Introduction

The following outline is not a script to follow, or an exact replica of how I work. After all, no one wants to see lots of little clones of me running around!

However, this is fairly close to the sort of model I often use and serves as a useful example of things you may want to include.

This is certainly not offered as the only way to deliver a pre–talk. As with the majority of the content on this site, this is provided as an example to provoke discussion and practical experimentation.

As we have seen, Hypnotherapists often use the pre–talk to address any fears that their clients may have. However, it is important to ensure that in the process they are not installing any fears that did not previously exist.

An area that may deserve fresh consideration is the over–reliance on pre–scripted information to be shared during the pre–talk. It is understandable that hypnotherapists will want to ensure that all relevant or important information is recalled. However, reliance on a formal script can sometimes inhibit freedom and flexibility.

So, it seems to me that rather than having a pre–scripted pre–talk, it is preferable to simply have a conversation with your clients. Rather than listing all of the potential fears that someone may have, to then address these one–by–one, why not ask a natural question such as, “So, how are you feeling about experiencing hypnosis?”

Paying attention to what your client says, as well as their body language when doing so, will provide you with plenty of information to proceed with. Similarly, asking, “Is there anything you’re not sure about?” gives your client the option to raise any fears they may have without necessarily implying that they should have some.

This is not to say that you can not possibly have any notes or pointers with you. However, this approach to the pre-talk would encourage using this time to have a dialogue, rather than delivering a one–way lecture.

Therefore, the following notes are not an exact replica of such a pre-conversation. Instead, they are the pointers you may want to bear in mind.

The Conversation

1) Have you experienced Hypnosis before?

– If their previous experience was negative, you may discuss this. Explain how your approach is different to what they experienced.

– If their previous experience was positive, discuss expectations. Congratulate them on their hypnotic ability.

– If they have not experienced hypnosis, you might ask them:

2) So, how are you feeling about experiencing hypnosis?

– Discuss any concerns / misconceptions that may arise

2b) Is there anything you’re not sure about?

– Discuss any concerns / misconceptions that may arise

3) Experiential explanation

At this point, you can offer an experiential explanation of hypnosis. So, you are not seeking to unpack academic theories of what takes place in the brain of a hypnotised subject. Instead, you describe what the experience of hypnosis is like. This might mean:

– Comparing hypnosis to a day–dream (possibly including the common experience of varieties of depth in dreams). Describe this as a natural capacity of the human brain

– Common examples of trance (e.g. driving trance, watching a log-fire, seeing waves come in and go out, etc.)

– Cinema comparison – we focus and choose to lose ourselves in an alternate reality

4) Shall we do this?

I almost always jump straight into hypnotic phenomena at this point.

I would much rather have someone begin to experience something – particularly something that is going to increase their expectation – than simply offer an intellectual explanation.