What is hypnosis?
What is the unconscious?
What is the connection between consious and unconscious?
Why hypnosis?
What is it like to be hypnotized?
Will I do something against my will?
Can I get "stuck" in hypnosis?
Will I be able to hear what's going on around me?
Who can be hypnotized?
What can hypnosis help?

What is hypnosis?
I like to describe hypnosis as a trance state. The trance state is a focused state of attention where one is deeply absorbed in internal experience and less on the surrounding environment. In this state ones critical faculty or the “judging” part of our mind recedes to the background and our unconscious comes to the forefront. It is not an abnormal or unique phenomena, but actually happens all the time. If you’ve ever been so absorbed in a book that you did not notice a person entering the room or the time going by, you were probably in a trance state. If you ever drove somewhere but do not remember taking the turns or viewing the scenery on the route, again, trance state. There are physical aspects of the trance state some of which are reduced muscle tone, lowered blood pressure, and slowed respiration. Research suggests that when an individual is in this state they are more susceptible to suggestions and change. While you don’t have to be relaxed to be in a trance, and you don’t have to be in a trance to be relaxed, hypnosis does help teach and strengthen a relaxation response.

What is the unconscious?
There are many different ways that our mind operates outside of conscious awareness. Picture an iceberg, with conscious awareness being the tip outside of the water and the unconscious the large area under the water. The unconcious controls physiological processes such as sweating, breathing, or the constriction of blood vessels in response to stress. There are also aspects of memory and thought that for one reason or another are outside of conscious awareness. Hypnosis can help access these areas in a therapeutic way.

What’s the connection between Conscious and Unconscious?
One way to understand this relationship is to compare it to a captain and the crew. The captain is in charge of the ship (conscious), but the crew (unconscious) is carry out those functions that helpt the vessel to operate smoothly. The captain is not aware of every sailor’s activities at every moment, but hopes they carry out their functions well. However, if one crew member does not carry out a function or makes mistakes, it will soon become apparent in the dysfunction of the ship. On that same note if the captain want’s the ship to run smoothly, he needs to treat his crew well. If he doesn’t he may have a mutiny on his hands. (illness or maladaptive habits.) Through hypnosis we help the captain and the crew to work together smoothly for the benefit of our ship (mind and body).

Why hypnosis?
Often, maladaptive behavior or habits have been conditioned unconsciously through our life experiences. One of the best ways to get to unconscious maladaptive conditioning is through hypnosis. Because of this reason, change came happen more readily with the use of hypnosis. You are more susceptible to suggestion, and our conscious critical faculty is not “getting in the way.” In hypnosis, there is an increased access to unconscious feelings, ideas, memories and conditioning. In addition, the relaxation response that is utilized to achieve the trance state can be a restful and a therapeutic experience in and of itself.

What is it like to be hypnotized?
Often persons are surprised by how ordinary it may feel. Typically you feel very relaxed, and may have a changed sense of time. Often persons report feelings of lightness or heaviness, and some go off in a daydream. Most often it is described as a pleasant sensation.

Will I do something against my will?
You would never do something in hypnosis that you wouldn’t do in an everyday state of awareness. Awareness is actually heightened in hypnosis with a feeling of increased focus and control, not less. It is important to understand that in reality the therapist is not “hypnotizing” you. He is helping you through his words and suggestions to access an inner resource you already have. Think about watching a movie and having an emotional response. It is not the film or digital disk, or TV that is causing the reaction, but your interpretation of the pictures and sounds. In the same way it is the therapeutic relationship and the hypnotherapist’s voice and words that are helping you to access your unique resources.

Can I get "stuck" in hypnosis?
Again, when in hypnosis you are not unconscious or sleeping. If you need to attend to your surroundings you can do so. You are actually more focused and aware then when in an ordinary state of consciousness. And a responsible and sensitive therapist ensures that an individual is alert before they leave the office.

Will I be able to hear what's going on around me?
Yes. Again, you're not asleep on unconscious. You are as aware as in an everyday conscious state.

Who can be hypnotized?
Milton Erickson, the father of modern hypnosis believed everyone has hypnotic talents. I agree. There are some researchers that believe individuals have different degrees of hypnotizability, and that some cannot be hypnotized. It is my experience that the trance state is something that every person is capable of and experiences on a daily basis.

What can hypnosis help?
Hypnosis has been used for years for a variety of treatments including Pain Control, Dental and Medical procedures, Post-surgical recovery, Anxiety and Phobias, Depression, Skin Conditions, and others. Hypnosis was accepted and officially recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1958 as a legitimate treatment method.

There is evidence that Hypnosis has been used successfully in conjunction with conventional medical treatments for pain control, treatment of burns, dentistry, and treatment of pain during childbirth. One of the ethical guidelines established by ASCH is to treat only those conditions a professional is experienced and trained to treat without hypnosis. I will refer to a qualified professional if I feel your condition is outside the realm of my experience.