Quitting Smoking

Whenever I say I’m a hypnosis consultant, people always ask me about smoking cessation. Most people know someone who quit by using hypnosis.

There was a study done over 10 years ago that found hypnosis to be 79% effective in the process of quitting smoking. This is a phenomenal success rate for eliminating an addiction. I have been told by clients and others that nicotine is a very hard habit to break. So why isn’t it common knowledge that hypnosis is so effective?

All my clients know how bad it is for you. All the statistics in the world have not made them stop. Some don’t stop even after the doctor gives them a dire diagnosis. All of my clients have tried using Will Power to stop. Sometimes this works for a few days, or a few hours. The imagination wins over will power every time. So, hypnosis uses your imagination to eliminate a bad habit, rehearse new healthy behaviors and take control over the addiction. I think that’s the key, control. I empower my clients take control of the cigarette. This is a new way of thinking for them. Most of them think the cigarette has the control. They schedule their whole life around their cigarette breaks. It takes a lot of energy to figure out where and when you can smoke these days. Most workplaces are smoke-free and the smoking areas are so inconvenient.

So when I assist someone to eliminate smoking behavior, I give them homework. I use hypnosis to facilitate the process, and I teach self-hypnosis so they can reinforce the new healthy habit of fresh-air breathing, and other goals.