This is a topic I rarely bring up in my office. Let me explain to you what it is exactly and who is the best candidate for it. I think you will find it interesting, so please read on.
I first came across the notion of becoming trained in hypnotherapy in 2017, when I came across the work of Marisa Peer. Some of you may recognize her name as the founder of Rapid Transformational Therapy, or RTT. Marisa is well known in self-development platforms, such as Mindvalley. I am not a Facebook user, but I am certain if you are in the area of inner work and self-development, you have seen Facebook posts by her pop up on your screen.
There are two proponents of RTT that caught my attention back in 2017. One was the idea of this being Rapid. “Quick results, I thought. We all want quick results.” Ask any GP this question and I am sure you would hear the same. Afterall, there is a pill for every ill, right Doc?
As a society, we have been bred to feel there is a faster, more efficient, and better way. Who mails a letter nowadays? Who doesn’t have a microwave in their kitchen? A map in your car’s glove compartment? Are you kidding me? Don’t waste my time.
“We get to the root reason and cause as to why you are feeling the way you are today, and we approach it head on.“
via @luellajonk
The second proponent of her method that drew me in was that it was transformational in the sense that there is no messing around. We get to the root reason and cause as to why you are feeling the way you are today, and we approach it head on. Your motivation to change increases as well because with understanding…comes clarity. As humans, we are more engaged in the healing process when we understand the journey. Things don’t seem so scary anymore. The magnitude of the challenge to change also decreases to a level that seems approachable, doable, and sustainable. As Victor Frankl stated in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, “In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning”.
Okay, now that you understand why I got hooked, I am going to tell you a bit more about my own journey as a hypnotherapist from 2017 -2020.
I have never counted the number of clients who conducted hypnotherapy (specifically RTT) with me, but I would have to guess that it would be over 100. With a fair bit of certainty, I would also say it has made a lasting effect on how they think. The most profound change was their inner dialogue, that is, the voices in their head altered.
This post would not be complete unless I mentioned to you how I complete hypnotherapy today. Although there are a fair number of hypnotherapists in Winnipeg, I think they would all conduct it a bit differently. The only common thread is the actual induction component of the session, and even that can be slightly different. Everything from the pre-induction dialogue, to the method of induction, to the length of the session, to the cost, to provision of a recording, and the follow-up is different. I think this is likely therapist-specific and based on experience. I also know that some hypnotherapists specialize in a specific change, for example smoking, fertility, gambling or grief.
I now realize that Marisa’s claim that it is a one-time fix, is not very realistic. First of all, we are all constantly working on ourselves in terms of being a better person than the day before. So, to claim it is a one-time fix never resonated with me. At the very beginning I completed my sessions in this way and I must say, it was very powerful for the first few individuals that entered my office. In fact, to this day, my very first client (I hope you are reading this [name]) could be the most transformational session I have ever had.
However, as time went on I thought, “I can make this even better”. I began to include follow-up sessions spaced over a month’s time, as well as a daily email to further cement the new ‘habit of thought’. I also consistently checked-in with my client and made sure things were settling-in okay for them. I wanted to let them know, they are not alone.
I still conduct RTT, Marisa Peer’s Program, but I also created a new program called Fast-track Your Intention (or FYI). I call it ‘fast-track’ for a couple of reasons. One simply being… you are condensing what might be months or years into a shorter time at my office. The whole program is 8 hours in total, but the first 4 hours happens in one session, the 5th hour two weeks later, and the remaining hours are booked according to your need. For those remaining 3 hours, I see you as someone that is now well on your way. And because it helps to check-in with me from time to time, my role becomes more of a coach or accountability partner.
It is really the first 4 hours that make this so different than simply booking eight 50-minute sessions with me. The thoroughness of that first session and the intense inner work, allows for a much better opportunity for insight because you have the time to get deep. You can marinate in those feelings and have a better understanding of the genesis of your personal thoughts or why you think and behave the way you do. Finally, you realize you have the power to change the behaviors that ensued due to the thoughts.
One more important note. You leave the 4-hour session with a personalized recording, which is created based on what came up in the induction period. It will serve to change the habit of thought, which in turn changes the habit of action. You are then accountable to listen to that recording (normally between 10-15 min) every day for the next 45 days.
So, what kind of person do I need to be in order for this to be successful? You must be:
Attentive to Your Thoughts with a Strong Willingness to Change
With those two characteristics anyone can become suggestible during the induction and achieve their intention.
To once again quote Victor Frankl’s work, “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.”
In my professional opinion, this method is the most efficient way of attaining this space.