2. What is hypnotherapy?
The word Hypnotherapy is a combination of two words. Hypno and therapy. Hypnos is derived from the Greek word referring to the God of Sleep, however hypnosis is not sleep. For lack of a better word, hypnosis is a state of very deep relaxation. The word therapy means to move a client towards health and wholeness. Hypnotherapy is moving a client towards health and wholeness by creating a deep level of relaxation so that the subconscious mind can accept new empowering beliefs. Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool for making fast and lasting changes we desire in our life

3. Is hypnosis safe?
Hypnosis has been recognized by the American Medical Association since 1958. It has been used by many professionals in medicine and psychology throughout the 200 years of hypnosis safely. Hollywood has made up all kinds of things about hypnosis which were designed to sell movie tickets and not really to tell the truth about hypnosis. Some of the misinformation that has been put into the minds of movie goers include the idea that the hypnotist has some kind of special power or that the hypnotist has control over the person who is in hypnosis. All these things are simply not true!.

HYPNOSIS IS A CONSENSUAL STATE. THE CLIENT MUST WANT TO BE HYPNOTIZED FOR THE HYPNOTIST TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH HIM OR HER. Furthermore, in order to continue to be in hypnosis, the client must continue to follow instructions from the hypnotherapist or she will emerge on her own.

4. What about the control a stage hypnotist has over a member of the audience?
First, a stage hypnotist often prefaces the show by stating that you cannot be made to do anything against your religious or moral beliefs, which means that you will do anything else the hypnotist suggest, thus creating the illusion of being under the hypnotist's control. Another reason is people's desire to have a good time. It is an opportunity for people to do anything with the justification that they were doing it because the hypnotist "forced" them to do so. Most volunteers become very creative in carrying out suggestions on stage. It becomes comfortable simply to respond, act silly, and let the hypnotist be responsible!. In this way, they give themselves a license to act extremely stupidly knowing full well that they will not be looked upon as stupid by members of the audience, since they can use the hidden excuse that "they were not themselves". Some merely follow suggestions even if they do not want to, because they somehow believe that they are under the hypnotist control. Many people volunteer believing that they are under the hypnotist's power, and people tend to experience whatever they believe.

5. Is it true that we go in and out of hypnosis many times in a day?
It is true. What most people do not know is that hypnosis is a common daily occurrence. An example is when a person continuously say to himself that he cannot do something, he has just hypnotized himself. Imagine what will happen if he keeps reinforcing this idea to himself over and over again. Hypnosis is so common and yet people are easily persuaded that they have no power to emerge from hypnosis. Whether you believe that you can or cannot, you are right. Do not give your power away by accepting the idea that you are powerless when you are under hypnosis. You are always in control and in charge unless you think otherwise. Period.

6. Can you give examples of naturally occurring states of hypnosis?
You enter a lift. You were so engrossed in your thoughts (a different state of consciousness) that when the lift door opens, you went out, only to discover that you have not reached your desired floor. You watch a movie and you begin to cry. You have hypnotized yourself that the story is real. (The movie is just a movie, it is not real). You were driving along a highway and you missed your chosen exit. You were engrossed (a different state of consciousness).

7. Who can be hypnotized?
Just about everyone can be hypnotized, with the exception of those with mental illness. In fact almost everyone has been hypnotized. Hypnosis is really a normal and frequent state of mind for human beings. We often experience spontaneous states of hypnosis while daydreaming or driving a car, reading a book or watching television.

8. Do you use any drugs to induce hypnosis?
We do not use any kind of drugs to induce hypnosis, be it oral, injections or other forms.

9. Are hypnotists governed by any code of ethics?
A professional and ethical hypnotist belongs to at least one Professional Hypnosis Association. The National Guild of Hypnotists provides an excellent code of ethics for hypnotherapists. Professional Hypnotists aspire to uphold the same ethical standards as those established by other helping professions such as those used by medical and psychological professionals.

