Many first-time patients who come into my Naperville office for hypnotherapy are curious, or even skeptical, about what’s going to happen. Often, they’ve scheduled an appointment because they are serious about losing weight, decreasing stress, or addressing some problem in their lives, but are curious whether I can actually help them and if they can be hypnotized.

Does hypnotherapy really work? And if it does, then how?

Today, I want to share a couple of very brief answers to those questions. I can assure you that hypnotherapy does work., even if you do not go into a deep trance.  In fact, it is more effective than other remedies and behavioral change systems for a lot of people.

The issue of how is more complicated. Essentially, hypnotherapists meet with the patient and find out what he or she wishes to change or accomplish in their lives. Then, using relaxation and visualization techniques, they help that person to move into a trance state where it’s easier to make (and accept)  suggestions.

This is important because our conscious minds actively filter, consider, and debate different ideas as we are exposed to them. However, whether or not we act upon them is largely determined by our inner thoughts and ambivalent feelings, even though we might not be aware of how we undermine ourselves.

By going around that filter of conscious thought, we can implant or reinforce new, positiive, ideas and beliefs more quickly and effectively. So, even though hypnotherapy can still take a little bit of time to work, it can be a great alternative (or addition) to the other methods people turn to for habit change.