Hypnotherapy commonly asked questions

Hypnosis has been scientifically proven to be effective in treating an array of problems from unhealthy habits and negative behaviors, treating emotional health problems, as well as resolving trauma-related symptoms. Hypnosis has been used by medical practitioners since early Egyptians, dating back to 1550 BC, and is widely used in many medical facilities, including national hospitals in current day.

1. What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a focus state of attention. While you're conscious, thinking mind and body relax, focusing on various relaxation suggestions, you allow your subconscious mind to hear what it needs to and make lifelong healthy changes.

2. Is hypnosis dangerous? Will I do or say something I don't want to?

No. No one can be hypnotized against their will. You decide how deep you go. You will not do anything, change anything, or say anything that you don't want to. You are not asleep during hypnosis. You are in complete control. There are different levels of trance states, from fully awake and alert, to deep sleep. Hypnosis is done at the subconscious level where all unconscious thoughts, memories, and reactions are processed. It is important you have a good rapport with your hypnotherapist for the most beneficial outcomes.

3. How does hypnosis work? Will it work for me if I have tried other types of counseling?

Hypnosis allows your thinking, conscious brain, to sit to one side and relax, allowing the subconscious brain to process, heal past traumas and unhealthy programming. So many people overthink, never allowing themselves to truly process. Hypnosis takes the client to a point of deep relaxation and then guides them through a series of suggestions, agreed upon by the client, to heal and reprogram unhealthy beliefs and behaviors.

Many other forms of counseling can be effective for improving emotional health. Where hypnosis can make a difference is the length of time needed to heal and make changes. Depending on your age and the amount of negative events and self-defeating talk and behaviors, there may be many layers of automatic negative programming that needs to be sorted through. Hypnosis bypasses all the layers and heals the initial wound, creating a cascading effect of healing and reprogramming all the way back up through each layer.

4. What if I can't be hypnotized?

Everyone can be hypnotized as long as you can understand the practitioner and have some level of desire to change. Everyone has experienced trance numerous times in their lives. Such as, when you're deep in a book everything around you fades away, and you become entranced by the story, maybe become part of the story. When you are driving from point A to point B and don't remember driving because your mind was wandering and busy thinking about other things. You're kids playing a favorite video game and don't hear you calling them, and you have to stand in front of them to break their trance. While you are intently listening to your favorite motivational speaker or sermon, it feels like the only one in the room being spoken to.

5. Will I fall asleep? Will I remember anything?

At no time will you be sleeping. You'll just be in a deep state of relaxation. Some say they remember much of what is said during the session, and some say they remember things like remembering a dream passing upon waking up. Most clients say they feel very refreshed after a hypnosis session and feel an instant shift in their emotions, while others say it just feels like they have a new sense of power and peace.

6. What will hypnosis help me with?

Hypnosis can help with a variety of emotional and physical problems. The type of hypnosis done at Choices helps to process and heal past or recent trauma, negative emotional states and rewire limiting, old and outdated programmed neuropathways that keep a person in a state of constant emotional disturbance, repetitive bad habits or chronic pain. Many addictions and emotional health problems are actually symptoms of many decades of buried pain.