Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs on hypnosis websites often avoid answering 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 I think you can handle it.
*Does hypnosis really work?
*Can hypnosis help me stop ________?
*Will this help me get to the "root cause" of a problem?
*I saw a stage hypnosis show and it sure looked like the people on stage were under some kind of mind control. What's that about?
*I think I'm very analytical, so it'd probably be difficult to hypnotize me, right?
*What if I can't be hypnotized?
*What kind of credentials do you have as a hypnotist?
*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?
*Can this help improve my memory?
*Is there a guarantee?
*What about success rates?
*Where did you get your training?
*Can you recommend any hypnosis training or courses?
*Can you help me forget a bad relationship?
*Can you help me forget a terrible experience I went through?
*Will insurance cover my sessions?
*Would you do a barter/trade or sliding scale fee?
*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"?
*Are these positive changes permanent?
*What do you think about the Law of Attraction?
*How are you different from other hypnotists?
*How did you get into the hypnotism business? What's your background?
*Do you use hypnosis yourself?
*How long have you been doing this?
*How many sessions and what are the fees?
*The correct mental strategy for being a highly responsive hypnotee
*What's the difference between hypnosis and meditation?
*How can I protect myself from being hypnotized?
*I really want it to work! That's what's important, right?
*Jump to Youtube Video FAQs here
*How do I contact you or setup a meeting?
Q: Does hypnosis really work?
A: No, not exactly.
Hypnosis is not some "thing" that causes changes by itself. It is a process that enables rapid learning and unlearning, a kind of specialized mental retraining that emerges from the unique interaction between two people. When you think about it that way, you can see the question of whether or not it works is like asking whether or not kung fu works.
Could learning kung fu help you win a fight? Sure, probably. But does kung fu "work"? I have no idea.
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!
Anyway, 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 figure it might be an easy way to avoid personal responsibility over some part of their own life, has got entirely the wrong idea about it.
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. Because of misunderstandings about hypnosis, such as the idea that you can "sleep your troubles away!", it's often promoted in a way which panders to the desire to get better results in life, without having to change.
But that attracts one of two different types of people:
a) naive people who rely on wishful thinking, who 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
or
b) people who want to "outsource" personal change, so that they can tell themselves (or others) "See, I really am trying, I'm hiring this hypnotist to fix something in my life for me"
That sort of passive attitude does not make success likely, and I have no interest in attracting clients who are unlikely to succeed. "Hoping hypnosis works" is not a useful strategy for success.
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Q: Can hypnosis help me stop ________?
A: It depends.
Quick and easy quiz: can you sense the difference between the following statements:
"I want to stop ____. Can you help me do that?"
vs.
"I know I should stop ____. Can you make me?"
If you can understand the difference, there's probably a reasonable chance hypnosis could help. If you can't understand the difference, or your thinking is along the lines of the second statement, then chances of achieving your goal are probably lower, regardless of hypnosis or not.
Watch your language...
"have to" and "should" are warning signs of ineffective thinking.
People who are stuck in a habitual rut often say "I want to stop ____, but I don't know how." Think about that.
Imagine someone punching themselves in the head over and over again, complaining about the awful headache they feel as a result, and they say: "I want to stop punching myself in the head, but I don't know how".
Of course, the obvious answer is: "Just stop punching yourself in the head." That simple hypnotic suggestion might work for many cases... as if it causes a light-bulb to turn on in the subconscious mind --- "Oh yeah, I don't have to do that anymore." There is sudden realization that a lot of time and energy was wasted on thinking that it was more complicated than that. Problem solved.
In a normal, unhypnotized state of mind, if someone hears a friend suggesting "Just stop doing that" or "Just relax, calm down and breathe", their mind tends to block and reject that kind of simple and obvious advice: "I already know that. But I can't, because [insert endless supply of excuses and rationalizations here]."
But when people are in a hypnotic state, their mind is more responsive and capable of applying knowledge in a process of active learning. This is why hypnotic change can happen very efficiently --- it operates on the level of learned experience, it's not about listening to someone give you advice (ie. "Did you know smoking is bad for you?" or "You deserve to be happy and healthy!").
Some people may have acquired beliefs which cause them to believe that they deserve a punch in the head, or that they need the behavior for some reason. Perhaps it distracts them from something else that is even more uncomfortable for them to deal with. Or, they have acquired a self-image of themselves as being a head-puncher, that is just who they are... so, unsurprisingly, head-punchers are expected to punch themselves.
In these cases, hypnosis can help people let go of beliefs and aspects of their self-image which are contributing to the unwanted behavior.
Sometimes, people find it easier to stop doing something if they learn something else to do, instead of punching themselves in the head. The key to that is figuring out what you'd rather do instead (if anything). For this purpose, hypnosis can help your mind rapidly develop the skills to do something else instead. Alternatively, your mind can hypnotically learn that it doesn't have to do anything else at all... it can learn to become comfortable doing nothing for a while.
There is another possible scenario, involving an unhealthy behavior that feels good temporarily --- such as eating cookies or some other type of mood-altering substance.
In this kind of scenario, when people say they "want to stop, but don't know how", what they sometimes really mean is they're frustrated because they can't seem to get a result that they want, unless they change something or give up something.
Such people are always looking to get different results in life without actually having to change anything.
That kind of non-thinking is what keeps people stuck in a rut for a long time. A lot of suffering goes on while they try to figure out a way to "have their cake and eat it too" (whatever that means). They avoid the necessary sacrifice, exaggerating the pain of sacrifice (aka "cravings") and the pleasure of the cookie in their mind, telling themselves that they've led such a hard life, they deserve a treat.
In cases like that, hypnosis can get people unstuck out of that rut, by helping them have the confidence to sacrifice something in order to gain something even better. This requires that they have a certain level of maturity to first accept this consciously, so that their subconscious mind can become aligned with that understanding.
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Use the following links to learn more about
how hypnosis helps with specific issues:
Gain Confidence | Stop Smoking | Weight Control
Overcome Fears, and More
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Q: Will this help me get to the "root cause" of a problem?
