I had a wonderful discussion with a client the other day about how many hypnosis sessions does it really take to quit smoking. As I told him, it is truly different for everyone and anyone guaranteeing one session is not telling you the full truth. Yes, it can only take one, but there is much more to it.
The reason it is different for each person is because everyone has a different relationship or trigger to whatever their reason is for smoking (or other issues they are seeking hypnosis for). Some triggers are easy to find and associate the ‘want’ or ‘need’ for a cigarette, others can be deeply rooted and a client may have no idea the ‘why’s’.
Here are two basic examples; One client has the urge to smoke whenever they drink or have a cup of coffee. This is a basic habit. Yes there is addiction involved, but the craving comes on with outside stimuli. So this can be a one time session depending on their motivation to quit.
Client number two doesn’t even realize they are smoking until the cigarette is already lit. They smoke at different times of day and can not find an association with their cravings.
You can see for client one how it would be much simpler to change their neural pathways than client number two, because there is a basic understanding of what is happening. Now that does not mean client two will need a dozen sessions, but it might mean they need a little more coaching and digging to find their association. Often times there can be something simple that is uncovered, like there is a self sabotage going on. This might look like every time they start to make progress in other areas of their life they begin to sabotage their health with smoking (think of this like an “I don’t deserve to be happy” belief). This is usually a subconscious belief which is why it can take more sessions. Another association can be past sexual trauma. Perhaps the client doesn’t even realize this, but they might believe cigarettes smell bad, therefore if they smoke they will smell bad and that will propel others away from them, thus keeping them safe.
So you can see how finding out your triggers and associations with smoking (or again, whatever you are seeking hypnotherapy for) can be a little tricky and makes it hard to determine how many sessions you truly need. And for those that claim 100% money back guarantee, well, read the fine print. Often these folks have no formal training or are selling some pills for you on the side. Nothing is 100% guaranteed.
If you’d like to find out more please feel free to email me your questions at Laura@PrimitiveBalance.com
