How North Shore Hypnosis Helps You Quit 

Quit Immediately - Two Session Approach:
A powerful two session approach to stop smoking - The first session, YOU become a NON-SMOKER,  The second session, is devoted to reinforcing all the new beliefs, and to eliminate any other issues that may arise.
 

Weaning Off Approach: Five Session Approach
Some smokers prefer and/or actually benefit from a "weaning off" program over 4 sessions with an additional follow-up appointment.  If a gradual weaning off approach appeals to you, your program will be designed appropriately for your needs. 

With the use of cutting edge hypnotic techniques, relaxation techniques, visualization and powerful suggestion for change.  Naturally, your motivation and commitment to stop smoking are essential.  If you persist, you succeed!

Visualization
One of the most powerful attributes of the human psyche is its ability to visualize (or imagine).  Hypnotism helps to develop and focus the powers of visualization.  Since visualization is often undeveloped in clients, and since it can be learned, hypnosis can serve as a teaching modality.

The ability to visualize one's self as a non-smoker, enjoying new health, energy and vitality, is a major asset.  Visualization enables the client to 'see' cigarettes as unappealing, bad tasting, foul smelling and revolting.  Likewise, its possible to picture and sense clean breath, a healthy appearance, and increased sensitivity to taste.  A smoker can visualize him/herself looking healthier, more active, in better physical condition, breathing easy with stronger, healthier lungs.  Through hypnosis, the senses of sight, touch, smell, hearing and taste can all be enhanced and used to modify reactions to achieve goals.
 

Reinforcement
A new non-smoker needs reinforcement of his/her smoking cessation program. Habits are acquired over a long period of time.  You may cease smoking, but the habit can still be active.  Fortunately, if not used, habits fade and disappear.  The success of your program is greatly enhanced by your willingness to listen to a reinforcement CD for 21 days and/or self hypnosis techniques which continually weaken and eliminate the habit.
Click here: A Typical Hypnosis Session.
 

What to expect: 

THE PRE-INDUCTION INTERVIEW
If you've not experienced hypnosis before, you may not know what to expect or have misconceptions about the process.  An intake interview is done on the first visit.  Demographic information is gathered, including family and medical history, general life-style information and whatever else is pertinent.  Both written and verbal information about your smoking habit is gathered.

The first portion of your session will be devoted to information gathering and rapport building, explaining the hypnotic induction procedure, helping you building positive and accurate expectation, and correcting any misconceptions you may have.  Subsequent session(s) also begin with a pre-induction interview to review, reinforce or redefine your goals.

THE INDUCTION
Any one of many types of hypnotic inductions and many and varied trance deepeners may be used.  Which one is utilized with you depends on the findings of our interview. The actual hypnosis session lasts from 15 to 30 minutes.

REVIEW/SUGGESTIONS
Post-hypnotic suggestions are given. The purpose of the post-hypnotic suggestion is to enable you to use solutions programmed in hypnosis to change responses and behaviors when you need them to cope with your every day challenges. This is sometimes referred to as a trigger word or phrase or a post hypnotic signal. Connecting with your inner resources by means of a post hypnotic suggestion empowers you to access these resources without the hypnotist. The hypnotist's primary role is to facilitate the initial connection... and to bridge the gaps in information. 

MENTAL REHEARSAL
Mental rehearsal is simply a way of checking out the efficacy of the post-hypnotic suggestions and to determine if the processes were completed.  You'll know success has been achieved if you are able to imagine yourself entering a situation that previously triggered the undesirable response of smoking and  you are now able to invoke the newly anchored response.  When success is complete, you should be able to imagine yourself in any situation as a happy, comfortable non smoker.

EMERGING FROM HYPNOSIS:
After emerging suggestions are given, you will  return to full alertness.  You will wonderfully refreshed from the hypnotic experience.
 

Fee:  Two Sessions:
$230.00  The two-session stop smoking program includes two office sessions, hypnotic reinforcement CDs, telephone and email support. (The first session lasts approximately 90 minutes and, the second lasts about 60 minutes),   The fee for both sessions is due at the conclusion of the first, payable by check, money order, credit card or cash.  If you choose to "wean off gradually", and additional sessions are required, the fee is $90 for each.

Fee:  Five Sessions:
$470.00  This approach will have you a non-smoker in four weeks, with an additional follow-up session. Five office sessions, 5 hypnotic reinforcement CDs, telephone and email support. (The first session lasts approximately 90 minutes and, the second lasts about 60 minutes),   The full fee is due at the conclusion of the first, payable by check, money order, credit card or cash. 

Office Hours: Appointments are made from Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 7:00 pm; Saturdays, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Find out more about corporate programs.

The Two Main Reasons People Smoke:

1) Identification: (Or modeling - Indulging in smoking because others whom you admire smoke.)  Identification smoking is the most common and the easiest to eliminate.