A: It can, but that may not be necessary. Hypnosis can be very effective in bringing insight to the question of "why do I have this problem". In many cases, that can make a big difference in helping to resolve that problem.
But in many other cases, gaining that kind of insight isn't necessary, and sometimes that insight isn't sufficient by itself.
Without a basic understanding of your individual situation and the nature of the problem, it would be ludicrous to make a blanket statement like "You must always use so-and-so technique to get to the root cause of the problem, or else you will never get better." That's unhealthy snake-oil nonsense.
(By the way, that kind of dogmatic statement should raise red flags when evaluating potential helpers, because it is typically the sign of someone who is either fanatical to the point of delusion about their personal favorite technique, or someone who has little real-world experience and is simply parroting what they heard in a training seminar.)
Here is an example:
The letter below (used with kind permission) is from a client who I helped overcome a longstanding and painful "picking" habit. During our initial consultation, as a result of careful questioning done in a subtle trance-like state, it was possible to identify a very likely reason that the problem started.
However, this insight into the "root cause" did not solve the problem by itself (we ran out of time so we could not do a full-fledged session). When the client returned for her first actual hypnosis session, we were able to make use of that insight in order to resolve the problem thoroughly.
And, as noted earlier, in many other cases it's not even necessary to identify the origin of a problem. It really depends on your individual situation.
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Use the following links to learn more about
how hypnosis helps with specific issues:
Gain Confidence | Stop Smoking | Weight Control
Overcome Fears, and More
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Q: I saw a stage hypnosis show and it sure looked like the people on stage were under some kind of mind control. What's that about?
A: Good stage hypnotists are skilled at creating the illusion that people are under control, because creating drama and mystery is the whole point of the show. You may have seen magicians on TV creating illusions where they make something like the Statue of Liberty appear to vanish --- but you don't really believe that it's disappeared... do you? (I hope not)
But this is not to suggest that the people in hypnosis shows are "faking it", or that hypnosis is an illusion. Although a few probably are, a skilled stage hypnotist is able to selectively pick out the audience members who are most able to rapidly and obviously exhibit hypnotic phenomena, while at the same time weeding out the people who are faking.
Hypnosis does involve a certain type of mind control. True hypnotists can, within certain limits, alter a person's perception of reality and their responses to that altered reality. Many people in this field are either hesitant to admit that hypnosis does involve manipulation and control, or they actually fool themselves into believing that it is just a state of feel-good mental relaxation.
What the stage hypnotist is really doing is creating a setting where the hypnotized person experiences suspension of normal disbelief. For example, a couple of clients have mentioned seeing stage shows where a small-framed person is hypnotized and then asked to lie down between two chairs, acting as if they were stiff as a wooden plank. Then a large person stands on top of that subject who supports the weight.
This looks amazing, but it is in fact nothing except that the hypnotized person, who normally would think: "I can't possibly do this", has been hypnotized into believing that they now have some un-natural physical capacity to support the weight. So in that sense, they are able to do things they normally "couldn't" do. The problem with this particular example is that it is very dangerous, because there are real physical limitations in the load-bearing capacity of someone's spine! Thankfully there are more productive and less risky uses for hypnosis.
The same principle of helping people lose the delusion that "they can't" do something, can be applied to understanding how hypnosis can help people overcome fears, bad habits and other artificial negative illusions.
For an interesting first-hand account of a hypnotic experience, do a Google Books search of "Richard Feynman hypnosis" and you should be able to find a hypnotic account written by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, from his book "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
Feynman is widely considered one of the great scientific minds of the 20th Century. In college, Feynman volunteered to take part in a hypnosis demonstration. He turned out to be a good hypnotee!
Feynman's account reveals some curious things about the state:
* His subjective experience was not of being "mindless" or asleep. He was conscious and was able to think about the process as it was happening. During his first experience, he was even thinking to himself along the lines of "this is silly".
* With repeated hypnotic experience, the effect seems to get stronger. He writes "I guess I had learned how to become hypnotized."
* As Feynman reports, getting hypnotized creates a condition where people are able to do things they think they can't, and also where people are unable to do things they know they could. Either can be useful for helping to create positive change.
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Q: I think I'm very analytical, so it'd probably be difficult to hypnotize me, right?
A: Depends on what you mean by "analytical", but based on my experiences with other clients, probably not. A large percentage of my client base consists of professionals and academics who think for a living, and who have been trained to think critically and analytically. It's not a problem.
However, there is another kind of "analytical" which is not really related to intellectual activity or critical thinking ability, but is more about a non-attentive pattern of thinking and pre-judgment of experiences.
Of course, everyone would rather think of themselves as "analytical" (it sounds smarter, doesn't it?) rather than inattentive, self-absorbed or prejudicial. An example of this would go as follows:
Hypnotist: "Let's do some warm-up exercises. Please look at your hand."
Hypnotee: [Looks at hand for a few seconds, then looks up and says:] "It's not working. Nothing's happening."
Hypnotist: "Why did you assume something was supposed to happen when you looked at your hand?"
Hypnotee: "When you told me to look at my hand, I was supposed to go to sleep."
Hypnotist: "Not really. I was just asking you to look at your hand. And remember what we talked about, hypnosis isn't sleep, and you're supposed to be able to hear what I'm saying."
Hypnotee: "Yes, yes, I know that already."
Hypnotist: "OK, so now please close your eyes. [Hypnotee closes eyes] Then take a deep breath."
Hypnotee: [Opens eyes] "It's not working, I can hear what you're saying. I guess I'm too analytical to be hypnotized."
Hypnotist: "..."
This is an extreme example, and fortunately this kind of interaction is rare in an office setting because such people will rarely consider doing this kind of work in the first place. People who have inflexible, already-know-it-all mindsets as a fundamental trait, and who "analyze" everything in terms of fixed frames of reference, are not likely to even think about doing hypnosis.
