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What is Hypnosis? Hypnosis is a normal and familiar condition, a trance state, similar to the states that we all experience several times daily. A trance is simply focusing on one emotion or thought at the exclusion of all others. We undergo this state while showering, getting ready for work, driving, watching television, daydreaming, and conversing with our wives (oops, was that out loud?). Hypnosis is this trance state, progressed to level of heightened suggestibility for the purpose of achieving a predetermined goal. [Top]
What areas can Hypnosis be helpful in? Did you pack a lunch?
| Insomnia | Chronic Pain | Weight Management |
| Anxiety | Addictions | Smoking Cessation |
| Goal Setting | Shame | High Blood Pressure |
| Motivation | Sadness | Tension Headaches |
| Guilt | Test Anxiety | Medical Procedures |
| Regression | Childbirth | Sports Performance |
| Stuttering | Fears and Phobias | Dental Procedures |
| Stress | Allergies | Memory Improvement |
| Motivation | Emotional Pain | Self-confidence |
| Bed Wetting | Relaxation | Sexual Dysfunction |
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How do I know if I can be hypnotized? There are only 3 things that can prevent someone from being hypnotized:
1. They don’t want to be hypnotized.
2. They have an unstable thought process
or mental disorder.
3. They have a very low I.Q. [Top]
Can I determine if I will be a good candidate for hypnosis? There are several personal factors that have a correlation with responsiveness to hypnosis. Here are a few:
- Have you ever walked or talked in your sleep?
- Have you ever awakened from a sleep state and felt like you could not move or speak?
- Are you basically a trusting person?
- Do you have a vivid imagination?
- Do you frequently day dream?
- When you find you are day dreaming do you quickly stop or let yourself enjoy it?
- Are you able to concentrate on a specific thought or idea?
- Are you open to new ideas?
- Do you follow directions or instructions well?
- Do you lose yourself in movies, television shows, or books?
- Are you a spiritual or religious person?
- Have you ever meditated?
Desire to accomplish a goal is much more important to the process than how deep a trance state you may achieve. I don’t think they give out blue ribbons for that. [Top]
What does hypnosis feel like? The actual induction techniques often will leave you feeling very relaxed although they are not required to do so. For me personally, it feels like that state of disassociation right before you stop thinking about falling asleep and actually drift off. You hear and feel everything but you really just want to get to that feeling that you know is just out of reach. [Top]
Will I know that I was hypnotized? The answer to this question depends largely on your expectations. I always ask my clients this question when they come out of a trance. “Do you believe you were hypnotized?” For the first time clients, I almost always get a confused look, their eyes searching their memories for the answer. “I don’t know. I’m not sure because I heard everything.” I get this in spite of my reassuring them during our pre-talk that they most certainly would hear everything. The expectation that they would go deaf and develop amnesia is, at times, so strong that my pre-conditioning of the process is not accepted. Remember hypnosis is a completely natural state that your mind is familiar and comfortable with. Do not expect an acute change in awareness or consciousness. However this discussion always continues with the new clients and 9 times out of 10 they will have convinced themselves before they leave my office that they were, indeed, hypnotized. That 1 individual we left out is the skeptic. They weren’t entirely sure if they believed in hypnosis but wanted to give it their best effort. They will be scratching their head all the way home. When they discuss the process with someone close to them they will finally gain acceptance. [Top]
Is it possible that I won’t come out of hypnosis? Absolutely not. Yet another myth perpetuated by old movies. If a client were to go into such a deep trance that they were to actually fall asleep, they would simply go into a state of natural sleep and awaken as they normally would. This is an extremely rare occurrence. [Top]
Is hypnosis “mind control”? Not at all. Unless you are talking about “self-mind control” in which case I would like to change my answer to most definitely. The client is, at all times, in complete control of their mind. I cannot, through any use of the trance state, cause someone to betray their morals or ethics, place themselves in harms way, or do or say anything against their will. Recall that in a hypnotic state we are dealing with the subconscious mind that exists to protect your mind and body from harm.
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Is hypnosis dangerous? Definitely not. Hypnosis has been approved by the American Medical Association and Council of Mental Health for over 40 years. There have been no cases of harmful side effects or serious injuries during this time. Hypnosis does not weaken the will, damage the nervous system, or in any way adversely affect the physical or mental well being of an individual. [Top]
How would you recommend I find the hypnotist that is right for me? This question probably should have been at the top of this page as finding the right person to assist you is one of the most important aspects of your success. First let me briefly explain why this is so important. You MUST trust your hypnotist. This is imperative. You will be hard pressed to go into trance with someone in whom you have not placed a certain degree of blind-faith. To this end I have a few recommendations. Consult with a trusted friend who has been to this hypnotist or, when this isn’t possible, qualify your prospective hypnotist on the phone. Talk with him or her, ask questions, see if this person can quickly establish rapport with you. Liking the sound of their voice can help a lot as well.
