You may have seen Frequently Asked Questions on other sites that seem to answer questions that most real clients would never ask, such as "What is Hypnosis?". It's as if some people think you've never heard of Google. 
Often, FAQs avoid answering the questions that any reasonable person would have, such as session fees, number of sessions typically required, etc.
But on this FAQ page, you will find answers to questions that actually have been asked frequently --- imagine that!
Caution: some of the information here reflects harsh reality, but you deserve to know the truth.
*Does hypnosis really work?
*What if I can't be hypnotized?
*What should I expect right after a session?
*I have a friend/family member who [insert negative behavior here]. Can hypnosis make them stop?
*How often should the sessions be done?
*How long is each session?
*I just want to perform better. How can hypnosis help me?
*What about success rates?
*Can you help me forget a bad relationship?
*Will insurance cover my sessions?
*Can hypnosis be used with children?
*I have multiple issues I would like to work on. Can they all be handled at the same time?
*What if I'm not sure I'm "ready to quit"?
*How are you different from other hypnotists?
*How did you get into the hypnotism business? What's your background?
*How long have you been doing this?
*How many sessions and what are the fees?
*Jump to Video FAQs here
Q: Does hypnosis really work?
A: No, not exactly.
The question itself indicates a common misunderstanding about hypnosis. "Getting hypnotized" is a voluntary process where a person is guided into a trance state where they have greater access to mental skills and resources that they already have (and are maybe using counter-productively). Hypnosis is not some "thing" that causes changes by itself.
Whether hypnosis works is a different question than whether it is real. There is plenty of research showing that people in hypnosis can experience better results when compared to non-hypnotized people; the blog contains links to thousands of peer-reviewed studies available on Google Scholar.
I don't spend a lot of time trying to convince people that hypnosis is "real". If for some reason, a person refuses to believe that hypnosis exists in spite of research done at places like Stanford University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, the Mayo Clinic, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, in addition to evidence like imaging scans showing changes in hypnotized brain activity, etc., then there isn't much chance that I am going to change their mind!
So, hypnosis alone does not cause positive changes in a person. It is the interaction between the client and the hypnotist which results in desired changes. During hypnosis, certain phenomena related to that state can be skillfully applied to a problem to help solve it.
This means that it's important not only to find someone who is good at hypnotizing people, but even more important to find someone who is capable of helping you apply your resources to solving your problems. For an experienced hypnotist, the act of hypnotizing a client is so trivial that it is the easy part of the work.
This also means that anyone who is looking to "get hypnotized" because they want to avoid personal responsibility for exercising greater control over their own life, is headed down the wrong path.
If you expect that you can just "go under" and hear some magical words from a hypnotist which will solve a problem in your life, then this is not for you. That kind of thing can in fact happen, perhaps because of a certain combination of circumstances, but it is not the norm.
Please see the FAQ section about "what to expect" in this regard.
Because of misunderstandings about hypnosis, such as the idea that you can "sleep your troubles away!", it is often promoted in a way which panders to the desire to get better results in life, without having to do anything different.
Sometimes hypnotists like to play up those expectations for various reasons. But this attracts people who rely on wishful thinking and the hope that some person with mysterious powers is going to control their behavior and make them stop doing something stupid and unhealthy, or make them start doing something positive and rewarding.
But just like in many areas of life, that sort of passive attitude does not make success likely. I do not think that "hoping hypnosis works" and relying on getting lucky are useful strategies for success.
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Q: What if I can't be hypnotized?
A: Any person who is willing to be hypnotized can be. Hypnosis is a natural state where your mind is open and receptive to new beliefs and perceptions that you find acceptable. It's something that everyone experiences on their own, whether they know it's happening or not.
There is really no such thing as someone who "can't be hypnotized". There are only people who have an inability, or unwillingness, to follow simple instructions into hypnosis, often because of fearfulness or insecurity, and/or a misunderstanding about the nature of hypnosis.
Please read the next "Question/Answer" to learn about how preconceived notions about hypnosis can also cause interference with the process.
