Many people still believe that hypnosis is dangerous but in fact, by itself it is perfectly harmless. The key with hypnosis is to work with a qualified and trained hypnotist or hypnotherapist. After all, this individual is going to take you on a journey that involves you being given suggestions. Obviously, unwise use of suggestions could create problems, sometimes leading to the very opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Therefore, it is essential that your hypnotist or hypnotherapist have a full understanding of the principles and disciplines associated with this suggestion structure. For example, if you were going to see a hypnotist or hypnotherapist to lose weight and that individual does not understand the disciplines of hypnosis, he or she may begin to offer you suggestions like, “You do not like food!” While that might sound fine, the problem is that this very suggestion is only going to start the wheels of the subconscious mind turning, doing what – thinking of food. In other words, the suggestion that was intended to help curb your appetite has now been used incorrectly, thus creating additional problems for the original problem. Suggestions are intended to create images within the subconscious. However, the subconscious mind is not capable of telling fact from fiction. A great test that professionals use is this – close your eyes. With your eyes closed, imagine you are holding a bucket in each hand. For the bucket in your left hand, imagine that it is filled with light, fluffy feathers. For the bucket in your right hand, imagine it is full of water. Now, focus on the bucket filled with water, creating an image of water and sound. After about 30 seconds, open your eyes and look where your right hand compared to your left hand. A trained hypnotist or hypnotherapist will turn their attention on the solution and results rather than the problem. A skilled professional knows the importance of this and other disciplines associated with hypnosis for the best results. You want a professional that will teach you empowerment, show you how to use your mind to achieve the things in life you want to accomplish. Because of this, you need to remember a good rule of thumb – all hypnotherapy will employ hypnosis but not all hypnosis is hypnotherapy. Typically, it takes a qualified professional, years of training to master the art of suggestion so choose wisely. It is also important that helping a person, overcome challenges in life is more than hypnotic suggestion. You have to be open and willing to receive these positive suggestions or the hypnosis will not work. We strongly recommend you work with someone who has undergone the appropriate training to help people. In addition, finding someone with these qualifications along with a counseling background is a bonus. However, keep in mind that training in counseling is never a substitute for training in hypnotherapy. Finally, avoid hypnotists that are self-taught, a very danger game indeed.