Also, I think sometimes people who are attracted to working in the hypnotic field find it difficult to relate to others who are not wired with the typical "healer" personality that they may have, and if they are unable to handle different personalities, then they label the other person as "analytical" (or even worse: "resistant"), sometimes even telling them "you are too analytical to be hypnotized".
I know this because I have worked successfully with many people who have been told that --- essentially having been unfairly given a negative suggestion about their hypnotic ability! So there are a lot of unnecessary beliefs in the field about how analytical people are difficult or require special techniques, but based on experience I have not found that to be the case at all.
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Q: What if I can't be hypnotized?
A: Theoretically, there is really no such thing as someone who "can't be hypnotized". But, does that mean everyone is equally hypnotizable, or that I can hypnotize everyone? NO. Everyone has a baseline aptitude that they come in with. Some people have a natural aptitude to be able to generate intense hypnosis experiences, but others are less inclined. But with sufficient time and mental training, even those people can get better.
Of course, there are practical limitations on how much time and resources a person is able to devote to hypnotic skill development, so in a practical sense there is a small percentage of people where hypnosis may not be suitable. If this is the case, it is usually clear early on in the hypnotist/hypnotee interaction. Anyway, people who would be difficult to hypnotize would typically not even consider it in the first place.
Note: there is a set of people who are hypnotizable but who insist on believing that it involves being unconscious, or being in a sleep-like state, or being controlled like a robot --- just like in the movies. When such people experience hypnosis and find that they can hear instructions, and are not asleep, and have not become mindless robots, some of them believe that this means they were not hypnotized, because it wasn't like they expected.
This is similar to someone believing that being an archaeologist is like an Indiana Jones adventure, or that being a police officer is like a dramatic episode of CSI:Miami. Fortunately, most of the clients I attract do not have such a mentality!
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.
Clients generally have little difficulty with the induction process, because it is a lot simpler than most people might think!
A growing number of laboratory-controlled studies have demonstrated that it is possible to rapidly increase a person's hypnotic responsiveness.
See this slideshow to learn the correct mental strategy for being a highly responsive hypnotee.
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 an 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!
The important thing is not so much how hypnotizable you are. Almost everyone is "hypnotizable enough" to run certain hypnotic mental processes in order to solve problems. When we use hypnosis to help people solve personal problems, the most important factor for success is not hypnotizability --- it is more about the coachability and flexibility of the individual.
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.
Sometimes, a person wants to try hypnosis in order to prove that they cannot be hypnotized. This is rare in an office setting, but can be more common in impromptu demonstrations. This type of agenda is based on the mistaken belief that hypnosis has something to do with willpower.
But it is important to understand the following: being hypnotizable has nothing to do with being weak-willed or strong-willed or naive. In reality, resistance to being coached into hypnosis simply indicates lack of trust between hypnotist and hypnotee, or inherent lack of coachability, which is often related to emotional immaturity, not a strong will.
A naive tendency is actually not ideal for long-term success with hypnotic work. "Naive optimism" leaves people unprepared to handle real life ("I got hypnotized to stop eating cookies... now my life will happy and fulfilling!")
But, that is still better than "naive pessimism" ("I got hypnotized once, but it didn't cure my lifelong anxiety and depression like I wanted, I knew it wouldn't work... nothing ever works for me.") Both naive optimists and naive pessimists tend to be easily fooled, either by other people or themselves.
Since "hypnotizability" is 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 kind of credentials do you have as a hypnotist?
A: I'm certified by various organizations, including the National Guild of Hypnotists, the largest and oldest hypnosis organization in the world, but the reality is that certifications in this field are meaningless --- they are not recognized by legal authorities or legitimate academic institutions.
The hypnosis training industry churns out all kinds of certifications to people eager to buy them, including "board" certifications (which mean nothing, since there is no state licensing board), and "instructor" certifications which permit people to sell certification courses to other people, and so on and so on.
To be clear: I am not a doctor or health-care provider.
If you are looking to work with a mental health professional or medical doctor who uses hypnosis, please refer to the links on this site that will help you find one in your area.
Here is a brilliant summary of the hypnotist certification industry by Barry Thain, a very experienced hypnotist who works for the National Health Service in the UK. His description of the diploma model is specific to the UK, but the basic message still applies to the US. I have reposted his original comments below, with his kind permission:
I can only speak for the situation here in the UK.
No qualifications are really worth anything.
The basic model is a three phase training where passing the certificate qualifies you to pay for the diploma, and passing the diploma qualifies you to pay for the practitioner diploma. Thus the various certificates are really only evidence of ones ability to pay the course fees. Very few people ever fail.
The sanctioning bodies are usually reincarnations of the teaching bodies. Fundamentally it works like this:
"Eric" is made redundant (translation for US readers: "laid off") and reads an advertisement telling him he can have a lucrative career and earn a shed-load of money working two days a week as a hypnotherapist. He submits himself to 'rigorous pre-acceptance scrutiny' and hands over his plastic.
A few weekends later he has a bunch of photocopied notes and a certificate as a hypnotherapist. Feeling good about himself (and wanting to do Smoking Cessation) he signs up for the diploma. A dozen weekends later he does an exam with questions like "Is nail biting a) just a habit, or b) a symptom of some underlying neurosis?"
During the 12 weekends he has had plenty of practical sessions where he has told people to close their eyes and that they are hypnotised, and they have closed their eyes. He now has a diploma in hypnotherapy. He has never, yet, hypnotised anyone but Eric believes he's cracked it. He gladly hands over the last of his redundancy money to do the practitioner course and starts thinking about office space.
Half a dozen weekends later he's a fully qualified practitioner with a lot of photocopied notes and three receipts; oops, I mean certificates. He still hasn't hypnotised anyone (but lots of people have closed their eyes for him).
Three months later he is nearly destitute having seen hardly any patients and those he has seen have a) all questioned whether they were really hypnotised and b) not come back.
Unable to make a living as a hypnotherapist (because he isn't) he realises he can do much better teaching hypnotherapy. He re-photocopies his training notes on his own letterhead, hires a school room for the weekend and sells 20 courses of four weekends at £250 each from The European Academy of Clinical Hypnosis (TEACH).
