You’ve tried hypnotherapy before. It didn’t stick. Maybe it worked for a few weeks. Maybe a few months. Maybe you walked out of the session and lit up in the car park. And now, every time someone suggests hypnotherapy, you think: “Been there. Done that. Didn’t work.”
I hear you. And I’m not going to tell you that your experience wasn’t real or that you didn’t give it a proper go. You did. But what I am going to tell you is that what you experienced probably wasn’t what I do. And the difference matters more than you think.
A bloke contacted me recently. His message was disarmingly honest: “Have done hypnotherapy before to give up smoking and lasted about 3 months. It is time to give it another go.” Three months. That’s long enough to prove the concept works. Short enough to show that something was missing. Let me explain what was missing – and why a second attempt with the right approach is not the same as repeating a failed experiment.
The uncomfortable truth about the hypnotherapy industry
Here’s something I wish more people in my profession would say out loud: not all hypnotherapy is the same. Not even close. The gap between basic suggestion hypnosis and advanced clinical hypnotherapy is like the gap between a first-aid course and a medical degree. Both involve health. The similarity ends there.
Basic suggestion hypnosis – the kind that most budget-priced hypnotherapists offer – works like this: you’re relaxed into a trance state, and the therapist repeats suggestions. “You don’t want to smoke. Smoking is bad. You are a non-smoker.” For 30 to 60 minutes. Sometimes with some visualisation. Then you leave.
The success rate? Around 30 to 40 per cent. For the people it works on, brilliant. For the 60 to 70 per cent it doesn’t work on? They walk away thinking hypnotherapy doesn’t work. When what actually happened is that a particular, fairly basic form of hypnotherapy didn’t work.
It’s like going to a GP for a complex heart condition, getting told to “eat less salt and exercise more,” and then concluding that medicine doesn’t work when you end up in hospital six months later. The advice wasn’t wrong. It was just hopelessly inadequate for the complexity of the problem.
What advanced clinical hypnotherapy actually does differently
When you come to my clinic in East Corrimal, the session doesn’t start with a trance. It starts with a conversation. A real one.
I spend serious time understanding your specific relationship with smoking. Not the generic reasons people smoke. Your reasons. The trigger at 6:30am when the alarm goes off and you’re exhausted. The one at 10am when your boss sends an email that makes your blood pressure spike. The one at 3pm when the arvo slump hits. The one after dinner when the kids are in bed and it’s “your time.”
Every smoker has a unique constellation of triggers, emotional associations, and subconscious beliefs about what smoking does for them. Basic suggestion hypnosis treats all smokers the same. I treat every smoker as an individual.
Then, using a combination of advanced clinical hypnosis techniques and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, I work with your subconscious mind to dismantle those specific patterns. Not with vague suggestions. With precision. We identify the emotional payoff your subconscious thinks smoking provides – stress relief, comfort, reward, social belonging – and we reprogram those associations at the source.
The practical life tools I give you are the third piece. They’re not generic advice like “drink water when you have a craving.” They’re specific NLP-based techniques tailored to your trigger patterns. Breathing methods that genuinely lower cortisol. Cognitive reframing tools that change how you experience stressful moments in real time. These are the bridge between the session and the rest of your life. Read more about how this works on my FAQ page.
The lifetime guarantee: why it exists and what it means for you
This is the part that changes the risk calculation for people who’ve been burned before.
At Quit Smoking 4Good, you pay one fee. If you ever need to come back – whether that’s four weeks later or four years later – you come back for free. No additional charges. No expiry date. No fine print.
I’m the only clinical hypnotherapist in the Wollongong region who offers this. And I offer it for a reason that’s entirely selfish: it forces me to be excellent. If my approach didn’t work at the rates it does, I’d have drowned in free follow-up sessions years ago. The guarantee exists because my results justify it.
For someone who’s had hypnotherapy fail before, this changes the equation completely. Your previous therapist took your money and wished you luck. I take your money and commit to your outcome. If the first session doesn’t fully stick, we keep working until it does. At no extra cost to you.
That’s the deal. That’s always been the deal. We don’t quit till you do.
Five signs your previous hypnotherapy experience was basic, not clinical
- The session was short. If your entire appointment – including the initial conversation – was under 60 minutes, it was almost certainly basic suggestion hypnosis. A thorough clinical session takes significantly longer because the personalisation work takes time.
There was no pre-session conversation about your specific triggers. If the therapist didn’t ask you in detail about when, why, and how you smoke, they were running a generic script. That’s a red flag.
- No follow-up tools were provided. If you walked out with nothing but “good luck” and maybe a recording to listen to, you didn’t receive the reinforcement system that makes clinical hypnotherapy stick long-term.
- There was no follow-up contact. If the therapist never checked in on you – not after a month, not after three months, not after a year – they were selling a transaction, not offering a clinical service.
- No guarantee was offered. A therapist who doesn’t guarantee their work either doesn’t believe in it strongly enough, or their success rates don’t support it. Either way, it tells you something.
What the research says about second attempts
Here’s something encouraging that most people don’t know: the research on smoking cessation consistently shows that each quit attempt increases the probability of long-term success. The average successful quitter has tried multiple times before their final, permanent quit. You haven’t failed. You’ve been building towards success.
And the fact that your previous hypnotherapy worked for any period of time – even a few weeks – is actually a very positive signal. It means your subconscious is receptive to hypnotic intervention. The programming took hold, even if it wasn’t comprehensive enough to be permanent. With a more advanced, personalised approach, there’s strong reason to believe the results will be deeper and more lasting. For the full evidence behind clinical hypnotherapy, read my piece on what the research actually says.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my previous hypnotherapy only work for a few months?
Most likely, the session used basic suggestion techniques without personalisation, NLP reinforcement, or ongoing support. Basic suggestion hypnosis has a success rate of around 30–40 per cent. When cravings returned during a stressful period, the generic suggestions weren’t strong enough to override the subconscious triggers. Advanced clinical hypnotherapy addresses those specific triggers at a deeper level.
How is your approach different from what I experienced before?
I combine advanced clinical hypnosis with Neuro-Linguistic Programming, tailored to your individual triggers and emotional patterns. Every session is customised – no scripts, no generic suggestions. I also provide practical life tools for real-world craving management and offer a lifetime support guarantee. If it doesn’t stick, you come back for free.
What if I’m not hypnotisable?
The vast majority of people can achieve a state of focused relaxation suitable for clinical hypnotherapy. If there’s any concern about suitability, I conduct a screening in the first 15 minutes. If I don’t believe the approach will work for you, I’ll tell you honestly and you won’t be charged. That has happened very rarely in 15 years of practice.
Should I tell you about my previous hypnotherapy experience?
Absolutely. Knowing what happened before – what the session involved, how long the effects lasted, and what triggered the relapse – gives me valuable information for tailoring your session. Your previous experience isn’t a failure. It’s data that makes this attempt stronger.
This time is different. Here’s why.
Different technique. Different depth. Different personalisation. Different tools. Different guarantee. And a different you – because this time, you know what didn’t work. That’s not a setback. That’s an advantage.
Call me on 0408 880 606. Tell me what happened last time. Let me explain what would happen this time. No obligation. Just an honest conversation between two people who want the same thing: you, free from cigarettes. Or book online here.
➤ Had hypnotherapy before and it didn’t last? Let’s talk about why – and what’s different this time. No charge for the conversation.
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