Hypnosis FAQs

Hypnosis is one of the most powerful tools we have available for changing– Your Beliefs, Your Habits, and Your Life

 

 Hypnosis is an excellent tool for changing core beliefs. And once beliefs are changed, our reactions, responses, and emotions also change.

Q. What is hypnosis?
A. Hypnosis is an induced relaxed state where our self-critical conscious mind gives way to our unconscious mind where our emotions and habits are regulated and controlled.

Q. How does hypnosis work?
Hypnosis is a state of relaxed deep focus. 

Conscious and unconscious are really just shorthand terms to describe the general characteristics of the human mind. The “conscious mind” is the bit where we tend to “live” – the bit you might think of as “you”.  It as if there’s a little voice reading these words out loud in your head, that’s the conscious mind talking.  The unconscious mind is everything else! 

The unconscious controls all of the autonomic processes that you don’t have to think about – the heart rate, the blood pressure, tissue growth, cell regeneration, the immune system and so on.  It’s where our thoughts, memories and accumulated experience reside. It controls our emotions, our habits and our responses to the world. 

In many ways, The unconscious mind  creates that world for us. It handles about two million bits of sensory information every single second. The conscious mind deals with about seven.  That means that the reality you’re actually aware of from moment to moment has been brought to your conscious attention by the unconscious, choosing seven bits which it thinks are important from the two million it’s just processed.

The conscious mind is more logical, critical and analytical – it’s constantly making value judgments. If somebody was to say to you “you really should give up smoking, you know, it’s terribly bad for you”, you’re highly unlikely to become a non-smoker on the spot. You’re more likely to come up with a dozen, rational sounding reasons as to why you should carry on smoking, or you might tell them to shove off and mind their own business.  Even if you do consciously accept that you should give up smoking, it’s not the conscious part of the mind that’s keeping the habit in place.

The unconscious part of the mind, on the other hand, is much more accepting. It’s also quite literal and tends to take things personally, relating any information it receives to you as an individual. 

 Hypnosis works by bypassing the critical conscious mind (usually through relaxation or linguistic techniques), and speaking directly to the unconscious in a language which it understands – pattern, association and metaphor. 

Source: AboutHypnosis.com

 

Q. Are there any side effects?
A. Only beneficial ones, such as sleeping better and feeling much happier in general. Thousands of case histories testify to the fact that hypnosis is a safe, natural and powerful technique for change.

Q. Can I be hypnotized?
A. YES. The vast majority of the population can be hypnotized. In fact, we all go in and out of hypnosis many times during the day. If you’ve ever passed your exit on the highway, daydreamed during a meeting, or lost yourself in a good book, you were in a light state of hypnosis. And a light state is all we need for most of the work that we do, including weight loss, smoking, overcoming fears of public speaking and so forth.

After almost 20 years in practice, I’ve only had a handful of clients who did not go into trance during the first session. Even then, success was often achieved on subsequent sessions.

So even if you’ve been told or don’t think that you can’t be hypnotized, don’t be too quick to believe it. Maybe your hypnotherapist didn’t use effective inductions or you lacked rapport with that particular practitioner.

It is not uncommon for a person to feel that they were not hypnotized after a session. Remember we are working with the unconscious mind. When I hear they did not feel that they had been hypnotized I always ask if their behavior had changed. Most often they say yes. They simply didn’t remember that they had been under hypnosis.

 

Q. What issues respond well to hypnosis?
A. There are many behaviors that respond well to hypnosis. Some of the most common ones are Smoking Cessation, Fear of Flying, Weight Loss, Test Anxiety, Control Drinking, Public Speaking, Getting Over a Breakup, Hair Pulling/Nail Biting and more.

Q. Are some people more hypnotizable than others?
A. Yes. Hypnosis is a skill like anything else, and some people have more talent for it than others. But the good news is that everyone gets better with practice. That’s why reinforcing the session by doing some self-hypnosis on your own is important.

 

Q Can hypnosis help me?
A. Hypnosis has proven effective for literally hundreds of issues, from overcoming test anxiety and bad habits to overcoming procrastination and boosting test scores. So chances are excellent it can help you as well, whether you want to use hypnosis as your sole method of treatment or in conjunction with other therapies recommended by your doctor or therapist.

I receive many referrals from therapists.

Q. What should I look for in selecting a top hypnotherapist?
A. Look for a hypnotherapist who has received training from a state-licensed school and is a member in good standing of at least one professional hypnotist organization.

I would also ask how long the Hypnotist has been practicing. I recommend at least five years or regularly seeing clients with similar conditions as yours. Also the rapport you feel with a particular hypnotherapist is important.

Make sure they are not just trying to sell you services but are truly  interested in you and your issue.

I also recommend that one checks out independent reviews from people who have actually used the services like Yelp. Here are mine.

Q. What are your qualifications?
A. I am certified by The American Council of Hypnotic Examiners, which requires 250 hours of in-depth, supervised training by professionals. Both an oral and written exam must be passed to qualify, and participants must prove that they have a solid grasp of both basic and advanced techniques such as NLP, Parts Therapy and regression techniques.

In addition, I am certified by The National Guild of Hypnotists, which was rated the Number #1 hypnosis association. The Guild requires about 100 hours of training. Both associations require that their members adhere to a Code of Ethics and keep their skills current with annual training.

In addition, I have been in private practice for almost two decades, and have extensive experience working with a wide range of issues having conducted over 10,000 sessions with clients.

