How do you choose a hypnotherapist?
You should be able to have a chat with your hypnotherapist before you decide whether to use their services or not. Whether you actually visit their office or just talk to them over the phone doesn’t really matter. The main objective is to make sure that you have an opportunity to ask questions and, more importantly, feel comfortable with the answers, before you make your first appointment. Find out as much as you can so that you can feel confident that they are the right one for you.

So what should you ask them?
Firstly, asked them where they studied hypnotherapy. Some countries, like Australia, have a few hypnosis courses that are government accredited. This means that you’ll know straight away that the therapist with these qualifications have completed a significant amount of training and haven’t just done a two week crash course.

If you’re therapist is in a country that doesn’t have these qualifications available, then you should still find out how they learnt hypnosis. It is important for you to ascertain if your hypnotist went to a reputable training school and not some shady university on the Internet. Asking them who trained them and how long their training was should give you an idea of the level education in hypnosis.

Also ask about their experience with the problem that you are going to see them about. What type of experience have they had in helping people overcome an issue like yours? Do they specialise in any particular area? Or are they more of a jack of all trades?

Be sure to ask about any concerns that you have about hypnosis. Don’t worry about sounding silly. Chances are, they’ve heard it all before and will happily answer any questions to help put your mind at ease.

Trust Your Gut Instincts
Another point to consider is to tune into how you feel when you talk to them. Do you like them? Do they seem like someone that you’ll feel comfortable with? Although this won’t tell you how good they are at hypnosis, it’s a very important factor in determining how well you’ll work together.

Don’t go through with a session if you feel even the tiniest bit uneasy about the therapist or their methods. It’s okay to say no and try someone else instead. Or you may even decide to stick with self hypnosis. It’s up to you. Remember, it’s your mind that you’re trusting someone with and you want to sure that you’re completely comfortable with the therapist as well as the therapy being offered.

As a Hypnotherapist, I’m often asked “Which is better Hypnosis CDs or one-on-one Consultations?”. Now, there are pros and cons for both, so lets explore those then you can make up your own mind.

For specific issues CDs can be remarkably powerful. The main benefit of Hypnosis CDs is the decreased cost and the opportunity to listen to them as many times as you like. The subconscious mind is extremely complex and the repetition of a Hypnosis Program can increase the Program’s effectiveness dramatically. You also have the convenience of using the program where you want to, when you want to (unless you’re driving or operating heavy machinery, of course!). And if privacy is important to you, then this is a great option.

While they are inexpensive and convenient, an “off the shelf” Hypnosis CD will not take into account your personal situation and specific needs. And in some cases you will require more personalised attention and guidance to help you resolve your issue.

Of course, the most effective way to use Hypnosis to address issues is with a Clinical Hypnotherapist in person. They can design a program that suits your particular goal and fine turn it based on your feedback. During the consultation, they can respond to your reactions and adjust the hypnosis session accordingly to achieve the best possible results.
However, a good Clinical Hypnotherapist can be expensive and, in most cases, you will need more than one session to resolve an issue. You also have to find time to travel to their consulting room and, if they don’t see clients out of business hours, you may need to take a couple of hours off work.

A great compromise is to have a Hypnotherapist create a customised hypnosis recording for you. This way, you can have the recording tailored to your specific needs, while saving money and time. However, not all issues are suitable to this format of personal work. For example, with issues such as severe depression or drug addiction, it’s better to see a Clinical Hypnotherapist in person who can work in conjunction with the appropriate Health Care Professional to ensure the client’s safety and well being.

So, which is better? It depends entirely on you. Make your decision based on your particular situation and the issue you want to address with Hypnosis.

Avoid Gloom and Doom.
This step is worth the effort. But just remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this tip most likely won’t show immediate results. Starting right now, reduce the time you are exposed to negativity. It doesn’t matter if that means not watching the evening news, or whether it means to avoid the toxic people who see only failure and horror in everything, it’s important to cut those cancerous presences from your life… at least for awhile. If you absolutely have to scan the news headlines on the Web once a day, and read the absolute essentials, that isn’t the end of the world – just keep in mind that what gets traffic to a web site is presenting EVERYTHING as if it were cataclysmic. Just avoid getting immersed in their sludge. Over time, this will liberate you and leave a great deal of your emotional reserves open to actually doing something with your life, as you won’t be wasting energy carrying around negativity for which you bear no responsibility and over which you have no control.

