Holbrook Wellness Center, Long Island, New York

How Does North Shore Hypnosis Help You Quit?

With the use of cutting edge hypnotic techniques, relaxation techniques, visualization and powerful suggestion for change.  Naturally, your motivation and commitment to stop smoking are essential.  If you persist, you succeed!
 

Two Session Program:

A two-session stop smoking program is designed for those who wish to become a non smoker during their first appointment. It includes hypnotic reinforcement CDs as well as telephone and email support if needed. (The first session lasts approximately 90 minutes and, the second lasts about 60 minutes).The second session, is devoted to reinforcing all your new beliefs and habits related to being a non smoker as well as the elimination of any other issues or challenges that may arise.

Fee:  $230.00 


The Tapering Off Approach:

A five-session stop smoking program. The weaning off program is designed for those who prefer to become non smokers gradually over the course of five weeks. The program includes a CD of each of your hypnotic session as well as telephone and email support, if needed. (The first session lasts approximately 90 minutes and, the remaining sessions are about 60 minutes long).

Visualization

One of the most powerful attributes of the human psyche is its ability to visualize (or imagine).  Hypnotism helps to develop and focus the powers of visualization.  Since visualization is often undeveloped in clients, and since it can be learned, hypnosis can serve as a teaching modality.

The ability to visualize one's self as a non-smoker, enjoying new health, energy and vitality, is a major asset.  Visualization enables the client to 'see' cigarettes as unappealing, bad tasting, foul smelling and revolting.  Likewise, its possible to picture and sense clean breath, a healthy appearance, and increased sensitivity to taste.  A smoker can visualize him/herself looking healthier, more active, in better physical condition, breathing easy with stronger, healthier lungs.  Through hypnosis, the senses of sight, touch, smell, hearing and taste can all be enhanced and used to modify reactions to achieve goals.

Reinforcement

A new non-smoker needs reinforcement of his/her smoking cessation program. Habits are acquired over a long period of time.  You may cease smoking, but the habit can still be active.  Fortunately, if not used, habits fade and disappear.  The success of your program is greatly enhanced by your willingness to listen to a reinforcement CD for 21 days and/or self hypnosis techniques which continually weaken and eliminate the habit. 

What to Expect:
 

THE PRE-INDUCTION INTERVIEW
If you've not experienced hypnosis before, you may not know what to expect or have misconceptions about the process.  An intake interview is done on the first visit.  Demographic information is gathered, including family and medical history, general life-style information and whatever else is pertinent.  Both written and verbal information about your smoking habit is gathered.

The first portion of your session will be devoted to information gathering and rapport building, explaining the hypnotic induction procedure, helping you building positive and accurate expectation, and correcting any misconceptions you may have.  Subsequent sessions also begin with a pre-induction interview to review, reinforce or redefine your goals.

THE INDUCTION

Any one of many types of hypnotic inductions and many and varied trance deepeners may be used.  Which one is utilized with you depends on the findings of our interview. The actual hypnosis session lasts from 15 to 30 minutes.

REVIEW/SUGGESTIONS

Post-hypnotic suggestions are given. The purpose of the post-hypnotic suggestion is to enable you to use solutions programmed in hypnosis to change responses and behaviors when you need them to cope with your every day challenges. This is sometimes referred to as a trigger word or phrase or a post hypnotic signal. Connecting with your inner resources by means of a post hypnotic suggestion empowers you to access these resources without the hypnotist. The hypnotist's primary role is to facilitate the initial connection... and to bridge the gaps in information. 

MENTAL REHEARSAL

Mental rehearsal is simply a way of checking out the efficacy of the post-hypnotic suggestions and to determine if the processes were completed.  You'll know success has been achieved if you are able to imagine yourself entering a situation that previously triggered the undesirable response of smoking and  you are now able to invoke the newly anchored response.  When success is complete, you should be able to imagine yourself in any situation as a happy, comfortable non smoker.

EMERGING FROM HYPNOSIS:

After emerging suggestions are given, you will  return to full alertness.  You will wonderfully refreshed from the hypnotic experience. 

Two Main Reasons People Smoke: 

Identification: (Or modeling - Indulging in smoking because others whom you admire smoke.)  Identification smoking is the most common and the easiest to eliminate.

Replacement: (Smoking to replace a perceived deficit. For example: a lack of companionship, love, acceptance, self-esteem, security or independence; or to replace another habit such as overeating, or a reaction to anxiety or boredom, etc.) Replacement smokers often derive sensual and/or ritualistic gratification from smoking. They enjoy touching or feeling the cigarettes, taping the pack, watching the flame of the lighter, the curling of rising smoke, or the smell of the burning tobacco.   Replacement smoking can be the more powerful habit.

Good Reasons to Stop Smoking NOW: 
(Courtesy of the American Cancer Society)
It's never too late to quit smoking!  Studies show that if a person quits after 20 to 25 years of smoking, his or her chances of developing cancer are actually quite low.  The body begins to correct damage caused by smoking in remarkable ways even within minutes of the last cigarette.

• The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• Oxygen level in your blood increases to normal.

• Chances of heart attack decreases.

• Nerve endings start regrowing. 
• Your ability to smell and to taste things is enhanced.

• Bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier

• Circulation improves. 
• Walking becomes easier 
• Lung function increases up to 30 percent.

• Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease. 
• Cilia regrowth in the lungs, increasing your ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs and 
  reduce infection.
• Your body's overall energy level increases.

• The lung cancer death rate for the average smoker (one pack per day) decreases from 72 per 100,000 to 37 per 100,000

• The lung cancer death rate for the average smoker drops to 12 deaths per 100,000 
  (almost the rate of non-smokers)
• Pre-cancerous cells are replaced by healthy cells. 
• Risks for other cancers - almost the rate of non-smokers
• Risks for cancers such as those of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney 
  and pancreas decrease.

Determining the Nature of Your Smoking Habit:

Since smoking is both physical and mental, success in a stop smoking effort changes not only the mental attitude but the physical reaction.  Through hypnosis it is possible to change the taste of a cigarette from pleasurable to unpleasant.  When this is accomplished problems often related to the cessation of smoking tend to be avoided.  When a smoker gives up the ingestion of something awful, there are no withdrawal symptoms; and there is no need to compensate for the lack of it through overeating.

Of the many techniques available, the most appropriate for you will be selected based upon our initial intake interview. 

It's important to determine what personal needs of yours are being satisfied by smoking. Is it to nurture yourself, to combat loneliness, or for a "pick me up"?  Do you believe smoking relieves stress or provides moments of relaxation? Are you smoking to make socializing more comfortable?  The more candid you are about when, where and why you smoke, the more effortlessly you succeed at becoming a non smoker through hypnosis.