Does hypnosis really work? Isn’t it just for things like quitting smoking?
If done right: it’s extremely effective! And it’s an amazing way of facilitating much deeper work. You can read some testimonials here. We don’t have a lot of reviews online because we don’t push our clients to share something sensitive and personal. The issues we specialize in are often very private. We don’t offer quick wins like smoking cessation or enable extreme dieting. We are always working to challenge stigma around therapy and talking about therapy but it’s not for everyone.
At JQ Hypnosis we have a success rate of over 90% getting clients the results they want. Everyone can benefit from hypnosis. Yes especially those overthinkers out there! We have worked with clients with Schizophrenia, ADHD, Autism and even Deaf clients. No personality, disability or health condition is a barrier to hypnosis. Please be aware however that sessions at JQ Hypnosis are not designed to diagnose or treat any mental or physical disability or health condition.Some people are more susceptible to hypnosis than others- who and why continues to evade clinical researchers. It is a common myth that passive people respond better. Sometimes those who are the most controlling in their daily lives are the most suggestible.
People put up the biggest walls when it comes to their most intimate thoughts, desires and fears. A skilled hypnotist will adapt to whomever they are working with to get the best from that person so things can flow freely.
What insurance do you accept?
Unfortunately we cannot accept insurance. Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are not licensed professions anywhere in the US. Some plans cover hypnotherapy but this can only be billed for by other licensed professionals as an adjunct service. HSA reimbursement is technically possible with a letter of medical necessity from a doctor but we have not had any success with this route either.
There are no minimum education or experience requirements for the hypnosis element of the treatment if it is provided by another licensed professional. So it can take considerably longer to benefit from it, if at all. If there are any co-pays involved it may still work out more expensive to spend a year working with someone else, than investing in a couple of months with us.
At JQ Hypnosis we believe that hypnosis is an extremely powerful healing tool in its own right, that requires years of graduate study and hundreds of hours of clinical supervision, as is required in many other parts of the world. We also believe strongly in having a flexible and dynamic approach that can use a variety of other healing tools to best meet the needs of the individual client. Unfortunately this is not a view shared by most state boards and insurance companies at this time. If things change we will of course update this section.
We always try and work with clients on payment plans or find a solution if finances become a problem during a course of sessions. We are super approachable! Talk to us.
How many sessions do I need?
Hypnosis is a brief intervention, achieving outstanding results very quickly. For certain simple goals as few as two sessions is all it takes to make lasting change. Most clients have multiple things they wish to work on or that impact their primary reason for coming. They benefit from ongoing support as the changes they make play out in their lives. This gives them real life tools that they can apply to any future situations that arise. The average is 6 sessions. Check out our rates page for package offers.
Will I lose control?
No. While stage hypnosis utilizes many similar techniques to clinical or holistic hypnosis, the difference is that trust and doing exactly what the client wants is our main concern. Its actually like being more in control. The more you engage with hypnosis to quieten the mind and cut through the lies we tell ourselves and the conditioning we are exposed to, the more you are able to focus on what truly matters to you: gaining a far greater sense of control. As your guides in this process we are simply teaching you a more effective way to talk to your subconscious mind and in turn train your conscious habits with expert help. You will always feel good and safe when you are with us at JQ Hypnosis.
Will I remember my session?
This depends on the depth of trance. You will certainly remember all of your first session but depending on the issue being dealt with, you may be taken to a deeper state of trance where you forget all or part of your session but this is not common. We will always discuss the depth of trance with you and ensure we communicate with you thoroughly throughout the process to gain ongoing consent. If you don’t respond, then you’re asleep and you’re paying for a nap! At JQ Hypnosis we make sure this never happens. We continually monitor your trance level and bring you up or down depending on what you need.
Do you record the sessions?
Some clients request this and we are happy for you to record your session but for copyright reasons please do not share this online. If you would like a recording to listen to regularly to reinforce your sessions, we offer custom recordings designed and paced for this purpose.
What can I expect from my first session?