Watch your language.
Stop putting yourself down. What I mean to say is, speak a bit more kindly to yourself, you overall decent and respectable person. This example is meant to illustrate that even belittling yourself in a joking manner is absolutely unacceptable. But while you might not think that the occasional self-effacing joke is a big deal, EVERYTHING you say to yourself goes into your subconscious mind… and bad things make you feel bad. So, start talking positively to yourself, even if feels absolutely ridiculous. Affirm that anything you desire is possible, and it will BE possible – even if you don’t have all the technical skills (with the right attitude, you can learn them).

Reclaim your power.
To increase your belief in yourself and what you can do, try picturing this: see yourself as you are, and then picture a flicker of brilliant white light beginning to form in your midsection. Now watch this speck of light as it begins to grow larger and brighter, filling your entire torso with shimmering, brilliant power. See yourself growing larger and more confident, brightened greatly by this light. Now imagine this image of yourself growing into you, and BEING you. This image is your inner power, and you can grow it into something truly imposing… and accomplish whatever you really desire in life.

Sending subliminal messages is often confused as, and mistakenly so, a form of hypnosis. In a way, both revolve around the concept of tapping into a person’s subconscious over his conscious mind and for the purpose of planting in there a new idea, belief or suggestion. When one is under hypnosis, it would be as though his conscious mind is temporarily disabled and he is susceptible to whatever the hypnotist would place in his belief system. Subliminal messages are said to operate in the same fashion.

However, their similarities stop there. One major difference is in the ability of the person receiving the subconscious intervention to give permission to do so. In hypnosis, particularly in hypnotherapy, where the intervention is for the purpose of instilling positive change, the permission is a crucial factor or else the undertaking would fail. A parent, for instance, cannot just drag her child to go to a therapist against the child’s will in order for hypnosis to be performed on the latter. In subliminal messaging, permission is often not given by the person receiving the suggestion. Often, the subliminal messages come on in a split of a second and just as quickly disappear. The person watching or listening to it would not even be aware that he has just been subjected to it. There is no opportunity for him to give permission on whether to allow or deny that message from being fed into his subconscious mind.

Another area where the two concepts differ is in how they are used. Hypnosis is a recognized tool in the area of mental wellness; entertainers may harness it as part of their show in the form of stage hypnosis, but even this still involves the giving of the voluntary consent from its participants. More often than not, though, this is applied to help a person in overcoming negative beliefs and guide him on the road to a better perception of his issues. Subliminal messages, on the other hand, are employed as a marketing tool to promote a product, service or cause. An example of this would be the billboards along the highways that an average cautious driver barely even gives a glance. Driving has been linked to being somewhat in a trance and that is likely the reason why such kind of marketing is used. Same effect is also said to occur in TV watching.

It is also interesting to note that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would take back the offending party’s broadcasting license if it is proven that subliminal messages are applied for the purpose of influencing the consumers to behave according to the said message. Subliminal messages had been controversial in the sense that it was considered to be a way of breaching a person’s privacy. Hypnosis, particularly hypnotherapy, is not subject of any government regulation in majority of the states.

So the next time you have this burning desire to get the car keys and head to the nearest mall because of some TV commercial, relax. You now know that hypnosis is not the reason.

One of the simplest meditation techniques is conscious breathing.
As a relaxation technique, it is best done lying down or sitting in a comfortable chair. Make sure you have adequate room for your chest and diaphragm to expand as you breathe.
Begin by noticing your breathing – not controlling it, just noticing. Awareness by itself may slow it down. Other thoughts will come to mind; let them float away. Gently draw your attention back to your breath. The goal is to maintain passive concentration.

Next, try to breathe in through your nose for a count of 5, and then out through your mouth for a count of 5. Don’t force it, just let it happen. Feel the air flowing into your nostrils then past your tongue. Let the breath travel to every part of your body, gathering negativity and stress, which you can then breathe out to be rid of it. The next inhalation will bring in peace and relaxation. Continue this practice for 20-30 minutes, or as long as you comfortably can.

Don’t be discouraged if you are bombarded with unwanted thoughts! With practice, you will be able to let them automatically slide out as soon as they enter.

