Hi, welcome to the You Can Quit Smoking podcast, where we go over stories of success with overcoming smoking addiction. Many people have moved through this radical transformation and use smoking as an opportunity for inner growth, with deeper self-awareness and a greater capacity for compassion. So many have done it and you can quit smoking, too. I'm your host, Jessi Hartnett, founder of Honor Your Heart.

Jessi:

Hi, everyone. Welcome back. I'm here with Chris. Chris, can you introduce yourself?


Chris:
Hi. Yes. I'm Chris Halbohm. I have been a keynote speaker and a master hypnotist for about 25 years, since 2000. I've been opening schools and clinics across the country for most of that time. I’ve seen about 25,000 client visits by this point.

Jessi:
That's some extensive work. So, I'd love to hear about your story with smoking.

Chris:
I started, probably, in my teens. I was smoking clove cigarettes, which were the really unhealthy, dangerous ones. And it wasn't a lot. It wasn't like a pack a day or anything. I was doing maybe a couple a week, maybe three a week. It was very low, but I felt I needed it in order to feel okay about me. That was what it was. It was an anchor for me to feel okay, whether socially or whatever. That's where I started.

Jessi:
And then how long were you smoking for?

Chris:
Maybe 5 years.

Jessi:
So, all through high school?

Chris:
Probably just after. And then I quit around… I want to say 2003. Which is really weird because I was running a hypnosis clinic where I was doing actual hypnosis helping people quit smoking and do things like this. But on the side I was kind of doing that. The reason I decided to quit was that it dawned on me one day “Holy, this doesn't match right.”

Jessi:
Yeah I think we all end up going through that. I'm curious more about the cloves. So they're supposed to be worse. Are they more addictive or equally addictive as tobacco?

Chris:
To my understanding, they actually have components in there that damage the lungs much more. And they actually have more toxins in there than regular cigarettes.

Jessi:
Okay.

Chris:
Back in the day, I thought, and I don't know if this is accurate or not, but I thought there was something in it that actually lacerates the lungs. Wow, was that a reason for me to to quit smoking!

Jessi:
No kidding. Yeah, I've heard that with the menthols. What I've heard about cloves is that it has a numbing effect on the lungs.

Chris:
That's right.

Jessi:
So, you actually take in more than you would with just a regular tobacco cigarette.

Chris:
That's right.

Jessi:
Why did you first try one? What was the situation? What were you thinking? What were you motivated by?

Chris:
Again, funny. Most of my friends smoked. I did not, and for the longest time in high school and into college. And I didn't smoke because I didn't want to feel the need for it. I wanted to be clean. I'm not sure why. I can't remember where I started. I don't remember why exactly. I must have decided, “Okay, well, I guess I'll try it.” So that's kind of where I started.

Jessi:
And then you were saying that you had an emotional connection, that you felt like you needed it. So what times would you smoke when you did smoke?

Chris:
I think it was around stress or social situations. Things where maybe I needed a break and that cigarette or clove would be an anchor. Or I thought it was an anchor. I thought it was an anchor for being able to relax. In the military, for example, the person only gets a break when they smoke. So, it's a secondary benefit. We had these anchors that we need to break from smoking, from actual cigarettes.

Jessi:
I can relate to that. Having a break and then of course the stress. Talk to me more about how you ended up quitting. I kind of see you were doing that work and you were learning all these things about hypnosis. How did hypnosis play a role in you quitting or did you go a different way? How did you end up quitting?

Chris:
Right. Dovetailing on what we were just talking about. The perceived need for the smoking is, as my mentor likes to say, “It's a liar and a thief.” Because the reality is, the chemicals in a cigarette are actually stimulants. They don't calm a person. the nervous system. What calms a person is the routine: the lighting of the cigarette, you know, that kind of thing. And the decision and the whole thing.

To answer your question, one day like it just dawned on me, “Wow, this is not congruent.” I'm helping people in a formal clinic which I had just set up in 2003. I had been doing hypnosis for 3 years prior to that. I just realized, “Wow, this isn't what I want to do.”

Mostly, Jessi, it was a decision. So, this is the power of a decision. And then I used, let's say, mindset stuff in the hypnosis realm that we do in the hypnosis toolbox that we pull from. So mindset was a big deal. Learning how to breathe differently, how to have other anchors to relax and things like that. So it's not necessarily that I used a lot of the formal hypnosis like eyes closed. I didn't do a whole lot of that, which is what we tend to do with clients. But just the power of a decision mostly.

Jessi:
It sounds like you were able to regulate your stress that you were developing more tools for that. And then hopefully, taking breaks as well, right? Allowing yourself to rest, right? So, you were meeting the needs that you were trying to smoke to meet. And you were able to meet those needs in ways that were more effective.