In order to validate his courses, he forms the World Office for Regulation of Therapeutic Hypnosis (WORTH) and, henceforth, all TEACH courses are WORTH approved.
But it's all smoke and mirrors.
Eric teaches the same stuff he didn't understand or couldn't do to an endless stream of other well-meaning people. Most of them fall by the wayside but one or two take their notes, re-copy them and - with the best will in the world, or not - dupe the next generation.
...
Best wishes
Barry Thain
http://www.mindsci-clinic.com
http://www.downloadtherapy.com
Read the Truth About Credentials section on this site to learn more about why you should be very skeptical about hypnosis credentials.
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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 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.
I can't promise you that hypnosis will make your life feel like this.
Experiences and results vary.
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.
Although hypnotists can cause people to behave in ways that are out of character, and in that sense control another person's behavior, those changes will not last if they are not desirable and satisfying to that person.
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: Followup sessions should generally be done at least 3-10 days apart, so that you can go through a variety of daily experiences in order to gather feedback, while maintaining momentum.
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 minutes, sometimes closer to 90 minutes depending on what unfolds during the session. The goal is to target a specific aspect of the problem in each session and work to change the pattern as efficiently but as thoroughly as possible, without overloading you.
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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.
NOTE: although I have helped clients with athletic/sports performance enhancement, it is not really something I specialize in. If you are looking specifically for athletic/sports hypnosis in the Philadelphia area, contact me and I can send you a reference to a local specialist.
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Q: Can this help improve my memory?
A: It depends, but probably not in the way you might assume.
There is a common misconception that the human mind has amazing, near-infinite capacity to record and perfectly store all information that it is exposed to, and that all a person needs to do is somehow find a way to bring that memorized information up to the surface to use it. This is not correct.
In general, things are reliably stored in memory only if they are paid close attention to, and if a person can relate some personal meaning or emotional reason for remembering it, and if the exposure is repetitive.
A related myth is that people only use 10% of their brain power. This is not true either, it is just one of the many "facts" that are repeated mindlessly, especially in the self-help field. In reality, using your brain is the most energy-intensive function in your body, and the available resources are scarce. This is why optimization of thinking processes is very important if you want to use your scarce brain resources in the most effective way.
Hypnosis can help improve memory by improving a person's learning habits. Many times people think that they have trouble learning information, when really they just have poor learning habits such as trying to study while distracted, or not really considering WHY they are motivated to learn the material.
Here's a real-life example: a person is having difficulty studying. He thinks it must be because of his poor memory, and because he might have an attention deficit disorder*. He reads a paragraph or two about a subject which he finds boring and uninteresting, and then forgets everything he just read --- as a TV commercial break distracts him every few minutes.
Now, whether or not someone is born with a good or bad memory, or has ADHD or not, it might not be helpful to study material while simultaneously trying to watch American Idol, wouldn't you agree?
So, we can help retrain a person out of their bad habits and into better study habits. At the same time strengthening any motivating reasons for studying --- not because the subject is suddenly interesting, but because we can build unconscious connectors between the process of studying the material and personal reasons for wanting to do better.
*This is not meant to imply that this is not a real disorder; I am referring here to the more common casual self-diagnosis and self-labeling that people do to themselves, not the real disorder that people genuinely suffer from. Sort of like when people jokingly talk about having OCD --- people who truly suffer from OCD would not think that debilitating disease is humorous at all.
Your mind really can do amazing things, if it's well-trained!
Hopefully that explains how hypnosis can help make the input of information stored more reliably. Of course, it is also good to improve the ability to use and recall that information after it has been stored, a common scenario being a test or exam.
I have used hypnosis in many cases to help people overcome nervousness about taking exams. For example, recently one of my clients was able to achieve first-place top score in a very competitive statewide examination that will move him to the next level in his career path. Hypnosis can help people, as long as they know the material, because it can increase focus and remove unproductive thoughts and emotional distractions such as worrying about "What's going to happen to my future if I don't pass?" or "I'm going to be so embarrassed and let everyone down if I fail."
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Fascinating fact: a Harvard University researcher discovered that he could change the performance of people in memory tests, by subconsciously implying that people their age either had good memory skills or poor memory skills. When the test subject was convinced that people their age had good memory, they did better on the memory test, compared to the people who had subconsciously been influenced to believe that people their age had poor memory.
This demonstrates that if someone believes that they have poor memory, then they will actually perform poorly on memory-related tasks, even if they really don't! An example is a client I worked with, who said he had a poor memory. We were talking about a book and about a certain character in the book, and we both tried to remember this character's name. He struggled to remember the name --- but this time he noticed that the first thing he said to himself in his mind was: "You can't remember that."
That is an example of negative self-suggestion, which is one of the habits we seek to reverse!
This is not the same as the topic of whether or not hypnosis can help you remember details about forgotten events. That question is addressed in the Video FAQ and elsewhere on this site.
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Q: Is there a guarantee?
A: I offer a No-Hassle Guarantee: if you are unsatisfied with your experience at the end of the first session, there will be no cost to you.
In that case, we shake hands and part ways, no hard feelings. This is a straightforward, no-hassle guarantee.
Here's the thing: people never have to declare "I am unsatisfied"... people in general are too nice to say that. Instead, it is usually just obvious to both of us in the first session or during the consultation, if we have little chance of getting anywhere working together. In such a case, I will just tell you that this is probably not right for you, and send you on your way. The sooner we find that out, the better for everyone.
Be careful of other kinds of guarantees that seem to promise specific results. Here are a few "gotcha" details to watch out for:
- The guarantee is only valid if you follow all the hypnotist's "lifestyle change" instructions. In other words: if they told you to go to the gym every day, or recommended that you listen to a hypnosis CD every night, and you didn't, then you're out of luck! This is the typical cop-out of "blaming the client".