When we work together, you are allowing yourself to be coached and guided into that state on purpose, so that you can get some benefit.
Entering the state of hypnosis is not a passive activity, it requires being able and willing to actively follow the simple instructions being offered.
Fortunately, the vast majority of clients have no difficulty at all with the induction process, because it is a lot simpler than most people might think!
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Once you get into the appropriate state, the hypnotist uses his or her training to package information in a way that will have the most impact and effectively allow you to internalize the changes that you want.
If a person has fear and concerns about being hypnotized, this can inhibit the willingness to go into that state. This is why I spend time with every new client discussing any fears and misconceptions about hypnosis, before doing an actual session.
Still, it is perfectly OK (even normal, I think) to be unsure or somewhat doubtful that hypnosis will "work". In fact, some of the most profound changes with clients have been with those who were not sure that it was going to help, but who were willing to go into it with a fearless and open mind.
Working with this kind of client is very rewarding because they are the most surprised by the changes they experience. Many of the testimonials on this site are from people who were pretty skeptical at first!
However, if a person goes into a session determined to prove that they cannot be hypnotized, or they have convinced themselves that hypnosis is not "real" (despite what thousands of scientific and medical research studies have shown), they will experience exactly what they set out to achieve: nothing.
It is important to understand the following: being hypnotizable has nothing to do with being weak-willed. Some people incorrectly believe that they may be too "strong-willed" to be hypnotized. In reality, resistance to being coached into hypnosis simply indicates lack of trust between hypnotist and client, or inherent lack of coachability, which is often related to emotional immaturity, not a strong will.
Since "hypnotizability" is just a skill, people can learn to develop that skill. People who already have experience with mental training such as yoga, meditation, or any type of athletic or performance training, often have a head start and a smoother time, but everyone can learn and get better.
If you are still concerned about not being hypnotizable, you can at least be assured by my guarantee: if you feel you did not get anything of value out of our first session, then it will be at no cost to you.
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Q: What should I expect right after a session?
A: It depends. Some fortunate people seem to experience immediate and obvious positive change. But most people just feel very relaxed and calm, and curious about what will happen.
Sometimes, clients will emerge and say things like "Well, that was an interesting experience, but I'm not sure what's going to happen." Then these same clients will go through their normal routine for a few days, and in the next session report how strange it's been, because things have been going differently.
I'm careful not to set specific expectations, because it's impossible to predict exactly how an individual will think or feel in the future. Any differences between what you experience and what you were told to expect could cause you to ignore obvious signs of progress.
These imaginary expectations can cause problems, not only in terms of what will happen "after" a session, but also in terms of how smoothly the initial hypnotic induction process goes. The great majority of clients have no difficulty with the process --- however, if people go into the experience thinking that it is supposed to go a certain way, it almost certainly will not.
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Clinging to pre-set expectations, which fortunately is rare, is usually because the individual would rather believe what they have seen in movies or stage shows or heard from others, despite efforts to inform and educate them about the true nature of hypnosis. Even expectations set by well-meaning friends or family members can be problematic when combined with the erroneous belief that all hypnosis experiences are supposed to be "that way".
In other words, you should expect to succeed, but please leave any other assumptions about "how hypnosis is supposed to work" at home; that can only cause interference with the direct experience.
Please check out some of the video FAQ items on this page with more information about this topic, especially the importance of response attentiveness.
Response attentiveness is just a fancy way of describing your ability to be absorbed by what another person is explaining or expressing, without adding a lot of your own assumptions about meaning and intent.
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Q: I have a friend/family member who [insert negative behavior here]. Can hypnosis make them stop?
A: No. Not unless they want to.
This question is usually posed by well-meaning relatives or friends of someone who engages in unhealthy or negative behavior. It is great that they care enough about someone to try to seek help for them.
However, it is essential that the potential client wants to make the change themselves. And hypnosis cannot force someone to be honest or to tell the truth, so it should not be expected that hypnosis will cause someone to be a better person or act in a more mature manner, if they don't want to.
