Basic Hypnotherapy for Professionals

by Dr. Steve G. Jones, Ed.D., Clinical Hypnotherapist

A complete first hypnotherapy session, in the order you run it: pretalk, induction, deepening, script, amnesia, trance termination. Every part comes with word-for-word samples you can read aloud, and every chapter ends with practice work and a self-test.

176 pages8 chapters + final exam19 samples to read aloud4 client forms includedPDF · ISBN 978-1-60402-041-0

What's in the book

The chapters follow the session itself. Chapters 2 through 7 are the six parts of a hypnotherapy session, in the order a client experiences them; chapter 8 puts them together into a two-hour first appointment and one-hour follow-ups.

1IntroductionThe four stages of consciousness, what hypnotherapy is, ethics, recording sessions, controlling the environment, and which clients to refer out.p. 11

2The PretalkWhy the client is always in control, handling abreactions, "sleep is fine", and four complete sample pretalks.p. 32

3InductionsRelaxation inductions, with two full sample inductions.p. 59

4DeepeningsTwo sample deepenings.p. 78

5ScriptsThe power of scripts, then eight samples: finding love, financial success, fear of singing on stage, and five weight-loss scripts.p. 91

6AmnesiaThree sample amnesia suggestions.p. 118

7Trance TerminationBringing the client back up, and what to do about the recording.p. 128

8Tying It All TogetherThe first two-hour session hour by hour, follow-up sessions, and how many sessions each issue usually takes.p. 136

+Your Next Step — Certification · Final Exam · Glossary · Answers · Forms (intake form, cancellation policy, record sheet, client ledger) · References · Resourcesp. 141

How each chapter works

This is a working text, not a read-through. Chapters 1 to 7 each close the same way:

Helpful tipOne thing Dr. Steve learned in practice that the chapter's technique depends on.

Suggested practiceHomework at the end of each chapter — including recording your own practice session as you work through the book.

Test your knowledgeA short quiz per chapter, a final exam at the end, and the answer key at the back.

Read a page from Chapter 1

Basic Hypnotherapy for ProfessionalsPage 13

Stages of Consciousness

Hypnotherapy practices deal with four stages of consciousness: Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta.

Normal waking consciousness is called Beta. In Beta, a person's brain is fully functional and in an alert state. It is paying attention to, and processing stimuli from the outside world.

In Alpha, the person is slowed down slightly and is therefore more focused and able to dedicate her train of thought to one thing. Equate Alpha to the state you are in when watching TV, or when you have been driving for a lengthy period. When driving, your attention is focused on the elements of driving. Outside stimuli play a lesser role. At first, you may be aware of things around you such as cars and pedestrians. After prolonged driving, your attention shifts to what is happening directly in front of you. This is Alpha.

Alpha is a "not-really-here, not-really-out-of-it" phase. In Alpha, outside stimuli no longer distract the client, who is then able to receive habit-altering messages from the hypnotherapist.

It is important to note that similar to driving in a trance, patients in hypnosis still can react as things happen. A common misconception is that clients under hypnosis cannot react, and that therefore the hypnotherapist has ultimate control over the patient. In Alpha, the patient is always in the driver's seat, and is fully capable of reacting and making decisions.

The full chapter continues for 20 more pages, through ethics, session recording and clients to refer out.