Next I believe it is crucial to determine how motivated this individual is in helping you reach your goals. You want to make sure you will be seeing a hypnotist who will be attending to your needs in every session. There are some individuals that will hook you up to a tape recorder for one of your "live" sessions. Ask if they use this technique and if they do look somewhere else. Tapes are NEVER as effective as a session with a qualified and experienced hypnotist.
I encourage you to also carefully check out your prospective hypnotist's credentials and education. Because certification can be obtained from some training institutions in as little as three days or without any classroom training whatsoever, I believe it is imperative for you to ask questions about your prospective hypnotist's education and training. Know that very few institutes of traditional learning, major universities, have hypnosis training programs. The good news is that many of the independant schools of hypnosis provide the best training in the world. And when discussing this topic make sure you ask about continuing education. Any competent hypnotist should never stop their professional development.
Finally, if a hypnotist isn't willing to discuss his or her fees with you on the phone, hang up immediately. If their fees were reasonable don't you think they would share them with you? They are simply setting you up for a hard sell in thier office. [Top]
How long is a typical session? Your first session will typically run between 90 minutes and two hours. Subsequent sessions usually last 45 to 90 minutes. But as was mentioned previously, we are solution oriented. It could take 15 minutes or 2 hours. We will pursue your desires as long as it takes. [Top]
Why are your programs so much less expensive than other hypnotists? The only good answer I have to that question is that I am probably a lousy businessman. Our services have always been, and will always remain, client oriented. We want to give you the best avenue to success at the least possible cost. Sure we could charge you $1000 more for your program, add ten more sessions that you don't really need and likely won't return for, but I'm certain that wouldn't make either of us feel any better about ourselves. [Top]
Your home page said you help “intelligent” people. Just how intelligent do you have to be to be hypnotized? People who are smart enough to know they need help with a problem are already more intelligent than a majority of the population out there and well above any I.Q. boundary preventing hypnosis. This is a true boundary, however, it typically addresses very low figures. [Top]
Can’t I just purchase a hypnosis tape and achieve the same results as I could in a session with a Hypnotist? In my opinion, no. You may achieve the desired results for problems of a purely general nature but by no means the same results. Even getting to the desired results solely with tapes is problematic at best. Hypnosis is interactive. Hypnotists look for responses and changes in breathing, skin color, eye movement, and posture throughout the process of hypnosis. We communicate with our clients while in trance, receiving responses orally, through gestures, and subtle movements. We ask questions, make sure directions are understood and clarify where they are not. Yes, it is possible for hypnosis tapes to work. No, your results will not be the same. If you are serious about achieving results with tapes at least do yourself the favor of getting tapes that have been customized for you. [Top]
Do you sell tapes through your website? If I could guarantee a tape would work for you I would sell you one. I cannot, so I will not. [Top]
I take it you don’t like self-hypnosis tapes? Let me put it to you plainly (where’s my soapbox?). There isn’t a hypnotist in the world that will tell you that tapes even approach the effectiveness of a personal hypnosis session. So if it is not as effective why do they sell these tapes? I’ll save you any further cynicism on my part and let you answer that one for yourself. Because I haven’t seen any evidence to suggest that tapes even work more often than not, I feel they only serve to promote mistrust and disinterest in individuals who could have otherwise substantially benefited from hypnosis. However, the worst part about persons selling these tapes (I say “persons” as many are neither hypnotists nor hypnotherapists) is they do not know their client’s medical history. There are some people who should not be hypnotized. [Top]
Really? Who should not be hypnotized? People who have thought disorders like psychosis or schizophrenia should not be hypnotized. People receiving treatment from a medical doctor for an ongoing medical condition should not be hypnotized without this doctor’s consent. [Top]
So does self-hypnosis work? Absolutely. In fact hypnosis is technically self-hypnosis. The hypnotist is merely acting as a educator. I am simply teaching you how to hypnotize yourself. A more appropriate description for a hypnotist would be "educator". The hypnotist has no power over the client and he or she is never in “control” of the client’s subconscious. But if you are serious about enacting change in your life, I highly recommend seeking the assistance of a trained professional, if only for your first session. [Top]
Do you do any group programs? If by "group" you mean five people or less, then yes, I do group programs. The success rate drops off dramatically if your group is larger than that as I cannot divide my attention between six people or more. [Top]