Sorry, I know that many people do not want to hear that, especially when they are hoping that hypnosis will "fix" a friend or relative or spouse.
A person who is pressured or "convinced" to do this work, in the hopes that it will "get them" to change in some way, will most likely not have the motivation to actively participate. Such a person enters the process with a passive attitude and expectation that hypnotic change is something that will be imposed upon them from the outside, which is not correct.
So, if you have someone in your life who you think might benefit from this work, then please let them know about this option, but let them make their own choice. This means that, unless they are a minor child under your care, they should be able to make an appointment themselves; please do not setup an appointment for them.
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Although it may be difficult to watch someone you care about engaging in unhealthy behavior (in your opinion), I do not believe it is my role as a hypnotist to convince anyone of their need to change. This is a free country --- if someone chooses to wallow in self-pity or self-destructive behavior, and perhaps even benefits from playing the victim, I think that is their choice to do so. In any case, hypnotic work cannot force anyone into maturity.
What I can do, however, is help YOU become more detached from the pain of watching a friend or family member going through life like that. This could help you be more effective as a positive influence in their life, so that you can handle the situation in a constructive manner, without your judgement being clouded by your own emotions.
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Q: How often should the sessions be done?
A: Sessions should be done between 3-10 days apart, in order to go through a variety of daily experiences, and also to keep up momentum. I use a systematic process, 5-PATH®, which was developed based on the real-world experiences of some of the leading hypnotists in the world, and which has been used with many thousands of clients.
Before starting, it is best to commit in your own mind to following through to completion. The work we do together is not meant to be done half-heartedly. It is not recommended that you try a session just to see if it "works". That attitude would be like going skydiving, but only jumping half-way out of the airplane door.
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Q: How long is each session?
A: It depends. The free initial consultation takes around 30 minutes. Sessions usually average around 60 to 90 minutes, but sometimes go much longer depending on circumstances.
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Q: I just want to perform better. How can hypnosis help me?
A: Performance of any kind can be enhanced by:
- Removing irrational self-limiting beliefs about how well you can do.
- Helping train you to visualize successful performances in your mind; when done in a hypnotic state you are able to vividly imagine the event, and this programs your subconscious and nervous system for success. Many studies have shown that mental practice in trance significantly enhances real-world performance.
- Helping change thought patterns that could cause you to lose focus or dwell on mistakes during an event instead of concentrating on the "now".
Everyone comes in with different areas that they would like to focus on, of course. During the initial consultation we come up with a specific game-plan for the individual.
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Q: What about success rates?
A: It's not really possible to come up with a meaningful number that can be applied to you and your individual situation. Clients are not a controlled population and this practice is not being operated as a research study. It's against our standards to make specific claims about success rates without the statistical research to back them up.
Of course, I could just make up a number that sounds impressive (for some reason "95%" seems to a popular figure that is thrown around by some hypnotists), but that would be meaningless. Anyway, how would you verify the claim without violating client confidentiality?
Amazingly, some hypnotists justify claims of "95%" success because the client seemed OK when they left the office, and hasn't come back for more sessions. Well, think about that.
If someone told me that they had a specific success rate, being a curious person I would ask the following basic questions:
- What was size of the population?
- Was the population composed of people similar to me and my situation?
- Over what period of time are individuals followed?
Even the controlled scientific and medical studies related to hypnosis vary widely in terms of results, because there is no "one way" to do hypnosis, in addition to the variables of how individual practitioners and clients work together on specific issues and goals.
All I can assure you is that 100% of clients get 100% of my best efforts, and as far as I can tell, most of them think the work was productive.
In addition to the guarantee that is described elsewhere on this site, I personally guarantee you something else:
I will never "make stuff up" just to get you in the door.
The fact is, if you need to hear make-believe promises before acting, that does not indicate a high level of commitment to change, or a willingness to face reality.
Believe me, I do not want to waste my time or yours if I think it will be a frustrating and fruitless exercise.
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Q: Can you help me forget a bad relationship?