- The guarantee is not a money-back offer, but rather a "money's worth" guarantee. That is a classic use of weasel words that can be interpreted in any way that's convenient to the hypnotist, often buried within the fine print of Terms and Conditions. Sometimes, this just means you would be allowed to come back for one free return visit in the future --- after that, you're on your own. I do not think that is what most people would consider a real guarantee.
- Sometimes the guarantee seems to imply that you can come back for an unlimited number of future office visits, if you need to. You may be surprised to discover that these free "office visits" involve being led into a quiet room where you can listen to a CD as many times as you'd like. The expectation is that you will not bother coming back after a while.
Here's another trick that is commonly used in this field: you are led into setting up an appointment with the hypnotist, with the promise of a guarantee... and then you're told that means they will "give 100% effort to the best of their abilities to help you." It's absurd.
So, if any hypnotist offers a "guarantee", ask them if it means 100% money back, based on whether or not you get the specific results you're looking for. You will almost certainly find out that it's not.
I think those kinds of tricks are unnecessary and unfair, and exploit the ignorance of people who are sometimes desperate for help, and thus most vulnerable to wanting to believe promises.
Common sense tells you that no one (not even a hypnotist) can predict or control another human's behavior in the future, so I will not insult your intelligence by promising specific outcomes or results.
RED FLAG: When a person insists on someone else giving them some sort of guarantee regarding their own behavior, that indicates a lack of personal responsibility, and therefore a lower probability of success. Such people are unlikely to succeed, regardless of hypnosis.
Anyway, what would you think of a doctor who promised that she could heal you, or a stockbroker who guaranteed that he could make you rich, or any other professional who made this kind of promise? As a lawyer would say: "Past successes cannot guarantee future results"!
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Q: What about success rates?
A:
Who knows? Clients are not a controlled population and this practice is not being operated as a research study. I don't believe it's right to make 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). But that would be B.S. --- please excuse the language. Anyway, how would you verify that?
There are many academic and clinical studies which indicate that hypnosis can have a significant positive effect in many different applications, and you can find those studies through the National Institutes of Health link on this site. However, that still doesn't mean very much.
Here's why you should be very skeptical about the significance of claimed success rates:
- Hypnotists often make claims like "95% success" because the client seemed OK when they left, and hasn't come back for more sessions. Many hypnotists are happy to pretend that if someone has not come back, or voiced a complaint, then that is a success. No, that is just ignorance of human nature.
- It is easy to claim 100% success if the practitioner has only worked with one or two people on that issue.
- They are also often based on something that someone once read on a website somewhere and decided must be true, because it's on the internet, or, they heard about it during a workshop. These claims are often copy-and-pasted and repeated over and over again, without any evidence or reference to the original source of information.
And even if the claim is based on legitimate research done at a medical center or university, it is probably not very relevant, since any hypnotist quoting that research almost certainly had nothing to do with it in the first place!
If someone claimed that they had a specific success rate, being a curious person I would ask the following basic questions (which would likely reveal that the claimed success rate is a made-up number or wild guess):
- 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?
- Can I have those answers in writing?
Chances are, if you ask those questions about statistical data to backup their claims, you will hear the lame excuse "I can't reveal that because it's confidential."
True story:
A hypnotist claims "97%" of their clients are non-smokers by the time they leave the office. So a skeptical colleague asks them "How do you come up with that number?"
Answer: "At the end of the session, I ask them: 'Are you a non-smoker now?' And 97% of them say 'Yes, I am a non-smoker.'"
Skeptical colleague asks: "OK. But how do you know that they didn't smoke as soon as they got home?"
Answer: "That's up to them."
Skeptical colleague: "But you know, most people would just tell you what you want to hear, just to be nice. And you have a non-smoking office right? So technically, 100% of your clients must be non-smokers when they leave your office... since I doubt that people would light up in the chair right in front of you."
Answer: "Well, yeah, but if I said I got 100% success, no one would believe me."
Even controlled scientific studies of hypnosis vary widely in terms of results, because there is no "one way" to do hypnosis. Also there are the variables of how individual practitioners and clients work together on specific issues and goals.
All I can assure you is that I try to do my best with each client, and as far as I can tell, most of them seem to think the work is worthwhile and beneficial, to varying degrees.
I also assure you that, based on the initial consultation, if I determine that my approach doesn't have at least a reasonable chance of helping you, or that you might have better options elsewhere, then we will not proceed.
(Please don't take it personally if I recommend that we do not go ahead --- it is nothing personal, it just means that I might foresee a mismatch between my particular approach and what could be most helpful for you).
There are some indicators which give me a good level of confidence that this work is helpful to my clients. For example, in a previous version of my stop smoking program, I used to offer a free follow-up session to anyone who felt that they needed it. Very few, just over a dozen, clients ever took me up on that free follow-up offer (which ran for a little over 3 years).
But let's be real: I do not know what that really means. Some people may have moved out of the area, some people maybe just felt too embarrassed to come back, etc. There is no way for me to know for sure (and I cannot force clients to respond to requests for feedback or updates). However, I do think it is reasonable to assume that most people would take advantage of the free smoking cessation follow-up session, if they really needed it.
Still, that example specific to smoking cessation can't be used as a gauge of how successful an individual would be with overcoming fears or increasing confidence, etc. And if you think about it, other types of issues that are not "on/off" like a smoking habit, are even more difficult to define in terms of "success rate", so I will not bother to make up a number that doesn't mean anything.
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. Be sure to check out the section of this FAQ that describes the common misleading guarantees to beware of in this field.
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 --- and I do not want to waste my time or yours if I think it will be a frustrating and fruitless exercise.
Now, here is final reason why you should be skeptical about success rates:
It is a common trick to only count people who have followed the hypnotist's suggestions. This is stated as: "95% of my clients are successful... if they follow my suggestions for changing their lifestyle." The other people, who do not achieve the desired results, are explained away by saying "They just weren't ready" or "They are 'resistant' clients".
In other words, the only people who are counted in the calculation of success rates are the people who are successful. The clients who are not successful are not counted, because they can be blamed for their poor results ("If they really wanted to change, they would have").
