The Most Surprising Thing I Learned About Hypnosis Clients

When I was training as a clinical hypnotherapist, the most surprising thing I learned wasn't how easily hypnosis can help people become congruent with their wants, needs, and desires although it is.

What surprised me most was something else entirely.

Many clients couldn’t tell me what they actually wanted.

When I would ask someone what they wanted or needed for themselves, they often responded with stories… or long lists of the things they didn’t want.

“I don’t want to feel anxious anymore.”
“I don’t want people taking advantage of me.”
“I don’t want to keep ending up in the same situations.”

Playfully, I would bring their awareness to this pattern.

But even with that awareness, expressing what they actually wanted was difficult.

For some people, it even brought tears.

Because in that moment they realized something confronting:

They either didn’t know what they wanted…
or they couldn’t bring themselves to say it out loud.

So let me ask you a question.
If I asked you right now:

What do you want for yourself today?
What do you want a month from now?
What do you want a year from now?

Could you answer clearly… without going into stories, explanations, or a list of what you don’t want?

If that feels difficult, you’re not alone.

And it’s also one of the biggest reasons people struggle when setting boundaries.

Many people tell me:

“They didn’t respect my boundaries.”
“They aren’t listening to me.”

And sometimes that’s true.

But often there is another piece of the puzzle we have to look at first:

Clarity.

Because if we don’t clearly know what we want, need, or are willing to tolerate… it becomes very difficult to communicate boundaries in a way others can actually understand.

This is one of the patterns we explore in my upcoming in-person workshop:

Setting Boundaries Like a Boss

It’s a 4-hour experiential workshop where we work with:

-Practical boundary communication
-Nervous system regulation during hard conversations
-Real-life scenarios and role play
-Tools to help you express your needs clearly and confidently
-Integrative Group Hypnosis Meditation

If you’re ready to move beyond knowing about boundaries and start practicing them in a supportive space, I’d love to have you there.