A: Yes. But no one can "erase" memories of another person by hypnosis. This would only let you pretend or imagine that you've forgotten.
We would not want to let you pretend and live in denial. Just sweeping things under the rug can have bad side effects in other ways.
What we do is remove emotional attachment to a person, so that you still learn from the experience of being through that relationship, but basically do not care about them otherwise.
I have helped a client be able to walk past the "other person" in a hallway and just politely say hello, with no bad feelings.
Another client ran into a former significant other at a social gathering, and was able to have a calm, mature conversation about how things ended between them.
For some reason this is a common request and most of the clients I work with in this area have quite a lot of success with moving on.
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Q: Will insurance cover my sessions?
A: Hypnosis services are typically not covered by insurance. Anyway, the success of a client depends highly on their level of commitment to the process. If a person is not spending cash out of their own pocket, often (but not always) their personal commitment to change is not really there.
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Q: Can hypnosis be used with children?
A: Yes! Hypnosis is easy to do with young children and teens, because hypnosis works by subduing critical thinking, and younger people generally are more open to change.
This depends on building up trust with the child of course, which a lot of times depends on building up trust between the parent and hypnotist, so that trust is transferred to the child. It's also important that the child actually want to do hypnosis to make the positive change, so it should be presented to them as a fun or cool experience.
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Q: I have multiple issues I would like to work on. Can they all be handled at the same time?
A: It depends on how much overlap there is between the various issues. For example, if someone wants to overcome a fear of driving, but also wants to stop eating junk food, these probably don't have too much in common.
It is recommended that we focus on one issue at a time, this is more effective than doing more generic work. But sometimes different problems have the same root cause, and resolving that may have a larger overall benefit. Everyone and every situation is different.
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Q: What if I'm not sure I'm "ready to quit"?
A: This question mostly comes up in relation to quitting smoking or some other bad habit that involves using or doing something "too much".
I assume that everyone who is willing to show up for the appointment and pay money to solve their problem is ready, at least consciously.
I think it is too easy and too common for hypnotists to blame the client for poor results by claiming that "they weren't ready". Once I choose to accept a client, I have at least some level of responsibility for getting to a good outcome... so I do my best to only attract clients that I believe will have a reasonable chance of rapport and success (but it doesn't always work out that way, of course).
However, it is sometimes the case that people are not so much "unready" to quit, but that they are unwilling or unprepared to tackle an underlying problem in their life that may be causing them to rely on the bad habit for temporary comfort.
For example, a person who is at a place in their life where they are feeling dissatisfied, maybe feeling bored, trapped or insecure, might have gotten used to using the bad habit in order to cope and distract themselves from having to address that situation.
I can empathize with that, because if we were able to choose, wouldn't all of us rather deal with a problem like having some negative unhealthy habit, rather than having to take action to resolve a more uncomfortable seemingly overwhelming aspect of our life?
In a scenario like that, it is important that the client be willing to address the real problem, which is not the bad habit itself. However, sometimes people in that situation are not interested in learning new coping strategies or are unprepared to tackle the real problem, and that is their choice.
(Note: in many cases, especially with smoking, it really is just a bad habit without much underlying emotional drive, and this section does not necessarily apply)
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Q: How are you different from other hypnotists?
A: Some approaches to hypnosis are limited to feel-good relaxation techniques. That kind of thing can make you feel nice for a while but I don't believe that will help most people make real lasting changes.
Other approaches focus on "mind tricks" and models such as Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP); some individuals respond well to methods like these.
But the approach I take at Center City Hypnosis is based on the idea that our lives are driven by irrational feelings, thoughts and beliefs, no matter how logical we like to think of ourselves. After all, if we could solve personal difficulties with rational thinking, then no one would have problems!
In order to make permanent positive change, I believe we need to face things head-on in order to get rid of self-defeating excuses, justifications and rationalizations once and for all.
In general, the methods are aggressive and focused on rapid solutions, and are unsuitable for people who just want to be coddled or pitied by a sympathetic person. Of course, it is possible to shift to a slower, gentler pace if appropriate for the client who sincerely wants to change.
