An Introduction
Your first session with a hypnotherapist will be different from future visits. The initial visit is for you and your therapist to get to know each other. Future visits will be more therapeutic in nature. For example, in your second session, you may explore a specific symptom, problem, or past trauma you mentioned in the first session.
Psychotherapy usually requires multiple visits, and while hypnotherapy is effective, you must have realistic expectations on the time it may take to overcome issues. Therapy is about equipping you with life-long solutions and not a quick fix.
During the first session, your therapist may ask you:
- What are your symptoms?
- What brought you to therapy?
- What do you feel is wrong in your life?
- Some questions about your history, including your childhood, education, relationships (family, romantic, friends), your current living situation, and your career
You and your therapist should also come to an agreement about the length of your treatment, methods to be employed, and ins and outs of patient confidentiality.
Length of Treatment
Depending on your issue and therapy goals, therapy can last a few sessions or several weeks or years. While you likely want to know how long it’s going to take to “feel better,” there’s no simple answer. It’s very individualized.
In addition, some insurance plans only cover a set number of sessions in a given year, so you may need to factor in those limitations and/or work with your therapist to come up with a payment plan.