Hi Steven – this is a fine place for questions, we’re just a bit slow to deal with blog comments. There’s nothing wrong with suggesting a preferred setting. It can be highly effective when you are using guided imagery (i.e. specific type of metaphor where you’re there with them, guiding them through a situation). Perhaps I can add this to our next podcast.

Thanks you Steven! We look forward to having you in the Academy or coming to Toronto one day soon.

Now I know I could do the same after using one of your rapid induction methods, but is this redundant with them already being in a deep trance?

If this is not the right forum to ask this type of thing, could you direct me to a more appropriate place. Regards, Steven

I have studied Mike Mandel’s excellent online course and I can recommend the content.

There’s also an easy payment plan by monthly subscription, which I found a lot easier to faculty into my budget.

Hi Ellen – I think you’re correct in saying a hypnotist may be someone who does stage shows, street hypnosis AND may be someone who helps people therapeutically. The term “hypnotherapist” is more likely to be regulated depending on where you live, so it’s important to use that term only if you are legally allowed. If you know you’re doing training that will permit the use of that term then by all means use it.

I recently started a Counselling course and was corrected in front of the class for saying I was training and passionate about being a Clinical Hypnotherapist. I was immediately corrected in that we no longer use that term and I should be saying Hypnotist.

Not only did I find this embarrassing and belittling but in my mind my thought was immediately, “well YOU may be afraid of using therapy with your hypnosis but that is where I want to work!” I was quite upset really. To me, a Hypnotist is somebody who works with Hypnosis for smoking, weight loss, PLR etc. but may also be a stage Hypnotist, but Hypnotherapist uses therapy, eg: age regression, fears and phobias etc.

Am I wrong in my perceptions? I look forward to hearing from others who are much more advanced in this wonderful industry.

We’ll see you there in November! Looking forward to meeting you, Josh!

Hi Derry – Yes that sure is another one for lively debate. I always laugh at the folks obsessed with this notion that there is no unconscious mind. Ok. Whatever. I guess we consciously control our heart beating and blood glucose levels. They miss the point. It’s another model. It’s not a real thing. If they don’t like the model they don’t have to use it. Models should be measured by their usefulness. This particular model served Milton Erickson quite well, and it’s serving our clients well.

The whole “there is no unconscious mind” discussion is a terrible straw man. Of course we can’t go cut the unconscious mind away from the conscious mind. So to say it doesn’t exist is a useless comment, probably made by the same people who say “critical factor” 🙂