Hypnosis is a very natural state. In fact, you’ve gone into trance many times in your life! When you get so absorbed in a book or movie that you can’t hear someone calling your name – that’s trance. When you get in your car and before you know it, you’re at your destination – that’s trance. When you get lost in your thoughts or a daydream – that’s trance! Hypnosis is just a state of focused inward attention. When you’re so focused on what you’re doing that you’re completely absorbed, you’re in a form of trance.
How does hypnosis work?
When you’re absorbed in your inner experience, many useful things can happen. Imagine a situation that has been causing you stress. Things just don’t go the way you want them to. Now imagine that same situation only this time you’re responding in new and creative ways, ways you never thought of before. If you were completely absorbed in this experience, then it would be like you’re actually doing it. As your brain learns and rehearses these new, creative ways to respond, they’ll start happening naturally.
Now imagine if there were a certain feeling that would be really helpful to you. Feeling confident and calm. Or feeling comfortable and relaxed. Imagine becoming absorbed in that feeling. Letting it really soak in so that your brain and body become familiar with it and can tap into it whenever needed. This is another great use for hypnosis!
What can hypnosis help?
Hypnosis, like any good tool, can help many things. It tends to be very helpful for reducing stress, improving sleep, reducing pain, and changing behavior (like eating habits or smoking).
However, hypnosis is not a miracle cure. It cannot change reality. Hypnosis won’t cure cancer, give you ESP, or magically solve your problems.
When hypnosis helps someone lose weight, it’s not because they just start magically burning fat. It works because it makes new healthy behaviors feel natural and spontaneous. You’ll notice yourself choosing healthy foods, going for walks, and eating good portions. In fact, it might seem so natural that you don’t even pay much attention to the changes!
Why does hypnosis work?
Think about a problem you have. Maybe it’s how you react to a stressful situation, maybe it’s chronic pain, maybe it’s a fear, or smoking or something else. All of these problems feel involuntary. You don’t choose to have pain or fear, just like you don’t choose to have the urge to smoke or overeat. These problems are not conscious (voluntary), they are unconscious.
The unconscious mind is ruled by instincts and emotions. So who do you think will win, your conscious mind or your unconscious mind? If you’ve ever tried to change a habit you felt compelled to do, you already know how difficult it is to consciously change an unconscious behavior.
Hypnosis doesn’t deal with the conscious mind. It goes straight to the source – the unconscious mind. That’s why changes feel so natural! You no longer have to fight your unconscious mind – in fact, it steers you where you want to go.
What does hypnosis feel like?
Trance is different for everyone and even changes for the same person. The most common trait is a feeling of relaxation. To some people, relaxation feels warm and heavy, like a blanket on top of them. To other people, relaxation feels like they’re light and could float. However you experience relaxation is unique to you!
While some people feel like they go to sleep in trance, other people stay alert and hear every word I say. This varies from person to person and both experiences are equally effective.
Do I lose control during hypnosis?
No. Following suggestions in hypnosis is very similar to following them if you were awake. If you don’t feel like following a suggestion, you can just say no – it’s your brain after all! This misconception comes from stage hypnosis. However, remember that when people are hypnotized on stage, they volunteered to go up and perform. At a certain level, they agreed to do what the hypnotist said. Imagine if the hypnotist told them to do something dangerous to themselves or someone else – would they do it? Of course not! They would either refuse or spontaneously wake up.
You maintain control in trance. In fact, I usually tell people that they can transform my suggestions into whatever form is most helpful for them. My words just serve as a jumping off point for your unconscious.
Can I get stuck in hypnosis?
No. You can imagine being in trance like being lost in a pleasant daydream. You can’t get stuck in a daydream. Really only 1 of 2 things will happen. You’ll drift into normal sleep. Or you’ll wake up spontaneously on your own.
What can I expect?
Immediately after your session, you may not feel much different or you might feel like a totally different person. What’s most important is the changes you notice in the following days and weeks. Most people will notice feeling calmer and less stressed after the first session.
The majority of my clients need 1-4 sessions to get the results that they want. Sometimes we’ll do more than that because we resolve their original problem and they want to then work on other things.
What does it cost?
Working with me is like working with a personal trainer, only for your mind. As such, insurance does not cover hypnosis. Fortunately, the money you invest in helping yourself is almost always less expensive than alternative treatments. For example, using hypnosis to sleep better almost certainly costs less than buying a new mattress. Similarly, using hypnosis to stop smoking or lose weight will pay for itself in the long run (or even short run).
I run promos from time to time so you can always check the website or email me to find out.
Otherwise, the cost is $150/session or $400 for 3 sessions if bought in a bundle.
Is there a way to try hypnosis with you for free?
Yes! I run the Greenville Hypnosis and Guided Meditation Meetup Group (see link below). This is a free meetup group where I go through a variety of different hypnosis and guided meditation routines. We’ve covered things from guided visualizations for pain and stress relief, hypnosis for migraines, self-esteem building, and more. Just view the page to see our list of events. You’re welcome to jump in on any event to experiences hypnosis as well as get a chance to talk to other people about their experiences.