There will be a detailed analysis that builds on your free consultation. This will involve a conversation about the issue and some probing questions. If you can’t bring yourself to talk about it then just share what you can and we will do the rest. We will be observing a multitude of things to build a picture of how your unique mind works so that we can pick the techniques that work best for you. There is no one size fits all at JQ Hypnosis. There are hundreds of hypnotic techniques and strategies and ways to approach your goals the key to the easiest and fastest route to success is finding the right fit for you. We will then do short hypnosis session based on our observations – no more than 15 minutes – so you get a feel for it. It will be light and enjoyable. Like a gentle guided meditation made just for you.
Are all your services accessible to people with disabilities?
Yes. Though the restrooms unfortunately are not. I hope to find a fully accessible space and am always looking. Please drop me an email to let me know your accessibility requirements and I will do everything I can to make it as smooth a process as possible. If you need extra time for sessions this will of course be provided free of charge. There is space in the rooms for PAs or caregivers and also a waiting area with white noise machines for privacy.
I have a religious practice. Will hypnosis conflict with my beliefs?
I will always work sensitively in a way that honors any religious or cultural beliefs you may have. You are the expert on your personal faith and if it is important to you, I ask that you share that with me. If you would like to keep it private, that’s also completely fine. There are many different approaches to hypnotherapy. It can be very clinical and scientific or it can be influenced by things like buddhist, yogic or shamanic practices. The approach that best fits you is what you get. The goal is to communicate in a deeper, easier and more caring way with your subconscious mind. There is no reason why this would replace or interfere with your religious or cultural practice.
What is unique about how you work compared to others in the field?
I only work with a maximum of 12 clients at a time to make sure that everyone gets my full attention. Not just during the session but in between too. I may be researching things for them, meditating on them, responding to emails from them, creating recordings or resources. My goal is to invest in my clients and hold things for them so that all they have to do is be there. That’s not to say they won’t be doing the work, just that it won’t feel like it. Sessions with me are typically 90 minutes. Most therapy tends to be 50 minutes and I often found in my own therapy that I’d spend 10 minutes brining my therapist up to speed about what we were working on from last week and then 15 minutes explaining what had been going on and then I’d have 15 minutes of getting in there before the session was over. It took so long. If you ever felt impatient in therapy, or like you needed more time to come out of your shell, or like you wanted a way to integrate it all after speaking then this might be a good fit for you. I’m not aware of anyone else that does 90 minutes. Some clients end up only needing an hour and that’s it. And that’s totally fine too. But the time and extra support is always there, if they ever need it. It’s intense, fast paced, active, solution focused and dynamic in terms of efficacy and yet the experience feels very gentle, loving, deep, casual and peaceful at the same time. Never re-traumatizing. Never exhausting. But the work is never bypassed either. My approach is really eclectic, so I never know quite how I am going to show up for my clients, just that I promise to! Oh and I’m a hypnotherapist so that’s a little different too! Most other hypnotherapists I know of seem to fall into three categories: They are clinicians specializing in a particular approach, that have added some hypnosis to the mix. In New York there is no requirement for the amount of hypnosis training someone needs to have done to call themselves a hypnotherapist, so while they should be competent therapists, the hypnotherapy part is usually an adjunct that has often been studied just over the course of a weekend. This is a long term approach that if done well, uses hypnosis to aid relaxation, build trust and overcome barriers, but too often clients come to me saying “my therapist tried hypnosis and it didn’t work”. The other is traditional hypnosis that isn’t really investigative or collaborative but involves telling someone that they’re changing their undesirable thoughts and habits, often in one or two sessions. If done well this can be useful for interrupting unhelpful patterns, providing a strong counter argument to habitual thinking and provide a will power boost. Unfortunately it is limited and often in the long term it’s just not that easy. Good for quitting smoking, generic motivation or acing tests. Then finally we have those who use hypnosis as part of a range of holistic healing practices. All sorts of weird and wonderful ways to work on the body and soul. Again this can often be beautiful and an expression of spiritual and cultural healing practices used for centuries, this can come up short when it comes to the workings of the mind, practical applications or where those belief systems don’t match up with those of the client. I offer a blend of all 3 and a bunch of other stuff that is adapted to suit the needs of my client.
How will our relationship be different than relationships I have with friends/loved ones?
