10 Questions with Paul Knight

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin


Cyber Location: www.hypnotistpaulknight.com






1. Are you a full time hypnotist, part-time or hobbyist?

Full-time. It sure beats working for a living!

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

I do it all. Therapy, entertainment and recreational. I decided long ago not to specialize. I think that has made me a better hypnotist since all the skills tend to overlap.

3. Is there any type of hypnosis you do not do? Why?

Very little. I do not work with alcohol or drug abuse due to regulations in my home state (Wisconsin). There are some clients I have learned I do not work well with. An example is a couple where one spouse wants me to hypnotize the other to find out if the other spouse has been cheating. There are some things that ethically and morally I will not do. Those items fall mostly on the recreational side of hypnosis.

4. Do you use self-hypnosis regularly in your life? If so, how?

Not too much any more. I'm perfect and don't need it. (Yeah. Right.) I used self-hypnosis for so long and for so many things that my mind now bypasses the hypnosis part and makes the changes directly (or not).

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

I make house calls, so its wherever I am working. For stage shows, again, wherever I am. No specific setting. That keeps things interesting.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

There is no genuinely "typical day". It varies by day of the week and time of the year, if I have a client or am doing a show. Here is approximately an average day: If I am not traveling or have an early client, I tend to get up around 8 - 9 a.m., have a long breakfast then work for a few hours on paperwork, phone calls or whatever needs to be done. I frequently have afternoon clients, so I see them. If not, I lovebicycling, so if the weather is adequate, I go out for a 1-2 hour ride or as long as time permits. I usually have clients or a show in the early evening, so I go there. I tend to get home between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. depending on what I was doing. Then I may do a little bit more work, relax or just go to bed. If I am traveling for a show, then the day is usually spent on driving to the show and back. On those days Imay not get home until 3 or 4 a.m. or later. I am on the road about 90 days per year.

7. Where did you get your training in hypnosis and are you certified?

I am certified. I was originally trained by Gil Boyne and the Hypnosis Training Institute of Los Angeles. I have taken continuing training ever since and have been trained by too many people to mention (or remember). I was also an instructor for a time. Due to state regulations, I am not doing that right now. My stage hypnosis training was from the late, great Ormund McGill. He was every bit as good as his reputation says. My personal favorite instructor who is still offering classes on a regular basis is Gerald Kein of Omni Hypnosis in Florida.

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

I don't know if it is the most fabulous, but I like rapid inductions. During a show I frequently use the hand clasp test and convert it into a rapid induction. Instantaneous hypnosis can be fun in the right setting.

9. Worse moment ever in a hypnosis setting that ended up being a
valuable learning experience.

I learned that when suggested she is getting warm, a teenage girl can remove her sweater, t-shirt and sports bra in a single one second maneuver, at which point I also learned a hypnotist can leap across a 50' stage in a single bound.

That may not be my worst moment, but it is one of the more potentially-disastrous-turned-humorous ones. Most of my bad moments have come on stage when something unexpected happens. Bad moments are pretty rare in therapy because there are less distractions and more warning if something ugly is about to happen.

10. Any words of advice to potential clients or other hypnotist.

To clients: Choose your hypnotist carefully. Check out several of them and decide who you are most comfortable with. Don't let letters after the name fool you. Many certified hypnotists are much better at their craft than PhDs. For stage entertainers, check references and watch (or at least skim) a full show. Every hypnotist's highlight DVD is fantastic. But a full show, even though it is their best show, can give you a lot more information about their quality.

To hypnotists: Never stop learning. Always try new things. If you are just beginning, study everything. You never know what you might need when. If you think you will only do stage hypnosis, study hypnotherapy as well (and vice versa). The skills overlap wonderfully. If you are established, challenge yourself. Try new things. Learn new skills every chance you have.