The following is a review of the specific study done on the advanced method utilized by New Horizons Hypnotherapy Associates:

            Practice Builders Study ( Smoke Free International) (2000)

This research was carried out on 300 subjects (beginning in January 2000 and

continuing until March 2002)  who responded to an advertisement.  These clients

were seen by Dr. Barry Neale, Ph.D. in his practice, The Accelerated Change

Centre(UK).

A 'blind trial' technique was used - subjects were not aware that they were taking

part in a research project although they all ticked a box on their intake forms

saying that they understood that the hypnotist's methods were always being

measured, tested and improved, and that results would be collated and studied.

Client confidentiality was assured so that their data could be used, but not their

names and these subjects were randomly allocated to receive either 'standard'

hypnotherapy or a special formulation of hypnotherapy which Practice Builders

has termed 'advanced therapy'. 51% of respondents were male and 49% female;

the median age of all subjects was 44 years.

No respondents had previous experience of hypnosis - 51% of subjects had tried

nicotine patches, 14% had tried nicotine gum, 7% had tried acupuncture, 6% had

tried using a nicotine inhaler and 30% had previously tried to quit using will-

power alone. 11% of subjects had not previously tried to quit smoking.

For all subjects:

The client was interviewed to make sure that they wanted to stop smoking for

their own reasons, and were not being pressured into it by someone else (doctor,

loved one etc.).

The price was kept high (£250) to establish commitment, and to avoid people who

were casually or speculatively trying hypnosis (as opposed to those who have

some commitment, confidence or belief that hypnosis would help them to stop smoking).

All subjects waited a minimum of three weeks for an appointment in order to

build expectancy - subjects were already thinking about, and planning being a

non-smoker for weeks before the treatment began.

Before the actual hypnosis, the client (or subject) is asked a series of questions

about their smoking habits and their beliefs. This allows the hypnotherapist and

the client to build rapport and also lets the hypnotherapist become aware of any

thought patterns based on myths or misconceptions that need to be cleared up

before the hypnosis.

They are asked, for example:

'Do you believe you are addicted to nicotine?’

'What fears do you have about stopping?'

‘What do you know about hypnosis?’

Hypnosis was then fully explained to the client, as well as how the conscious and

the unconscious minds work, and any myths debunked (such as, you cannot

make someone do something they don't want to do, hypnosis is not sleep or

unconsciousness, you will be aware of everything that is going on and will

 remember everything that happened in hypnosis after the session, you can stop

 the session at any time, etc.). This is called the "pre-talk".

A hypnotic contract is then entered into, in which the client agrees to go along

with all techniques and to accept all the suggestions that are for their benefit.

For subjects treated with the standard technique:

The client then reclines in the chair, and a basic stop smoking script is read. This

type of standard technique doesn't allow for much in the way of personalising a

session, as it is the same for every client. The wording of some of the best basic

 techniques uses hypnotic language patterns (Neuro Linguistic Programming).

The client is then emerged.

For subjects treated with the advanced technique:

Hypnosis is induced using a progressive test induction tailored to the client.

Ideo-motor techniques are used to gain unconscious communication. The client's

own motivations, Meta programmes, and values are utilised in the session using

a combination of metaphor and suggestion. NLP sub-modality and anchoring

techniques are used according to the client's processing style. At the end of the

session, the client is emerged from hypnosis and the change is tested, then future

paced and ratified.

Findings:

Quit rates were established thorough telephone interviews 1 month and 6 months after the first session of treatment.

After 1 session,  95% of those who received ‘advanced therapy’ had quit smoking.

The remaining 5% received a second session of treatment leading to a further 1.3% of the group quitting smoking.

In total therefore, at 6 months, 97% of those who received 'advanced therapy' had quit smoking and remained smoke-free.

Of those who received 'standard therapy' 51% quit smoking after one session and a further 6% quit after a second session—a total of 57% had quit smoking at 6 months.

Those who were still smoking at 6 months did not differ from those who

had successfully quit in terms of gender, age or therapies previously tried. These

results mean that for both standard treatments and the 'advanced treatment,quit

rates are extraordinarily high and well above what has hitherto been reported in

 the literature.

Results for both treatments were significant at the 0.001 level (chi-square).

Outcomes for the 'advanced therapy' are considerably higher than any findings

previously reported in the literature. In addition, the success rate achieved using

the standard technique was considerably higher than expected and this may be

due to the fact that the elements that the standard treatment and 'advanced

treatment' have in common (price, waiting period for the session, advertising

exposure, and pre-talk etc.) have powerful effects on outcomes.