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“Will You Make Me Quack Like a Duck?”: The Myths and Truths About Hypnosis
by: Dr. Elizabeth King, LCSW, CHt
Whenever I tell someone that I am a certified hypnotherapist, I can almost predict the reaction. There is usually a smile, followed by:
“Are you going to make me quack like a duck?”
I always laugh. After all, most people learned what they know about hypnosis from movies, television, or stage shows where people dance around, forget their names, or suddenly believe they are barnyard animals.
Great entertainment? Absolutely. Therapeutic hypnosis? Not quite.
So, What Is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and relaxation in which the mind can become more receptive to positive suggestions.
In fact, you have probably experienced something similar without realizing it. Have you ever driven a familiar route and wondered how you got there? Become so absorbed in a movie that you lost track of time? Or daydreamed so deeply that you did not hear someone calling your name?
You were not asleep or unconscious. Your attention was simply deeply focused. Hypnosis works with that natural ability of the mind.
Myth #1: “The Hypnotherapist Can Control My Mind.”
This is probably the biggest myth of all.
A hypnotherapist cannot take control of your mind. You do not surrender your values, judgment, or free will. You remain aware and can reject any suggestion that does not feel right to you.
I often tell people that hypnosis is really a partnership. I can guide you, but you are the one doing the work.
Myth #2: “I Might Get Stuck in Hypnosis.”
No, you cannot get stuck in hypnosis.
If the hypnotherapist suddenly stopped talking, you would naturally return to your usual state of awareness or simply drift off to sleep and wake up normally.
You are always in control.
Myth #3: “I Will Be Asleep or Unconscious.”
Hypnosis is not sleep. Most people remain aware of what is happening. Even if you doze off, you are still conscious. You can hear the therapist's voice and usually remember the experience afterward.
What changes is your focus. The outside world becomes less important for a while as your attention turns inward.
Myth #4: “Only Weak-Minded People Can Be Hypnotized.”
Hypnosis has nothing to do with being weak-minded or gullible.
The ability to concentrate, imagine, and become absorbed in an experience can actually be helpful. Hypnosis is not something being done to you. You are an active participant.
So, What's With the Duck?
Stage hypnosis is entertainment. People volunteer knowing they may be asked to do something silly, and stage hypnotists are skilled at choosing participants who are responsive and comfortable performing.
Therapeutic hypnosis has an entirely different purpose. It is not magic, mind control, or a miracle cure. It is a therapeutic tool that can support meaningful change.
Why Use Hypnosis?
For me, hypnosis became personal before it became professional. I first discovered it while searching for ways to manage chronic pain after many surgeries related to polio and a period when I was bedridden for two years and told I might never walk again.
Along my journey back to walking, I discovered hypnosis, acupuncture, and other complementary healing modalities. That experience changed the way I thought about healing. As a psychotherapist, I later opened a holistic center where I incorporated hypnotherapy and other complementary approaches alongside traditional psychotherapy, with a focus on treating the whole person, mind, body, and spirit.
During my years in practice, I incorporated hypnosis into my work with many patients and saw remarkable results. Smoking cessation was particularly successful. In my own practice, approximately 99% of the patients I treated for smoking cessation stopped smoking after just one hypnosis session. I also used it very successfully to treat PTSD, anxiety and depression.
Although I am now retired from clinical practice, more than 20 years later, these holistic practices remain an important part of my life. I still use self-hypnosis every day to manage pain, along with acupuncture and other holistic modalities that support my overall well-being.
Hypnosis may be helpful for:
- Pain management
- Trauma
- Stress and anxiety
- Smoking cessation and unwanted habits
- Weight management
- Fears and phobias
- Sleep
- Confidence and self-esteem
- Focus, motivation, and performance
Hypnosis is not a cure-all or a substitute for appropriate medical or mental health care. But I have experienced its benefits both personally and professionally, and I believe it can be a powerful tool for change.
The Power of Our Thoughts
We spend our lives talking to ourselves. Sometimes that inner voice says, I can do this. But sometimes it says:
I'm not good enough.
I'm afraid.
I'll never change.
This is just who I am.
Repeat something often enough and it can begin to feel like the truth.
Hypnosis can help quiet some of that noise and create space for healthier thoughts and new possibilities. It does not erase your past, but it can help change the conversation you are having with yourself about your present and your future.
The Power Is Yours
After years of working with people as a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, I have learned something I believe deeply:
We are often far more capable of change than we believe we are.
That is why I love hypnosis. The hypnotherapist does not hold some mysterious power over you. The real power is already within you. Our job is simply to help you access it.
My own journey taught me never to give up hope. When I was told I might never walk again, I could have accepted that as the end of my story. Instead, I kept searching, kept believing, and stayed open to possibilities I had never considered. More than 20 years later, I am still walking.
How Do I Get Started?
If you are curious about hypnosis, do your research and find a qualified professional
hypnotherapist. Ask lots of questions about their training and experience. And make sure you feel comfortable with the person guiding you.
Most importantly, stay open to possibilities. My own journey has taught me that sometimes the answer we need is found in a place we never thought to look. Keep searching, keep believing, and never give up hope.
And as for that question I have heard so many times over the years, “Can you make me quack like a duck?”
My answer is still the same:
“I cannot make you quack like a duck unless you come to me to help you quack”.
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