Debbie Waller's Blog

Upselling is something a lot of therapists avoid, often because it feels too ‘salesy’ or pushy, or because it could make clients feel uncomfortable. But, done with care, ethical upselling can offer improved support to clients, improve engagement and create a more financially stable practice. In this article, we’ll explore what upselling in therapy is, practical examples you can use and how to overcome common worries.

What if you could help your clients step into calm, confidence, or focus in a moment? This guide shows you how to use the Circle of Excellence, an NLP technique you can include in your hypnotherapy scripts and sessions, to create powerful, lasting resource states they can access anytime.

Somebody asked me a question about using hypnotherapy scripts recently, which sparked a memory, and I thought it would be a good one to share here. The first time I ever worked script free. 

Have you ever sensed that something wasn’t being said during a session? Or noticed you handled a tricky moment more calmly than usual? That’s Emotional Intelligence in action, and developing emotional intelligence in hypnotherapy sessions can make a real difference to how we relate, respond and work with our clients. 

I’m sure many of us have had clients who seem stuck in repeating emotional patterns, especially in their relationships with others. They may always feel responsible for others' happiness at the expense of their own, constantly blaming others for their failings, or feel completely helpless and unable to move forward.  The Drama Triangle helps to explain why this can happen and suggests strategies to help them move to a healthier place.

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Creating a safe, welcoming therapy space isn’t just about nice furniture - it’s a vital part of helping clients relax and engage with hypnotherapy. In this article, we’ll look at how the physical and emotional environment can shape your client’s experience, and how to work with what you’ve got, even in a hired room.

Have you ever had one of those moments of inspiration where a particular suggestion got to the heart of the matter and just seemed to ‘click’ with your client? That’s the power of hypnotic language, and in this article, we’ll be exploring ten of the most effective - and sometimes unexpected - language patterns you can use. 

IBS (IrritableBowel Syndrome) affects up to20% of the population. It’s not life-threatening, but for many, it’slife-altering. Fortunately, hypnotherapy offers real hope and relief for IBS sufferers. If you’re a hypnotherapy practitioner or hypnotherapy student,here’s how you can work confidently with clients who have IBS.

No matter how good your hypnotherapy training was, settingup a practice can still feel like a steep learning curve. There is advice outthere, some too expensive when your practice is not yet making much money andsome so time-consuming that you would never have time to see clients if youfollowed the advice. What you need is a quick and easy time-saver that willadapt to your style and help you attract clients. So, this month, I’m lookingat how the POST method will help you to create effective social media posts.

 

Hypnotherapy Social Media Marketing

Social media is one of the most important ways to marketyourself. It’s simple to set up, and there are free opportunities, thoughadmittedly not as many as there were a few years ago. And even if social mediaisn’t your favourite thing, it’s where many of your clients are looking forhelp..

Having said that, even when you have a great idea for apost, the way you word it matters. And many hypnotherapists struggle to createcontent that attracts potential clients, especially if they’re new to writingfor social media. We all know that clear, compelling posts can increase clientleads, and even help us build rapport, but creating them is another matter.

Having a basic structure, like POST, to follow can help youdesign and write social media posts to have as much impact as possible, whilststill allowing your voice to come through.

 

The POST Model for Creating Social Media Posts

POST stands for:

PROBLEM – work out what your ideal client struggles with. Example:“Many people fear flying, especially as we approach the holiday season.”

OFFER – tell them your solution (hypnotherapy). Example: "Hypnotherapyoffers a natural way to calm your nerves and regain control before you boardthe plane."

SUPPORT – provide evidence to support your offer. Example: "Oneof my clients, Sarah, said, 'After just a few sessions, I was able to flystress-free!'"

TAKE ACTION – also known as the CTA (Call to Action) it’simportant to tell your clients what they need to do. Example: "Take thefirst step to a stress-free holiday - book your consultation now!"

 

Why the POST Model Works

If writing social media posts makes you feel self-consciousor unsure, having a structure like POST helps take the pressure off. You don'thave to find the perfect words every time, just follow the framework.

