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Del Morrill, M.S. C.C.H

Transitions

A Center for Counseling & Hypnosis
Tacoma, Washington, USA
(253) 752-1506

Group Work on Weight Control

Question
I went to a weight loss meeting and they said that they hypnotized everyone in the audience. It was billed as the be-all-end-all for weight loss. That they would be able to make you not be hungry and that it was the only way to go. I left so disappointed. It did nothing for me. I was able to quit smoking in one of those big group meetings. But when I went to one for weight, I had no luck. How come?

Answer
Although group work for overweight may work for some people, it doesn't work for a lot of others. The reason is that what is said or done in a group setting to a hundred people doesn't touch the real weight problems of many individuals. I have found that there are almost as many reasons for habits and hanging on to weight as there are overweight people. I have had many clients come to me who had not been successful with group work, but were successful with private sessions. With an individual, the therapist can get enough information from you in order to create a more precise program for you as an individual. Weight issues, for instance, are seldom about bad habits alone. Unfortunately, many weight control programs operate with that assumption. As a hypnotherapist and counselor, I would want to know more about you not only now, but in your early years. What habits did you develop when you were growing up? What were your family's eating habits, experiences as a family around meals, and attitudes surrounding food, eating and overweight people? What are your current habits related to food? What are your attitudes about life and other people? What issues have surrounded weight gains over the years? What other issues are you currently struggling with that may affect your response to therapy? These are only some of the questions that I believe to be pertinent in developing a proper program for a client's best success at getting rid of unwanted weight, and keeping it off. Now there are many hypnotherapists who would disagree with me. They may have good results with clients by merely giving direct suggestions related to the particular habits the client has. But I have found in my own practice, that the greatest success for getting the weight off, remaining healthy during the process, and keeping it off is three-fold: 1. Adequate intake (getting to know the client and helping the client get comfortable with the therapist); 2. Getting to the root of the problem by having the mind seek out imprints that cause the weight gain and eating habits; and 3. Giving suggestions that are inclusive--dealing with past incidents, reasons and habits. With smoking programs, I find I have the greatest success by having a session designed to remove any reasons for smoking or blocks to getting rid of the habit, including comments to the age-part of the client that began smoking that convinces "it" that time has changed and smoking is no longer sophisticated, etc. I then follow that with a session of suggestions about becoming a non-smoker, the benefits to being a non-smoker for life, and eating in a healthy way that fits their ideal body size and weight. ABOUT GROUP WORK, IN GENERAL: Sometimes people who try hypnosis may do so when they aren't really ready to make changes. Or sometimes the hypnotherapist they use gives suggestions that make assumptions as to why the weight is there, why people eat the wrong foods, or why they smoke or chew. Sometimes a person may consciously want to change, but subconsciously not be ready for it. Or they might be afraid of the changes to be made. And sometimes the hypnotherapist they went to just gave some suggestions, but didn't go to the source of the problem. Because your conscious mind can want to do something but your subconscious mind isn't accepting it, you would be best off with a hypnotherapist who specializes in going to the source of the problem, and in dealing with the fearful or rebellious personality parts a person. Ask the therapist whether they are capable of finding out the cause or block. Then take it from there. Find a good hypnotherapist who knows how to do more than just getting your hypnotized, and I believe you'll "win".

 
 

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