How Many Sessions?

Question
I know there are hypnotherapists who work with clients for years. I thought hypnosis was a very effective way to get to people's problems and solutions much more quickly. How many sessions do you feel are helpful?

Answer
The number of sessions I use with clients varies a lot. First understand, that I am a psychotherapist, as well as hypnotherapist. My experience has led me to understand that a hypnotherapist must not only gain the conscious trust of an individual, but must have the trust of the subconscious "person", as well. If an issue is based on a habit one has gotten into and the client isn't afraid to tackle it, then it usually takes very little time - perhaps one or two sessions. At times, however, I might go anywhere from five to ten sessions with certain clients. Since I often work with quite complex issues, often of chronic depression, anxiety and deep fears, I must go along with the client's "unconscious" pacing to determine length of time with them. Usually, I can sense when we've finally had a "trust" break-thru, and then the suggestions I give for changes will 'hook in' beautifully. Until then, there is often resistence due to fear of one kind or another. I also must deal with the possibility of the "rebel" or "sabateur" putting up barriers. Sometimes a client knows they are going to be dealing with a fearful part of their life, and will resist depth hypnosis, so it might take more than one or two sessions to get past that. Since a major part of my work is to get to the underlying cause of an issue and release it, this can't always be rushed either. Since it doesn't require regression, I've found my script that seeks out the imprints of the problem and then gets the mind to change those imprints can often help a client prepare for any deeper search. I understand how a client can become dependent upon a counselor/therapist by having them continue on for many weeks. Considering that many clients who go to "talk" counselors can meet with them for as much as two years on the average, I consider that anything from 2 - 10 weeks as still quite reasonable when using the hypnotic processes. Some people just take longer to accept and believe that they really can change. Also, many people come with the belief in their minds that you can't possibly do something in just one session. I think that can work against the hypnotherapist. This, of course, is my opinion, and not necessarily of others. We each must work within our own comfort zones, as well as the client's.