10 Questions with Michael Raugh

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

Part-time with aspirations of going full-time when my children are grown. Right now I see a few clients a month and do a lot of freebie hypnosis just to keep my skills sharp.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

I work a lot with students on academic skills (memory, test anxiety, motivation to study). I also do my share of smokers and have been known to indulge in more light, recreational applications of hypnosis now and again.

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

I don't do weight management. Part of the reason is credibility -- I have a lot of work to do myself in that area -- and part is Maryland law, which requires that I pay for a health club license to do weight management hypnosis. When I'm happier with my own situation I'll pay the fee and branch out, but for now I refer weight clients out.

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

Oh, yes. I end each day with a 20-30 minute self-hypnosis session to get myself ready for sleep. I also use it during my morning and evening commute to help me make the transition from IT geek to dad/hypnotist.

5. Describe your hypnosis office setting.

I practice in my home. I have a room near the front door and the powder room with a pocket door for privacy, two comfortable recliners, a desk (against the wall so I'm never tempted to sit behind it), credenza for paperwork, and bookcase. Scattered around the room are various toys and props including a wall-mount candle holder (vanilla scented candle) with a silver spiral design on the front, a Tibetan prayer bowl, a brass pocket watch hanging on a hook, a pair of Chinese singing balls, a Salvador Dali print of "Soft Weeping Watch", and a couple of plush toys with sleepy expressions. Oh -- and a big glass jar half full of old, broken cigarettes. (The smell upon opening that jar is enough to put anyone off tobacco for a while!)

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

Up before 6:00am, hopefully enough before that I have time for a workout session on the stationary bike; catch a commuter bus to the day job, using self-hypnosis during the trip to pass the time and get my mind focused for work; a full day as a high-level IT geek for a government agency; another bus ride home, again using self-hypnosis but this time to leave work at work and to pleasantly ignore the afternoon traffic and crowding; arrive home and assume "Dad mode," checking homework and feeding my boys (I have 4 children, the younger two of whom are in high school); if there's a client booked that evening, pick up the office and entry way and hopefully do a little advance reading on the issue to refresh my mind and have more ideas readily available before the appointment; work with the client if there is one, otherwise spend the evening with the boys or running household chores/errands until bed.

7. Do you have a website or blog?

I do keep a website: www.secondtrances.com . It has general information on hypnosis and about me, along with a couple of mini-session MP3 files that people can download and links to other hypnotists and interesting places (like The Transparent Hypnotist Blog). ;^)

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

Has to be Parts Regression. You can use Parts on so many different things that I find myself going to it almost out of habit (and then making sure to ask myself if it's really the best tool for that particular job). Depending on the client's interests I'll do Parts as a cocktail party conversation, a Donald Trump-style boardroom meeting, a locker-room team gathering, a bunch of kids in their secret clubhouse, or whatever metaphor seems to fit.

9. Worse moment ever in a hypnosis setting.

My first solo client! I did everything wrong: I was nervous during the pretalk, I didn't get them talking enough to spot her primary representational system, I blanked out on the induction and ended up pacing and leading her into what I was sure wasn't a deep enough trance, I misworded a suggestion about tension and saw her stomach tense up dramatically ... and somehow, when she came out of trance, she was smiling and happy anyway.

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

For a potential client: Forget everything you've seen, heard, read, or been told about hypnosis. Let go of all your expectations, relax, and enjoy the ride.

For another hypnotist: Make friends with as many other hypnotists as you can! My hypnotist friends are a great source of ideas and inspiration and they're people I can talk to about this stuff who understand our jargon and processes.