Q: Why choose Hypnosis Chicago?
A. All my sessions are live, personalized and are designed to achieve maximum results in the shortest possible time. I listen very carefully to what you have to say, asking questions so that I can design post-hypnotic suggestions that are meaningful to you. I am very invested in seeing clients achieve results in as short a time as possible, and work very hard towards that end.

Over the years I’ve worked with thousands of clients, using a powerful combination of proven hypnosis techniques, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and when appropriate, Parts Therapy, age progression and more. Some hypnotherapists will meet with you for 20 minutes, then put you in a room by yourself with a recorded CD. While this can be effective, it generally takes longer to achieve the desired results and is an impersonal approach.

I treat each client as the unique, original individual that they are. That is what makes an individual, private session with Hypnosis Chicago so powerful.

 

Q. How long are the sessions?

A. My first sessions are a full 90 minutes, because it is often virtually impossible to do an adequate intake in only an hour. Follow up sessions last an hour. I also offer double session which run 2 hours for those who wish to accelerate their results.

 

Your actual time in the hypnosis state lasts a full 30 to 35 minutes. Compare this to what some of the others are offering, as little as 20 minutes or less of actual hypnosis. Obviously, we can achieve more in a longer session.

Q. What happens in a typical session? What can I expect?
A. All sessions are private, very confidential and take place in a professional office, not a home. I don’t have animals in my office, as some practitioners do so I can focus 100% on you and your issues.

During the session I will ask you what your main goals are, what specific thoughts, attitudes or behaviors you’d like to change, what seems to trigger certain behavior habits, and how your life would be better if this were not a problem for you.

You’ll be asked to give me a brief history of your behavior, anything that may have been a contributing factor, what makes the situation better or worse, and why you want to change a behavior. Together, we’ll identify any self-limiting beliefs and determine specific goals for each session. Based upon my experience, I will offer recommendations for each session, but ultimately what I work upon is up to you.

You determine what you want to achieve first. I like to incorporate some self-esteem and stress reduction suggestions in every session, because research shows that when you are feeling better about yourself, it is easier to lose weight, quit smoking, stop worrying and achieve your goals. while I am conducting the session you will recline in a comfortable chair and wear headsets with soothing music,. All you have to do is relax and enjoy the process.

Q. Will I be hypnotized even during the first session?
A. Yes. The first session includes actual hypnosis, as do all sessions, unless you would like to just talk during your first session. Actual hypnosis consists of an “induction” or relaxation technique, usually followed by positive suggestions, mental imagery, remembering successful events, and possibly more advanced techniques such as NLP, Parts Therapy or regression. Afterwards, I’ll ask you what you liked, how you feel, assign homework and discuss next steps.

Q. Can I get a recording of my session?
A. Yes, repeating the session at home is an important part of your change. You have several options regarding the recording.

You can access your file via DropBox. This is a service that lets me upload your files and then you can access them on your own computer. Or I will burn a recording of  your session on a CD for an additional $5.00. Another option is you can bring at least a 2 GB USB Flash Drive to your session so that you can download it on the spot. Due to privacy concerns, iphones and external hard drives are not accepted.

Occasionally there are technical difficulties with the CDs or recordings beyond our control. Because the recordings are complementary, there are no refunds for damaged or lost recordings. If there are any issues, notify me immediately to see if the file can be retrieved.

Q. How many sessions will I need?
A. There are no simple answers to this one. Each person and situation is different.

For most issues I recommend starting with 3 to 6 sessions and then assessing your progress at that time.  Remember, you may have spent years thinking and behaving a certain way, so it may take some time to achieve the desired results. Prepare to make an investment in your well-being.

With that said, you should experience some improvement even after one session. Often this improvement is dramatic.

Q. What determines results?
A. The results you’ll experience depend upon many factors, including your readiness to change, what kind of rapport you have with your hypnotherapist, what inductions and techniques are used, and how good of a subject you are. Also, how regularly you use the tools I give you to do your own self-hypnosis also directly impacts the results.

Q. Do you accept credit cards? Insurance?
A. Yes, I accept Visa, MasterCard as well as cash. Personal checks are accepted as long as I have a credit card on file. I do not accept insurance, however, your company may reimburse you. Check with your provider or employer.

Q. What are your fees?
A. The best value is to purchase one of the packages, as that lowers the per-session fee considerably. Please see my Rates and Policies page. I offer substantial discounts for 3, 4 and 6-session packages.

My rates are here

Q. How do I book an appointment?
A. The fastest and most convenient way to book an appointment is do so online. Use this link to book your first appointment or this one to book a follow up.   There you can see my schedule at-a-glance and reserve the date and time that works for you.

If you book online, the system will ask for a credit card and will charge you in full at that time. If you prefer, you can call me and I can book the appointment for you. A credit card is still required to hold your appointment time, but you won’t be charged until you come in for your appointment. You can also use Chase Quik-Pay, and receive a $10 discount.

Q. Can I call to book an appointment?
A. Yes, but since I am often in session, I may not be able to get back to you for several hours, so online booking will save us both much phone tag.

 If you call, please leave your number first, as without an accurate number I will not be able to reach you. Also, if you do not hear back from me within 48 hours, assume that I did not get the message or am having trouble reaching you, and please call back.

I will make every effort to accommodate your schedule and see you as soon as possible. I look forward to working with you. You can also email me with appointment requests.

Q. Do you have a cancellation policy?
A. I have an active practice so when a person fails to show up for an appointment there it a good chance that another person was denied that time slot.  Your appointment time is a contract between us. If you cancel without 48 hours notice, I am forced to bill you for that unused time. I hate to do this but at times is is necessary.

 

Call 312-664-7027 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

 

233 E. Erie St. Suite 611 Chicago, IL 60611, USA