You’d not believe that this is even a topic of conversation; whether a chair or a couch is better for your hypnotherapy room, but it is! It’s almost laughable but, as well as “when to start charging?”, “how much you are going to charge?”, whether to have your photo on your business cards, how often you need to see your clients and where to advertise, and all the other questions we hope to answer for you during your training, this will be a BIG deal when you are a student.
When we decided to write this article, we thought our hypnotherapist friends from all over the world would have strong opinions, so we asked them and the results can be found at the end of the article. In the meantime, let us explore the question further.
As hypnosis can ultimately be done standing up (think about the street hypnotists and stage hypnotists having their ‘subjects’ walking and talking and engaging in all sorts of activities) why do we even bother trying to make it comfortable for our clients when they come to see us?
And this is where it gets a little more serious, because our clients are coming to us for therapy not to be entertained or entertain. They are coming to us for help, most often to overcome something unwanted or painful and to get back to a happier, more engaged and productive version of themselves. Hypnotherapy is one of the fastest growing careers in the UK, and there is growing understanding and a huge body of evidence to support the value of working directly with the subconscious during therapy, to effect positive change.
If you train with CPHT you’ll find, as a newly qualified Solution-Focused Hypnotherapist, you’ll still meet people who are a little nervous of coming to see you, simply because their only experience of hypnosis is via entertainment, which means your job as a helping professional, is to put them at ease. You’ll learn to create a welcoming, calming space that shows they are in the hands of a well-trained, confident and safe therapist.
Turns out our hypnotherapy friends aren’t fussed at all. Emma, from Inspired To Change Winkleigh summed up the general feeling “As long as the client is comfy and so are you, it’s going to be fab.”
The considerations to make when choosing what your clients will relax on, is more to do with how physically supported they will feel, whether it is accessible for most clients, weight bearing level of the chair or couch and what room you have in your clinic. Ultimately, you’ll want your clients to feel comfortable in and out of trance. You will often have a blanket for comfort and because our temperature drops slightly in trance, perhaps a foot rest or a cushion for added support. There are no hard and fast rules so choose whatever suits you.