FAQ

I now do all my session work over video conferencing. It has many advantages that my old office setup just could not match: no commute, zero traffic, no parking hassles, less trying-to-get-there stress, easier punctuality, and greater comfort!

More importantly, when we test the work, we get a more realistic result to troubleshoot any problems before concluding your session.

My ultimate goal is to assemble a large team of the most competent professional people, available 24/7, dedicated to helping you whenever you need.

At the moment, it’s just me. I generally work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT; however, feel free to reach out to me (phone, email, form) anytime, and I’ll get back to you within 48 hours. I batch my calls and messages for efficiency.

But here’s the best way: click on a booking link to schedule my full attention, rather than fighting for my time with anyone else calling!

Your free, no-obligation discovery call to see whether we’re a good fit and how I can help you is generally 45 minutes.

I set your initial work session at two and a half hours on the calendar; however, I like to say two to three hours. It’s more important that we have the time to do our work than to have the session end at a certain length. We can do our work in two to three hours in most cases.

Follow-up/check-in sessions usually take no more than an hour, as we are making sure everything is on course or troubleshooting something small. We don’t need to block off a huge chunk of your day for a follow-up session.

Your first step is simply to talk to a hypnotist.

This program is not a good fit for everyone, so we need to ensure I’m the right person to work with you. We also want to ensure that we set you up for success before your first session.

Words will work fine! (Just kidding, sort of…)

You have several options:
You can book a discovery call to have time dedicated to you.
You can use the contact form.
You can email me at info@imhypnosis.com
And there’s always the

Book Your Free Discovery

Please use the link to book your free, no-obligation discovery call.

discovery call booking calendar

No, I don’t take insurance – for several reasons.

Our society often ties money to commitment. If you can find several thousand dollars every year to be unhappy and speed your death but are unwilling to pay (often substantially less) to be healthy for life, what message are you giving yourself about your motivation to quit?

I’m a small operation without an in-house medical billing team. I prefer to spend my time actually helping you and as many other clients as possible than figuring out how to bill multiple insurance companies accurately. I just don’t have the resources for that.

Frankly, so many therapists I know who started on insurance panels spend a year of their life trying to get back off them. While opinions vary, most folks find taking insurance a big hassle that gets in the way of actually doing the work.

Life is full of emergencies. Sometimes, things crop up, and sometimes, the best-laid plans go astray. Perhaps you get sick, a storm floods your basement, or the neighborhood gets evacuated.

Obviously, I want to work with everyone who can benefit from my service, so I need to make sure I use my calendar effectively.

If you cannot make it to your session, please give me 24 hours’ notice, so I can help the next person who might be able to use that time slot.

If you’re unable to provide 24 hours’ notice or are more than 15 minutes late, you may incur the missed session fee, currently $250. This fee is extra and not part of any packages I offer.

Your booking confirmation will include a Zoom link for you to follow when it’s time for your session. Please be ready a few minutes early so that we can dedicate all your time to you.

Please ensure you know how to connect and have recently checked your Zoom setup (camera, mic, and headphones).

Not everyone will need headphones, but please have them handy just in case we do. They can be very useful if you want a little extra privacy about your session (nobody can eavesdrop and hear what you are answering).

But probably more important is that my voice will sometimes soften during hypnosis. If your speakers are not strong, you have background noise, or you suffer from hearing loss, headphones can ensure that you always hear me well and have a much more efficient session.

It’s like most video conferencing meetings – except that it’s usually much less boring, and you’re more likely to close your eyes.

What you want to do is find a quiet place and preferably sit up in a comfortable chair – in a location where you feel safe and free from distractions.

What you don’t want is to have to manage to hold your phone when you’re either deeply relaxed or deeply focused on solving your problem. Cell phones are prone to disconnection and disruption from a poorly timed text message, notification, or call you receive. You may prefer using your laptop or desktop.

You sit comfortably, and we talk about the details of your issue – so I know how you want to improve your life and just what we need to fix.

I’ll guide you through a quick introduction, and then we are into the work, just like in person.

Wear something comfortable but appropriate for going out.

I tend to dress a little formally, but you don’t have to do that. But do dress like you’re taking our interaction seriously, so probably not slippers and pajamas. *To be clear, slippers might be ok, but you should avoid anything that might detract from the importance of our work together.

Your mind has many systems running simultaneously. The conscious mind that you typically think of as yourself is just a small portion of everything going on both inside your head and in your body generally.

Not everyone recognizes the significance of the unconscious. You could think of it like having two drivers, both trying to drive the car at the same time, or perhaps two people running a three-legged race. Bottom line: you have two brains in the same skull, and they can absolutely want different things.

And scientific discovery only continues to reveal just how the mind works with the revelation that the conscious mind is fully dependent on the environment and inputs supplied by the unconscious systems. While that thought can be a little scary or disorienting, the advantage is that if we can make both sides agree with what we want, there’s very little you can’t achieve!

