What I’ve Learned From 20 Years Working As A Hypnotherapist

Exactly 20 years ago to this month (March 2005), I had my first paying hypnotherapy client.

To say I was nervous is an understatement.

My client wanted help to stop smoking and as I prepared the room for the session, I must have thought about leaving ten times.

Prior to this moment, I’d completed 10 months of training with a nationally recognised institute in Regents College, London. The theory they taught was fascinating and made it seem like treating clients would be a seamless experience. However, as I waited for my client to arrive, I felt woefully light on practical experience and painfully aware that my fresh faced 24-year-old appearance wasn’t going to fill the client with confidence in my ability.

I never heard from that client again. I very much doubt she stopped smoking. I feel a little bad that she had to part with her hard-earned money so a novice could get his break but we all have to start somewhere.

Since that inauspicious start, though, I’ve seen hundreds of clients, working thousands of hours on issues as diverse as weight loss, overcoming insomnia, reducing anxiety, and a host of psychosomatic conditions like being unable to look at TV or mobile phone screens without getting splitting headaches.

I’ve also worked in some interesting locations. Throughout my 20 years, I must have operated at 10 different clinics, been flown to Italy to help a client in his home and worked as an in-house hypnotherapist at a major engineering company.

What have I learned from all this experience?

A LOT.

Much like a previous article I wrote about my 20 years’ experience as a tennis coach (click here to read), there should be something here for everyone.

Whether you also want to become a successful therapist or just learn the secrets of a fascinating but little-known field, read on.

1.    Leaving your comfort zone is how you grow

Let’s go back to my first session. Although filled with nerves and fumbling my words, I finished the job.

Much of my first two years was spent like this. Of course, I had some successful sessions but in many the client never booked a follow up or returned only to tell me that little to no change had occurred.

This made me doubt my abilities. Pre-session, I could feel the nerves rise in the pit of my stomach and I frequently thought of messaging my clients, making an excuse and cancelling our appointment.

However, I never did.

Instead, I reminded myself of the Woody Allen saying, “80% of success is showing up,” and made sure I take care of this side of the equation. 

As a result, kicking and screaming inside, I forced myself into a situation that made me adapt, learn and grow.

To this day, I occasionally feel on edge with new clients (which, I tell myself, is a good thing) and get presented with unusual issues that make me question whether I have the ability to help. However, I’ll always push myself to meet the challenge.

My success has been built on this principle.

2.    Improving as a hypnotherapist is straightforward

If you stick with a job long enough, you discover that getting better at it is fairly rudimentary.

You just need to put in the hours.

Even though, like me, you might feel out of your depth when you first start, by turning up, session after session, year after year, experiencing new cases and clients and dealing with unexpected situations (like clients breaking down in tears during hypnosis or their mobile phone ringing while in trance), you’ll be amazed at how much you improve.  

There’s nothing glamorous about this. It’s not a hack. However, there’s real power in clocking up the hours.

3.    You get the best results when you stop caring about the outcome

This statement needs clarifying.

I ALWAYS push myself to do the best for my clients. They’ve paid for an outcome and I do everything I can to make sure it happens. However, when that session finishes, and the client leaves the clinic, I won’t waste any time worrying about whether I’ve helped.

This wasn’t always the case.

For the first 13 years of my practice, I would die a little inside when a client reported that nothing had happened.

I took it very personally and started doubting myself and the effectiveness of hypnotherapy. However, at around the end of 2017, I stopped giving a damn.

My results improved immediately.

Stopping caring meant that I was more confident with clients, less prone to panic when something went wrong and my self-esteem as a therapist remained untouched.   

I would estimate that my success rate with clients has risen from around 50% pre-stopping caring about the outcome, to over 80% since. It’s made a massive difference.

4.    Your subconscious is ALWAYS trying to protect you

You want to get on a flight but you’re too scared to fly.

You want to fall asleep but something’s keeping you awake.

You want to deliver a great presentation at work but the words won’t come out.

Why do we keep sabotaging our best intentions?

