FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Hypnosis is a natural state of consciousness that you likely experience many times a day without realizing it. In this state of focused concentration, your mind pays attention to something other than what’s in your immediate surroundings. The hypnotic state can occur while you read a book, watch TV, listen to music, drive a car, or daydream. Hypnotherapy is the application of techniques during hypnosis that help the subconscious discover and release the root causes of your problems.
During hypnotherapy, a hypnotic state is induced and visualization is used to relax and guide you to recognize your positive attributes and abilities. This enables you to see new solutions and make positive changes by disrupting poor habit cycles and forming new, healthy behaviors. With hypnosis, the power is in the mind of the person being hypnotized; the hypnotherapist is just a guide who facilitates the hypnotic process.
Breaking a negative cycle can only happen when you get to the underlying cause of the issue and replace it with a new, healthier habit. We help you look within and rewire your way of thinking. Once you reprogram your brain, you can get yourself out of the loop that is impeding you from enjoying life to the fullest once and for all. It is a lasting solution that keeps you from falling back into old ways and unhealthy habits.
Focusing on willpower alone doesn’t get to the root cause of your behaviors or give you a real alternative to the negative actions you’re trying to replace. It’s a temporary Band-Aid for a much bigger issue.
You are in a heightened state of awareness throughout hypnosis, but you remain entirely in control. The hypnotherapist, through a live or pre-recorded program, helps guide you past your fears and biases, uncover the root of your habits, and discover the path to a new solution. Following your hypnotherapy sessions, you will need to practice the techniques and behaviors you learn in order to create lasting change.
Yes! Children and teenagers are particularly good hypnotic subjects. They typically have fertile imaginations with few preconceived notions about what is and isn’t possible.
The key to getting both children and adults into the natural state for hypnosis is the same. You must establish rapport and help them become comfortable with the process. If your child is able to concentrate and follow simple instructions, they should do well.
Teens and children can benefit from hypnosis in many ways. Typical issues treated by hypnosis include thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, nail-biting, anger, coping with divorce, coping with death, eating behaviors, sleep patterns, test anxiety, self-esteem, memory, concentration, bullying, and social phobias.
All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. The hypnotherapist is just a guide. The change happens inside the brain. So for teens, hypnosis is a wonderful life skill to learn. With some instruction and a bit of practice, most teens can easily drift into a hypnotic state. This is where they can create the beliefs and behaviors that serve them best. Amazing things happen when teens begin to discover their highest potential and truly believe that they can be anything they want.
Yes, you can choose to participate in as many downloadable programs at once if you have several different struggles you would like us to help you with. However, be sure you are not focused on improving too many things at once. Studies have shown that trying to change or improve multiple habits at once can significantly reduce the likelihood of maintaining those new habits. You are more likely to build the life you want when you focus on one habit or behavior at a time.
Yes—Joel has a private practice based out of Seattle, Washington; however, he is not taking on any new clients at this time. However, if you’re interested in virtual therapy sessions with Joel, those can easily be arranged. We can’t wait to partner with you on your endeavors to improve your life!
Hypnosis is a state of inner absorption, concentration, and hyper-focused attention. You can reach this state naturally, or intentionally through a program designed to minimize external distractions. When our minds are fully and deeply focused, we are able to create significant change within ourselves. It is not just an art or science, but a skill that can be trained.
When you are in the hypnotic state, you bypass what is known as your conscious critical faculty (CCF), which is the “filter” between your conscious and subconscious mind. Your CCF applies the habits and behaviors that have been shaped by your life experiences. When you skip this filter, your natural biases and fears don’t influence your problem-solving skills.
Hypnotic communication encourages changes to your neurological and physiological functions. Experts use this in three main ways: encouraging the use of imagination, presenting ideas or suggestions, and shepherding unconscious exploration so the person can identify underlying triggers. It is entirely up to you what to do with this new information.
Yes! Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state that can happen unintentionally several times each day. Hypnotherapy simply provides the opportunity to take advantage of that unobstructed concentration. Just like when you find yourself deep in thought until you notice your commute is already over, you’ll find the process to be relaxing, enjoyable, and productive. Using that heightened focus for personal growth or change is immensely beneficial, and often safer than other coping mechanisms.
Hypnosis can—and often should—go hand in hand with traditional therapies. But when those therapies aren’t as successful or available, using hypnosis can create incredible benefits. For example, approximately two-thirds of female members of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis have reported being able to use hypnosis as their sole analgesic during labor. Hypnotherapy was able to give these women the medication-free labor experience they desired.
Hypnotherapy is not a perfect science—as with any personal growth or change, you must find the combination of therapies that works best for you. This is true in any situation where a professional is trying to help you. Doctors don’t guarantee that you will get well, teachers can’t guarantee that you will learn, and lawyers can’t guarantee that you will win your case. What we can guarantee here at Motivational Hypnotherapy is the very best service that uses current information and appropriate hypnotic techniques for your specific needs.
The best indicator of success with hypnotherapy is the willingness of the person experiencing hypnosis. You have the greatest control over how successful you are. It will take time and practice. The more open-minded you are to the advantages of hypnosis, the more likely you are to benefit from it.
You can listen to your program at any time, day or night. Some people like to listen in the morning when they wake up. Some listen on repeat while they sleep. It is completely up to each person and will not change the effectiveness of the program. We do encourage a regular routine when listening.
We highly recommend listening to our hypnosis programs for 21 consecutive days, then as needed depending on each person and condition being treated.
The involvement of another person in a session is typically the biggest difference between the two. With hypnosis, we recommend you utilize the help of our expert, Joel, during a virtual session or download one of our programs approved for use on your own. Since these programs are backed by Joel, you are getting hypnotherapy from an accredited, highly experienced professional who knows what path you are on and can even help answer questions along the way if needed.