You've done your homework to get comfortable with hypnotherapy in these ways:

1. You've narrowed your self-improvement goals to just one for the session.

2. You've made sure the hypnotherapist you've chosen is expert, certified and friendly.

3. You're know you have no bad medical or psychological conditions which would impede your success.

But you're still uncomfortable about some aspects of the hypnotherapeutic process. And you'd like your questions answered. Have you considered the importance of the "pretalk" to make sure the session is effective?

Let me tell about Mike Anders, one of my clients, who had years of hypnosis experience dealing with issues like improving self-confidence, quitting smoking, losing weight, and fearing the loss of sexual arousal. He was happy with those results. But before we started this new hypnosis session, he really needed to process his feelings (and his metaphorical approach) about having to make an important speech before the directors of his Fortune 500 company.

Here's how I settled down Mike's concerns about his public speaking fears:

* I took as much time as Mike needed to answer each question about how hypnosis would help his public speaking. This was the most important and first step.

* I reassured him in a realistic way.

* I made it customized to his needs.

* I empathized with his situation in a compassionate way.

All of these client-hypnosis "pretalk" segments can strongly influence how well everything goes during the hypnotherapy session -- and more importantly -- how powerful and permanent the new speechmaking confidence became.

If you're the client, here's what you can do to help your hypnotherapist:

1. Make sure you're secure about your personal (and professional) relationship you have with your hypnosis provider.

2. Ask yourself: Am I completely relaxed in these surroundings?

3. Have you taken enough time to feel good about how thoroughly your questions are answered before the hypnotic suggestions would begin with your hypnotherapist?

Mike Anders' "speaking-confidence" hypnosis inductions and suggestions went very smoothly. In fact, as he left that session he started to feel much more confident that he could succeed with the upcoming very important and once-dreaded speech.

Days later I got an email from Mike. The speech had gone so well his colleagues and boss were astonished. And his new speechmaking comfort level and smoothness became remarkable -- whether the group was small or large. To use Mike's word, hypnosis made him "unnervous" about public speaking from that day on. Now Mike gives business seminars for his company all over the country!

And it all started with that first hypnotherapy pretalk.