You must understand that your subconscious has zero ability to rationalise. Instead, if something bad or traumatic has happened in the past, connected to the thing you’re trying to do, it will make the oftentimes false connection that that particular activity is a threat which needs to be avoided at all costs.

How does it get you to avoid the threat?

By pumping your body full of norepinephrine (the chemical associated with anxiety), and if that doesn’t work, perhaps a full-on panic attack.

It’s your bodies way of telling you to get the hell out of there.

Understanding this should ease some of the frustration you experience. You no longer need to beat yourself up over your perceived failures.

What you need to do next is update your subconscious mind by reframing the original scary/traumatic event that caused the problem so you’re no longer trapped by your bodies threat response. This can sometimes be done through self-hypnosis but it’s probably more effective to seek a therapist for help.

5.    One of the most powerful hypnotic words is “notice”

“As you notice the sound of my voice you might be surprised to find that every word and sentence I speak helps you to relax more deeply.”

“As you notice the sound of the music in the background you might find yourself slipping deeper into a peaceful state.”

The word “notice” can draw a client’s attention to something in their environment they find relaxing. It also has a deeper use.

Life can be a mixture of positive and negative events but which one of those you more frequently notice will have a huge impact on determining your happiness and success.

Do you notice all the successes you had this week or do you focus on the one or two failures?

Do you notice the 10 lbs you lost over the last month or do you focus on the fact you still have 50 to go?

By using the word “notice” in trance, you can shift the client’s subconscious to focus on the factors that’ll make them feel good about changing a bad habit (how much cleaner and healthier their lungs feel after stopping smoking) or confident in their abilities (the audience members responding enthusiastically to their speech). 

You can also use this word in your own life. Simply “notice” all the reasons you have to be happy and “notice” all the successes you’ve had in the past that give you reason to believe in yourself today.

6.    Keeping existing clients is easier than acquiring new ones  

I used to think the key to getting new clients was spending lots of money on advertising. However, when I acquired one, I’d always feel apprehensive about asking them to book more sessions because I didn’t want to come across as pushy.

This was a mistake. I was both leaving money on the table and neglecting client care.

Now, I’ll always ask a client whether they want to book another session (when the therapy has finished) or give them the other option of me emailing them in a few days’ time to arrange the next appointment. 

Furthermore, if a client makes an initial enquiry and I email them back and don’t hear anything from them, I’ll send out a follow up email asking if they’ve received the first.

This is because they’re a warm lead (they’ve already displayed an interest in my services) and it’ll be far easier to convert them into a paying client (even if they have some doubts) than to pay for advertising which, over 95% of the time, will be reaching people with no interest or need of hypnotherapy.  

Take care of your clients, follow up with them, do a great session and you’ll be amazed at how they become a source for more business through their recommendations and repeat sessions.

7.    Limiting beliefs really do hold you back

If you recall the story that started this blog post you’ll remember that I referenced my concerns about being a fresh faced 24-year-old hypnotherapist.

This wasn’t a throw away comment. It was something I was painfully aware of whenever I’d be treating clients 10 years, or more, older than me (which was most of the time).

“How is this young kid going to help me solve my issues? What life experience has he had?” is what I’d imagine them all thinking.

As a result of these negative thoughts, a limiting belief formed. I convinced myself I was too young to be taken seriously as a hypnotherapist.

The outcome?

I spent the early years of my career struggling, both when it came to producing results and building a business.

I wasn’t alone, though, in having limiting beliefs. Most of my clients were there for the exact same reason.

As I got better at helping them and shedding my own limitations, I had a realisation.

OUR LIMITING BELIEFS AREN’T TRUE.

They’re just the product of an overactive imagination making false assumptions. In fact, they’re nonsense.

Furthermore, there’ll be an authority figure in your life (parent, teacher, media, boss, doctor) who’ll tell you that you’re not good enough or that there’s something wrong with you. However, part of maturing and developing critical thinking skills is realising that these authority figures are often flawed, incorrect or have an agenda in keeping you down.

My 20 years experience of working as a hypnotherapist has taught me that you should ignore their words (unless they’re giving you constructive advice or help).

You always have been, and still are today, good enough for whatever you want to do. 

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If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!) 

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