Every hypnotist is different and brings their own unique style to the work, so I encourage you to meet with me for a no-obligation initial consultation before we do any work together.
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Q: How did you get into the hypnotism business? What's your background?
A: Over the years, I had built a successful and financially rewarding career in software development. Some of my roles included being architect and lead developer of an e-commerce site that CIO Magazine named as one of the leading business websites, managing diverse teams of developers, as well as being a data consultant for litigation with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. It was comfortable work, which was sort of the problem.
You see, I'm naturally inclined to be shy and introverted, and I've never considered myself to be a warm-and-fuzzy people-person. Also I disliked the idea of being tied to a schedule. (If you are familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, I am an INTP). But to me, getting too comfortable is a warning sign of stagnation. I felt that part of my mind, that didn't involve computers and data, was not being used.
So, in order to challenge myself I decided to get into this field where I have to set appointments with total strangers and work with them on an intensely one-to-one basis. I strongly believed in the product (hypnosis) already, because of personal experience with using mental training to overcome self-imposed limits, and I knew it could help others.
I believe my background helps clients achieve better results because I approach the process systematically, using techniques that have been proven over time, and I can remain detached and professional, focused entirely on each client's goal. I'm not interested in getting emotionally caught up in the drama of a client's problems, or finding new friends through doing this work.
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Q: How long have you been doing this?
A: I started Center City Hypnosis in September 2006 and went full-time in 2007.
Because I don't like to make claims that can't be verified, here is a link to the Pennsylvania corporations database, so you can lookup "Center City Hypnosis" and see the registration information for yourself: https://www.corporations.state.pa.us/corp/soskb/CSearch.asp.
Beware of commonly made claims such as "I am a world-renowned certified hypnotist, with decades of experience". Most people enter this field as a second career or as a hobby, so many times (not in all cases, of course) that "decades of experience" actually refers to their previous job in an unrelated field!
You know what they say: trust, but verify - especially claims that are made on the internet.
As you can perhaps tell, I find the amount of nonsense in this field to be kind of irritating, especially since it obscures the usefulness of a tool like hypnosis. You can check out my articles in the quarterly Hypnosis.org e-zine for more information on this subject, if you're interested.
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Simple Fee Structure
Hypnosis is a very efficient way to achieve rapid personal change. The number of sessions depends on the type of issue you would like to work on.
- In general, clients achieve desired results within 3 to 5 sessions.
- Smoking cessation typically requires fewer sessions, and there is a special package available for that issue.
This could be one of the most powerful investments you can make in the most valuable resource you will ever have in your life: yourself.
Imagine the tremendous return on investment from making a permanent, positive change that helps you reach your full potential.
Two easy payment options:
- A) Set of THREE sessions: $150 per session.
- B) Pay-as-you-go: $180 per session.
Any sessions after a third session (if needed) are at the reduced rate of only $100, because I'm confident that together we can work through your issues rapidly and efficiently.
Compare this to the lifetime cost of continuing with your bad habits, fears and self-limiting beliefs.
I know that many people have spent thousands of dollars on seminars, tapes, books, coaching, etc. --- hypnosis, because it can help remove unconscious mental obstacles, can make it possible to internalize the material that you've already invested in, multiplying it's value as you are finally able to put those things into action!
Ask about discounted rates for students and military veterans.
Yes, I accept credit cards.
Fee structure subject to change.
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Q: Video FAQ Items
A: Here are some answers to FAQs in video format (sorry for the low video quality of some of these clips, I did not realize that I need to record at a higher resolution):
Can Hypnosis Be Used Negatively, Parts 1 and 2:
Hypnosis is Not Relaxation:
Hypnosis Does Not (Necessarily) Produce Reliable Memories:
Possible Misconceptions from Stage Hypnosis, Parts 1 and 2:
Potential Difficulties with Being Hypnotized, Parts 1 and 2:
For recent updates, visit my Wordpress site,
where you can also subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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