100+ Hypnosis Tips, Insider Secrets and Techniques

Calvin D. Banyan, MA, CI, CH

In August, 2000 I was a guest speaker at the National Guild of Hypnotists annual convention in Hew Hampshire, USA. I was speaking on the topic of how to do successful age regressions. The night before, I got the idea that it would be great if I give my audience a handout that contained all of the techniques that I could think of that increase the probability of success when doing age regressions. I sat down at my computer and just started typing out each one as fast as I could in the order that I used them. Since I've done hundreds of age regressions and also teach how to do them they just flowed one after the other into my mind and into the computer. I came up with 77 in about an hour and a half.

The next day I gave out the handout. After the 2 hour talk, some of the hypnotists from the audience came up and told me that those couple of sheets of paper that I gave them made the whole convention worthwhile for them! Wow, what a complement.

When I got back home to Minneapolis/St. Paul, I decided that I would take a while longer and see if I could improve the list. Over the next couple of days I came up with 180! As I was doing this, I thought that this would make a great outline for a book for my students. Then as I was writing the book, I came up with more tips. But rather than renumber everything, I just added them in as I thought of them, and called those the "Bonus Tips." Well the bonus tips didn't make it into this article, but the other 180 did.

I hope you like the tips. To save time, I just copied them from the contents of the manuscript. In the book I spend at least a few paragraphs on each tip, and sometimes I will write several pages. Feel free to skip around as you look through the list.

Part 1: Tips, tricks and insider techniques and secrets for getting off on the right foot

Chapter 1

Getting Started In Hypnosis And Becoming Better

Get the best training you can before you start
Use what you learn as soon as you can
Sometimes videos are preferable over books for learning hypnosis
Become Affiliated With The Best Hypnosis Organizations That You Can
Join A Union And Stay In Practice
Don’t Make Guarantees Of Success, It May Be Illegal
Build Confidence By Practicing Your Skills In Role Play
Practice With Friends On Non-Hypnotic Hypnosis Sessions And Age Regressions
If You Plan To Use The Word “Sleep” Explain That You Do Not Mean Sleep Like When They Are Asleep At Night
Start Off Your Practice Working With One Or Two Popular Issues And Then Broaden Your Practice

Chapter 2

Setting Up The Office For Success

Keep A Book Of Scripts And Outlines
Keep Your Patter Script Book Out Of Sight
Prepare An Outline To Follow
Professional Advertising, Cards, Brochures, Signs, Print Ads And Yellow Pages
Answer The Telephone So That The Client Expects To Succeed
Give The Client An Estimate Of The Number Of Sessions And Keep Your Promise
Professional Environment, Office Or Home Office
Professional Attire Appropriate To The Work You Do
I Know I Shouldn’t Have To Say This But Grooming Is Important Too
Avoid Scheduling Marathon Sessions
When To Schedule Marathon Sessions And How To Handle Them
Be Set Up To Audio Or Video Tape Your Sessions
Have A Tape Recorder Set Up To Take Over If You Have To Leave To Cough Or Go To The Bathroom
Have A Tape Recorder Set Up To Do The Direct Drive Technique
Have Someone You Can Consult With For Ongoing Guidance
Have Someone You Can Refer Clients To
Be A Walking, Talking Example Of How Well Hypnosis Works

Chapter 3

Preparing Your Client - Before You Begin The First Session

Send Your Soon-To-Be Client Information About Yourself And Hypnosis
Send Them A Relaxation Tape To Practice With
Always Have Your Client Go To The Bathroom Before The Session
Have Your Client Pay Before The Session
Have Your Client Fill Out A Good Intake Form
Have Your Client List The Benefits Of The Change They Want To Make
After Each Session, Always Say “I’m Glad You Enjoyed That!” The Next Client May Be Listening