Visualisation is like taking a vacation in your mind.
In fact, you can do just that when you’re feeling stressed! The next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, find a quiet place to be alone for a few minutes, close your eyes, and imagine that you’re lying on a tropical beach. Feel the sand beneath your body, the sun warming your skin, the kiss of the breeze moving through your hair. Breathe deeply and welcome the sensation of total relaxation flowing through your body. Just a few minutes of this can trigger your body’s relaxation response because your mind cannot tell the difference between something real and imagined!

Whichever method you choose is a matter of personal preference. As long as you do something to help your mind let go of anxiety, then you’re on the right track. And at the end of your or visualisation you will feel calmer, relaxed, and refreshed.

The first few times you practice the following technique, it’s a good idea to make sure that you’re relatively calm to begin with. After you’ve practiced a few times, you’ll be able to achieve the same deep relaxation, even if you are feeling stressed or tense.

1. Get into a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down. Then simply close your eyes taking a few moments to unwind.

2. Now take a long slow deep breath, hold it as long as you comfortably can, then slowly release the breath allowing your whole body to relax with the exhale. Repeat this two more times and notice how you relax even further with each breath.

3. Now, imagine that your standing at the top of a set of 20 steps and each step will take you further into a deep state of relaxation. Then, as you count backwards from 20 to 1, imagine that you are moving down to the next step. With each number, notice that you are going deeper, becoming even more relaxed, feeling calm and at ease.

4. This is the most important step! Take some time to enjoy this relaxed state. Some people find that by this time their breathing has become slower and their body may feel either very heavy or very light or it may even feel likes it’s tingling. It’s different for everyone so just pay attention to any changes and allow yourself to enjoy that state of deep relaxation.

5. Then when you are ready to awaken, count up from one to five, with each number just instruct yourself to become more alert, more awake, feeling more refreshed. When you reach five open your eyes and remember to give your arms and legs a little shake to reorient yourself.

While you’ll experience the benefits immediately, you’ll find that you become more and more relaxed each time you go through the exercise. To get the most of this technique it’s recommended that you practice at least once each day for 21 days. Then use it as often as you like and whenever you’re feeling stressed or anxious.

First thing in the morning, when you first awaken, spend some time to think about how you’d like your day to go. Think about how you’d like to think and feel, rather than what you’d like to happen to you. Regardless of how many times you’ve watched “The Secret”, thinking about winning a million dollars won’t necessarily make it happen.

Remember that you can control your reactions to events more than the events themselves. For example, if you have a big presentation at work, you can ask yourself what inner resources you would need to set yourself up for the day. Maybe you’d like more clarity, self-assurance and a feeling of calmness. Or you may want to feel more professional and speak with conviction. Only you know what you need. This is your day that you’re setting up!

Grab a notebook and write these details down. Then get yourself in a comfortable position (but not lying down, you don’t want to fall back to sleep!). Next take a couple of deep breaths and let your mind settle a little. Then spend a few minutes using your imagination to envision yourself thinking and behaving exactly as you as you’d like to for that day. Many people like to close their eyes to do this so that they can really focus on their visualisation. Make it as vivid as you can, with as many details as possible. Most importantly, allow yourself to really feel as if it’s happening right now. Experience exactly how you’d like to feel throughout your day, with all the inner resources that you wrote down earlier.

Once you’ve finished, you’ll be feeling fantastic and completely confident about the day ahead! And as you go through your day, just notice all the positive thoughts and feelings that you have. Each time you recognise that you are using one of the inner resources that you wrote down that morning, you automatically reaffirm those positive feelings.

You don’t need to wait for a special event to use this process. In fact, by going through this exercise on a daily basis, you will become better at both visualising your day and accessing your inner resources.

Change Your Self Talk

To change your self-talk, start to be aware of any negativity. Bringing them into conscious awareness is the first step in dealing with them effectively. All you need to do is place a positive statement right alongside any negative self talk. Then just let it go.

You don’t need to completely eliminate all unproductive or negative thoughts. It’s an exercise in futility, which will only make you frustrated and ultimately more pessimistic in the long run. Just get into the habit of thinking more positively about things and, after a while, you’ll start to automatically think more positively.

Another popular method influencing your thoughts with words is affirmations. However, many people don’t use them properly. The form of the affirmation that you use is very important. Some kinds of affirmations are highly effective, while others are less effective or may even be detrimental. Here are some tips to keep in mind while creating your affirmations.