2) Replacement: (Smoking to replace a perceived deficit. For example: a lack of companionship, love, acceptance, self-esteem, security or independence; or to replace another habit such as overeating, or a reaction to anxiety or boredom, etc.) Replacement smokers often derive sensual and/or ritualistic gratification from smoking. They enjoy touching or feeling the cigarettes, taping the pack, watching the flame of the lighter, the curling of rising smoke, or the smell of the burning tobacco.   Replacement smoking can be more powerful.

Good Reasons to Stop Smoking NOW:  (Courtesy of the American Cancer Society)
It's never too late to quit smoking!  Studies show that if a person quits after 20 to 25 years of smoking, his or her chances of developing cancer are actually quite low.  The body begins to correct damage caused by smoking in remarkable ways even within minutes of the last cigarette.

• Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette:

• 8 Hours

• 24 Hours

• 48 Hours

• 72 Hours

• 2 Weeks to 3 Months

• 1 to 9 Months

• 5 Years

• 10 Years

Of the many techniques available, the most appropriate for you will be selected based upon our initial intake interview.  Our program includes two sessions;  the first is devoted to smoking cessation, the second focuses on follow-up, reinforcement and encouragement.

It's important to determine what personal needs of yours are being satisfied by smoking. Is it to nurture yourself, to combat loneliness, or for a "pick me up"?  Do you believe smoking relieves stress or provides moments of relaxation? Are you smoking to make socializing more comfortable?  The more candid you are about when, where and why you smoke, the more effortlessly you succeed at becoming a non smoker through hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy For Smoking Cessation Sees Strong Results

ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2007) — Hospitalized patients who smoke may be more
likely to quit smoking through the use of hypnotherapy than patients using
other smoking cessation methods. A new study*  shows that smoking patients
who participated in one hypnotherapy session were more likely to be
nonsmokers at 6 months compared with patients using nicotine replacement
therapy (NRT) alone or patients who quit "cold turkey". The study also shows
that patients admitted to the hospital with a cardiac diagnosis are three
times more likely to quit smoking at 6 months than patients admitted with a
pulmonary diagnosis.
"Our results showed that hypnotherapy resulted in higher quit rates compared
with NRT alone," said Faysal Hasan, MD, FCCP, North Shore Medical Center,
Salem, MA. "Hypnotherapy appears to be quite effective and a good modality
to incorporate into a smoking cessation program after hospital discharge."

Dr. Hasan and colleagues from North Shore Medical Center and Massachusetts
General Hospital compared the quit rates of 67 smoking patients hospitalized
with a cardiopulmonary diagnosis. All patients were approached about smoking
cessation and all included in the study were patients who expressed a desire
to quit smoking.

At discharge, patients were divided into four groups based on their
preferred method of smoking cessation treatment: hypnotherapy (n=14), NRT
(n=19), NRT and hypnotherapy (n=18), and a group of controls who preferred
to quit "cold turkey" (n=16). All patients received self-help brochures. The
control group received brief counseling, but other groups received intensive
counseling, free supply of NRT and/or a free hypnotherapy session within 7
days of discharge, as well as follow up telephone calls at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12,
and 26 weeks after discharge. Patients receiving hypnotherapy also were
taught to do self-hypnosis and were given tapes to play at the end of the
session.

At 26 weeks after discharge, 50 percent of patients treated with
hypnotherapy alone were nonsmokers, compared with 50 percent in the
NRT/hypnotherapy group, 25 percent in the control group, and 15.78 percent
in the NRT group. Patients admitted with a cardiac diagnosis were more
likely to quit smoking at 26 weeks (45.5 percent) than patients admitted
with a pulmonary diagnosis (15.63 percent).

"Patients admitted with coronary symptoms may have experienced 'fear and
doom' and decided to alter a major health risk to their disease when
approached about smoking cessation," said Dr. Hasan. "In contrast, pulmonary
patients admitted for another exacerbation may not have felt the same
threat. They likely felt they can live for another day and continue the
smoking habit."

The researchers note that hospitalization is an important opportunity to
intervene among patients who smoke.

"Doctors and other health personnel should use this occasion to firmly
recommend smoking cessation and emphasize the impact of smoking on their
disease process and hospital admission," said Dr. Hasan. "Pulmonologists, in
particular, should make a stronger case and more passionate message to their
patients, and efforts should be coordinated with counseling."

"As physicians, we are constantly reviewing new approaches for smoking
cessation and revisiting existing approaches to confirm their
effectiveness," said Alvin V. Thomas, MD, FCCP, President of the American
College of Chest Physicians. "The results of this study and many others
confirm that using a multimodality approach to smoking cessation is optimal
for success."

This study as presented at Chest 2007, the 73rd annual international
scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians.
 

CAROL DENICKER, MEMBER BOARD CERTIFIED HYPNOTIST NGH INSTRUCTOR, ADJUNCT FACULTY MEMBER PRESIDENT, LI-NGH CERTIFIED HYPNOBIRTHING® EDUCATOR EFT PRACTITIONER USUI AND KARUNA REIKI MASTER/TEACHER