Note: it is true that some people are just not going to be successful because of lack of coachability, hidden agendas, passivity or unwillingness to change. But it's my responsibility to do what I can to ensure that such people do not waste their time or mine trying something that probably won't help them. Once I accept someone as a client, I cannot entirely escape responsibility for the outcome.
Anyway, sometimes people are just not successful because of a mismatch between the hypnotist and hypnotee, or maybe the hypnotist was just not on top of their game --- so I think the approach of automatically blaming clients for poor results is nonsense.
Many practitioners who use such excuses are well-meaning and sometimes truly believe the hype, because they lack experience in real world practice, and simply accept what they have been taught while attending workshops and seminars ("This super-duper new technique will work for everything and everyone!"). They also usually lack understanding of proper marketing and business practices. They believe that making ridiculous claims is the way to attract people.
It is up to the consumer to use their brain, apply some common sense when hearing unsubstantiated claims, and understand the role of both the hypnotee and the hypnotist in creating genuine success!
Anyway, a strong desire to hear some specific success rate indicates a kind of naive, passive attitude about this work ("I hope it works"). Wanting to hear some comfortably high yet believable number that cannot be verified, and needing it to feel secure before proceeding, is the tendency of someone who is suspicious and yet at the same time needs to believe in something because of low tolerance for uncertainty. These are factors which can point to a lower likelihood of success, in many areas of life!
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Q: Where did you get your training?
A:
As mentioned in the FAQ item about credentials and certifications, in this field there are more trainers, students and wanna-be "gurus" running around, than actual working hypnotists... so take all of that with a big grain of salt.
I've taken many different courses, some excellent, some mediocre, and some worse-than-useless. The training that I've found most useful in daily practice is from the Banyan Hypnosis Center in California.
You can learn more about hypnosis training in the next FAQ item, or check out the Training and Resources page.
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Q: Can you recommend any hypnosis training or courses?
A: Yes, but be careful. This field is full of pretenders who have never been successful in developing a practice, and yet have turned to selling hypnosis certifications and seminars to others with the promise that it will be the start of a wonderful new "career" after a few weekends of classes.
A diligent person who carefully studies a few essential hypnosis books will probably have a better understanding of hypnosis than most inexperienced "instructors", who simply repeat outdated or inaccurate information about the subject.
There is a serious lack of self-confidence among people who have been through average training. I have spoken with more than one person who has gone through a certification course, yet ended up doubting that hypnosis is useful or even that it exists!
As a result of this self-doubt and fear of failure, many "certified hypnotists" never actually do hypnosis, but instead just call themselves by that name, practicing techniques that may be nice and relaxing ("close your eyes, and imagine you're on a warm sunny beach"), but have nothing to do with hypnotizing anyone.
Good training can help you avoid this very common trap. You can find my recommendations about worthwhile hypnosis training (including specific books to study) on the Training and Resources page.
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Q: Can you help me forget a bad relationship?
A: Yes. But it is not like we would "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 (see the next FAQ item for details explaining why).
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.
Please note --- this will only really help you get past that relationship if you have already firmly made the decision to end it. It will not help that much if you are "on the fence" and would choose to go back to that person if they started treating you better (promising to change, etc.) or if they wanted to get together again.
Here is an audio clip from a client who found relief from years of anger from the past! She mentions that her anger had affected her work relationships, but after our sessions, people at work noticed that she seemed like a new person in a very positive way.
Click here to hear other clients describing their experiences.
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Q: Can you help me forget a terrible experience I went through?
A: Yes. But we would never try to directly "erase" memories of the experience. Purposely trying to induce amnesia about a specific event would only cause you to imagine that you've forgotten the event, but this is a very bad idea.
The reason this would be a bad idea is because there are basically two types of memory systems in your brain. One system keeps track of the factual details about an experience, and the other system keeps track of the emotional responses that are felt during that experience, especially during events with high emotional intensity.
It is possible for hypnosis to cause apparent amnesia but it is an extremely bad idea to intentionally try to cause amnesia for this purpose, because the emotional memory (the fear, terror and other high intensity negative feelings such as guilt/shame) would still be there, but the reason for those feelings would not be consciously apparent. This can cause even worse problems, and make it more difficult to resolve those upsetting feelings in the end.
In other words, you might forget about the experiences that caused the bad feelings, but you'd still feel bad and wonder why. You might even start to think that's just the way you are, and the way life is meant to be --- this would not be a good outcome!
It is far better to use hypnosis to alter the emotional memory, so that a person can still know that an incident happened, but the intensity of the negative feelings is reduced or even eliminated. Then the incident is naturally forgotten and not so much on a person's mind in their daily life.
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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: Would you do a barter/trade or sliding scale fee?
A: No.
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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.
An analogy: imagine if you needed to learn how to speak French, so you take a class to learn the language. If some of that class time were spent on learning French history, that might help you learn the language.
But if half of that class time were spent on an unrelated subject like auto repair, you would not learn twice as much, but rather less than half because you'd be trying to study two subjects that were not related.
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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's 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 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 success working together with me (but it doesn't always work out that way, of course).
However, it is true that sometimes people really are not ready to quit, even if they are serious about making an effort to setup an appointment and invest time and money. The difference can be subtle:
a) "I am serious about trying to quit. I hope this makes me want to stop smoking."
or
b) "I am serious, I never ever want to smoke ever again."
Can you sense the difference?
In other cases, it is because 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.
Also, if the habit has the effect of enabling self-deception (example: "When I get drunk, I feel like I'm fun to be around, I have interesting things to say, and it feels good to do something naughty"), a client needs to have the maturity to recognize the deception and childish impulse for what it is.
(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: Are these positive changes permanent?
A: Yes and no. It is like keeping a garden. When a weed-filled garden is cleaned up, then those weeds are dealt with.
But it is not smart to expect that a cleaned-up garden can be neglected and that it will stay in top shape, especially if your neighbors' gardens are choked with weeds. And life happens --- at some point a big storm or natural disaster may pass through and leave the garden in disarray again.
