Why You Won't Cluck Like A Chicken - What Actually Happens During Hypnotherapy
Discover the truth about hypnotherapy as we debunk common myths and misconceptions. Learn why therapeutic hypnosis empowers rather than controls, and how it can transform your life.
“I’m scared I’ll bark like a dog or reveal my deepest secrets.” “What if I can’t wake up?” “I don’t think I can be hypnotized.”
As a professional hypnotherapist, I hear these concerns often. It’s no wonder – decades of stage shows, Hollywood movies, and sensationalized media have created a fog of myths around hypnotherapy that keeps many people from experiencing its life-changing benefits.
Today, I’m setting the record straight. Let’s separate fact from fiction and discover what hypnotherapy really offers: a powerful tool for empowerment, healing, and transformation.
Debunking The Myths
Myth #1:
“Hypnosis is Like Stage Shows – I’ll Lose Control and Embarrass Myself”
The Reality: Stage hypnosis and therapeutic hypnotherapy are as different as a magic show and medical surgery.
Stage hypnotists carefully screen their audiences, selecting the most extroverted, suggestible participants who are eager to perform. They’re looking for people who want to be the center of attention and are willing to play along with entertaining suggestions. The “volunteers” often know exactly what they’re signing up for.
Therapeutic hypnotherapy, on the other hand, is about empowering you to work with your brain rather than against it. Many of us spend our lives fighting our own minds – overthinking, self-sabotaging, and getting trapped in destructive patterns. Hypnotherapy teaches you to collaborate with your subconscious mind to achieve your goals.
In my practice, you remain completely in control yet deeply relaxed state throughout the session. You’ll only receive and accept suggestions that align with your values and goals. The process is designed to strengthen your sense of personal power, not diminish it.
Myth #2:
“I’ll Lose Control and Be Powerless”
The Reality: Hypnosis is actually an increased state of awareness, not decreased control.
This might be the biggest misconception of all. During hypnosis, we’re simply bypassing the conscious, analytical part of your mind – the part that often overthinks everything and keeps you stuck in familiar patterns.
Think of your conscious mind as a very dedicated security guard who’s perhaps a bit too cautious. This guard analyzes every new idea, questions every change, and often talks you out of positive transformations because “that’s not how we’ve always done things.”
During hypnosis, we’re having a conversation directly with your subconscious mind – the part that actually controls your emotions, habits, and automatic responses. You’re more aware, not less. You’re simply more open to positive change because the overthinking part of your mind isn’t interfering with helpful suggestions.
You’re not unconscious; you’re totally relaxed and focused.
Myth #3:
“What If I Don’t Wake Up?”
The Reality: You’re not actually asleep, and “waking up” is as natural as opening your eyes.
This fear comes from the confusing terminology we use. When we say “wake up” from hypnosis, we’re not talking about waking from sleep – we’re simply returning to your normal waking state of consciousness.
Here’s the truth: you go to sleep naturally every night and wake up every morning without any assistance. Your brain knows exactly how to regulate these states. During hypnosis, you’re in a focused, relaxed state similar to daydreaming or the moments just before you fall asleep. Coming out of this state is as natural and automatic as stopping a daydream when someone calls your name.
In over 10 years of practice, I’ve never had a client who couldn’t easily return to normal awareness.
Myth #4:
“I Can’t Be Hypnotized”
The Question I Always Ask: “Do you ever catch yourself daydreaming?”
If you’ve ever found yourself lost in thought while driving and suddenly realized you don’t remember the last few miles, congratulations – you’ve experienced hypnosis. If you’ve ever been so absorbed in a book or movie that you lost track of time, that’s hypnosis too.
Daydreaming is a natural form of hypnosis. Your conscious mind relaxes its grip, and you enter that same alpha or theta brainwave state we use in therapeutic sessions. If you can daydream, you can absolutely be hypnotized for therapeutic purposes.
Some individuals enter trance effortlessly, while others – particularly those with analytical minds who tend to overthink – may benefit from a more tailored approach to accessing hypnosis. This is where specialized training and experience become invaluable. Having worked with countless clients who initially believed they “couldn’t be hypnotized,” I’ve developed techniques that work effectively with different personality types and thinking styles. The key lies in understanding that there’s no single path into hypnosis – there are multiple doorways, and finding the right one for each individual is part of the therapeutic art.
Myth #5:
“Hypnosis Will Make Me Do Things Against My Will”
The Truth: Your moral compass and personal values remain fully intact.
At the start of every first session, I spend time discussing with my clients exactly what they want to achieve. This isn’t about me imposing solutions or making judgments about what you should change – it’s about enabling you to discover the solutions that feel right for you and helping you become who you want to become.
My approach is collaborative rather than directive. Together, we explore what changes would truly serve you and align with your deepest values and aspirations. The hypnotherapy process then supports your own inner wisdom and desired transformation. You remain the author of your own change – I’m simply providing the tools and environment that make that change possible.
This is why therapeutic hypnosis works so powerfully – we’re not trying to override your judgment or force change upon you. Instead, we’re working with your own authentic desire for growth and helping you access the resources within yourself to achieve it.
Myth #6:
“Hypnosis is the Magic Solution”
My Reality Check: Hypnosis is not the solution – it’s simply a tool. It’s only as effective as the hypnotherapist using it.
Hypnosis itself isn’t what creates transformation. What we do during hypnosis is what makes it effective. It’s like saying a scalpel performs surgery – no, the skilled surgeon using the scalpel performs surgery.
My approach focuses on helping you neutralize negative emotions so they’re no longer triggers for you. We’re not trying to erase your past or pretend difficult experiences didn’t happen. Instead, we’re clearing the emotional charge from those experiences so you can use the wisdom you’ve gained to move forward powerfully.
90% of your memory is stored in your subconscious mind
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The Truth About What Hypnotherapy Can Do For You
- Help you clear the emotional triggers that keep you stuck
- Enable you to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively
- Neutralize negative emotions attached to past experiences
- Empower you to work with your mind instead of against it
- Access the profound healing capacity of your subconscious mind
What It Will Not Do For You
- Change the past (but it can change how the past affects you)
- Control other people (but when you change how you respond, others often change how they relate to you)
- Force you to do anything against your will
- Work without your genuine desire for change
A Real Transformation Story
This was a very positive experience that I would strongly suggest this to someone who needs that boost of positivity and to get out of their old negatives and change their mind set
Yocheved is a genuine caring, passionate, professional who is excellent at her job.
I was going through a tough period a year ago and went to several sessions with her. I really benefited from it
For more transformational testimonials Click here
A Natural State of Healing
Hypnosis is completely natural – as natural as daydreaming, as natural as the moments before sleep, as natural as getting completely absorbed in something you love. We all experience these states daily without even thinking about it.
The difference in therapeutic hypnosis is that we’re using these natural states intentionally and purposefully to create positive change in your life.
Your Path to Empowerment
Understanding these truths about hypnotherapy opens the door to incredible possibilities. When you realize that hypnosis is actually about increased awareness and personal empowerment, when you understand that you remain completely in control while accessing your mind’s natural healing abilities, transformation becomes not just possible but inevitable.
The myths that once held you back can now give way to the reality of what’s truly available to you: freedom from emotional triggers, the ability to respond rather than react, and the power to create the successful, abundant life you deserve.
Remember: you cannot change the past, but you can absolutely clear the emotions of the past and use that learning to move forward. You cannot control others, but when you’re able to respond rather than react to situations, people around you naturally change how they connect and relate to you.
This is the real power of hypnotherapy – not control over you, but empowerment for you.