Both have different, preferred methods of communicating and processing information. Hypnosis is about speaking – both directly and indirectly – to your unconscious mind, known for its love of subtlety and symbolism. So, it’s possible to speak in ways that allow your unconscious mind to respond, but they’re not how we typically communicate.

Absolutely, but not together in the same session.

I’m happy to help both members of a couple, but I do want to make sure I’m giving my full attention to each person working with me. It would be incredibly unlikely that what works well for one partner would be just as useful for the other.

So, I’m happy to help your whole family change, but everybody gets their own session.

Fundamentally, we sit and talk.

Typically, it’s easiest to communicate with your unconscious if we eliminate as many distractions as possible. One huge area of distraction that can keep the mind all the wrong kinds of busy is vision – focusing your eyes on the external world rather than your internal experience or the experience I’m creating just for you.

Usually, we recap what we talked about in our previous session or during your discovery call. Then, we make sure I fully understand the problem and want to be different. (Sometimes, this can actually be the lengthiest part of the session.) Then, I will invite you to close your eyes and turn your attention inward.

What happens next really depends on your situation. Hypnosis can take many forms based on whichever of my skills fits best in the moment. In the case of a stop smoking session, we might use a Dynamic Mental Imagery process, in which we interact with the symbols your unconscious mind has for both the old habit and for what it will mean to be happily smoke-free, once and for all.

After that, we work through the smoking triggers you’ve identified so that none of them cause you problems going forward. And we’ll probably give you multiple experiences of living through a day in your life as a successful non-smoker – so you’ve already enjoyed practicing all the days that most people using other methods find difficult.

Finally, we check that everything worked and make necessary adjustments.

My initial formal training was a certification a decade ago, one that broadened my horizons and helped me realize that, though I could already help people, there was also more that I didn’t know.

My next step was to travel the world seeking trainers and mentors (and even some new friends) who could help me develop the skills and understandings to become a consistent force for good in the world.

Many certifications in various forms of hypnosis have followed through the years because I’m always happy to continue learning.

Eventually, I started leading an informal practice group for the students in the Hypnotherapy University.

There are actually several groups that provide certifications for hypnotists.

I earned my first through the International Association of Professional Conversational Hypnotists (IAPCH).

While sometimes you can experience profound physical sensations, your first session will most likely feel like a terrific conversation with a friend or possibly like hearing a story that hits all the right points.

Sometimes, you’ll feel strong emotions, often positive but sometimes negative, which is perfectly normal and part of getting the results you want.

And you might report that you’ve not been that relaxed in months or years.

That’s a common misconception. Yes, hypnosis can and often does look like sleep, but your brain may be much more active than in your typical waking state.

The Greek Hypnos actually means sleep. Though we still use the word today, it came from a misunderstanding that James Braid had 180 years ago.

I have yet to have a client make that request. In fact, nobody’s been willing to pay to make animal noises. I suspect that most folks are already 100% as good as they want to be at making all the animal noises they actually want to make.

Only slightly crazy? You might not need a hypnotist for that, but I’m happy to talk to you! Give me a call: (206) 339-3439.

Yes – and no.

Yes, just as if you were asking the genie of the legendary lamp, you need to be very clear with what you want to be different. And yes, you can usually get that wish.

But no, I don’t actually do the granting. My job is to help communicate what you want between the various parts of your mind. In truth, YOU are far more powerful than you give yourself credit for. The nice thing about that is that you can really surprise yourself, and I’m very pleased to be part of helping you make that happen.

He was an extremely faithful boyfriend in a long-term relationship with a woman who wasn’t his typical romantic type. He didn’t like that sometimes his eyes would stray – even though it was only looking, only in passing, and she’d never caught him.

But he didn’t feel right about it. So, he asked only to have eyes for his partner. He was a really stand-up guy.

The first thing, of course, is to make sure you’re not using their products.

The second step is to tell all your friends and loved ones who smoke that there’s an easy, painless, and enjoyable way to quit – once and for all.

I expect to be doing a fair bit of hiring over the next several months, so if you’re interested in meeting my high standards, please reach out: jonathan@imhypnosis.com.

The biggest question is, “What is the outcome of this belief?”  That goes for both small and large things, as small as lunch or how you choose to keep your home to as large as the fate of planets. The outcomes of our beliefs are our behaviors. What will we or will we not be able to see as a result of this belief?

Earth is probably the best planet for almost everything you might want to do, but my second favorite is Mars. I intend to move there as soon as I can get a ride out.

Why not Venus? The day is too long – even for me.

We enjoy pretty much all the hobbies any of your friends have. I recently discovered that I like hiking if I’m healthy and can do it at my own pace. I used to enjoy SCUBA diving and am considering getting back into it.

I used to knit with friends, but not in years now; however, I enjoy board game nights with friends, reading science fiction, studying geologic engineering (because I insist on having fun, regardless of what I’m doing), walking, and self-development.

I also enjoy petting the cat that visits me regularly – I really like that cat.