When I tell people about how hypnosis to stop smoking is very effective and takes only two or three sessions, people ask me, “Why does smoking cessation treatment take so few sessions when other issues take longer to treat?” That’s a very good question.
Let me start the answer by noting that hypnosis in general is short-term and session-based. As opposed to going to a psychologist or a psychiatrist who will often require weekly visits for anywhere from a few months to several years, sessions with me will treat the issue in a matter of a handful of sessions. I want you out my door as quickly as you came in; the only difference being that you’re better.
Smoking cessation, far from being an “easy” thing to treat (nothing is easy or hard – I treat all my patients with the same devotion and ethic), is a very specific and targeted problem.
Oftentimes, it’s a simple matter of the nicotine being both a biochemical stress reducer and highly addictive substance. Very seldom do people start smoking because their mother died when they were four or because they never had any luck with finding a mate.
Smoking isn’t completely isolated of course. It helps reduce stress and anxiety, and one can definitely start or relapse back to smoking during a particular crisis. But my point is that, unlike depression, drugs, and relationship turmoil, smoking does not have the same levels of complexity and psychological nuance that make treatment more intensive and elaborate.
Call my office today at (212) 599-3195, and I’ll get you off the cigarettes in 3 sessions.