Snapping the Fingers.
Trance removal is when clients are given suggestions that return them to a non-
trance state. The hypnotherapist, for example, may count to 10, asking clients to
open their eyes at the count of 5, and to be fully alert at 10. Clients most commonly
report that they feel relaxed during the session but may not be certain that they
were hypnotized, since they could hear every word the therapist said. Many hyp-
notherapists provide guided audio tapes for their clients so they can practice the
therapy at home.
Hypnosis cannot make people do anything against their will. If they really do not
want to change, hypnosis will be a waste of time and money. If, for example, a per-
son seeks hypnotherapy to stop smoking at a spouse’s insistence but is poorly moti-
vated, hypnotherapy will not be effective. Occasionally clients may demand that the
hypnotherapist perform some magical incantation and remove 30 pounds or make
the person never smoke again. This demand is the equivalent of insisting that their
primary care provider cure them of hypertension while refusing to change their diet
or follow a recommended medication schedule.
In some medical facilities, hypnosis and imagery are now routinely used with a vari-
ety of conditions, usually in conjunction with other forms of medical, surgical, psy-
chiatric, or psychological treatment. Hypnosis and imagery can be used with
nonmedical clients as well, who want to work through problems of living, situations
of performance anxiety, and in changing bad habits. Depending on the complexity
and seriousness of the complaint, treatment typically runs from 2 to 10 sessions.
Benefits and Applications of Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy and guided imagery can be used to help gain self-control, improve
self-esteem, and become more autonomous. People who are imprisoned by negative
beliefs see themselves as hopeless, helpless victims. With guided imagery, they can
learn how to substitute positive, empowering messages. Hypnosis and imagery also
can be used as a mental rehearsal for procedures, treatments, or surgery. Clients are
shown how to use their own images about the healing process or, alternatively, they
are guided through a series of images that are intended to distract them from
painful procedures or anxiety-producing situations. The practitioner may have
clients imagine themselves in a state of good health, well-being, or successfully
achieved goals.
People, especially children, are often able to rid themselves of warts by visualizing
their disappearance in one way or another. Hypnosis and imagery are often used as
a clinical treatment for Reynaud’s disease, a condition in which the capillaries of the
extremities constrict, with the result that hands and feet are cold and painful. When
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