences anxiety attacks may not consciously realise what causes them although the subconscious mind will be completely aware. By placing a client into hypnosis the subconscious mind can be asked simple questions and also accept positive suggestion and to let go of negative beliefs and return the body and the mind to balance and harmony. A hypnotherapist will often use a script specially written and designed for a particular problem and the visualisation and imagination process helps the subconscious mind to accept the positive suggestions that are being given.

7. How do you talk to the subconscious mind?
Before the hypnosis session begins a system of finger signals will be set up with simple yes or no answers and the hypnotherapist can ask the subconscious mind to indicate the answer by simply moving a finger. This is called ideomotor finger signalling. These finger signals are completely subconscious movements which the client may or may not be aware of. The signals are not conscious movements. The client does not have to try to move their fingers, they will simply happen in response to questions asked of the subconscious mind.

8. What is the difference between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind?
The conscious mind is also called "the outer mind" and is the analytical, thinking, emotional, critical part of your brain that you use in your everyday life. Its what you use to make decisions in your waking hours. It is only capable of handling 5-7 thoughts at once. When someone says "I can't think straight" this is because there are too many thoughts at once for the conscious mind to handle. When you sleep your conscious mind becomes inactive and rests.

Also called "the inner mind", the subconscious mind is always active and has been since before you were born. It carries out all the "behind the scenes work" that keeps you alive. It is the physiological control of your healing mechanisms. When you feel unwell it is the subconscious mind that automatically activates your body's defence mechanisms to fight illness and disease. All your memories of everything you have ever experienced, live here! All your instincts, habits and learned responses exist in your subconscious mind. Repeated actions, or thoughts from your conscious mind can be accepted by your subconscious mind without criticism. This is how negatives and positives can become part of your life.

9. Can I get stuck in hypnosis?
It is impossible to get "stuck" in hypnosis. Remember that this is a natural state that you drift in to every day. Because you can drift in to hypnosis by yourself then you can also drift out of it. A client can bring themselves out of hypnosis at any time during a session but it is rare for this to happen as they are there for beneficial self improvement and also because they are enjoying the experience. If the hypnotherapist were to place a client in to hypnosis and then get up and leave or just sit there and say nothing, then after a while, perhaps 15 minutes, then the client would simply emerge from the trance and open their eyes. This is because the conscious mind which becomes very quiet during hypnosis has "woken up".

10. Will I give away my secrets?
Usually except for some hypnotic regression sessions then a client will not be asked to speak. Also the hypnotherapist will be concentrating on the issues you came for and not on anything else.

11. Will the hypnotist make me do something I don't agree with?
You cannot be made to act outside or go against your own moral standards. If a hypnotist were to ask you to say or do something contrary to your own personal morals or ethics your subconscious mind would reject it and your conscious mind would immediately come wide awake and you would be able to bring yourself out of hypnosis.

12. How many sessions will I need?
The amount of sessions needed can vary from person to person. Available programmes are one to three sessions for stop smoking and weight loss and for most other issues a programme of three sessions will be needed with further sessions in some cases. For hypnosis programmes for medical issues the amount of sessions required will vary and would be discussed with the client. New programs involving single sessions and CD recordings are constantly being developed.

Compare the prices in the next paragraph, derived from a completely independent source.

13. The Effectiveness and Cost of Hypnotherapy Compared to Other Modalities
A study of various psychological helping intervention modalities by Dr Alfred A. Barrios, Ph.D. revealed the following recovery and therapy effectiveness rates.

1. Psychoanalysis: 38% recovery after 600 Sessions.
Cost approx $90,000

2. Behavioural Therapy: 72% recovery after 22 sessions.
Cost approx $3300

3. Hypnotherapy 93% recovery after 6 sessions.
Cost approx $900

Costs are evaluated in US currency at an hourly charge rate of $150. Source: American Health Magazine

14. What is meant by personalised/customised CDs?
Where CDs are used with hypnosis sessions the recording is based around the actual session itself and the client's name is included in the recording which, during repeated listening, helps the subconscious mind to accept and understand that the suggestions on the recording are for that particular person. Personalised/customised CDs that are not used with hypnosis sessions are specially written and designed for a particular person and a particular issue they wish to deal with. These recordings can incorporate suggestions and affirmations that the client requires and also has the client's name repeated many times. Repeating listening reinforces the very positive suggestions enabling the client's subconcious mind to let go of past negative issues.

15. Can hypnosis help me to stop smoking?
Hypnosis is extremely effective in helping clients to permanently stop smoking. It must be emphasised that for the best effects the client must be committed to stopping smoking. If a client enjoys smoking and does not really want to stop but feels they should because of family pressure or similar reasons, then hypnosis will not necessarily have the best effect. For those who genuinely want to stop smoking and are committed to stopping smoking then hypnosis is highly effective and can take away the desire and addiction to cigarettes that other methods do not have.

16. Can hypnosis help me to lose weight?
Hypnosis is highly effective in helping people to change their eating habits and bring about weight loss. For most people weight gain is simply a case of bad eating habits, emotional and boredom eating and a lack of exercise. Hypnosis can not only help people with changing their eating habits but can also give them the motivation to exercise and stay with a new and better way of eating. Any dietician will tell you that sensible healthy eating and exercise go hand in hand with weight loss.