With the work that is done within sessions, in addition to helping put things in order, we intend to make the garden more resistant to future weeds, and to provide tools to the garden owners to help them maintain the garden.
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Q: What do you think about the Law of Attraction?
A: Aside from professional opinions, I make efforts to avoid letting my opinions influence the client. But this question is common enough that I will share my view on the matter here, agreeable or not. Anyway, it does relate to the general approach that I take with the hypnotic work.
If you're interested in the topic, check out the real old-time classics such as Robert R. Updegraff's "Obvious Adams" (1916) and Earl Nightingale's "The Strangest Secret".
If you want my opinion without watching the video... I think there is validity to the concept itself, but in its latest incarnation it's a marketing platform that panders to the fearful, lazy and passive instincts within all of us.
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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 models like Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP); some individuals respond well to that kind of approach. That's the sort of thing Tony Robbins uses at his popular motivational seminars. If you are looking for an NLP specialist, let me know and I will do my best to refer you to a reliable one in your local area.
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: Before getting into this field, I'd created a 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 websites for businesses, managing diverse teams of developers, as well as being a consultant for high-profile litigation with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. It was comfortable work, which was sort of the problem.
I think getting too comfortable is a warning sign of stagnation. There is a quote from that famous science-fiction book Dune: "Fear is the mind-killer". But I think boredom and comfort are the real mind-killers.
Large parts of my brain, the parts that didn't involve computers and data, were not being used. I'm inclined to be shy and introverted, and not a naturally warm-and-fuzzy people-person. (If you're familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, I'm an INTP).
So, one day I was thinking about what kind of different businesses I could start up, that would be more interesting and challenging to me. I thought about how "Center City _____" was a pretty decent name for any kind of business in the Philadelphia area. So I started doing searches for available internet domain names that started like CenterCity_____.com, and just filled in the blank with random words.
The internet domain name CenterCityHypnosis.com was available, so I snapped it up for $9 from GoDaddy.
Then, after some market research and analysis, I realized it could really work as a business and fill a need in the local area. Plus I had confidence that this kind of mental training could help people, because of personal experience with it.
After that it was just a matter of learning hypnosis, and that was that.
"Without change, something sleeps inside us and seldom awakens.
The sleeper must awaken."
- Frank Herbert, Dune
My previous work as an independent consultant (often done while working remotely from home in my underwear --- don't tell anyone) was billable at rates that far exceed what hypnotists can expect to earn. So even though I knew the hypnosis field would probably be less profitable for me, I decided that I would rather spend my time doing something more personally rewarding.
I believe my background helps clients achieve better results because I can remain detached, yet focused on each client's goal. It's all about problem-solving. 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.
Note: as a matter of policy I tend not to respond to "friend" requests from people who are merely looking to bulk up their connection numbers. You know what I mean --- it's pretty obvious when someone is mindlessly adding numbers to their network, using it as another outlet for spamming people.
However, I am otherwise happy to connect. Just say hello and I will say hello back!
Also, I believe it's not a good idea for me to pursue connections to clients on social networking sites, as that can be an inappropriate crossing of healthy boundaries. In other words, that'd be kind of creepy of me if I did that. However, I am happy to accept connections if that's something they're interested in first.
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Q: Do you use hypnosis yourself?
A: Yes. My first exposure to this type of mental training was through the form of CDs and books that dealt with the "subconscious mind", but which were not promoted as hypnosis. I used this kind of retraining because, as a self-employed person, I had to overcome my natural tendencies towards laziness and procrastination. It's not good to procrastinate about doing boring paperwork and submitting invoices when that's the only way you'll get paid!
I also used certain hypnotic techniques to help figure out how (and if) to start the hypnosis business itself. As described earlier, the idea for the business came from brainstorming random internet domains, but there was still a bit of fear about walking away from a comfortable line of work into something completely different and unknown.
I think sometimes this question is really asking: "What kind of personal problems do you have?"
I have a long history of doing stupid and negative things, as much as anyone else (maybe even more so). Also, I've wasted a lot of my life doing useless things that did nothing useful or positive for anyone. And I am still too much of a coward to directly make up for all the mean and careless things that I have done to people in my history.
Someone once said, "What we do in life, echoes in eternity." In that sense, doing this work makes it possible for me to sleep at night.
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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. I work with clients every day.
I don't like to make claims that can't be verified, so 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 common claims such as "I am a world-renowned Master hypnotist, with decades of experience". Most people enter this field as a part-time second career or dabble in it as a hobby, while working a day job. So when people say they have decades of experience, what they probably are not revealing is that most of that experience consisted of practicing on friends, family and other hypno-hobbyists over those years (not in all cases of course).
Real-life example: a person claims that they are a "certified hypnotist with 20 years of experience working for Fortune 500 companies". Wow, that sounds impressive. But while the statement is technically true, what they do not reveal is that the "experience" refers to their previous career which had nothing to do with hypnosis.
This field is also full of internationally-known and world-famous hypnotists who no one has ever heard of. I have heard this kind of claim being justified because if they have a website on the "World Wide Web", well, that means they have an international audience. I'm not kidding.
Someone must be teaching these kinds of dopey marketing tricks at hypnosis training seminars!
This kind of silliness is too common in this field, and it would be laughable if it wasn't so unfair to the consumers who are unaware. You know what they say: trust, but verify - especially claims that are made on the internet.
As a consumer, you should be aware of these issues, because it is one thing to knowingly work with a practitioner who is fairly new, and have correct expectations about the experience, but it is entirely something else if you are misled into working with someone who presented themselves as a seasoned expert, but who was just pulling your leg to get you in the door.
This is not meant to discourage people from working with newer hypnotists. In fact, I would recommend that you do not hesitate to work with a new hypnotist who is upfront about their experience and who connects with you in a positive way; newer hypnotists are often very enthusiastic about the work and will try even harder to make sure you get the best possible results.
You may be surprised to discover that, as long as they are well-trained and handling basic issues that are within their area of competence, a "newbie" hypnotist may be just as effective (or even more so) than someone who claims that they've been hypnotizing people since Herbert Hoover was president.