Do you offer free consultations? We absolutely do. However I would like to clarify that this is unlike some of the "free consultations" you may have heard about in the Dallas area. We will discuss with you program options, recommend appropriate program durations, and answer any questions you have regarding hypnosis. At no time will your consultation turn into a high pressure sales pitch. [Top]
How does a typical hypnosis session proceed? We begin with an informal discussion. I learn more about you, you learn more about me, making sure we touch a few bases such as medical conditions, sensitivities, and fears (yours, not mine). We will then talk about the hypnotic process, what you should expect, and the specific method I intend to use with you, detailing the suggestions I think might help achieve your goal while in trance. We will also talk about any post-hypnotic suggestions I think might be useful in help achieve your goal. I will encourage you to interject here with both imagery and specific suggestions you would like to use. Usually the client will then have a few questions I haven’t addressed specifically or completely. Once we are both comfortable we will then proceed with the hypnotic process itself. Having completed your hypnosis you will then come out of trance and we will discuss your feelings and reactions to the process. [Top]
How can I learn more about hypnosis? Well, if you are reading this you have one of the most powerful research tools ever invented sitting right in front of you. I won’t bias your opinions by directing you to any specific sites. However there is a book I always like to recommend to those new to the subject, especially those exploring treatment options: The Complete Idiots Guide to Hypnosis by Dr. Roberta Temes. I know that sounds like unusual advice but it really is a very thorough work. And it’s fun to say, “I think you need that book they wrote for idiots.” If you desire to immerse yourself in the subject please visit my suggested readings section. [Top]
Are the results of hypnosis permanent? I really don’t think I can answer that question with any degree of accuracy for you personally, until I meet you. If you are a person committed to enacting change in your life and I do my job, your suggestions will be preserved indefinitely. I guarantee it. [Top]
What if I am currently taking medication? As a rule, I will not see anyone who is taking medications for the change they wish to implement in their lives. The reason for this is individuals often have difficulty differentiating what has made the change in their life, the meds or the hypnosis. This generally promotes doubt in the remedy that the client is less familiar with and has less faith in. So the treatment will ultimately be rendered ineffective. Worse yet, the suggestions may, despite the disbelief, have been accepted by the subconscious however the individual continues to take the medication for the rest of their lives thinking they have brought about the change. [Top]
What if I’m taking medication for an unrelated condition or I am currently under a physicians care? First you need to speak with your doctor about whether he or she believes that hypnosis will assist or conflict with a current medical condition. Then please bring a letter from them indicating to me that he or she feels that hypnosis will compliment their medical treatment. Most well informed medical practitioners have become aware of the healing powers of the mind and will encourage the use of hypnosis in achieving a state of well being. [Top]
How does stage hypnosis work? Very much the same way clinical hypnosis works. You have willing subjects that can achieve some level of trance state and they are able to perform some strange and hilarious things because of their expectations, preconceptions, and willingness to step into the spotlight. The difference between the stage and clinical settings is that the latter serves the desires of the client where the former serves the wishes of the hypnotist to provide an entertaining show. Most performers do little to educate the audience on the process thus creating an effect of wonder and mystery. [Top]
Do you do stage hypnosis work? Sure. I prefer, however, to do shows for charity organizations, schools and church groups so I can provide more education and enlightenment than your average hypnotist whose sole purpose is to entertain. So if your organization or school can permit me a few extra minutes to ensure the process is safe and instructional, give me a call. [Top]
What is NLP? NLP is an acronym for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Simply, it is opening the mind to creative learning using carefully structured speech and imagery that is based on several models and presuppositions. [Top]
Why do you have a two-session smoking cessation program vice a one, three, or five session program? We have done extensive research in tracking not only our client’s success, but the success of clients in similar smoking cessations programs through the cooperation of hypnosis centers around the country. What we discovered is that approximately 83% of clients in a single session program remained smoke-free for a minimum of one year, compared with a two-session program where our client’s success rate increased to 89%. That may not seem significant, but successes after the first year increased dramatically with an additional session, from 72% for one session to 93% for two sessions. Adding a third session did not significantly change the success rate and programs consisting of four or more sessions actually decreased our clients success, largely due to many of these individuals not completing the program.