10. What are some of the fears and misconceptions about hypnosis?
The common fears and misconceptions about hypnosis are:

11. How can I choose a qualified hypnotherapist?
Most competent hypnotherapists have completed formal training in hypnotherapy, such as the courses recommended by several professional hypnosis associations. Hypnotherapy is an art/skill best learned from those who actually have done considerable hypnotherapy. Ask where your prospective hypnotherapist received training, how many hours of schooling he/she took specifically for hypnosis and whether or not the therapist works full time with hypnosis. Some people may wish to ask about the hypnotist experience. Please realize that everyone started new at one time, so please do not disqualify someone simply because he/she is new to the profession. Additionally, any ethical hypnotherapist should belong to at least one professional hypnosis association, such as the International Medical Dental Hypnotherapy Association, the National Guild of Hypnotists, National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapy, the Association to Advanced Ethical Hypnosis. If he/she does not belong to at least one professional association that has either the word hypnosis or hypnotherapy to its name, consider it a yellow light and proceed with caution. If your phone discussion does not provide adequate information to make a decision, you may ask your prospective therapist for a short personal consultation to help you decide. Most ethical hypnotherapist are willing to invest twenty to thirty minutes to meet with a prospective client, providing you a free consultation.

12. What can hypnosis offer?
Applications for hypnosis range from Pain management to hypnoanaesthesia during surgery and dental procedures to enhancing self esteem to better managing habitual anxiety/fears. Hypnosis has also been used by medical professionals in the treatment of burns, psychosomatic conditions, autoimmune diseases, neurological and sleep disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and hypnobirthing. Hypnosis has also proven quite effective with post traumatic stress, sexual and relationship difficulties, obesity and eating challenges as well as smoking cessation and other habits such as nailbiting and hair pulling. Even students as well as others have benefited from hypnosis for concentration including enhancement of academic and athletic performance.

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13. How do I know if hypnotherapy is for me?
A common misconception is that hypnosis is reserved only for those with extreme psychological problems. The truth is, anyone can benefit from hypnosis.

14. I had a break up with a man/woman and cannot move on. Can hypnosis help me?
Yes. Hypnosis is helpful in instances of loss, separation and grief.

15. I have no motivation and feel like I am in a rut. I want more from life. Can hypnosis help me?
Yes. Loss of motivation can be the result of many things. Hypnosis is often the best and fastest method of determining what is the root of the problem.

16. I want a better relationship with my wife / husband / lover. Can hypnosis help me to communicate better in my relationship? Can it help with intimacy issues?
Yes to both questions. Both relationship and intimacy issues often have their roots in the subconscious.

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17. I have a lot of baggage in my life from past traumas. I am tired of carrying this weight around me. Can hypnosis help?
Yes. So called baggage is often easily unpacked in the hypnotic state. Once neutralized, past traumas lose their powerful hold over an individual.

18. What if I do not have a specific problem or a specific issue I need to work on? What if I just do not know what I want? Can hypnosis help me?
Yes. I provide both hypnotherapy and life coaching sessions. Hypnosis can indeed help to clarify one's desires by allowing what resides in the subconscious mind to rise to the surface. In situations such as this, a combination of hypnotherapy and life coaching sessions may be especially effective.

19. I am interested in hypnotherapy, but I worry about what I have heard about being out of control, doing something foolish and anything else that can occur while under the influence of someone else. How exactly does this work?
Hypnosis is a state of consent between the hypnotist and the client. Hypnosis cannot be achieved without this state of consent. If you do not wish to follow the instructions of the hypnotherapist, there is nothing that the therapist can do. Period. You are in full control the entire time in spite of everything to the contrary which you have heard. You decide how deeply you wish to go into this state of relaxation. You may also come out of it anytime. Hypnosis is a completely natural state, there is nothing mystical about it.

20. Why Hypnotherapy?
First of all, allow me to define the word Hypnotherapy.

The word Hypno comes from a greek word Hypnos. It is related to the Greek God Hypnos, which means the God of Sleep. However, hypnosis is not sleep. For lack of a better word, the word sleep is used as a short hand to mean go deeper into relaxation. Therapy means to move someone into health and wholeness. Thus Hypnotherapy means to move someone into health and wholeness using hypnosis.

Hypnosis is the bypass of the critical factor and the establishment of acceptable selective thinking (The United States Government, Department of Education, Human Services Division). During normal consciousness, our critical factor decides what type of information goes into the subconscious mind. It's function is to protect the existing data in the subconscious mind, eventhough the data may be erroneous. Any data that does not match the existing data is rejected by the conscious mind. Hypnosis allows new information to be accepted by the subconscious mind as it bypass the critical factor. The establishment of acceptable selective thinking refers to the client following instructions during the hypnotic induction.

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