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As you can tell, I find the amount of nonsense in this field to be kind of irritating. Read the Truth About Credentials section on this site, in order to learn more about how to protect yourself and your right to make an informed choice.
You can also check out my articles in the quarterly Hypnosis.org e-zine for more information about the field, if you're interested.
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Simple Fee Structure
Many people have spent years, sometimes decades, trying to solve a problem. Years of thinking about their problem, analyzing it, talking about it, "dealing" with it, along the way spending thousands of dollars on seminars, books, audiotapes.
I felt like what we accomplished in two sessions would be the same as two years of therapy. I was very pleased with the outcome so far.
- Deborah Hurwitz
How much is your problem costing you already? Not just financially, but also in terms of it costing you your health, your peace of mind, and missed opportunities.
I thank you so much for helping me overcome my fear of performing. My audition went very well and I have been offered work in 6 shows so far for this coming season."
- Walt N.
Investing in yourself can result in spectacular returns that last a lifetime... the question is: how much would that be worth to you?
-
for basic smoking cessation (not emotionally driven), the minimum recommended number of sessions is two
-
for other issues, the recommended number of sessions is generally between three and five
- OPTION A - $300 for a set of 2 sessions.
($150 per session)
Each session after the first 2 are just $120 each.
- OPTION B - $480 for a set of 4 sessions.
($120 per session)
Any sessions after a 4th, if needed, are also just $120 each.
This option lets both of us focus on solving the problem effectively, instead of counting sessions.
I do not offer single-session fees to new clients, because I want to avoid taking clients with the "just going to try it once to see if it works" mindset.
Ask about discounted rates for students and military veterans.
Yes, I accept credit cards.
Fee structure subject to change.
Please note: I cannot process transactions from Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
If you can't make it into the office for personal, individual sessions, you might want to check out these professionally produced hypnosis audio programs (or click the image below):
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Q: Google slideshows
A:
For all the PowerPoint fans out there, I'm going to start answering FAQs as Google slideshow presentations:
- The correct mental strategy for being a highly responsive hypnotee - for all the people who wonder if they will be hypnotizable
- What's the difference between hypnosis and meditation?
- How can I protect myself from being hypnotized?
- I really want it to work! That's what's important, right?
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Q: Youtube Video FAQs
A: Visit my YouTube channel for more information. Videos include topics like:
- Is Hypnosis a Magic Pill... or not?
- How Will I Know if Hypnosis Will Work for Me?
- Hypnosis Does Not (Necessarily) Produce Accurate Memories
- Body Language Patterns
- Can Hypnosis Be Used Negatively?
- Hypnosis and Self-Confidence
- and many more...
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Q: How do I contact you or setup a meeting?
Questions about fees and most other topics are already answered on this page. For the reasons mentioned below, I place a very low priority on responding to questions which have already been answered.
However, I am happy to respond to any and all other questions, so don't hesitate to ask if you have questions that you're afraid might be too weird or unusual.
Click to setup an appointment online...
it's easy!
or
Two of the main factors for hypnotic success are: 1) a willingness to pay attention, and 2) a certain level of personal commitment to change.
When someone is either unwilling or incapable of paying attention and following basic instructions, that is a red flag.
Think about it: if a person cannot bother to scan through an FAQ, or chooses to ignore instructions, then what chance do they really have of being coachable, proactive and committed enough to make a significant change in their life?
This may seem harsh, but it's fairer for everyone in the long run. It's my responsibility to ensure that people do not waste time and energy on this process, if there are indications that it probably won't help them. I've implemented this kind of filtering mechanism so that I can better focus on serving ideal clients who have a reasonable chance of success. Thanks for your understanding!
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It's easy to cancel or reschedule if you need to --- just use the online calendar, or leave me a voicemail, email or text me before your scheduled appointment time.
PS. Most days, I check in at the La Colombe coffee shop on the south side of City Hall, sometime between 2pm and 3pm in the afternoons. Their Americanos are the best and the staff is really nice. Feel free to contact me if you'd like to meetup for an informal chat there.
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A Personal Note by Steve Roh, Chief Hypnosis Officer
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I started Center City Hypnosis because I love how hypnosis can help you alter the "default settings" of your mind. You don't need to mindlessly accept unwanted thought patterns-- no matter what society, mass media and personal history would have you believe. |
No Slavery But Your Own
When I look out my window, I sometimes think of all the people out there who are struggling within and against themselves, weighed down by the baggage of their unproductive beliefs and self-doubt. I know they're out there, because I work with them every day.
Some people have a feeling, or maybe just a hope, that there can be a better way than meekly accepting a lifetime of frustration and internal conflict, and decide to take action. I admire anyone who is proactive enough to seek improvement, whether it's through hypnosis or anything else. They are the ones who are not willing to be part of the "mediocre majority".
To me, the profession of hypnosis is kind of a crusade, or if you prefer, a jihad (in the sense of striving for improvement). You see, one of my favorite stories is that old Kirk Douglas movie Spartacus, about a gladiator/slave revolt during the Roman Empire.
All of us, in some way, are enslaved by our beliefs and social programming and self-image. Hypnosis is a powerful way for people to stand up as the free men and women they were born to be. If you've seen the movie and remember the famous scene where the defeated ex-slaves stand and shout "I'm Spartacus!", you know what I mean.
If not, you might think I'm nuts (you may anyway). But that's OK; if you understand what I am saying, that's all that matters.
PS. One of the ways hypnosis can improve your life is by helping you realize that you don't need to care so much about what other people think.
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I'm 41 years old, a graduate of Temple University, and live in Philadelphia with my wife and cat.
Visit my hypnosis blog to view clips of live demonstrations
I've performed on TV and radio programs,
including my latest appearance on WMMR 93.3 FM.
On the blog you can also read about my participation
in the launch of the "Body Worlds 2 and the Brain" program
at the Franklin Institute, as seen on Channel 6 Action News.
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Use one of the following links to jump to what you're interested in:
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