Do I need to listen incessantly to an audio CD recording of our session?
Clients sometimes ask me: “Are you going to give me an audio CD of our session for me to continue to listen to?” Other hypnotists had suggested to them that might be necessary. The answer is an emphatic NO. Why not? Because it’s absolutely not necessary and would be a waste of your time. When this work is done well, change is automated. That means it sticks and grows even more powerful on its own. Today, and tomorrow.
The fact is, hypnosis is a self-regulated profession. In Washington State, there are no certification requirements, beyond a simple registration process. Anyone can do this work, trained or untrained, skilled or unskilled, creatively imaginative or reading from a script book. Every hypnotist has chosen and pursued a different level of training, and has achieved a different skill set, as well as coming to the game with a different level of native intelligence and creativity. Every hypnotist has a different mindset as well, as to the power of these tools for personal and positive change.
Some hypnotists are believers, and some are doubters.
Doubters give CDs. Giving a client a CD recording of the session gives its own NEGATIVE and damaging hypnotic message: our work isn’t enough to be successful. Wow, what a stupid thing to communicate to a client–creating an expectation that change is difficult. Yes, our work is enough to be successful! IF the skill set is there in the first place to create and install ongoing change rapidly.
This work is all about utilizing the unconscious mind to make change. Unconscious means outside of conscious awareness. Thinking and remembering to make time to listen to an audio recording of your session involves your conscious mind. When the conscious mind is involved, this work is less powerful and less successful. Good hypnosis requires no “homework.”
In addition to all that, listening to an audio recording utilizes one sense only–sound. So limited. Well, we have more senses available to us than that, we have sight, and sensation, and energy, and so on. In the unconscious mind (where this work belongs), we are utilizing all of that more holistic mind power for change. It’s like looking at a dim, faded, cracked, tiny, black and white photograph and “trying” to remember an event vs. fully experiencing life in the moment.
A somewhat rude novice hypnotist asked me one day: “If you’re not going to make CDs, how are YOU going to compete?” The answer is (without giving away the unique processes I have created to help people change), by creating more success for clients WITHOUT making them listen to a CD. It wouldn’t have been polite to say: “Because I’m more creative than you at this work.”
Here’s a story I like to tell to illustrate these ideas from my own personal experience. I used to have an extreme spider phobia. In addition to being deathly afraid of spiders, I was constantly worried about seeing one and was always on the lookout. This pattern lasted in me for over 30 years!
Guess what? I didn’t have to do anything or listen to a CD to keep that fear in place. It’s just who I was and how I responded in the world. It was an unconscious strategy in my mind. Not a useful one. With NLP, that strategy became changed in me in a one event new learning. I was changed. Effective immediately, there was no fear of spiders. It’s been 9 years now, and I’ve never had to “listen to a CD” to keep that change. It’s just who I am and how I respond in the world. With calm where fear used to be. That’s effective change. That’s what I strive for in my office. Automated change that does not involve your conscious mind expending energy where it’s not needed.
So my advice, toss the session CDs and find a hypnotist actually skilled enough to help you face to face!
All the Best,
Connie
Connie Brannan, CHt.
Neuro-Linguistic Hypnotherapist
Licensed Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming ®
Design Human Engineer ™
Persuasion Engineer ™
Professional Conversational Hypnotherapist
Managing Partner, Mindworks Hypnosis & NLP
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Content Copyright © Connie Brannan, CHt., 2015, and my not be reproduced with written prior consent.
