Starting hypnotherapy can really feel like stepping into unknown territory; the majority of us have not experienced anything like it before. This can be both exciting and daunting.
Hopefully, this blog will answer some questions and reassure you about what happens. Not all hypnotherapists structure their sessions in the same way, and the following is a description of how I personally work. My process uses a combination of analytical/clinical hypnotherapy and suggestion/cognitive hypnotherapy.
Prior to your first session, we will have had a chat on the phone and a free 30-minute initial consultation via Zoom. Hopefully, you will be able to ask me any questions that you might have then. There may be many questions that you have, such as: Will I be unconscious or asleep? Will I remember what happened during the session? Will the therapist be swinging a watch or pendulum? Will I run around like a chicken?
What follows is a brief guide to what happens next when booking a session with me.
Booking a Session
Booking a hypnotherapy session can be via email, text, or in person. I always ask for payment in advance of your session. I do this because it helps confirm and validate your commitment to hypnotherapy and secures your session time.
Terms and Conditions:
Before your session, you may be asked to agree to some simple terms and conditions, which cover cancellation, rescheduling, and session structure. Some of these are laid out in the initial invoice that I will send prior to your booking.
All of your sessions are completely confidential and private.
During the Session Itself
A typical hypnotherapy session lasts around 50 minutes, but I offer a full 60 minutes. Some sessions, for example, stop smoking, may be longer, but this will all be explained during your initial consultation. Before the session starts, I will reassure you that you remain in control throughout the session and can end it at any time if you feel uncomfortable. Many clients have described hypnosis as feeling deeply calm and relaxed, similar to the moments just before falling asleep, or even like having a mind massage!
Once you arrive, either in person or via Zoom, I can answer any further questions that might have arisen. We will have a chat about why you are coming to have hypnotherapy, then we will address concerns and set goals for your sessions. Sometimes I use a technique called the Miracle Question, where I ask you to imagine a scenario where a miracle has happened overnight and ask you to describe how and why you would know that it has occurred.
I begin each session with a guided meditation; this allows your mind to readjust and slow down a bit in preparation for the main hypnosis. These meditations are simple and help dispel any anxiety that you might still be having.
I will then teach you a therapeutic technique, which I will also email to you so that you can practice between sessions and use in future life situations. This will be a therapy technique specifically chosen to help with the issue you are seeing me about and can include breathwork, NLP, Gestalt, EFT, etc. Each technique will be thoroughly explained, and we will have a run-through in the session. I teach you the techniques in order that you can be in control of your own holistic healing plan. I will ask you to practice the technique between sessions so that it becomes part of your daily routine. These exercises reinforce what follows next.
Intense Hypnotherapy
There are four main components to this part of the session, and it lasts around 25-30 minutes.
- Induction: I will guide you into a heightened state of focus and attention. This is usually achieved through relaxation techniques, deep breathing, and visualization exercises (similar to those already looked at earlier in the session). You won’t be actually asleep, and you’ll remember what has happened. Some people go quite deeply into a hypnotic state, while others are just profoundly relaxed.
- Deepening: I then use various techniques to deepen/enhance the focused state of attention or hypnotic mindset. This includes verbal suggestions, counting, or imagery to heighten relaxation and focus. When in this focused state of attention, you become more receptive to visual imagery and verbal suggestions, the aim of which is that this will help change the way that you think, feel, and behave. All you need to do is sit back and allow your subconscious mind to follow my suggestions (this is much easier than you think).
- Therapeutic work/Post-Hypnotic Suggestions: Once your subconscious mind is in a heightened state of attention, I will work with you to address your specific concerns or goals. This may involve using therapeutic techniques such as verbal suggestions, guided imagery, mental rehearsal, and/or cognitive restructuring. Post-hypnotic suggestions reinforce these positive behaviors and changes.
- Re-awakening: I will guide you gently out of hypnosis and back to your alert state of awareness. I will make sure that you are fully ‘in the room,’ and we can discuss your experience.
It’s important to note that the specific details of a hypnotherapy session can vary depending on the particular approach for that session, the client’s needs, and the goals of the session.
I am happy for you to record the sessions either in part or in full. Playing this in between sessions can help enforce and cement the ideas presented to your subconscious mind.
Hopefully, this will have answered some of your questions about what happens during a hypnotherapy session. Ready to speak?
The first step is for you to contact me for a free 30-minute Zoom consultation. Let’s have a chat, and we can take things from there. I’ll answer any questions you’ve got, and you can take the first steps toward focusing your mind and starting to make positive changes. Click here for a free consultation.
