How Does Change Happen?

You may use this article for republication as long as the bio and all content remains intact and unchanged. You may not use this article for spam. A notice of use would be greatly appreciated.

============================================== Article Start

People come to me wanting to quit smoking or lose weight. They tell me things like, "I have a friend who quit in one session", and their expectation is that they can quit in one session, too.

Although it is true that some people are able to make the changes that they want in one hypnosis session, it is not common. There are two questions that you need to ask when this happens:

(1) How committed to change were they when they walked in? (2) How long did the changes last?

True change occurs deep inside yourself, at a level that you're usually not even aware of. If your friend truly did quit smoking in one session, permanently, then deep inside, that friend believed it could happen and had already committed to it.

Addictions form over a period of years, and involve deep emotions and behavior patterns. Just as it takes a few years to develop and habituate these feelings and patterns, it also will take a while to create new ones. Understanding this ahead of time can save you a lot of disappointment.

Your entire life is created by your thoughts and feelings. All the things you tell yourself over the years eventually manifest out into your world. Take a moment to think about this; what kinds of things do you tell yourself? And how does that make you feel? What things have others said to you, and how has that made you feel about yourself? Then, what kind of a world have you created as a result of these deep feelings? Here's an example of what I mean:

Action: Parent repeatedly says, "Leave me alone; I'm busy; Go away." Result: Child feels rejected, unloved, and unlovable. Each time this happens, the child reinforces that belief that they are unloved and unlovable. Action: As an adult, child becomes needy and constantly seeks affection, usually from emotionally distant partners, and experiences unsuccessful relationships. Or, the child is unable to emotionally bond successfully with others. Result: Child, now as adult, has firmly implanted the belief that they are unloved/unloveable, and has created their world to reflect that.

Self talk is a form of hypnosis. Over and over again you tell yourself the same things, until you begin to believe it. Once you believe what you've been telling yourself, you set about – on a subconscious level- to bring into existence the very things you've been thinking/feeling.

As you can see, real and lasting change does not take place as a result of the hypnotherapist changing you, but by you changing your belief about yourself. In order for hypnosis to work for you, you need these three things:

** Deep desire ** Belief that you can do it ** Commitment to change

I have people come to me who say these things: "I not sure if this will work," "We'll see…", and "I'm afraid I'll fail." If you feel this way, you have two choices:

1) Save your money until you can be absolutely committed to change. 2) Be willing to explore, through hypnosis, your fears and anxieties.

A belief in the possibility of failure will bring about that failure. Absolute commitment to success will bring about success. It may happen in one session, and it may not, but with repeated reinforcement, you will be able to create the world you desire.

Rita Ballard, C.Ht. practices hypnosis in Centralia, Washington. Rita uses Ericksonian techniques, combined with a holistic approach that the body, mind, and spirit need to work together in order to create change. Her practice works to expand individual awareness in a changing world. You may contact her at 360-736-2000 or by sending an email to hh@ucmax.com. Please visit the website: www.ritaballard.com for more information.