Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy FAQs
What Is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a focused state of awareness where the body is fully relaxed, but the mind is awake. This state allows the hypnotherapist to access your subconscious mind where the positive change and transformation you desire for yourself can start to take place through the use of hypnotic suggestions.
Hypnosis is a completely natural state. In fact, we all go in and out of hypnosis throughout the day. Have you ever been driving and missed your exit on the freeway? Or, been deeply absorbed in a movie and forgot you are actually in a room full of strangers watching a projected image of actors on screen? Perhaps you've zoned out and daydreamed while someone was talking to you. All of these are all examples of being in a state of hypnosis.
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What Hypnosis is NOT
When most people hear the word "hypnosis" they think of swinging watches and the hypnotists telling someone to bark like a dog or cluck like a chicken on command. While that kind of hypnosis does exist, it is for the sole purposes of entertainment that you would find on the stages of a Las Vegas show.
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This is very different from clinical hypnotherapy. You are completely alert and in full control of your mind and body while in the hypnotic state. You can hear, speak, and even walk around. Your body is relaxed and comfortable. You will never be asked to disclose any secrets or do anything you do not want to do. At Westside Hypnotherapy, hypnosis is strictly used as a healing tool.
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Does hypnotherapy really work?
Absolutely. In recent years hypnosis and hypnotherapy have become accepted medical treatments to address a wide variety of issues and conditions. Researchers and professors in universities such as Stanford, Harvard, and Penn State, just to name a few, have conducted clinical studies in hypnosis and found that hypnosis does in fact alter the brain and can be used for a multitude of conditions. At Westside Hypnotherapy we have been extremely successful in using hypnotherapy to help our clients with a multitude of issues including improving self-confidence, helping them to stop smoking, achieving significant weight loss, reducing or even eliminating anxiety. Hypnotherapy is an extremely powerful and effective tool and its results are long-lasting.
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How does hypnotherapy work?
When you are in a hypnotic state, your conscious mind has been relaxed. This allows the hypnotherapist to work directly with your subconscious mind. The subconscious mind holds all of our "programming", much like a computer. You can "know" in your conscious mind that you want to make a change and be determined to make that change, but if your"computer is programmed" to keep doing what you are doing it will be nearly impossible to make lasting change unless you change the programming. That's precisely what hypnotherapy will accomplish.​ When you change the subconscious programming the behavior follows.
Does hypnotherapy work virtually?
It absolutely does. I have been working with my international clients virtually for many years before the pandemic with excellent results. The reason hypnotherapy works so well virtually, and often even better than in-person sessions, is because hypnotherapy is an audio-based modality. You simply need to close your eyes and listen. Whether it's done in person or over a virtual session is indifferent. I have found that my clients get faster and more effective results with virtual sessions because they are relaxed at home and are able to get into a quicker and deeper hypnotic state as compared to being in an unfamiliar office and dealing with traffic and parking.
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Do you offer any in-person sessions at all?
I do not. I have found that virtual sessions offer better results and thus all my client sessions are held virtually. I no longer have access to a physical office space.
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Will Hypnotherapy work for my specific issue?
There is a very high likelihood that hypnotherapy will work for your issue. It is almost impossible to list ALL the possible uses of hypnotherapy but here is a very complete list of the issue we would be happy to assist you with - Click Here.
How much do the sessions cost?
If you would like more information about the cost of hypnotherapy sessions at Westside Hypnotherapy, please click here to go to the Cost of Hypnotherapy Sessions page.
What does hypnosis feel like?
Hypnosis is a very comfortable, peaceful and pleasant feeling. Your body is extremely relaxed but your mind is aware. You will feel a sense of rejuvenation and feel refreshed after a hypnotherapy session in our Los Angeles office.
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Will I lose control of myself?
Absolutely not! Hypnotherapy is a way of giving you more control, not less. You cannot be hypnotized unwillingly, and you cannot be prompted to do something that is outside of your moral code or say or reveal anything you do not want to.
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Can I get stuck in hypnosis?
No, you are able to come out of hypnosis any time you wish. You can no more get "stuck" in hypnosis than you can get "stuck" awake or "stuck" asleep. ... For practical reasons, as hypnotherapists we do explicitly end our clients' trances, but if we didn't the clients would naturally either return to full alertness or fall asleep.​
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Does insurance cover hypnotherapy?
Although we do not accept insurance, there are some insurance companies that will reimburse you for a portion of your sessions. We can provide you with a receipt for you to submit to your insurance company if they do cover hypnotherapy.
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What happens in the first hypnotherapy session?
The first session is the longest one at 70-90 minutes and consists of the following 4 main components:
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In-depth consultation to understand what specific challenges you are currently dealing with, what you feel the blocks are (if known), and what your desired outcome is from our hypnotherapy sessions together.​
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A detailed description of how hypnotherapy works in the human mind for your specific issue, and what you should expect to feel and experience while in hypnosis.
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Suggestibility Testing - In order to best create the most significant and powerful changes in mental programming, it is of the utmost importance to understand how you personally take in suggestions and information. This testing allows us to know exactly what type of hypnotic suggestions can make the most impactful positive changes in your subconscious mind.
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The last part of the first session is the hypnotherapy itself in which your subconscious programming will begin to change.