Problem: Establishing a relatable issue grabs the audience’sattention. People engage when they see their challenges reflected. You’llnotice that our example works with just one of the many issues that hypnotherapycan help with, but this will be your best approach. Remember that you’re notadvertising hypnotherapy as such, but the results it can offer. Running avariety of single-issue campaigns is better than expecting people to read downa list of what you can do, hoping their issue is there. And you can pick a newtopic to write about each week or month, which will also help you decide whatto talk about in your posts.

Offer: Presenting you and/or your service as the answer getspeople interested in knowing more. At this stage, they don’t need many detailsabout how you achieve your results, they just want to know you can help.

Support: Proving your credentials is key to asking apotential client to contact you. Otherwise, you may sell them on the idea of hypnotherapy,but they’ll look elsewhere for a hypnotherapist. If you don't have clienttestimonials yet, talk about your training, specialisms, how passionate you areabout helping clients, or even research - all of these build trust too.

Take Action: Encouraging the next step reduces anyuncertainty that your reader has about how to take advantage of your offer. Theidea is to prompt an action or decision on their part that could lead to clientconversion. I can remember many years ago reading a study about print ads thatsaid putting ‘Call Now’ and a phone number got significantly more responsesthan putting the number alone.
According to Vaghasiya (2024):
- Using a specific CTS can increase conversion rates by 161%
- Placing the CTA at the end of the information can increaseconversions by 70%
- Adding urgency, such as a time-limited offer, can increaseconversions by 32%

 

 

The POST Model in Action

To show you how you can adapt the POST model to your personalstyle, here are some examples. Of course, you can mix and match the ideas or experimentwith different styles to see which brings you the best response.

This one is friendly and chatty and uses the therapist’s ownexperience of hypnotherapy as social proof.

Hate spiders but can't help freaking out when one appears?You're not alone!I used to be exactly the same – until hypnotherapy helped me finally get overmy spider fear. It felt like magic at the time, but really it was justretraining my mind to react differently. If I can do it, so can you!Book your free consultation today and take the first step towards a calmer,spider-proof you.Contact me to find out more!

 

This one is based on your qualifications and experience but isstill informal and approachable.

Does the sight of a spider send you running for the door?Hypnotherapy could help you feel calmer and more in control – without needingto love spiders!I've helped hundreds of clients overcome their phobias in over 10 years as aqualified hypnotherapist – so you're in safe hands.Take the first step to living without fear.Book your free consultation today.

This one is more formal and designed to attract clients whoprefer an evidence-based approach.

Did you know? Studies show that hypnotherapy can reduce phobic anxiety in up to 80% of cases(Van Dyck et al., 1991).If you're struggling with a spider phobia, hypnotherapy could help you respondmore calmly – without needing to face your fear head-on.Find out more about how hypnotherapy could help you overcome your phobia. Book your free consultation today.

 

And, finally, we have one that's a bit more ‘salesy’ and uses aclient testimonial to encourage others to act.

Terrified of spiders? You don't have to be."I can't believe how calm I feel now! I used to panic just seeing a spider on TV, but after three hypnotherapy sessions, I barely think twice. Thank you!" – Sarah, X-townHypnotherapy could help you finally feel calm around spiders, without needing to love them!Book your free consultation today and start living without fear.

 

Copywriting Tips for Hypnotherapists: What to Do (and Whatto Avoid)

Avoid being vague, especially when you specify the problemyour client is facing.

Keep things short and simple so they are easy to understand. White space is your friend.

Summon up your inner marketer by all means but remember thatyour clients are likely to respond better to empathy and helpful informationthan to aggressive sales techniques.

Don’t forget to include an attractive image with your post, perhapswith some key words or information on it.

 

Social Media posts for hypnotherapists

The POST model helps you build rapport with clients andencourages them to find out more about your services so that you can build yourpractice.

It’s easy to remember (because it’s about posts!) and to use,meaning that you have a framework to produce social media content quickly andconfidently, whilst still reflecting your personal style. 

Why not give it a gowhen you next create some posts?

If you'd like more simple ideas to help you buildyour hypnotherapy business...

browse this site or sign up for my monthlynewsletter which includes practical tips on running your business and workingwith clients every month, along with articles and training details and discounts.

 CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER 

 

 

References: 

Vaghasiya, K. (2024). 25 New Call to Action (CTA)Statistics in 2024. [online] Best Social Proof & FOMO app for your website| WiserNotify. Available at:https://wisernotify.com/blog/call-to-....

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Author: Debbie Waller is an experienced hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy trainer. She is the author of Anxiety to Calm: a Practical Guide to a Laid-Back Life, The Hypnotherapist's Companion, Their Worlds, Your Words, and The Metaphor Toolbox, all available from Amazon or direct from the author. Find out more about Debbie's services on
Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training - multi-accredited hypnotherapy practitioner training, taster days and foundation levels.
CPD Expert - accredited CPD and other therapy training (online and workshops options), expert and qualified hypnotherapy supervision

The concept of the unconscious mind is central to hypnotherapyfor many practitioners, but does it really exist or is it just a convenient metaphor? It’s a question that’s kept not justhypnotherapists but psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers busy debatingfor many years. And the answer could be important to how we work with clientsevery day. So, I decided to look at the evidence to see what I could find out.

What is the Unconscious Mind?

Have you ever had a gut feeling about something withoutknowing why? Or found yourself reacting emotionally before you even have timeto think? Some people believe that this type of experience points to theexistence of an "unconscious mind" - a hidden part of us that shapes ourthoughts, emotions, and behaviours but is beyond our conscious awareness.

Sigmund Freud [1] was one of the first to talk about theunconscious mind, though he subdivided it into the ego (that deals with reality),the superego (the moral compass or conscience) and id (biological drives and self-gratification).He saw emotional issues as something that arose from conflict between thesedifferent elements.

Carl Jung [2] expanded on Freud’s work and also introducedthe idea of the collective unconscious -  a genetically inherited store of knowledge,ideas, and archetypes common to all human beings, regardless of culture or background.

 

The Case Against the Unconscious Mind

Early psychologists like Watson and Skinner dismissed theunconscious mind as unscientific, because it lacked empirical evidence - somethingthat was expected more and more in research. [3]. In fact, both Behaviourismand Cognitivism arose from attempts to provide this sort of evidence and bring psychologymore in line with other sciences such as biology and chemistry.

Behaviourism teaches that we are all born as a ‘tabula rasa’– a clean slate – and that we learn all our behaviours through association andtrial and error as we experience more and more of the world. Behaviourists arenot interested in internal processes but focus on observable behaviours thatcan be measured and recorded.

As an example, an earthworm, after a couple of shocks, willavoid touching an electric plate placed in its vivarium. But saying that it ‘learns’or ‘remembers’ is a big step - it implies a kind of anthropomorphic consciousnessthat we can’t know that an earthworm has. Behavioural conditioning explainsthis perfectly adequately.

But there are limitations to the behavioural model. For onething, it fails to explain responses which seem to be inborn, or which involvecomplex learning, like language. And it doesn’t really reflect our subjectiveexperiences which are often influenced by thoughts, memories, and perceptions.  

Cognitive psychology [4] allows for this by admitting internalprocesses as a valid part of research. They can’t be observed, but they can be reportedby the participant, measured on scales of one to ten and so on. Therefore, theycan be compared with different participants, over time etc. Statistics can be produced,and conclusions can be drawn. (Always supposing, of course, that we areconsciously aware enough of our internal processes to report them.)

There is another approach, Predictive Processing Theory [5].a This suggests that the brain continuously creates predictions about the worldbased on our experiences. These predictions come from a trial-and-errorprocess, and they constantly update based on new experiences. PredictiveProcessing suggests that what we think of as our unconscious is simplylow-level, automatic processing that happens without us having to pay it anyattention.

These are pretty reductionist explanations due to limitedspace, but you get the idea. And none allows for the existence of anunconscious mind.

 

Evidence for the Existence of the Unconscious Mind

Too late for Freud and Jung to say, ‘I told you so’, neuroscienceis starting to provide evidence that the unconscious mind is perhaps more of areality than some would think. Some of this is about memory and the way we useit.

Implicit memory refers to the sort of recollection that helpsus carry out familiar behaviours automatically: driving a car or writing ourname. Priming refers to how associative memory can shape our reactions. Forexample, read this word.

