Tish talks about hypnosis
Tish Schuman LPC, CMH, NCC is one of the outstanding Hypnotherapists at the Anxiety Control Center. She has been helping people in our Cherry Hill, NJ office for over 14 years. In this post she gives information on hypnosis as she answers 3 questions.
Questions:
1) A lot of people don’t think that I can be hypnotized. Is there anything I can do between now and then to make me more hypnotizable?
2) What happens if people find things out that they didn’t really know about before? Do they freak out? Does the hypnotherapist take them out of it or do they walk them through it?
3) If one can’t be hypnotized during the first session, does that mean they can’t be at all, or is it possible that they could be at another time or by someone else?
Client question: # 1. A lot of people don’t think that I can be hypnotized. Is there anything I can do between now and then to make me more hypnotizable?
Answers by Tish Schuman LPC, CMH, NCC:
Hypnosis or trance, we use the words interchangeably, occurs naturally. We have all experienced a naturally occurring trance state in our lives whether we are aware of it consciously or not. For example, have you ever read a book and been so engrossed, that you could really feel what the character was feeling? Or have you ever gone to the movies and identified so closely with one of the characters that you felt like you were part of the action? Do you ever daydream? These are all examples of a trance state. Anyone who is of average intelligence or higher can be hypnotized. And like any skill we learn, some people may do it quicker than others.
2) What happens if people find things out that they didn’t really know about before? Do they freak out? Does the hypnotherapist take them out of it or do they walk them through it?
Tish Schuman answers:
We use a hypnotic technique called Time Line Therapy. This is a very powerful and effective way to help people to get to the root of their problems and heal it there. When doing Time Line, we have the client “float” above their time line so that they are looking down as opposed to being “in” the problem. So a good hypnotherapist will keep you out of the situation by keeping you floating above it. You already lived it once so we don’t want you in it again.
Many times the root of the problem occurred at a very young age. What is no big deal to an adult, may be to a very young child. So the events don’t necessarily have to be some very traumatic thing. I have found that most clients are already aware of the very traumatic events that they have experienced.
One thing to remember is that you are always in control. A hypnotherapist cannot make anyone do anything. When you are in a trance state you are awake and aware although usually your eyes will be closed. You are aware of what the hypnotherapist is saying and what you are saying. If you need a break or want to stop the process, you can.
Client Question #3 If one can’t be hypnotized during the first session, does that mean they can’t be at all, or is it possible that they could be at another time or by someone else?
Tish Schuman responds: As I mentioned earlier, hypnosis is like any skill that we learn. Some people may be better at it initially and for others may take a little time. I will say it is very important to feel comfortable with the person that you choose to work with.
Also, when people think about hypnosis, they are typically thinking about they way they have seen it portrayed in the movies or on TV. The client is sitting in a chair with eyes closed, almost appearing to be asleep while the hypnotist gives suggestions. This is called classical hypnosis. Many of the clients that we help come in wanting to get relief from anxiety. For a person who has anxiety, it is not usually easy for them to sit still for classical hypnosis. If someone with anxiety sees a hypnotherapist who only uses classical hypnosis and can’t get into a trance state, it is most likely because they are in an anxious state so simply hearing suggestions of calm will not work.
We mainly use Ericksonian hypnosis and with Ericksonian hypnosis a client does not have to be in a relaxed state to go into trance. In fact, we can use whatever the client is feeling at the moment to help them get back to the root of the problem. After this process clients describe feeling calm, relaxed and like a weight has been lifted off of them.
Tish Schuman LPC, CMH, NCC, is a Certified Hypnotherapist who specializes in Time Line Therapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming for the relief of panic and anxiety. She is a member of the American Board of Hypnotherapy, the Time Line Therapy Association, and the American Board of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Tish has written numerous articles for various publications. As a parent, she has found her skills in Neurolinguists have helped her to create a warm and peaceful environment at home and in her career.