Let me clarify the reason that the two-session programs are more successful. It is not because of a perceived need for reinforcement of hypnotic suggestions. That simply isn’t the case. Once a thought, idea, or concept is accepted by the subconscious mind it is permanent. In fact only on very rare occasions do we “reinforce” suggestions from the first session. The second session is typically used to address issues that arise from the smoking cessation itself. These issues may include but are not limited to irritability, feelings of loss, boredom, oral fixations, imagined withdrawal symptoms, etc. Because there is no way to determine ahead of time how smoking cessation will affect you, we use this session to ensure your transition to becoming a non-smoker is pleasant, enjoyable, and, most importantly, permanent.
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Won’t I gain weight if I quit smoking? I don’t think I understand your question. [Top]
Will I begin to snack more if I quit smoking? Very good. That’s a different animal altogether, isn’t it? What you are asking me is if you will replace a habit with another habit. Remembering we are 100% solution oriented, I would answer your inquiry with another, seeking a resolution to your question rather than merely an answer. Is smoking harming your body more than putting on 20 pounds would (1 in 5 people die from causes that may be directly linked to smoking, 1 in 7 from complication from being obese)? Will you remain a non-smoker if you gain 5 pounds? If you answered no to either of these questions you are not ready to give up smoking. You are setting yourself up for failure by imparting a secondary gain on your smoking. “If I continue to smoke, I will not gain weight.” But is that really true? How much did you weigh when you began smoking? How much do you weigh now? Are you currently at you ideal weight? If, however, you answered yes to my first two questions then I would tell you that, no, you will not replace a habit with another habit any more than a child would crave snacks because he stopped sucking his thumb. Habit formation in adults begins with actions we are aware of. Only through purposeful repetition does an action become a habit. You chose your habits, they don’t chose you. [Top]
But I’ve heard people need to replace a habit with another habit because habits form permanent neural pathways. Is this true? That theory, though outdated, is still accepted in some psychological circles. If you believe this to be true I would respond by telling you that you have done precisely that. You have replaced the habit of being a smoker with the habit of being a non-smoker. You have replaced your habit of snacking with the habit of not snacking. Both the non-smoker and the non-snacker have more free time, more money, and more friends. They socialize more, they exercise more, they read more, they reflect more. These are the new habits they have chosen to replace their undesired habit. [Top]
So I won’t gain weight if I quit smoking? Quite the contrary. All things being equal, you will most certainly gain weight if you quit smoking. According to laboratory tests, the average weight gained is 1 to 3 pounds. Understanding why, however, will provide you with the solution to prevent it. As a smoker your body uses more energy and requires more sleep than your equivalent body type in a non-smoker. This is because nicotine causes your body to work harder and less efficiently. The poison increases your heart rate, increases your blood pressure, and requires the conversion of more of your food to energy, thus, less will be stored in the body as fat. Now if you remove only the cigarettes and keep your daily caloric intake the same, you will most certainly gain weight. So what is the solution? You must reduce the amount of calories you consume in order to maintain the same body weight. [Top]
And can hypnosis help me reduce the amount of food I eat? Absolutely. Especially if your unwanted calories are coming from habitual snacking. That is precisely how our weight management programs work. Bad eating habits are replaced with good ones. Unhealthy habits are replaced with healthy ones. [Top]
How can I be hypnotized if I am in pain? Remember hypnosis is not relaxation. The majority of trance inductions utilize progressive relaxation techniques as a preference, not as a requirement. You can be hypnotized using alternate induction techniques. [Top]
What are some secondary gains associated with chronic pain? The most common is attention. This can sometimes be so compelling that people will concsiously choose to live with their pain rather than risk losing the consolation of their friends and family. Another big one is task avoidance. "I've got a headache," can help you avoid undesired tasks at work as well as at home. [Top]
Is hypnosis contrary to religious teachings? I really struggled with myself in deciding to include this one. As my foremost career goal has always been to help people I thought dispelling this bit of dogma necessary. I am, at present, not able to answer this question with regard to every religion so if I omitted your particular faith please excuse me. The Catholic Church, while thought by congregational members to oppose hypnosis even into the 21st century, has never condemned the practice of hypnosis. In fact, an argument could be made that they actually supported it. A decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office on July 28, 1847 stated in part that, “the use of animal magnetism (the earliest form of hypnosis) is indeed merely an act making use of physical media that are otherwise licit and hence it is not morally forbidden, provided that it does not tend toward an illicit end or toward anything depraved.” Objections continued to be raised by some theologians stating that if not applied properly hypnosis could deprive a person of their faculty of reason. Saint Thomas Aquinas specifically rebutted this stating, “The loss of reason is not a sin in itself but only by reason of the act by which one is deprived of the use of reason. If the act that deprives one of his use of reason is licit in itself and is done for a just cause, there is no sin; if no just cause is present, it must be considered a venial sin.” Pope Pius XII is credited as giving the official nod to hypnosis from the Catholic church. He stated in comments before an audience of obstetricians and gynecologists on January 8th, 1956 that he believed the judgment of the morality of hypnosis would ultimately be based on sound medical opinion. The Jewish faith hasn’t seemed to speak out on hypnosis in support or disapproval. So it would seem to me that the faith as a whole has a neutral attitude towards hypnosis. There have been several parallels drawn between the religion and hypnosis, these parallels even supplied by rabbis. The most significant is that the Jewish cabbalistic state of kavanah is very similar to autohypnosis. The word kavanah intimates empathy, rapport, righteousness, and steadfastness. In the Talmud it implies concentration, motivation, and correct attention. It was used to created a deep state of religious enlightenment and also a reflective state of deeper understanding and experiencing of God. The rhythmic rocking of the body during prayer and chanting has also been found to be hypnagogic and the kavanah was used to produce depersonalization in the past so that the prophet could see himself elsewhere.