Pepper.

Did the word salt pop into your mind? For many of you itwill have done, because they are so often linked together. Both priming andimplicit memory experiences happen without us being consciously aware of them, implyingthat some sort of thinking or reaction is going on underneath consciousawareness. [6].

In addition, fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) researchshows that, when we are making decisions, thoughts are happening in the brain upto 11 seconds before participants are consciously aware of them. [7]

Professor Joel Pearson says that we may have thoughts ‘onstandby’, often from previous experiences, in parts of the brain we areconsciously unaware of: he called them ‘unconscious hallucinations’ [8]. When wemake a decision, the executive parts of the brain (traditionally connected withthe conscious mind) tend to choose the strongest standby thought. For example,if you have a scary moment with a spider, then RUN AWAY may be the strongeststandby thought next time you come across one. As you’re not aware of thestandby thoughts, you’d be heading for the door before you consciously thoughtabout what to do.

It's not too much of a stretch to suggest that implicit memory,priming, and standby thoughts offer insight into unconscious processing.

 

The Unconscious Mind in Hypnotherapy

Does it really matter whether the unconscious mind exists ornot? Maybe, because whether you see the unconscious as a literal and influentialpart of the client’s mind or simply a metaphor, you are often working withthose parts of the mind the client is unaware of.

The concept of the unconscious mind can be useful to explainto clients why they might do things, like smoking, that they’re consciouslyaware are harmful. It also shows why willpower isn’t enough to overcome them.

However, not all clients will identify with the concept ofan unconscious mind. In these cases, the alternative explanations - ‘workingwith the automatic part of your mind’, ‘reshaping the predictions your brainmakes about the world’ or ‘tapping into the part of you that controls thethings you do automatically, like habits and reflexes’ - may be better.

 

The Role of Hypnosis and Unconscious Processes

Regardless of how we define it, hypnosis seems to engageparts of the brain responsible for automatic and emotional processing.Neuroimaging studies show that, during hypnosis, there are changes in activityin areas linked to self-awareness and executive control, such as the anteriorcingulate cortex and default mode network [9]. This supports the idea thathypnotherapy is capable of accessing mental processes that might otherwiseremain outside of conscious awareness.

While the idea of an unconscious mind in the sense thatFreud described is not exactly universally popular these days, the concept of ‘unconsciousprocessing’ is widely accepted and shows that there are thoughts, feelings andresponses that go on below our conscious awareness. 

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References:

[1] Freud, S. (1915) ‘The Unconscious’, Collected Papers, Volume 4. London: Hogarth Press.

[2] Jung, C. G. (1921) Psychological Types. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

[3] Skinner, B. F. (1953) Science and Human Behavior. New York: Macmillan.

[4] Baars, B. J. (1988) A Cognitive Theory of Consciousness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[5] Friston, K. (2010) ‘The free-energy principle: a unified brain theory?’, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(2), pp. 127-138.

[6] Schacter, D. L. (1987) ‘Implicit Memory: History and Current Status’, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 13(3), pp. 501-518.

[7] Soon, C. S., Brass, M., Heinze, H. J. and Haynes, J. D. (2008) ‘Unconscious determinants of free decisions in the human brain’, Nature Neuroscience, 11(5), pp. 543-545.

[8] cited in Gilbert, L. (2019). Our brains reveal our choices before we’re even aware of them: study. [online] UNSW Sites. Available at: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news....

[9] Oakley, D. A. and Halligan, P. W. (2013) ‘Hypnotic suggestion and cognitive neuroscience’, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 17(10), pp. 576-586.

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Author: Debbie Waller is an experienced hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy trainer. She is the author of Anxiety to Calm: a Practical Guide to a Laid-Back Life, The Hypnotherapist's Companion, Their Worlds, Your Words, and The Metaphor Toolbox, all available from Amazon or direct from the author. Find out more about Debbie's services on
Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training - multi-accredited hypnotherapy practitioner training, taster days and foundation levels.
CPD Expert - accredited CPD and other therapy training (online and workshops options), expert and qualified hypnotherapy supervision