Questions and Answers

What is the difference between the "conscious mind," and the "subconscious mind?"

The conscious mind is the rational, critical, logical, and analytical part of the mind. The subconscious is the perceptive, creative, imaginative, child-in-us, and is also where habits are housed.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a technique that enables you to access what is commonly referred to as trance state. It is a natural phenomenon that occurs in everyday life, like daydreaming, only better. It allows us to bypass the critical, analytical part of the mind to deliberately access your imaginative, creative subconscious. It is in this state that one is able to direct focus to specific goals in order to accomplish them.

Is hypnosis medically approved?

Yes. Hypnosis has proven to be effective and has been approved by the American Medical Association since 1958.

How does hypnosis counseling compare with other therapies in it's field?

In a review of literature published in Psychotherapy Magazine (Volume 7, Number 1, Alfred A. Barrios, PhD), various types of treatment techniques were profiled.

The greatest success in providing lasting change occurred with:

Hypnotherapy - 93% recovery after 6 sessions (about 1 1/2 months).
Behavior Therapy - 72% recovery after 22 sessions (about 6 months).
Psychotherapy - 38% recovery after 600 sessions (about 11 1/2 years).

How many sessions will I need?

Some hypnotists claim that one session is all it takes for almost any change, but that has not been my experience. Many people have been known to improve after only one session. However they have not been shown to experience lasting results because the human mind learns from repetition. 

For this reason, I only perform hypnosis counseling for clients in a minimum of three to six session programs to ensure that not only do they reach their goals, but they are able to maintain them as well.

Occasionally, it has been necessary to do more than six sessions, but they are very rare instances. Since each individual is unique and comes with their own distinct set of obstacles, it is difficult for me to determine how many sessions any one individual will need without first speaking with them. Please feel free to call my office for a free 15 minute phone consultation to help determine your particular needs.

Can I work with multiple issues in one three to six session program?

That depends. If a client wanted to quit smoking, and had concerns about gaining weight afterwards, then I would include a suggestion for not gaining weight. However, if a person came in wanting to lose weight and overcome their fear of heights, those two things aren’t related and would not be included in one three or six session program.

Can I become so relaxed that I fall asleep?

Hypnosis is not sleep in the conventional sense. In fact, you cannot fall asleep while in hypnosis. The brain waves in hypnosis are different from the brain waves in sleep. They actually prevent sleep. The only time someone could fall asleep is if there is no activity during the session. For example, if I stop talking for an extended period of time, in which the client would emerge him/herself from hypnosis, and then may fall asleep.

What is the difference between hypno-counseling and meditation?

Trance state is trance state, regardless of the name you give it, and it “feels” the same. The difference is that meditation is like getting into your car and just driving with no clear destination simply to experience the drive. Hypno-counseling is like having an experienced and knowledgeable passenger with a well mapped route leading you directly to your particular goal.

Neither is more useful than the other, but each serves it’s own individual purpose. In meditation, you enter this trance state with no clear “destination” in mind, but may find that in the process you learn and grow as a person. Many have found that they are able to open their minds in ways they never before knew possible, and is a very worthwhile practice.

With hypno-counseling, a person enters this trance state with a clear goal or objective in mind, such as quitting smoking or losing weight. This person benefits by the expertise of a trained professional who has studied the process, and the semantics. They are then better able to guide you in making those specific changes in your behavior that you wish to make.

What does trance state feel like?

While it is different for everyone, most people simply experience a deep, peaceful sense of relaxation, similar to daydreaming or that calm feeling just between awake and asleep.

 
How can I benefit from hypnosis when I have tried using my will power in the past and have not been successful?

Willpower is to the mind what adrenalin is to the body. Good for quick burst of energy, but quickly fades, many times leaving you feeling powerless in making changes you so desire. To make real, lasting change, one must turn to the part of the brain that houses habits, or what some refer to as the subconscious mind. This is also the part of the mind that controls imagination. If ever there is a conflict between your imagination and willpower, your imagination wins every time.

None of us really grow up, we simply layer over, so that same child that was in you at 3 is still there today. That same imagination you had at 10, you have today. So when you are able bypass the conscious, critical, analytical part of the mind through hypnosis, and work directly with the imaginative, creative subconscious, you are working to modify habits with the part of the mind where habits originate.

Despite what we may have seen in the movies, nobody can be made to do anything in hypnosis that they would not do outside of hypnosis. The subconscious mind must be willing to accept any suggestion given to it while in a deep state of relaxation. If the suggestions given are against that person’s moral fiber, then they will simply dismiss it. Some have even been known to emerge themselves from hypnosis should a suggestion be given that they did not agree to prior to hypnosis.

Feel free to check out the informative, and comical episode of Mythbusters located in the Fun and Entertainment section of this site for more on this subject.

Can I be hypnotized?

Baring physical trauma to the brain, anyone of average or above average intelligence is capable of being hypnotized. That being said, the person or subject must also be willing to go into a deep state of relaxation, and have no fears or convictions associated with the process, or the experience, as this may keep them from entering an altered state of mind.

No one can be hypnotized against their will. Hypnosis is a state of mutual cooperation. You and the hypnosis counselor form a partnership, and you can choose to accept or reject any suggestions given to you by him or her. This is why I spend a significant amount of time with each client prior to inducing hypnosis to clear up any misconceptions or reservations that person may have concerning hypnosis, and together form suggestions that work for each individual person.

Can I get stuck in hypnosis?

Nobody can get stuck in hypnosis, any more than a person can “get stuck” in a daydream. If there were no activity during the session, for example if I stopped talking, a person would simply emerge themselves from hypnosis.

I don't feel that hypnosis counseling is "snake oil," so I don't market my services in the manor a "snake oil salesman" would, including guarantees. No hypno-counselor, therapist or even doctor could give a guarantee. Like any other therapy, alternative or conventional, hypnosis counseling is a process, not an event. It is a cooperative process between counselor and client. Because I cannot guarantee your levels of motivation, I cannot guarantee your success. 

However, if you're looking to work with an honest, straight-forward, caring and compassionate professional who truly believes in the work she does, you have come to the right place. I can assure you that I will do my best to listen to your individual needs and motivations, and incorporate them into each session. In addition, I will always work in your best interest and move you to the accomplishment of your goals as quickly as is humanly possible. As long as you are honest and open to sharing your motivations with me, you are certain to achieve your goals.

 
Call (609) 792-3056 or email to book your appointment with a qualified professional today.

Advantage Hypno-Counseling Solutions located at:
Health Goals Life Enhancement Center, 17000 Commerce Parkway, Suite D, Mount Laurel, NJ  08054

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