Buddhists also seemed to have been quiet about hypnosis over the years. Their meditation techniques, like the kavanah, appear to be very closely related to autohypnosis, leading to insight and wisdom. Viewing the self with a greater openness or insight allows the clear discernment of ones needs leading to a deeper understanding of the self, a deeper self-realization.
The Christian Scientists, in my limited understanding, based their religion on the spiritualist movement of the late 18th century. This movement rose out of the decline of mesmerism. The modern day members of this religion apparently wish to break those ties with their mesmeric past and have denounced all association with hypnosis, even to the extent of excluding hypnotists from their services.
The Seventh day Adventists, while accepting that hypnosis has its merits when administered by a qualified practitioner, feel that hypnosis deprives humans of their free will (which you will learn is completely false) and denounce its use solely on this regard. So the simple answer is this, the word hypnosis does not appear in the Bible or the Talmud and I have not yet had someone present me with scripture or verse that condemns hypnosis without committing some sort of overt textual umbrage. So all misgivings I have encountered in the religious communities, including those noted, are not from God but rather from the ignorance of fearful men.
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Where do you get all these numbers and figures you quote? I get them all from reputable sources. The reason I don’t include a bibliography or footnote these factoids is that all statistics are imperfect by their very nature and data can be manipulated. For example, in this section I quoted that 1 in 5 people die from smoking. I obtained this information from the Center for Disease Control. Since we are solution oriented, if the American Cancer society reported that 1 in 10 people die from smoking (with a lesser margin of error) which do you think I would report to you? Thus I leave all those who may doubt the statistics I quote to refute them in their own time through their own research without any bias or direction imparted by me. If you’re looking for a loophole or an excuse, you certainly don’t need my help finding it. [Top]
So what’s this guarantee? Upon completing your program if your undesired feeling or habit returns, we will work with you for a reduced rate of $125 per session. [Top]
How can you guarantee human behavior? Very simple answer. No one can, however, we are very particular about our clientele as your success is our highest priority. We realize that while people may desire to change their lives, not everyone is mentally prepared to make these changes when calling us for an appointment. This fact becomes evident more quickly than you would think, and we will politely request that these folks call us back when they are truly ready to make a commitment. So it is actually our clients demonstrated desire to enact change in their lives that make their success possible. [Top]
How do I make an appointment? I encourage you to just pick up the phone and give me a call. I never charge for telephone consultations. Just chat with me. Make sure I sound like someone you would be at ease with. Then explain to me how you would like to change your life and let me know you are ready and committed to do so. I can then schedule an appointment at your convenience, day or evening. We also have a limited number of weekend appointments available. If I don’t pick up the phone I am probably at the movies with my wife or off flying somewhere. Please leave a message and I will promptly return your call. If you do not wish to call me please contact me by email and I will get in touch with you. [Top]
How far in advance should I schedule my session? No one has ever actually asked me that but I wish someone would have a long time ago. Hypnosis is, for most, a big step into the unknown. Many have already exhausted every possible option before calling us. Many who call are still extremely nervous and unsure. For these reasons I will not schedule an appointment more than 30 days in advance because you will have probably changed your mind when the time actually arrives (possibly choosing to visit your dentist instead). [Top]
What forms of payment do you accept? We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, personal checks, and, of course, cash. [Top]
So you landed on those big boats? Yes. I landed on those big boats. Although I think the Navy prefers the term “big ship." [Top]
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