When first working with a client, it is very common for them to tell me that they tried hypnosis before with another hypnotist but that for some reason, it didn’t work for them.
Now you might think that this would make for a difficult, if not impossible, scenario for me. In fact, however, this is actually the perfect situation. This is because I know that the previous hypnotist did not perform a professional and comprehensive pre-talk with the client before their session. That’s exactly why hypnosis “didn’t work” for them in the first place.
It is never a matter of whether someone is a good or bad subject for hypnosis. Despite what you may read or been told, no-one is more hypnotisable than anyone else. The real truth of the matter is that people accept hypnosis in direct correlation to the amount of fear they have about it. Unfortunately, there are a number of myths and misconceptions about hypnosis that continue to persist.
The main objective of a pre-talk is to remove any fears or misconceptions that a person may have but may be too scared to ask beforehand. Equally important is that you use the pre-talk session to prove to your client that you are indeed qualified to work with them. It is all very well having a room full of certificates proudly hanging on the walls of your office, but this will ultimately amount to absolutely nothing unless you come across as being confident, knowledgeable, and experienced.
Lastly, the pre-talk helps the hypnotist to build a very positive level of rapport with the client. You can by the most skilled hypnotist in the world but that won’t help you get anywhere with a client with whom you have zero rapport. Since the results you get depend on both of you workingtogether, it is vital that your client feels comfortable with you and the instructions and guidance you provide during and between sessions.
If there is any resistance with a willing client, this is never a result of the client being “difficult” or “too analytical” to be hypnotised. It is simply because the fears and inhibitions remain and/or there is insufficient rapport between you and your client.
If you were to ask a first-time client if they had any questions about hypnosis, it is very likely that they would reply that they didn’t. This is because most of them come to the sessions believing certain things about hypnosis that are not actually true. For example, many mistakenly believe when they are in hypnosis they are under your control.
They also believe that you can’t hear or remember anything while in a deep state of hypnosis. It is essential that the hypnotist dispels these myths during the pre-talk regardless of whether the client asks about them or not. For example, I would say “A lot of people believe “X”, but the truth is actually “Y”. This helps to educate the client about hypnosis whilst simultaneously removing any fear and anxiety which would hinder the subsequent hypnosis sessions.
So many hypnotists needlessly obsess about inductions, deepeners, and scripts. When they don’t get the results they want with their clients, they often focus on changing one of these. Yet, the real reason they failed to get thee desired results is often not because of any of these factors. It was simply because they failed to perfect the most important part of the hypnosis session: the pre-talk.
The Most Common Misconceptions Regarding Hypnosis
Myth #1: You don’t remember anything that happens during a hypnosis session.
Many clienta expect to be “zonked out' during hypnosis, to the point where they won’t know where they are or won’t be able to remember anything that happened during the session. During hypnosis, you are actually in a heightened sense of awareness rather than one which is diminished. Trance is a natural state, which has a familiar feeling. This is because you enter various different types of trance throughout the day, for example, whenever you are driving.
Myth #2: Hypnosis involves the client giving over control to the hypnotist.
This is the myth that causes more damage to hypnosis than all others combined. It is not exactly helped by Hollywood’s tendency to portray hypnosis as devious magic used by criminals to make innocent victims do things they don’t want to do, for example, rob a bank or commit a murder. The irony, of course, is that people typically hire a hypnotist because they are out of control and that something, for example an addition, is controlling them. Both hypnotist and client work together so that the client regains control over what was previously controlling them.
Myth #3: Only certain types of people can be hypnotised. Some people can’t be hypnotised.
Due to the myths and misconceptions spread about hypnosis, many people mistakenly believe that only certain types of people can be hypnotised. The implication is that only weak-minded people can be hypnotised and that it is impossible to hypnotise someone with a supposedly “strong mind.”
The actual truth is the client is always in full control at all times. This is because all hypnosis is self- hypnosis, whereby the hypnotist guides you into a state of hypnosis. If you don’t want to be hypnotised, you will never enter a state of hypnosis, no matter how skilled the hypnotist is.
In order for a client to enjoy all the benefits that hypnosis offers, it is absolutely crucial that the hypnotist first helps the client to understand the benefits of hypnotic trance. Removing the fear caused by myths and misconceptions is vital in order for the client to feel totally comfortable before, during and after the hypnosis session. This is why the pre-talk truly is absolutely critical and the most important part of a successful hypnosis session.
