Hypnotherapy Training: A Volunteer’s Eye View

Many hypnotherapy training courses (including ours) rely on volunteer clients so students can practise their skills in a real-world setting. This is a hypnotherapy volunteer’s experience of taking part in hypnotherapy training. It offers a useful perspective for students learning practical skills.

A Sceptical Hypnotherapy Volunteer

I will start by saying that I am a well-known dyed-in-the-wool sceptic. So it was a surprise when I was asked by a friend to become a hypnotherapy volunteer for her practical skills. (Also known as a ‘guinea pig’!)

I had never been involved in any form of hypnotism in my life before, and did not want to disappoint her by failing to ‘go under’. However, I agreed, and the date was set. We would meet at my house and use my spare bedroom as a place for the treatment.

I had suffered from a painful shoulder injury for some years. It was decided that she would concentrate on pain control and relief during the session. As this was a medical issue, I had to ask my GP for permission to go ahead. She was much like me, sceptical but happy for me to give it a go.

What Hypnosis Felt Like in Practice

I lay down on the bed, made myself comfortable, closed my eyes, and she began. It was not at all as I had imagined. Not a swinging watch in sight for a start.

As I listened to her quiet voice and tried to follow her instructions, I was still very aware of the normal household noises going on around us. The phone rang, and I heard my husband talking to someone. Then there was a knock on the door, and he answered it. By now, I was convinced that ‘it’ hadn’t worked, which is actually a very common experience in hypnosis. People often don’t expect to remain aware of what’s going on around them.

I felt I should tell her so that she didn’t continue wasting her time. However, no matter how hard I tried to open my eyes and halt the session, I couldn’t! So I just relaxed and went with the flow.

Responding to Hypnotherapy Suggestions

As she took me deeper, I admit that the images she suggested not exactly the same as what I saw. Colours were different. Some things I ‘knew’ rather than ‘felt’ or ‘saw’. For instance, she told me to pick up a key, but I knew it was already in my pocket.

She discussed my pain and made suggestions as to how I could view it differently and have some control over its severity. Apparently, hypnotherapy is often used to help people manage pain in different ways.

All through the session, I felt relaxed and confident. When it ended, I was very surprised to find it had taken much longer than I thought. We discussed the fact that I obviously had my own ‘take’ on her suggestions. But that did not matter. It simply meant that my mind was processing things in my own individual way. This is something therapists often take into account when tailoring suggestions to each client.

It also really did help with my pain, so I felt it to have been a very useful experience.

What I Learned About Hypnosis

Since then, I have assisted in the same way at quite a few student sessions. I now know that my own pattern of hypnosis means lots of rapid eye movements. I am aware of them throughout the treatment, and my eyes water a lot when I open them.

Others may have many different experiences when being hypnotised, as we are all individuals. It simply shows that we retain our own basic control, even under hypnosis.

Editor’s Comment:

Experiences like this are an important part of hypnotherapy training. They allow students to work with real people and understand how differently individuals respond. From a volunteer’s point of view, it can be both interesting and beneficial, and a reminder that hypnosis is not about losing control, but about working with the mind in a focused and personal way.

Are you interested in how hypnotherapy training works in practice? You can find more details about YHT’s practitioner course here, or about becoming a volunteer here.