As I write this my home state of Rhode Island has the unfortunate distinction of having the second highest rate of unemployment in the United States. It is 12.5% and seems to be growing. Unemployment, of course, is a national problem with 9.5% of people out of work nationwide. It is just a bigger problem in the smallest state in the union and neighboring Southeastern Massachusetts.
I began noticing back in November ‘08, that a large number of my clients were unemployed and struggling to pay for hypnosis. I am committed to making hypnosis available for everyone. And unemployment is inherently stressful. The need for hypnosis to reduce stress, handle compulsive behaviors, deal with emotional issues is even greater than the general population. Yet it comes at a time when the family budget is strained and any extra expense is problematic.
So I began to offer a $25 discount to anyone who said they were unemployed and looking for work. This gives some clients the incentive they need to try hypnosis in the first place. It also allows them to afford more sessions than they would otherwise. The only exception to this discount I make is smoking cessation. A smoker will quickly recoup his or her investment in hypnosis with the money they save by buying cigarettes anyway. And If someone can afford to smoke, I figure they can afford my full fee.
This discount is a win-win situation. The client gets served and I probably get clients and income I would not otherwise have. But I decided there was more I could do. And, so I think, can any consulting hypnotist.
The Unemployment Opportunity and Responsibility for Consulting Hypnotists
As a hypnotist, I am generally a “glass is half full” kind of person. And this attitude leads me to see a wonderful opportunity for all hypnotists in this current economic crises.
Back in June ‘09, I announced a free hypnosis support group for the unemployed. I call my group “Out-of-Work but In-Control.” TM It was a six week nine hour program that combines coaching and group support with hypnosis. It’s purpose is to help the participant maintain a positive attitude during this stressful time and to lead a balanced positive life while searching for work. I do not pretend that unemployment is not stressful. Obviously it is one of the most stressful life events most of us have to face. But the participant is invited to consider that being out-of-work can also be a time of great opportunity. They are coached in how to create a vision statement that reflects what they really want.
My participants ranged from someone out of work for 18 months to someone who got laid off the week before the program started. I tracked overall attitude and observed a significant improvement in the participants’ reported overall mood, hopefulness that they would connect with something suitable and amount of time and effort they spent in the actual job search.
Some typical comments included “I learned to relax and think smarter. Really motivated me in the right direction. I have also grown to realize that it is good to try for something I really want.” And “I am definitely putting more effort into my job search and don’t feel as alone as I did before. It is great to feel a part of something at a time like this. I am so glad I got turned on to this because I think I was falling into negative patterns. Like watching television instead of doing the next right thing in my job search. I am confident now that I will find something and that it will be the right something, not just the first thing that comes along.”
The advantage of this program for the client is obvious. The participant has support for both his or her conscious and subconscious minds. The group hypnosis is something they look forward to and use to re-program themselves at a deep level. But there are also great advantages for the consulting hypnotist. While none of the group found a job during the six week program, one decided to declare herself no longer out of work. She decided that as a result of her participation, she had seen that self-employment was right for her and she was enthusiastically applying the principles in launching her new business. Several others felt close to connecting with a job as we drew the course to a close.
But, there are also many, many advantages of offering an unemployment hypnosis group program for the consulting hypnotist. Here are a few:
Service. Presenting a group like this lets me give something back to my community that I am uniquely qualified to give. Our society is in a crises. And it makes me feel good to be able to bring my expertise to bear in helping make things better. Hypnosis, creative visualization and coaching are services for which I am skilled, trained and gifted. I also happen to have a strong business background as former CEO/Creative Director of a successful advertising agency and, yes, I have been out of work a time or two during my prior career. I offer something only I can bring to this crises. And I am sure you can too.
Education. Offering hypnosis for unemployment dramatizes that there are many more uses for hypnosis than the traditional “smoking, slimming and stress” stereotypes. It can open people’s minds to the use of hypnosis for any situation where a change in thinking, behavior or emotions is desired.
The opportunity to get the word out of the wonderful tools hypnosis and self-hypnosis are for everyday life management.
Publicity. Unemployment is one of today’s hottest news topics. I sent out a few releases to local media before I ran my first group. As a result, I was featured on local television in a :90 and also a 4:20 second spot. I have also been featured in my local weekly newspaper with online video as well. You can view the coverage on my website at http://www.possibilities.nu/tv.htm I expect more articles and media hits as I run future groups. This is publicity that money can’t buy.
Referrals. People want to pay back for the results they experience. So I ask them if they have had a good experience to tell their friends. Simple. But it is like having a roomful of sales people working for you. As a former advertising man, I have to agree that word of mouth is by far the best advertising vehicle and this is a wonderful way to achieve stimulate a lot of it.
Hypnosis is not a magic bullet: but it can help with the emotional challenge of staying motivated, balanced and healthy while looking for a new job. A hypnosis support group for the unemployed is something that is easy to run and should be able to work in your area for you the way mine has for me and my clients in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. And, helping people deal with life with the power of hypnosis, that’s our job isn’t it?
If you are unemployed and interested in taking advantage of the $25 discount, please call me at 401-374-1890 or send an email to jkhypnosis@aol.com with "Unemployment $25Discount" in the subject line.
