At HypnoBusters we enjoy interaction with our users. That is why we have opened up this section of the site to allow you to ask our resident hypnotherapist, Jon Rhodes, any questions you may have for him.

It is perfectly natural when dealing with any type of medical practice to have questions and queries, and hypnotherapy is no different. There are a lot of elements to hypnosis that aren’t fully understood by the majority of people. We hope that this section will help you gain a better understanding of hypnosis and decide whether it is right for you.

Jon Rhodes has been a qualified clinical hypnotherapist for six years and received his diploma from the London College of Clinical Hypnotherapy. Jon also has a wealth of experience working towards the rehabilitation of people with mental disorders back into society.

Any questions or comments for Jon are welcome. Feel free to ask questions about HypnoBusters, the practice of hypnotherapy in general, self-help, and your own specific problems.

To protect your privacy we will not publish the name or email address of anyone who has sent in a question. Similarly by sending in a question be assured that your email address will not be added to a mailing list or sold to any third party.

Every month we will dip into the mailbag and answer the questions you send in for us. Each Q&A session will be archived, providing an ever growing database on hypnotherapy.

Please send your questions to us at - askthehypnotherapist@hypnobusters.com

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Ask The Hypnotherapist #12 - Jun 25th 2009

If there was one common misconception about hypnosis that you could dispel, what would it be?

I can only pick one?! Hmm…I suppose it would have to be the classic chicken misconception. You know, the one where a person starts acting like a chicken every time the doorbell rings! This has been depicted in many comedy programmes and films, and somehow people have got this confused with reality. I do not try to turn anyone into a chicken!

What is the best way to go about learning self hypnosis?

There is an article I wrote about self hypnosis in the articles section on this site. Check it out. It is advisable to experience a few guided hypnosis sessions before learning self hypnosis. This can be in the form of live sessions, or recorded sessions.

There are two reasons for this. Going into a hypnotic trance is a skill on the part of the subject. The more they do it, the easier and deeper they can allow their minds to go. Several sessions with an experienced hypnotherapist will help give you the experience and skill, which you can build on when you explore self hypnosis. Also you are likely to be unsure as to what state of mind you are seeking if you have never experienced it before. Sometimes people drift into a trance and don’t know because they have no reference point as to what to expect. That’s why I would advise at least one session with a clinical hypnotherapist in order for you to know the state of mind you are aiming to achieve.

I love the relaxation hypnosis videos you have been posting on Youtube. You’ve said that you have four in total, do you have any plans to do more in the future?

I have no concrete plans to make any more hypnosis videos at the moment, but I’m sure I will in the not too distant future. We have made a lot of videos that are essentially audio sessions, so I hope to do something a little different next time. Not sure what yet, but I’m thinking about it. If anyone has any suggestions for something a little different, then please let me know.

When you’re not working how do you like to relax?

Some of you that follow my work closely may know that I currently live in Casablanca in Morocco. When I am not working I often go to the beach in a nice little town called “mohammeder” with my family and a few friends. We swim, play beach tennis, beach football, and laze around! It is good here because the weather is so good that the beach is accessible eight or nine months of the year – unlike England which may be eight or nine days of the year!

I also go to the gym 4 times a week with my good friend Abdul Rahem Touri, who is the brother of Mohamed Touri, who is the number one professional body builder in Morocco. Abdul trains with the intensity of a professional, and is not far off the standard. It certainly pushes me and makes me train harder training with someone who is so serious about health and nutrition. It inspired me to create the ‘Muscle Enhancement’ audio session where I could combine my three passions of hypnosis, music, and bodybuilding.

Being a former professional musician, I like to play the guitar. I currently only have an acoustic classical guitar, as my guitar collection is still in England! I couldn't fit my piano in the hand luggage space on the plane coming here, so I am currently a frustrated pianist!

I sometimes juggle and do plate spinning as well. I also like to cook and go for meals out. I try to do positive things as much as possible, although I do occasionally watch TV and drink a few sangrias!