What is this thing called "hypnosis" and how can it help you? You sit or lie down comfortably in my office. Typically, you will want to close your eyes and begin to find that your body is relaxing. You are guided by a confident, calm, and assuring voice that is relaxing and offers suggestions. You enjoy the experience.

You cannot be made to do anything against your will. You will only go into a trance if you trust in me and my abilities and want to be hypnotized. You will not divulge deep secrets about yourself that you do not wish to reveal. You will not be made to cluck like a chicken or channel Elvis. You make the decisions to respond to what I am suggesting. It may be helpful to think of me as your "Jiminy Crickett," acting as a personal guide to help you along your path. You will always be able to open your eyes whenever you want, but more than likely, you will want to close your eyes until you are asked to open them. To date, I have not met a person who comes to see me for hypnosis that I have not been able to hypnotize. The reason is trust in my abilities and a desire for the hypnotic experience to work for you. In fact, if you like, I will also teach you self-hypnosis so that you can do this for yourself.

It is important to choose your hypnotherapist carefully. Anyone can learn to induce a hypnotic state in another person in the space of half an hour. However, it is what is done after the hypnotic state has been induced, which requires professional skill and specialized knowledge and training.

Since hypnosis is not regulated by law in many states, it means that any kind of person, regardless of education, training, or experience, can and does offer you hypnosis experiences. At one time, I had even called a phone number in the newspaper offering hypnosis, only to discover that the hypnotist had nothing more than a high school diploma and was a former alcoholic! In fact, most hypnosis certificates or titles such as "C.Ht (Certified Hypnotherapist)" have little or no bearing on the quality or qualifications of the person to treat health problems.