Everyone Wants Hypnosis… Maybe

I get a ton of questions about hypnosis.  There is a lot of interest in the “mystery” of it all.  Can it help with this or that? What does it feel like?  Will you make me bark like a dog?
The reason many people feel skeptical is probably an experience at a stage show at a bar, or in a movie.  I am not saying none of that is true or accurate, I’m just saying that is not what hypnotherapy is about.  An ethical hypnotist is not interested in making you bark like a dog or get your secrets out of you.  I want to teach you how to use your subconscious mind to empower yourself. 
What does it “feel” like?  That is different for everyone, but it is also the same for everyone.  Some people feel the “drop” very clearly.  To me it feels like an exhale.  Like my entire body exhales, feels heavy and relaxes.  I lose time.  An hour feels like 5 minutes.  Waking feels a bit groggy at first and then a clean feeling of exhilaration.  The suggested change tends to be gradual.  Sometimes I remember the suggestions made by my hypnotist, sometimes not.  Sometimes I question if my subconscious mind did the arm raising or other convincers suggested by my hypnotist, but the truth is, I couldn’t do some that those things as smoothly and effortlessly as it happened.  I’ve tried, and there are movements that happen when it is done intentionally, that are not present when the subconscious mind does the work.  It is interesting.  Mystical?  No, it is just amazing how the subconscious mind work and how powerful it can be.
Can it help me with this or that?  It doesn’t even matter what “this” or “that” is, the answer is YES.  But here is the caveat….it isn’t magic!  Some desired changes take time and several sessions.  Each person is different so what one person does in one visit can take another person multiple visits.  Sometimes there is “homework”.  If the client doesn’t do the homework, the results may not be what the client hopes for.  It is like any other self-improvement journey; you must WANT a solution and you must be willing to invest in that solution.
If all the people that express interest in hypnosis followed through with appointments, we would need hundreds of hypnotists.  There would also be a multitude of changed people.  Everything from weight management, to stress management to smoking cessation.  Hypnosis works for those who WANT a change and are willing to participate in the solution.  It isn’t magic, but it is amazing!