You will likely only be working with me regularly for a few months and then we may just keep in touch periodically or we might not, it depends on you. My door is always open but I like to make sure that my clients have all the tools they need so that if anything comes up in the future they have the resources available in themselves (and sometimes on google docs or a recording). During our time together we will get to know each other and we will form a connection. I’m definitely on the warm, loving and friendly side of the spectrum when it comes to therapeutic approaches. So in some ways it might feel like you’re talking to a friend or loved one but a friend and loved one who’s feelings you don’t have to think about, who you know will respond in the right way to you, who you don’t have to ask back “so how are you doing?” This is your therapy, not mine, so I’ll know more about you than you do about me but I am quite an open book when it comes to my real world experience either clinically or personally on things. I’m 38 and I have lived a full life so far, so as well as spending the last 9 years studying and training in my field, I also bring practical real life (my life, the life of others in my life, my other clients or colleagues) applications of these things into the mix. A final note: it varies vastly too from client to client and what you want from this. With some its a somewhat distant business like relationship, other’s send me pictures of their new babies, dogs or plants years later!
How can you tell if I am benefiting from working with you?
As I offer brief interventions (typically 6 sessions, rarely more than 10) every session there is usually a huge shift in how the clients present themselves: brighter, more relaxed and often with deep insights. Sometimes there are a couple of weeks when things do not appear to be having a real life impact and it can indicate that we need to move in a different direction and sometimes we need to stick with something through a little resistance (either with the clients or through coaching them to combat the resistance from others in their life), but if I do my job well, clients have the resolutions they want and that’s how I tell! I always ask clients how they feel about everything but as soon as they are in even a light trance state, we always get the truth of whether it is helpful or not. Sometimes this is through direct questioning, sometimes through using metaphors or stories, and of course me observing all their micro-actions when exploring how their sessions are progressing.
How should I prepare for my first session with you?
There is nothing you need to do to prepare.
How participatory are you during sessions?
Very. I am either directing the hypnosis, asking questions, or facilitating a change. There are times when I am silently observing or giving clients space to talk or explore, and I am holding a loving space for them, but these would be short, contained periods of time during a session. We get a LOT done in one session and for this reason I tend to attract dynamic, quick thinkers, with a high level of personal insight already.
How much do you share about yourself during our time together and why?
I respond completely openly to questions about myself, and I like clients to know me and see me as authentic. As hypnosis is a very liberating experience where people share a lot of deeply personal information, often in unusual and raw ways, it’s important that we bond as real people so that there is never any embarrassment. This is, however, a time for you, and I tend not to go into any details about my experiences (or other client’s experiences with a particular issue), as I believe every individual experience is different. What matters is what’s going on with you.
How long should I commit to being in therapy, at least in the beginning?
Typically I ask clients to commit to at least 4 sessions/ 1 month. Also my sessions are 90 minutes each so please bear that in mind.
How can you tell if I am feeling stuck, unseen, or unheard?
Clients will always tell me either outright or it will come across during trance. People don’t really hide anything during hypnosis, so that’s the beauty of it compared with other approaches. Another huge part of my training is in picking up on how someone feels or thinks even if they don’t feel they can express it or have adapted to hiding it. This is such a gentle and open space that there really are no rules about how things should or shouldn’t go or how clients should or shouldn’t feel. We talk a lot throughout the sessions and I check in via email regularly. While there is space for clients to share freely, my listening will be active as I seek to understand them fully. I also share with them ways to help other people in their life understand and hear them and do some interpreting.
Have you received any particular training beyond your post-Bachelor’s training?
Yes. I complete 8 CFU hours of hypnotherapy training every year in the UK, as well as a lot of holistic offerings here in the US and all over the world. I am always learning something new to improve myself and offer more to my clients, to cover any eventuality that may come up in therapy. Last year I completed a course of training with Tara Brach on the RAIN process to healing, and I will be attending a Kundalini meditation teacher training workshop this summer.
Do you assign homework, activities, or readings for me to do between sessions?
Usually there will be some self hypnosis to do at home, a recording to listen to or some tips, tricks or exercises to be used to provide relief and reinforcement in between sessions. It is rare for me to share readings, but I may provide links to resources. For example, I recently shared a social anxiety MeetUp group with a client.