Frequently Asked Questions

The state we call Hypnosis is one of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, often accompanied by deep relaxation. It's a technique used to help individuals access their subconscious mind. By doing this, they can be more open to suggestions, ideas, or behaviors that can lead to positive changes.

You often drift into this state several times daily without any help from a hypnotist. (Daydreaming, for example, or being deeply engrossed in a book).

Another aspect of hypnosis is a state of heightened focus. This is when the conscious mind becomes less active, and what we call the subconscious or unconscious mind becomes more receptive to suggestion.

These suggestions can influence thoughts, feelings, and behavior. This is what makes hypnosis such an effective tool for chronic pain relief, overcoming phobias, and habit change.

Hypnosis also involves a deep sense of relaxation, which can help with stress and anxiety. This relaxed state is a key component of the therapeutic process.

The bottom line: Hypnosis is a drug-free choice for resolving personal issues and promoting health and wellness.

No, no more than you can get "stuck" in sleep or daydreaming. Contrary to popular belief, you're not asleep when you're in a state of hypnosis. You can hear everything going on, which is the whole idea. So, no, you can't get stuck. For more about this go to my blog post on how it's impossible.

Hypnosis is absolutely safe when performed by a trained professional. However, there are some important considerations:

People with certain mental health conditions, such as severe psychosis or certain personality disorders, may be more susceptible to adverse effects from hypnosis. For these individuals, hypnosis could potentially trigger distressing experiences. That's why, when necessary, we will refer some clients to specialists in the mental health industry that we liaise with.

No, absolutely not! Think about it for a second. Every hypnotist would be a billionaire because they'd hypnotize their clients to go down and clean out their bank accounts. We could hypnotize bank tellers to hand over all the money.

Yes. Typically there are three types of hypnosis.

Medical, Clinical, or Therapeutic Hypnosis.

Professionals use this to address issues such as pain relief, smoking cessation, phobias, fear of flying, and more.

Self-hypnosis:

This is what it sounds like. Your hypnotist will often teach you how to do this to help you achieve your goals without having to revisit their office multiple times.

Entertainment Or Stage Hypnosis:

In this form of hypnosis, the stage hypnotist uses his skills to entertain an audience. The participants are usually extreme extroverts and out for a good time and will perform all sorts of humorous and unusual antics. You'll often find this form of hypnosis at comedy clubs, corporate Christmas parties, and end-of-year college celebrations.

In all of the above situations, the client remains aware and in control and can typically recall what happened during the session.

It depends on where you live.

In the UK, for example, any trained hypnotist can call themselves a hypnotherapist. In the US, it depends on which State you live in. Most require someone using the term Hypnotherapist to be a licensed medical health professional with a degree in either psychology or psychotherapy.

A Hypnotist, on the other hand, is someone who's trained in hypnotism. They cannot and do not diagnose anyone. Nor do they treat disorders like bipolarism, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorders etc.

They will often refer clients to psychotherapists if the client is dysfunctional or not at a place in their life where they'll respond positively to hypnosis.

FYI, I network with several psychotherapists, so if you feel that would be helpful, please reach out, and I'll put you in touch.

Hypnosis is often described as a state of deep relaxation and focused attention. Many people compare it to being in a daydream or a trance-like state. You are aware of your surroundings, but you are more focused on the hypnotist's voice or your inner thoughts.

Hypnosis can be used for a variety of purposes, including pain management, stress reduction, overcoming phobias, quitting smoking, weight control, improving sleep, and treating anxiety. It is also used in sports psychology and for personal development.

Yes and no. The state of hypnosis is like that of daydreaming. The teachers talking, and you're looking out the window, thinking about the beach. That's essentially what hypnosis is like. You can still hear the teacher. If he called out your name, you'd register it and tune back in.

Without going too far into the science, you also go into the same state when you're drifting off to sleep or waking up.  (When you go to sleep, it's called Hypnagogia, and when you awaken, it's called Hypnopompia). So, if you have ever daydreamed or gone to sleep and woken up, you can be hypnotized.

The question behind the question is, "Can everyone who sees a hypnotist be hypnotized?" The answer to that is yes if they want to be. Of course, some clients achieve the state known as hypnosis fairly quickly, while others can take longer.

If you challenge the hypnotist to prove you can't be hypnotized, you won't go into hypnosis, and nothing will happen. Of course, nothing changes for you either, so it's self-defeating behavior.

The number of sessions required for each client is highly individual and depends on their specific objectives and healing journey. Many clients choose to incorporate hypnosis into their regular wellness routine due to its limitless potential for enhancing mental and physical well-being. (For those of you old enough to remember, it's a little like de-fragging a computer, except you're doing it to your mind.)

Of course, particular challenges demand a more tailored and in-depth approach, with some clients needing additional support and care to address their personal struggles. Each person’s situation and experience are unique; we recognize that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Remarkable progress is often achieved after just a few sessions, which can empower clients to address other aspects of their lives that may have been holding them back

In some cases, clients are empowered as they overcome a particular obstacle, enabling them to re-engage with the world from a place of confidence and focus. The possibilities and journey are distinctive for each individual, and at Hypnotic Shift, we acknowledge and celebrate this. Your path to personal growth and transformation is as unique and special as you are.

Yes. We treat our clients to the same level of privacy we expect. In other words, 100% confidentiality. The sole exception is when we are legally bound to report to the relevant authorities. That only happens in rare cases where we discover someone's safety is at risk. If, for example, we found out a client intended to hurt themselves, hurt someone else, or is being abused by someone, we would be required by law to report it. That's no different for any mental health professional.

Carefully. Hypnotists are not licensed, but they should most certainly be certified.

Sadly, people call themselves hypnotists who have taken a weekend course or watched some YouTube videos. Personally, I'd be looking for someone with a minimum of 200 hours of training in good standing with a recognized body.

Of course there are lots of good hypnotists from which to choose. Me, I'm very good at what I do.

No medical professional can guarantee the outcome of their treatment with 100% certainty. Hypnosis is the same. Your results may vary.

Having said that I'm 100% committed to helping you create the changes you're seeking and, if you're 100% committed as well, the chances of success skyrocket.

Feel free to research the success rate hypnosis has for the change you're seeking and, if you're happy with what you find, let's get started today.

Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't.

I've had a client with a fear of people and crowds who left my office, grabbed his wife and they went to a club that night. I've also worked on someone in an airport who was afraid of flying who walked onto the plane a few minutes later and had their first ever, fear free flight.

Other people take a little while for stuff to unravel. Look at this way. Have you ever gone to sleep on a problem and woken up in the morning with the solution? That's how hypnosis often works.

The analogy I use is a snow globe. Shake one of those up and you see some of the flakes settle immediately while others take a while. That should give you an idea of what's going on in your unconscious mind after a typical session.

No. Stage hypnosis is for entertainment purposes only.

Let's go through this logically. The stage hypnotist asks for volunteers. Who's going to volunteer knowing they'll be clucking like a chicken and playing an air guitar in front of hundreds of strangers? An introvert or an extrovert?

Obviously an extrovert. They want to be on that stage and they want to perform. The hypnotist then runs a couple of quick tests on them to ensure they're going to be good subjects i.e. suggestible.

Now, the show goes on.

PS: That doesn't mean a stage hypnotist isn't capable of clinical hypnosis. Many of them are very capable in this field and do the stage stuff as a side gig.