[img]560|left|Nicholas D. Pollak|remove link|no_popup[/img]A new client contacted me recently because she wanted to quit smoking. She had seen my website. Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things to do.

She asked how many sessions it would take. Depended, I said, on what kind of hypnotic subject she is. Some are excellent candidates, and often these people will quit smoking after their first session, followed by a couple more sessions, at three and six months. There are other danger periods when people may relapse if they are not watchful, at one year and again at two years. Others who are not as deep a hypnotic candidate may take as many as six sessions, seldom more.

Does the person who wants to quit smoking smoke because of an image issue or an emotional issue?

Whichever, it does not mean the client cannot quit smoking, just that the approach is different.

In this lady’s case, it was clear to me that she was not a deep level hypnotic candidate. She would enter an hypnotic state but the depth would increase as the client became more used to the hypnosis and the positive conditioning it offers.

I outlined the basics of the Quit Smoking program.Afterward, the client said in no uncertain terms that she did not like it. She felt that she was in the right frame of mind to quit right now. That is what she wanted. It has been my philosophy to give the client what she or he asks for, regardless of whether I think that the request is right. My opinion does not matter. My skill to give the client what he asks for does. I did, however, explain that by doing it her way it probably would not produce the results that she wants.

She Knew Best?

She was insistent she wanted to quit right now. I knew she was the type who would benefit from a gradual reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked each day so that within a few weeks the levels of nicotine in her system would be much lower. That means when she actually stopped smoking, the withdrawal from the nicotine would be much less.

Nicotine always is out of a person’s system within 72 hours, which just leaves the mental habit to deal with. The physical withdrawal of the nicotine is pretty much over. Some withdrawal symptoms are irritability, restlessness, feeling more tired, mild insomnia and constipation or irregularity. Most people who quit cold turkey feel these symptoms and then go back to smoking. They don’t realize these symptoms were actually indicators that the body is beginning to heal.

I hypnotized her and suggested, as she had asked, that she be the ex-smoker she wanted to be. At the end of the session, the client appeared determined and ready to quit.

She Went ‘Ooops’

I received an email the next day saying the moment she arrived home she immediately began to smoke again and would not be needing my services any longer, even though she absolutely agreed t I had hypnotized her effectively. I emailed her back, explaining that I knew this would not be successful, my method having been proven over 20 years of practice. It works when a client is willing to go with the plan offered. Clients benefit by following the program given to them.

The woman had been smoking for 35 years. Her habit was deeply ingrained. Even though she consciously wanted to quit smoking, her 10 percent conscious mind was no match for the 90 percent sub-conscious mind, which will continually provide her with the usual behaviors that she has been demonstrating for 35 years. Those usual behaviors are to smoke. She has learned this behavior and her sub-conscious is only too happy to give her the learned response that she has taught it to give.

Had she decided to follow my plan, she would have been retraining her subconscious to react differently to situations that in the past caused her to turn to cigarettes by reducing the number she smoked, by changing her brand and by noting the times she smoked and why she smoked.

All these tools are invaluable in helping someone to quit. These techniques with powerful and effective hypnotic visualization and desensitization would have made her an ex-smoker in no time.

Instead, she chose to spend her money and ignore the advice of a trained professional who has had great success with anyone who sought to quit smoking.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net