Therapy and Coaching for Lasting Change

If you've come to this page, you are probably at least considering the possibility of quitting the smoking habit. Aside from the obvious health benefits of making the decision to quit, there are financial benefits too. Click here to see for yourself using a quick and easy calculator which will work out exactly how much you will save when you quit.           Can you really afford this expensive habit?

Once you've made the decision to quit, read on to feel more and more confident that you can do it, you can quit and most of the people I see are quite surprised that it's a lot easier than they thought it would be!

"Giving up smoking is easy. I've done it hundreds of times!"

(Mark Twain)

One of the first things that most people will think of when they think of hypnosis is that for many years, hypnosis has been used as a very effective way to stop smoking. 

In October 1992 New Scientist Magazine published the results of an extensive clinical study carried out at the University of Iowa on the most effective methods to quit smoking:

"The results, published in the current issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology, show that the average success rate for all methods was 19 per cent: that is, only about one in five smokers is likely to succeed using methods covered by the study. Patients told that they had serious cardiac disorders, and so a clear incentive to stop immediately, had the highest quitting rate, at 36 per cent. But for most smokers the most effective technique was hypnosis, in which smokers go into a state of deep relaxation and listen to suggestive tapes. The analysis of treatment by hypnosis, which included 48 studies covering over 6000 smokers, gave an average success rate of 30 per cent for this method. 'Combination' techniques, combining, for example, exercise and breathing therapy, came second with a success rate of 29 per cent. Smoke aversion, in which smokers have their own warm, stale cigarette smoke blown back into their faces, achieved a 25 per cent success rate, followed by acupuncture at 24 per cent. The least successful method turned out to be advice from GPs, which appears to convince virtually no one to give up. Sheer willpower proved little better, with a success rate of only 6 per cent. Self-help, in the form of books or mail-order advice, achieved modest success - around 9 per cent, while nicotine gum was a little better at 10 per cent."  (From issue 1845 of New Scientist magazine, 31 October 1992, page 6)

It is worth remembering that published studies provide "indications" rather than "predictions" and it is impossible to "predict" or "guarantee" the outcome of clinical hypnotherapy for an individual. Having said that, the general indication of this research seems to be that you are 5 times more likely to quit smoking using hypnosis rather than willpower and 3 times more likely to quit smoking using hypnosis rather than nicotine gum. 

It is also worth noting that the above results included hypnosis studies incorporating the use of hypnosis tapes as well as clinical sessions with a qualified hypnotherapist. Research findings indicate that clinical sessions which are specifically tailored to the client are generally far more effective than mass market CDs so it is likely that the success rate for clinical hypnotherapy is probably considerably higher than the percentage suggested by the University of Iowa study.

When you make the decision to use hypnosis to quit smoking, as you shop around to find a hypnotherapist to help you quit, you will find a variety of approaches ranging from a single-session to programmes of five or more sessions. My experience has led me to develop an approach which might be described as somewhere in the middle and usually comprises three sessions.

Your first session with me is an intensive “preparation session” lasting approximately an hour and a half. About a week later you will have the actual “quit session” and two to three weeks after that you have the option to come for a “relapse prevention session” (which you may well feel you don’t need and which you can then cancel with 48 hours’ notice). I offer this third session because the honest truth is that some people who have quit smoking for a period of time can and do relapse and the available research indicates that being forewarned and forearmed against relapse is important in long term success.

In cases where there are more complex underlying issues associated with a person’s commitment to stopping smoking, additional sessions may be required to deal with these issues.

Therapy and Coaching for Lasting Change in Williamstown is 15 minutes from Melbourne and within 30 minutes of many inner city and western suburbs including Port Melbourne, Albert Park, South Melbourne, Newport, Altona, Kingsville, Seabrook, Spotswood, Footscray, Yarraville, Sunshine, Maribyrnong, Keilor, Taylors Lakes, Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Hoppers Crossing, Werribee, Laverton and Point Cook.