Chris:
That's right. You'll notice, for example, if somebody is told that they have a grandchild on the way; that could be a big enough reason for them to quit smoking. If somebody's pregnant and has a child along the way; that I've seen is a big motivator for a lot of folks and it helps them to really make a decision to do it. And sometimes they don't even need the hypnosis to do it if the decision's strong enough.

Jessi:
I wanted to talk more about hypnosis then. So what does a hypnosis session look like for someone that comes in they want to quit smoking? What kind of work do you do? I think there's a lot of misunderstanding around it and I myself am not really familiar. So what's a rundown on who would be a good candidate for hypnosis and what a session is like?

Chris:
So we always start with a free screening. And in that screening, we get to understand all about them. What are their not secret but underlying motivations, hidden benefits to smoking that they aren't conscious of. We talk about that. What's going on in their life relationships? Are they having enough romance in their life? Things like that. We do talk about those things and we have a very thorough screening process to do that. And then the hypnosis is actually quite secondary. But going into that, hypnosis is a very obviously relaxing state of mind where you don't think much. It's kind of like, have you ever been driving a car and daydream a little bit and miss a turn?

Jessi:
Oh yeah.

Chris:
Yeah. That's a lot like what hypnosis feels like. It's very normal, very natural. But we don't tend to overanalyze or object to good ideas. When in hypnosis, we're very open. Our nervous system is relaxed. Our brain waves are slowing down and relaxed. Like a child, when they learn how to walk and talk. They're not thinking about it. They're just going for it and they're learning along the way. So, that's how our brains work in hypnosis. The sessions typically are formal hypnosis. And then we teach self hypnosis, too.

Jessi:
You're getting in a flow state. Kind of like when I do creative things like feel like that where it's not in that tight space. And the way I think about it is like a heart space. But what you're talking about, you're getting into the subconscious, right?

Chris:
Yeah. What you're describing, it's really similar. One of the other guests on one of your shows had talked about curiosity. And curiosity is a state of mind where we're curious about other people in a certain way. Or we're curious about what's on the other side of the perceived problem. Or we're curious about finishing that project. And if you're in that heart space as you describe it, that's very similar. We lose track of time a little bit. We can we're very focused. Yeah, that's very conducive to solutions like quitting smoking.

Jessi:
So do you focus on a person's particular beliefs, like you said, the perceived benefits? Which is a really powerful starting point because I think, at least myself, I was like “Oh I just hate smoking can't stand it. I wish I didn't do this.” But I had to understand that there was a reason I was turning to it like we had talked about getting a break and stress relief. There were some things I thought that I was getting out of it or I wouldn't have done it. And so when you're doing a hypnosis are you speaking to those particular beliefs?

Chris:
Yes in fact I'm really glad you asked it that way. A book that comes to mind is this one, Milton Erickson. Think of this fellow, this hypnotist, as the wise old grandfather. He was really good at telling stories. And so what he was good at was finding the leverage and the point in the person. And even teaching openly what that leverage is to help them because it is different for everybody. It's not the same. You're absolutely right. So he was good at finding, “Gosh, what makes this person tick? How do they think? What's their thought pattern that leads them to do this unwanted thing? And what can I do to tie in or show or connect? What will help them to change that behavior?” It might be more than you asked.

Jessi:
No, that's great. And can you say the title of that book because it's audio only.

Chris:
Oh, sure. It's My Voice Will Go With You. It's by Sydney Rosen and it's the teaching tales of Milton Erickson. It's just one of the books that we use in our curriculum.

Jessi:
So, I'm curious about the hypnosis because, like I said, this is foreign territory to me. I'm wondering do you focus more on like a positive aspect or a negative aspect? So would you be like “Oh smoking is disgusting. It doesn't help you with stress.” Or do you kind of say like “You can find stress relief in other ways or it's okay to be a little stressed?” Or how do you guide people through changing those beliefs?

Chris:
So most people start from away from pain which is one of the motivating strategies. And then there's toward pleasure like the positives you're saying. We usually stay on the positive side but we do start with what pain they're going to avoid. So we might highlight how they're going to avoid the coughing, the lack of breath, trying to get up the stairs and keep their breath or whatever those things are. We do talk about that as soon as possible. We want to then focus on “Okay what are they going to be focusing on? What how do they want their life to go? What is the picture or the movie in their head of how they want their life to be?” That said, one more thing I want to add to that is that aversive therapy, we don't do therapy, but to use that word very loosely. We don't do therapy, but traditional aversive therapies that are out there are not a very happy way to go about stuff. I think you agree.

Jessi:
Yeah.

Chris:
But you get the idea that we want to stay positive.

Jessi:
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense with what you're going towards. Because I found that to be motivating because we're all kind of aware of the drawbacks especially if we're going to someone to quit smoking.