Chapter 4

During The Pre-Hypnosis Interview

Go Up And Greet Your Next Client Yourself
Don’t Let Your Clients Fall Asleep During The Session-- Hypnosis is Not Sleep!
Project Confidence That Things Will Go Well--Have A Yes-I-Can-Help-You-With-That Attitude!
Being Likeable Is Perhaps One Of The Single Most Important Determining Factors Of Outcome!
Let Your Clients Know That It Is Alright If They Call You (at the office)
Listen To Your Client And Find Out What She Thinks Her Problem Is
Use Active Listening Techniques So Your Client Will Feel Heard And Understood
Don’t Believe What Your Client Says When She Tells You What She Thinks The Problem Is
Never Argue With Your Client, You Must Be On The Same Side-- It Should Be You And Your Client Against The Problem.
Do A Good Pre-Talk-- Remove Fears And Misconceptions And Build Trust.
Do A Brief Demo Of What Hypnosis Might Feel Like
How To Best Use Suggestibility Tests
Tape Reminders To The Side Of The Chair That Your Client Doesn’t See
Use Sticky Notes For Reminders On The Outside Of Their File
Suggest That The Session Will Be Brief, A Waking Suggestion To Set Up Time Distortion
Get The Hypnotic Contract

Part II: Tips, tricks and techniques for a successful hypnosis session

Chapter 5

Increase Your Success For A Successful Age Regression Session By First Doing A Direct Suggestion Session

Save Age Regression For The Second Session
Let The Client Know That It’s Alright If They Cough, Have To Move, Or Say, “I Can’t Hear You ”
If Your Client Is Wearing A Short Dress, Cover Up Her Legs With A Blanket So She Won’t Have To Manage Her Dress
If You Intend To Touch The Client Get Permission Before Hypnosis Starts
Have The Client Check The Time Before The Session Starts So You Can Use Time Distortion As A Convincer
Ask Your Clients If They Are Comfortable. Discomfort May Be Distracting
Ask If The Client Is Ready To Do Hypnosis With You Now
Maintain Control Of The Session From The Start
Use The Words "As If" To Make Some Suggestions Easier To Accept
Use An Appropriate Induction For The Client
Encourage And Reinforce Any Positive Response
What To Do If Your Client Opens Her Eyes During The Session
Watch Your Client’s Feet When Doing A Hypnotic Induction Or Deepening Technique--They Are Hypno-Meters!
Watch For Physiological Evidence Of Hypnosis
Hypnotize To A Depth Of Somnambulism Which Is Required For Revivification
Test Depth Of Hypnosis With A Hidden Test, So That If Your Client Fails The Test It Does Not Negatively Affect Session
Immediately Deepen The Trance, Even If You Have Established Somnambulism

Chapter 6

Deepen The State Of Hypnosis

If Needed, Deepen With Counting Down
If Needed, Deepen With Fractionation Technique
If Needed, Pyramid Inductions
Deepen By Using Anchoring, And Conditioning
Deepen Or Induce Hypnosis By Post Hypnotic Suggestion
Deepen By Using A Convincer, Always Use Convincers And Tests You Know They Will Pass
Deepen By Having Them Become Aware Of A Sensation They Weren’t Thinking About
Give The Suggestion That All Sounds, Sensations And Thoughts Take Them Deeper
If They Just Won’t Go Into Hypnosis, Give Them A Tape And Have Them Practice Until Next Time
Once You Have Somnambulism Use A Key Word To Re-induce Somnambulism In Subsequent Sessions
Deeper Is Not Always Better. Some States Are Too Deep For Hypnosis

Chapter 7

Giving Hypnotic Suggestion

Check Out The Suggestions With The Client Ahead Of Time
Have The Client Bring Is Suggestions That They Would Like To Receive
Set Up Ideo-Motor Response
Set Up A Safe Place
Use Compounding Of Suggestion
Use Patter Scripts From Successful Hypnotists
Use Compounding Of Suggestion After You Emerge The Client
When You Emerge The Client, Embed Suggestions For The Change The Client Came In To See You For
When You Emerge The Client, Embed Suggestion For Time Distortion
When You Emerge The Client, Embed Suggestion For Sensitivity Of A Color Or Object
What To Do If The Client Will Not Emerge
Use The Fact That When The Client Emerges, They Are Still Highly Suggestible – Use Waking Suggestion
After You Emerge Them, Suggest A Pleasant Experience

