Self Hypnosis Smoking

Though I am well known in my profession I had someone I personally know go to another hypnotist for self hypnosis smoking cessation. You might ask why I would do that and not work with the person myself and that's a good question. My reason was that this person is too close to me and would not have the best chance at succeeding for they would always be thinking, "I know he's real good at this and known around the world but it's Tom." It would be best to have them do a self hypnosis smoking cessation program with someone they didn't know but felt comfortable with.

When I was being trained to become certified around 10 years ago my instructor told me," you never work with your wife and there may be close family members or friends you won't work with. They have a certain perception of you and it will impede the process of allowing them to get deeply into the hypnotic state in order for them to have optimum results." I proved him right when during my training I told my wife's friend I would work with her and teach her self hypnosis smoking cessation techniques. We went to a room where it was quiet while her husband and my wife sat in the kitchen playing backgammon. Everything seemed just right. Janice, my wife's friend, was relaxed and comfortable, she desired to stop smoking and I knew what I was going to do could help.

As we did the session and I gave her suggestions about health, self confidence and the great need to end her smoking habit she appeared to respond but not as I would have liked. Looking back with more training I could have been more effective but still, that wasn't the real issue. I know this from what I learned later. When we were finished she said, "That was relaxing but I'm not sure if it was what it's supposed to be." I told her to practice the self hypnosis smoking cessation method I taught her and we ended it there. Like she knows what it was suppose to be like? No one does until they experience hypnosis. Anyway, days later when my wife was talking with her friend and asked how it went, Janice simply replied, "It was okay but it's still Tommy." You see, her already established perception of me was not helpful for all she was thinking was, "But it's Tommy." It would have been better to have some stranger come in and explain to him what to do. She would have been able to let go for that thought would not have been in the way. I finally suggested that Janice go to a colleague I respect for his smoking cessation hypnosis program. Curious thing, even though she did stop smoking after the program, he told her to continue using what I taught her at home. That's when she believed I knew what I was doing.