17. Can Hypnosis help me with Anxiety and Panic Attacks?
Anxiety and panic attacks are a lot more common than sufferers from this unpleasant situation understand. Some people may have them without actually understanding what is happening. Panic attacks can happen at any time and there is often a trigger that will set them off. It could be a place or something visual or a subconscious memory that will trigger a panic attack. They have been described as a feeling of impending doom, accompanied by some or all of the following symptoms:

• Heart palpatations
• Clammy or sweaty palms
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid breathing
• Feelings of nausea and passing out
• Dizziness

It is possible to have them at any age but they can be helped with hypnosis.

18. Can Hypnosis help me with my Fears and Phobias?
Living with long held fears and phobias is unnecessary and hypnosis can help you to let go of whatever your fear is. A phobia is simply a fear of a fear and you may be scared or frightened of something that you know is completely irrational and cannot understand why you have the phobia. Perhaps you were told as a child that touching a spider would hurt you or kill you and you grew up frightened that every spider was deadly and you empty half a can of insect killer on any spider you see. Perhaps you saw someone scream at the sight of a mouse and you yourself now cannot stand the sight of them. Maybe you were frightened of a thunderstorm as a child and now hide under the table as an adult every time a storm passes over. Everybody knows their fears are irrational but they have become accepted by the subconscious mind because of years of concious negative thoughts about their fears and phobias. Through the use of hypnosis, the subconscious mind can let go of these fears so they no longer affect your life or bother you.

19. Can Hypnosis help me with Drug, Alcohol and other Addictions?
Regardless of what the addiction is, the most important thing is for the addicted person to be committed to making the necessary changes in their life. Hypnosis can be very effective, regardless of the addiction, but it can be pointless if a person goes straight back to their old environment after a hypnotherapy session.

For instance, someone who has a drug addiction may live or associate with others who have the same addiction. The hypnotherapy session will help to relieve this addiction but if the person then returns to the same environment then they will be encouraged by other addicts to indulge in their habit again. The person has to be committed to lifestyle changes and sometimes this can mean staying away from their negative environment. So called friends who encourage you to indulge in potentially destructive and unhealthy habits are friends you can do without! Make the commitment to yourself and see how hypnosis can help you.

20. Can Hypnosis help me with my Confidence and Self Esteem?
Feelings that you are not good enough or not as clever or intelligent as other people are easily helped with hypnosis. A persons confidence in themselves can be destroyed simply by a few badly chosen words or comments made by somebody else. Telling someone they are useless or overweight and that they will never be any good, or amount to anything in life can lead to a lifetime of low confidence and little, if any, self esteem. Living with a verbally abusive partner who continually puts you down leaves you feeling that is impossible to do anything by yourself. Perhaps you became drunk and did something you regretted which became common knowledge and people call you names behind your back and constantly remind you of the incident.

Hypnosis can help restore your confidence and self esteem, regardless of your past experiences by helping you to let go of the negative thinking so that, even though the memories may remain, they have no further negative effect on you.

21. Can Hypnosis help me with my Insomnia?
Everybody will, at some stage, experience being unable to get to sleep easily for some unknown reason. Usually it is something playing on their mind that they cannot stop thinking about, ie stressful situation at work, family problems, health problems, study difficulties etc etc. Invariably, these are isolated occasions and the following evening they will sleep deeply and peacefully. For other people, night after night they are simply unable to get a good nights sleep and sit up watching television or reading and the situation exacerbates itself. Hypnosis can not only help to change your sleeping patterns but you can also be taught relaxation methods with hypnotic responses to assist in falling asleep.

22.Can Hypnosis help me with Improved Studying and Examination Nerves?
If you are having difficulties studying for your exams or you find when you sit down to take the exam your mind simply goes blank, leaving you unable to concentrate, then hypnosis can be the answer you are looking for. Using hypnotic techniques for improving your studying and memory retention is a very effective way to improve your results. Learn how to control your nervousness so that when you sit down to take your exams you remain cool, calm and collected and able to recall all the information you need to achieve higher marks.

23.Can Hypnosis help reduce my Stress?
It is becoming an extremely stressful world to live in, with more and more pressure and responsibilities put upon you. Using hypnosis, you can reduce your stress levels by learning 'stress reduction techniques' that will enable you to remain calm whenever you feel yourself becoming stressed and unable to function fully. While in hypnosis, you will be able to imagine yourself undergoing a stressful situation and then finding yourself becoming calm and in control by listening to the hypnotist's instructions which you can then use in real life situations.

24. Can Hypnosis help my medical condition?
Hypnosis is increasingly being accepted by the medical fraternity as being able to help with a wide range of medical conditions. Hypnosis can sometimes help by reducing symptoms of a medical problem and by reducing the effects of some treatments.

25. Should I change my medication after hypnosis?
Under no circumstances should you change any prescribed medication before or after hypnosis without consulting your doctor. The hypnotherapist is not medically qualified to give advice on medication.