Chapter 8

Wrapping Up The First Session

Answer Questions And Discuss Subjective Experiences
Suggest That Each Session Will Be Ten Times More Powerful Than The Time Before
Check Time Distortion
Point Out Convincers Used
Review Session And Congratulate The Client On Doing Well

Part III: Tips, tricks and techniques for successful age regression sessions

Chapter 9

Preparing For The Age Regression Session

How Will You Handle A Past Life Regression If It Happens?
Review Last Session And Answer Questions
Increase Success By Saying Are You Ready For Another Hypnosis Session?
Avoid Telling The Client That You Are Going To Do An Age Regression Session. Talk About What You Are Going To Do But Not How (Age Regression) You Are Intending To Do It.

Chapter 10

Doing The Induction And Deepening for Age Regression and Subsequent Sessions

Have Your Client Quickly Re-Enter Hypnosis Using Post-Hypnotic Suggestion
Quickly Have Clients Re-Enter The Deepest State Of Hypnosis Appropriate For The Work By Using Post-Hypnotic Suggestion, Conditioning Or Anchoring
Use Similar Techniques As You Used In Previous Sessions If They Worked Before
Suggest Similar Subjective Experiences That They Shared With You In The First Session

Chapter 11

Using The Affect Bridge, Age Regression Based On A Feeling

If Using Affect Bridge, Suggest Becoming Aware Of Other Feelings Before Going To Affect (Emotions)
Watch For Physical Evidence That The Client Has Connected With The Emotion
Point Out The Change In Physiology Associated With Bringing Up The Feeling To The Client Before Proceeding
Tell The Client That The Feeling Is Connected To Every Time That They Ever Felt That Way, It Is A Bridge To The Past
Count Backwards When Going Back In Time (3, 2, 1) And Forward When Progressing Forward In Time (1, 2, 3)
Lightly Tapping On The Forehead Makes The Suggestion More Directive/Assertive And May Help In Regression
Start With Simple Questions, "Daytime Or Night Time?" "Indoors Or Outdoors," "Alone Or With Someone"
Go For First Impressions, "Quickly, First Impression, Day Time Or Night Time?"
If Client Says, “I Don’t Know” Say “I Know You Don’t Know, First Impression, 1, 2, 3, Day Time Or Night Time?”
Educate And Practice With Your Clients Before The Sessions If They Seem Over Anxious Or Analytical
Discuss With The Client Before Hand That Trying Too Hard Can Get In The Way. Just Have An Easy-Going Accepting Attitude Toward Instructions And Suggestions.
STAY IN PRESENT TENSE. Speaking In Past Tense Is The Biggest Mistake That Hypnotists Make When Attempting Age Regression
NEVER SAY, “REMEMBER!” This Is The Other Biggest Mistake That Can Take Your Client Out Of The Revivification And Put Her Into Hypermedia
Encourage Revivification By Having Them Describe Where They Are. This Deepens And Intensifies The Experience, While Bringing In More Detail.
The More Of The Senses That They Use To Describe The Regression Experience The Deeper They Go Into It
Encourage Revivification By Having Them Describe People That They May Be With
Encourage Revivification By Telling Them That They Are Going Through It Again And It Will Be Clearer
Encourage Revivification By Having Them Go Through It Again And This Time They Will Really Be There
Ask Your Client How Old She Is When In The Regressed State And Then Call Her By That Age Whenever Addressing Her In The Age-Regressed State
Ask Them What Their Name Is And If It Is Different Use It Rather Than Adult Name
Ask Them How They Are Feeling. This Tends To Deepen The Experience.
Have Her Locate Where They Are Experiencing The Feeling In Their Body

Chapter 12

Uncovering How The Problem Started, The Initial Sensitizing Event (ISE) And Subsequent Events (SSE)

