How Effective is Hypnosis?

Results of Comparative study by American Health Magazine:

Psychoanalysis: 38% Recovery after 600 sessions

Behavior Therapy: 72% Recovery after 22 sessions

Hypnotherapy: 93% Recovery after 6 sessions

Myths and Misconceptions/ What hypnosis is not

Myth: A Hypnotist is a person gifted with special, mystical or unusual powers

Fact: A Hypnotist is a human being Without unusual or mystical powers. A well trained hypnotist understands that the person hypnotizes himself. He uses the effective delivery of suggestions to facilitate an altered state of mind and teaches the client to bring about or self-induce the hypnotic state.

Myth: A person could be made to do anything or say anything, and is under the hypnotist's control. They could be made to commit a crime or go against their moral principles.

Fact: In hypnosis a person will not go against his or her moral principles. You will not commit an anti-social act or crime. You have the power to select only positive suggestions you are willing to accept. You will reject any improper suggestions. You have complete control of yourself, body and mind during hypnosis.

Myth: Hypnosis is sleep, an unconscious state and when hypnotized a person is not aware of their surroundings.

Fact: In hypnosis awareness is increased. If you fall asleep, you are not in hypnosis. In hypnosis you are aware of everything that is going on around you. Hypnosis might resemble sleep but is not sleep. It is in fact a state of expanded awareness. You are fully aware of what is being said to you when in hypnosis and can reject any suggestion that is given to you at any time.

Myth: Only the gullible or weak minded can be hypnotized.

Fact: You cannot hypnotize a feeble minded person. It takes imagination and a willingness to cooperate a willingness to accept suggestions. The more intelligent and imaginative the person the easier it is to hypnotize. The more analytical and controlling the person is, the harder it is to induce hypnosis. (The best subject is a person who has a definite reason or motivation for wanting to be hypnotized and transform an issue).

Myth: When in hypnosis you are out of control.

Fact: You cannot be hypnotized against your will. You have to "want" to be hypnotized in order for it to happen.

Myth: Hypnosis affects a cure in just one or two sessions. It's a panacea.

Fact: In many instances one or two sessions of hypnosis may enable a person to break a habit. However, in the majority of cases it requires a number of sessions before a favorable result is obtained. It is NOT a panacea- (It cannot cure all human problems).

Myth: A person may not be easily awakened and may remain in the hypnotic state for a long time or get "stuck" in this state.

Fact: No one has remained indefinitely in a hypnotic state. The state can be terminated at will. It is as simple as opening the eyes. You cannot get stuck in hypnosis and not "wake up."

Myth: Many people cannot be hypnotized.

Fact: More than 90% of people can be hypnotized.

Myth: Hypnosis is unnatural and artificial.

Fact: Hypnosis is a natural, yet altered state of mind. Which we do almost everyday in other circumstances.

Myth: Hypnosis is merely relaxation and is nothing more.

Fact: You can be relaxed and yet not be hypnotized- and you can be hypnotized and not relaxed.

Relaxation is only one aspect of one kind of trance.

Myth: The eyes must be closed for hypnosis to be present.

Fact: Closing the eyes does not imply hypnosis. The eyes can actually be opened in a hypnotic state.

Myth: Hypnosis is brainwashing

Fact: Brainwashing- The American Heritage Dictionary defines Brainwashing as "Intensive, forcible indoctrination, usually political or religious, aimed at destroying a persons basic convictions and attitudes and replacing them with an alternative set of fixed beliefs." Brainwashing involves an altered state where some form of deprivation is present. A hypnotist cannot make someone do something they would not normally do and empowers their client to access this state himself/herself and to make his/her own positive changes.

Myth: Hypnosis is truth serum. A person could made to say anything, revealing secrets or say embarrassing things.

Fact: You can lie in hypnosis. You can edit and withhold information in hypnosis. You do not have to reveal secrets. When hypnotized, you will not do anything against your will. You can reject any suggestion that is given to you. A client will never divulge or do anything that he or she would not say or do in a regular waking state.

Myth: When hypnotized repressed memories of trauma always emerge.

Fact: Hypnosis can be used to uncover repressed memories, but the hypnotic state itself does not, by default, bring them to surface. A client will never see something that he or she is not ready to see and such memories will only come up if the client and/or the hypnotist intend to bring them up.

Myth: Hypnosis is anti-religious.

Fact: There are no religious connotations associated with hypnosis.

Hypnosis is a co-operative partnership between the client and the facilitator to create change in both the conscious and subconscious space. I am a certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, not a licensed Medical Doctor or Mental Health Professional. Hypnotherapy services performed are non-therapeutic and not intended to take the place of professional counseling, medical, or psychological care and should not be used as a substitute for diagnosis or treatment of any condition. I do not work on pain or diagnosed mental or physical conditions without the referral from a licensed practitioner of the healing arts per Florida Statutes Section 485. If you are under the care of a medical professional for any condition for which you are seeking hypnosis support, please obtain a signed, written referral from your provider prior to engaging me and moving forward with related sessions.