10 Questions Every Hypnotherapist Should Ask Their Clients
Asking questions is not only a basic part of being a hypnotherapist, it’s also routine when receiving and accepting new clients. The questions you as the hypnotherapist ask your client will vary by client, context, their present issue, and so on.
It’s good practice to routinely ask questions before getting started on contact details, medical and psychological history, allergies and phobias, and history and origin of the problems. Usually these need to be asked during the consultation or first visit, so that you get a sense of the clients issues and goals, to build rapport and help to create your plan for the clients sessions.
There are questions outside of the routine, however, that should be asked of every client who walks through your door or speaks with you. Here are 10 questions every hypnotherapist should ask their clients.
What did you enjoy the most out of your experience today?
It’s a good idea for you to ask this question at the end of each session. It will help you to see what your client got out of the session, plus it gives them a chance to reflect.
Imagine, for a minute, there being a positive reason you are having this problem. In some way, despite the issues it brings, it provides a small reward or benefit of some kind. What would the benefit be?
We ask our clients to “imagine,” to help avoid resistance to hypnotherapy and encourage creativity in exploring a beneficial result.
By asking this question, your client takes pause on the negative reasons things happen in their lives and shifts the focus to the positive. Thinking about how their issue could in some ways have once been a benefit to them allows the possibility to identify the benefit during hypnosis so they can get that same benefit in a new way so the impact to them in their lives is more positive.
Since our last session, what have you noticed has changed for the better?
We ask this question to make sure we are progressing in our sessions, get a sense of where our client is, and how they’re feeling. All with the hope they don’t feel like they aren’t progressing or at a stand-still. And if they are, this is the time to come up with a better plan.
What are we working on today?
If you have plans for your session, have the courage to abandon them and let your client guide the session; they know their own needs best. If you have doubts, negotiate with them.
Who are your supports as you go through these changes?
As you see your client grow through the changes they’re making through their sessions, you’re checking in to see who their supports are, if any. You want what is best for your client, which includes a support system.
Anything else you’d like to talk about that we haven’t touched on today?
You just want to make sure that you haven’t missed anything your client wishes to talk about in the session, give them a chance to cover everything they’d like to discuss, or reflect or wrap up.
What interests do you have? Any favourite hobbies you enjoy?
We take these interests and hobbies and work them into hypnotherapy inductions, suggestions, affirmations, and visual examples your client is able to relate to.
Is anyone else likely to answer your phone? Will they know you are in a hypnotherapy session with me?
An often overlooked aspect of protecting confidentiality. We want to make sure that your clients have control over who knows they are seeing a hypnotherapist. It’s not only confidential, but also safe as well. Your client will need to know they can be safe in your space.
Are you reaching your goals? How do you think you are doing?
Another reflection question, to see how your client feels they are doing in relation to the goals they set out to achieve at the beginning of their hypnotherapy sessions as of now.
Where did you find me? How did you find out about myself and my practice?
This part is about marketing. How are you to assess what works and what doesn’t if you don’t know where your clients come from? Asking them how they found out about you and your practice (if you have your own) is a straightforward way of knowing.
The above 10 questions help you as a hypnotherapist get to know what is working for you and your client’s sessions, get to know their needs and how you can better serve them if something isn’t working, and really build a strong rapport with your client.
If these sound like great ways to help people via hypnotherapy, and you want some more guidance from a certified hypnotherapist, I’m happy to teach you more. You can check out my 12-month training program to become a certified clinical hypnotherapist.
You can also simply stay tuned to my blog, as more hypnotherapist blogs are on their way.
Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Healing Soul Hypnosis and a clickable link back to this page.