Learn How To Age Regress The Client To Where It All Started, Called The Initial Sensitizing Event
If Your Are Working With A Client On Smoking Cessation, Don’t Go For ISE, Rather Regress To The First Cigarette
If Trying To Uncover The ISE (Or Other Unknown Material) Never Lead The Client
Move Forward In Time With Statements Like, “What Happens Next”, “Move To The Next Significant Event.” And “Go On.”
Avoid Questions That Start With “Why”
Never Use Leading Questions, Even Multiple Choice
Avoid Assumptive Statements
A Good Way To Do Regressions Is To Pretend In Your Mind You Are There With
Check To See If You Have Uncovered The ISE By Asking, “Is The Feeling New?”
Double Check By Instructing Your Client To Go Back
Realize That You Are Only Building Up Evidence Of An ISE
The ISE Should Be Consistent With The Known History Of The Client

Chapter 13

Transforming The Sensitizing Event Using the Informed Child Technique

The ISE Does Not Have To Be A Great Trauma In The Child’s Life
Have The “Child”, Go Into The Background And Say “Now I’m Speaking To The Adult”
Switch Back And Forth Between Adult And Child By Calling Child By Her Age And The Adult By “Grownup ”
The Informed Child Technique Requires That You Regress Before ISE
Using The Informed Child Technique Consists Of Changing The Effect Of ISE By Having Grownup Or Hypnotist Tell The Child What The Child Needs To Hear To Get Through The ISE Without Being Negatively Affected By It. Generally, The Child Can Benefit From The Experience Using The Wisdom Of The Adult Self And Hypnotist.
Inform The Child That She Is Loveable, Capable And Remove Negative Erroneous Beliefs Created By ISE.
Inform The Child That She Gets To Grow Up
Inform The Child That The Adult-Self Must Always Tell Her The Truth
Inform The Child That Adult Will Always Be There For Her
Inform The Child That Nothing Really Bad Ever Happens
Then Have The Informed Child Go Through The ISE
If There Are Any Problems, Say “Everything Stops”
You Can Always Interrupt the Process
Take Your Client Through the ISE Again Feeling Safe and Secure
Have The Child Merge With Adult
Have Adult Recognize That She Is That Child
Have The Child Or Adult Make Statements Of Change.
Giving Suggestions After Age Regression Is A Must!

Chapter 14

Setting The Client Up With A Vision Of Success

Do A Age Progression To Provide An Expectation of Success
Do Informed Adult Technique, Where “Future Self” Informs The Client She Can Really Make The Change
After Age Progression Is An Ideal Time To Give More Suggestions For The Change That They Want To Make

Chapter 15

Age Regression To A Specific Date, Time Or Event

You Can Age Regress Your Client By Suggesting That She That She Will Go To A Particular Time, Place Or Event
Clarify The Event With The Client Before The Session
Going Through The Event Repeatedly Can Bring Out Details

Chapter 16

Wrapping Up An Age Regression Session For Maximum Results

Give Suggestions For Change While Emerging The Client. Easy Critical Factor Bypass At This Time
End the Session Powerfully By Having Your Client Proclaim the Change She Has Just Made
Have The Client Check For The Old Feeling
Do A Post Hypnotic Interview To Remind The Client Of Insights And Changes
Answer Questions About The Session

Part IV: Preparing the client and hypnotist for continued success using hypnosis

Chapter 17

What You Can Do After The Session For Continued Great Results

Suggest That Each Session Will Be Ten Times More Powerful Than The One Before
Make The Next Appointment Right After Your Session Is Through
Offer The Client A Reinforcement Tape, That They Probably Won’t Need To Use
Make The Next Appointment For 3 To 10 Days Apart
Offer To Teach Them Self-Hypnosis
Return Calls Right Away

Chapter 18

Continue To Learn And Grow As A Hypnotist

Learn About Waking Suggestion
Learn And Use Forgiveness Work
Learn And Use Parts Mediation Work
Become Trained In 5-Path An Almost Universal Approach To Dealing With Most Issues That A Hypnotist Encounters
Become Trained In And Use the 7^th Path System of Self-Hypnosis--A Holistic, Mind-Body-Spirit Approach To Helping Yourself and Others
Learn And Use Energy Hypnosis Such As EFT And BSFF
Seek Out And Attend Training From Experts In Hypnosis

Well those are all of the hypnosis tips, insider secrets and techniques that I promised you. The book has all of the information on each tips and bonus tips (not listed in this article). It is available now and the title is, Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy: Basic and Advanced Techniques for the Professional. Learn more or purchase...