Frame your affirmation in the present tense

If you affirm that you are “going to” achieve something in the future, then your mind will work on keeping it in the future. You don’t want to be forever “going to” achieve something. You want to frame it in the now, as if you’ve already achieved it. For example, if you want to lose weight, don’t say “I will lose weight” instead, say something like “I’m at my goal weight”

Use positive words

Always frame what you are going to say in a positive manner. Instead of saying, “I won’t eat junk food today” say, “I eat healthy and nutritious food that tastes great” Remember that positive words reinforce your thought and ideas. Conversely, negative words will reinforce the thought and idea that you cannot succeed.

Make it believable

Add something to establish that you have already completed all or at least a part of your goal. It makes it more believable to the subconscious mind. Therefore it’s more likely to integrate into your existing beliefs and less likely to dismiss it. For example, if your goal is to be more confident, say “Each day I grow more confident”.

The power to change the way you think (and therefore how your life responds to your thoughts) is in you hands. You can take control of your negative self-talk and start to think in ways that will propell you towards your goals.

Here are some more tips to help you be successful at hypnotising yourself:

1.Try to practice regularly at the same time each day for 15-30 minutes per session.

2. When you’re just starting out, it’s a good idea to only practice when you are in a relatively relaxed state to begin with. So you may want to take a warm bath beforehand.

3. Make sure you’re prepared. Before you begin your session, know what suggestions you’ll be using. Don’t try to make them up on the go. You want your conscious mind to relax and if you have to think too hard, then your session won’t be very effective.

4. Do not force your mind when it is feeling tired or sleepy after a long and stressful day. If you are too tired, then you’ll have trouble concentrating. If you need to rest, then just rest.

5. Find a quiet spot to practice. It’s best to minimise distractions while you are in the process of learning self hypnosis. Remember to turn off your phone and if anyone is in the area, ask them not to disturb you.

6. Find a position where your body will be comfortable and you will find it easier to enter the hypnotic state. If you have a recliner, that would be perfect. However, make sure that you’re not so comfortable that you fall asleep – that defeats the purpose. A good position is to be sitting in a chair with your spine straight and your feet firmly planted on the floor.

7. Get helpful tips and hints from friends practicing self-hypnosis or from a professional hypnotherapist.

8. Make or buy a recording that guides you into hypnosis before you start to apply suggestions. If you’re making it yourself you can either just record an induction or you may want to record your whole session, including the positive suggestions that you’ll be working with.

9. Practice putting yourself into a relaxed state as often as possible. Even if it’s just a couple of minutes here and there throughout the day, you will be able to get into hypnosis much more easily when you do your self hypnosis work.

10. Always have a positive attitude. When you think you can succeed, you will!

Practice self-hypnosis daily and soon you will be able to hypnotise yourself anytime and anywhere.

Below are a few other ways that journaling can help you.

Empty your mind.

It’s very easy to have a cluttered mind – we often have thoughts that aren’t worries per se, but manage nevertheless to irritate and distract us from what we really need to. You can begin an effective day by “pouring” the whole lot of these stray thoughts into your journal. As you write down your thoughts remind yourself that you’re setting them aside, to best focus on the day’s tasks. If you notice that random thoughts are nagging at you later on while you work toward your goals, then go to a new page and then repeat the process. After a while, your mind will become accustomed to focusing on the task at hand, and eventually let go of these stray, random thoughts.

Remember your “why.”

Staying motivated is a cinch when our reasons to want to improve ourselves are right there in our minds. But motivation can spray out like air from a slightly-punctured tire as we go on and an idea loses momentum. Use your journal to write down the reasons why you want to make these changes or pursue the goals you’re going after. Read them often in order to keep them in the forefront of your mind, and if there comes a time when you need a little “kick in the pants.”reread them again

Be grateful.

Gratitude can be a powerful ingredient in giving yourself a more positive attitude and kicking up your motivation. Either start or end your day by journaling a list of 5 things that you’re grateful for. While there’s nothing wrong with general things, such as your family, your health or the roof over your head, it’s even better to go into specifics of what you’re grateful for, progress you personally made, or any unexpected opportunities that pooped up. Before long, you’ll feel like a million bucks – and you’ll naturally want to create even more great things in your life.

It’s all too easy to forget how great you felt at achieving a particular something, once the feeling naturally fades and time washes away the newness. A journal is a marvellous reminder to yourself that your capabilities are greater than you typically realize. So grab a pen and start writing. It just might be what you need to help your self improvement efforts soar.