Smoking Cessation and Hypnosis

A few years ago Scientific American magazine ran an article that stated that hypnosis was the most effective method of stopping smoking. Since that time there have been several medications come on the market that appear to have some beneficial effects with helping people stop smoking. Now, I know that I only see the people who have been unsuccessful with these medications but I have never seen anyone who has stopped smoking by taking a pill. We live in a society that seems to demand instant gratification and it seems that the easiest way to solve a problem is with medication. The problem with this is that it never addresses the underlying cause of the behavior. I don’t believe that every time I do hypnosis with a client, I need to dig deep into the unconscious but I do know that sometimes there are deep-seated reasons why people particicpate in a behavior. I am willing to go as deep as is needed to solve the problem. If it means we require several sessions to break a smoking habit, that’s fine. If we can break the habit in one session, that’s even better. I still believe that hypnosis is the best way to change behavior especially smoking.