"But I don't want to work with smokers..."

Many an idealistic therapist has uttered the words "But I don't want to work with smokers, I want to do meaningful work".

We would hope that as you approach the end of our course here, this is not you.

The practitioner who won't work with "smokers" - or "drinkers", "overeaters", or any other person to whom we can apply a habit-based label - is the practitioner who should not be calling themselves a hypnotherapist. A hypnotherapist works with people, not problems.

Of course, you may have a preference for the kind of work you do, and you may have a particular skillset that lends itself to working around a particular issue (and perhaps even precludes you from working with people who present with certain issues). Recognising your own limitations is important, too... but I implore you, do not be the sort of practitioner who sees one kind of work as more worthy than another.

On the subject of smoking:

Because it is an area of practice we have always been open to, this we know to be true: when a person quits smoking their whole life changes. Infinite possibilities for improved living become available. And often, the confidence of having made this one change carries over into other areas of their life.

We also know this to be true: those possibilities and those potentials can go unnoticed or are wasted if the therapist takes a narrow, judgmental, habit-only view of helping a person to quit.

So please, as you proceed through this section on habit control and apply what you have learned throughout this whole course to your final assessment items and on into your future work, keep your mind and heart open.

Someone's life might depend upon it.

Rant over!

Rachel

Complete and Continue