Most people are apprehensive or nervous in their first session, which is completely normal.  Hypnosis is a generally misunderstood concept, so I do my best to keep things simple to make you comfortable, answer all questions and address any concerns you might have.  

A typical session follows a basic outline:
We first start by talking about you and the presenting issue (what you want to work on).
I answer any questions you have about hypnosis.
We talk about the process of hypnosis and what you can expect.
We talk about the different possible processes we could utilize to affect change in you.
You go into hypnosis.
I help you to return to full alertness.
We process and talk about your experience.

Follow Up: I will check up on how you are doing between each session, usually with a quick call, text, or email. This can help me understand how well you are integrating the new information and habits and informs our ongoing plan for change.

A session costs $100, and for students $60

This is a common misconception about hypnosis because we see stage hypnosis where people volunteer to be a part of a fun show and entertain the crowd. You are in control during hypnosis.  During hypnotherapy you will not perform, you will be entering into a session in order to make positive life changes.

No because hypnosis is a natural state of mind it’s very safe and is, in fact, a state of hyper-awareness. If there happened to be an emergency or you were just left there, you would naturally be able to come out of the hypnotic state simply by opening your eyes and react appropriately. Or just wonder where the hypnotist went.

No. hypnosis is a natural state that has been studied scientifically. Hypnotherapists do not have “special powers”. Guiding people into hypnosis is a skill like any other that can be learned.  Hypnotherapy is based on many years of clinical research by famous psychologists such as Dr. Sigmund Freud and Dr. Carl Jung, and more recently, by Dr. Milton Erikson and Dr. John Kappas. We also know that hypnosis is tied to brainwave function, and when the brainwaves go into the Alpha and Theta states the unconscious mind is more accessable and change is easier.

Simply put, yes! Everyone can be hypnotized. Every person naturally enters a state of hypnosis multiple times a day, for example just before falling asleep at night and on awaking every morning. Most people enter ‘environmental hypnosis’ while at the movies or watching TV (if a show has ever made you feel any type of emotion or really just grabbed your complete attention). You are experiencing natural hypnosis where you are driving on the highway, you pass a town and don’t notice; or you get off the couch to, say, get something from the kitchen only to arrive in the kitchen to find you’ve forgotten why you are there.  Another example is having to reread part of a page because you just realized you were paying attention to something else while you read.  

No hypnosis will not compel a person to tell secrets or share any other information that they do not want to share. Hypnotherapy isn’t about getting someone’s secrets, it’s about helping the person move forward. You probably have a reason to keep the secret, and the hypnotherapist isn’t interested in making you do something you don’t want to do.

No this perception is mainly based on what people see on stage shows and movies. The truth is as volunteers in a stage show, these people choose to act on stage and to allow themselves to participate in ridiculous and fun suggestions. Hypnotherapy is not a stage show; it’s a serious process of self-improvement, not entertainment. You will not cluck like a chicken…. unless you want to.

No. The last thing you want is to feel intimidated or uncomfortable. For hypnosis to work, you have to be comfortable with the hypnotist and the method. The greater rapport you feel with the hypnotist, the more likely you are to have a positive, beneficial result. Working with the hypnotist as an ally who is guiding you through the process is the best way to get results.

No. It’s like having a conversation with a friend: you start at one subject and it flows to others, and then at the end you don’t always remember how you came to be on the current subject. You may remember most of the conversation but not verbatim. You will find that even if you forget some, during the day things come back in flashes of insight. Some people do experience amnesia from the session and it feels like a dream. If this happens, don’t worry. Your unconscious mind has taken the information in and will act on the positive suggestions and learning you gained during the session.

Hypnosis is not sleep! Although physically there is a decreased activity, muscle relaxation, slowed breathing etc., you are still alert mentally. Your awareness expands, and you can be more acutely aware of yourself and your surroundings. No one has fallen asleep in any of Roger’s sessions. If you did fall asleep, you would just wake up naturally, as you would from any sleep.

No. After the session ends and the hypnotist brings you back to normal awareness, you are as independent of the hypnotist as when you walked in.