Let’s talk depth – here is a subject that drives me mad. So many hypnotists talk about depth, rapid inductions. Whereas hypnotherapists talk about knowing different inductions for analytical, visual, or kinaesthetic clients. How clients pop up out of hypnosis!

Having to use different inductions for different people. I have been a hypnotherapist now for 19 years and use one induction. Amazingly, if you tell analytical, visual, or kinaesthetic people to take a deep breath, close their eyes, and relax, I have not found that they have a problem with being able to do that.

You can also go on training days to learn how to facilitate rapid inductions. These courses help hypnotherapists feel more confident in being script-free. Helpful in learning how easy hypnosis is too. Being able to speed up. We don’t always need to be slow, and we definitely do not need to be monotone.

Some training schools make hypnosis sound as though it is hard for clients to relax into hypnosis. They suggest lots of deepeners to take your clients deep into hypnosis. Why? Learning lots of inductions again, why? Talk about resistant clients. Why? The truth is that depth does not matter. It is about you, as the hypnotherapist being confident with your techniques.

Hypnosis is daydreaming. We spend about 80% of our waking day in hypnosis. What hypnotherapists can do is help clients to achieve their goals. By using the language of the mind, plenty of repetition, different techniques and, of course, visualisation. Seeing is believing.

Now hypnotists use hypnosis for entertainment. They need to know which of the audience can relax into hypnosis quickly and easily. This is why they need to know rapid inductions and suggestibility tests.

Hypnotherapists need to be able to hypnotise 100% of our clients who walk through our therapy room. We do not require clients to be particularly good at going into hypnosis. All our clients need to do is follow our simple instructions. We do not need to learn rapid inductions. I only use rapid inductions when I am giving a talk and sometimes when I am teaching techniques.

Half of my clients would freak out if I used rapid inductions at their first session. Particularly if they are analytical, they will not go along with it. Or very anxious. I remember a client chatting with me after she had seen a hypnotherapist who used a rapid induction with her. She said it was awful; she felt like she had lost control. Of course, she did not go back. Hypnotherapy clients need to feel in control and relaxed, not shocked into hypnosis. Good grief!

From my experience of being a hypnotherapist, we have yet to learn how deep a client is in hypnosis most of the time. Of course, there are times when you can see that your client is exceptionally relaxed and very deep in hypnosis. Other times clients look as if they are in a very light trance. When they come up from hypnosis, they say how relaxed they were.

There are, of course, indications that a client is in hypnosis. Using suggestibility tests is a great one. Another indicator is the slowing of their breathing. REM (Rapid Eye Movement). That lovely sigh called the hypnotic sigh. Let’s remember swallowing, which is an excellent indicator that your client is going deeper.

Hannah – I gave up using an induction.

It was Hannah’s third session with me. Hannah is very left-brained and likes to understand everything. Of course, hypnotherapy involves the right side of our brain.  Using our imagination.

I HAVE DEVELOPED the IMR (Ideomotor Response) as part of the formula I teach, which tends to amaze people, particularly left-brained clients and children. Children love it. It is so funny when I am facilitating the IMR with children, and their finger moves on their own. Children are great fun, and when their finger twitches, it is not unusual for them to open their eyes and say to their mum, “Did you see that… I didn’t move my finger.” It is funny as the mums look at me concerned. Of course, hypnosis is not mind control. I tell them to close their eyes, and then I carry on.

Back to lovely Hannah

She had been having some fantastic changes. However, Hannah said she is out of her comfort zone.

With the work that we had done, Hannah was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She said that she knows that she needs to address her past. But doesn’t want to. I am fine with that and suggested that we continue and not deal with her past. She said that she knew that she needed to.

I explained that she could deal with it all in her mind and that there was no need to tell me what was happening. Hannah agreed…

I started the induction, and Hannah said I can’t do it. I suggested that we leave it. But Hannah said I need to deal with it.

After a couple of restarts of the induction, Hannah could not relax.

I said let’s forget the induction. Take a deep breath and close your eyes.

I went straight into techniques. The first technique I used was to rewrite history. I then mixed in some Gestalt and inner child work plus some parts therapy.

I finished with an anxiety technique that requires the client to stand on a track and allow all the emotions to pass through her so fast that her conscious mind cannot process each and every feeling, thought past, present or future. But her unconscious mind will process each and every emotion thought. Then let it be done. I repeated the process three times before counting Hannah up out of hypnosis.

It was pointless to continue with an induction as Hannah struggled to relax. Of course, as we were going through the techniques, Hannah was immediately in hypnosis. She was following my instructions. Depth does not matter. It is your client’s cooperation to follow your instructions and your skill as a hypnotherapist that matters.

Once I finished the work with Hannah, I progressed to the Clinical part of hypnosis; most clients find themselves dropping into a deep trance and experiencing hypnosis at its best.