Chris:
And it's okay to do a little bit of that like “Yeah it’s black and white and boring in your mind or associate only pain and hassle with the smoking.” Really think of it as, I'm talking to listener, you only associate pain and hassle with the smoking. That's a good suggestion. But we want to make it like 9/10th of the suggestion, with 90% of the suggestions being positive.

Jessi:
Okay. And that's what you call a suggestion then. That's what you're guiding them in their mindset and their beliefs in the subconscious.

Chris:
That's right.

Jessi:
Is everyone a good candidate for hypnosis?

Chris:
Typically, there are only a couple of different kinds of people who cannot be hypnotized. One of those kinds of people would be the person who is really intoxicated; at which point they cannot pay attention long enough to experience hypnosis. Of course, another kind of person is the smart aleck who is trying to prove to me or to someone else that they cannot be hypnotized. And of course, with those kind of attitudes it's very unlikely. But if a person's open and sincere, that's different. That's very different.

Jessi:
So starting from that curiosity we were talking about then. If someone's curious, willing to try, willing to see what happens, then it's more likely to be effective.

Chris:
Yes. Yes. The more they need it and know they need it. And that's an emotional thing. So, you love to talk about heart-centered stuff, and that's absolutely how we make decisions.

Jessi:
I agree with that 100%. Is it different for every person, how long it's going to take for those beliefs to get rooted?

Chris:
The screening helps us to evaluate their situation and what they're going through. It's interesting how people who smoke a lot actually quit easier because they're in a lot more pain. And they're aware of it. The way that our program works is we do evaluate the person and set them up on a program that's just right for them. In my mind I'm going to plan ahead and know exactly what they need. And we'll discuss it and make a decision right there in the screening what we need to do. There's a flat fee for that program if they need an extra session that is usually free with the guarantee that we do. So sometimes, if we missed a spot or there's some kind of learning or something that “Oh gosh, we need to cover that.” We'll do it.

Jessi:
So, I'm wondering for yourself and then for your patients, what's the before and after? So, did you notice a difference when you put down smoking? When you were done, did you feel anything different emotionally, physically?

Chris:
I felt more congruent and confident because I was actually representing the person that I want to model for the clients. Wow, was that a benefit that I didn't plan on. I guess subconsciously I kind of did because that was the reason I quit. But yeah, so confidence, more congruence. And we're confident when we're taking action. So, I felt better about that. Gosh, it's better to feel, what I call a fresh air breather. That's just who you are. You really enjoy the fresh air in your lungs and you crave it. And I don't want to smoke. I mean, that's the last thing on my mind. One of the clients many many years ago said this. He said “Quitting smoking was remarkable, fast, and fun”. Now, I don't guarantee speed, but that's what he said. The plan is of course to have that person done with smoking. I want to see results really right away.

Jessi:
Nice.

Chris:
Unofficially stated, but yes.

Jessi:
Do you have any last words for people that are listening and thinking about quitting? And maybe they're curious about hypnosis and wondering if it's going to work for them and if they should try it?

Chris:
I would say please be nice to yourself. Go easy with yourself, but also know that it is possible. You’ve got to entertain the idea that it's possible. You've seen lots of other people around who have done it. And quitting smoking, in my mind, is not hard. It is fun and easy.

Let's call it a step in maturity to quit smoking or quit any habit that we don't want to be doing. It's a step in maturity because what we're really doing is, we're surrendering to reality. Reality is, we're born a non-smoker, a fresh air breather. We're born that way. You picked up smoking and had to learn it. It actually took a couple of weeks with coughing and all that stuff. That's actually harder to do. In other words, you could put that behind you. Know that we're born to breathe fresh air. Breathing fresh air is actually easier. It's natural.

Jessi:
Yeah. Yeah. For sure. I like that: a step in maturity. For myself, I saw smoking as an initiation for me. And it’s what you were talking about with your friends. It was a way to belong to a group and to be more adult-like. But I found that quitting smoking was actually the real initiation that I needed to get to the next phase of life and leave childhood behind. So, I really like that: a step in maturity. Let me use that one.

And we've been talking about hypnosis. But can you let us know a little bit more about your work? Maybe a specific project or ways that people can get in touch with you.

Chris:
So, first off, you can get in touch with me through the website: Freehypnoticcreening.com. There's even a free download on there for folks just to tell you for fun.

I'm working on a new book that has to do with helping people to do well at their work and very excited about that because we're tapping into hidden skills, talents, and abilities that we didn't know we had.

Jessi:
That's amazing. Yeah, that's what comes out when you can move on past the addiction. I found that too. There's all these parts of us that we keep underneath the surface or just aren't unaware of. It is so tied to self-talk. I guess we didn't really talk about self-talk. Can I ask you one last question?

Chris:
Yes. Yes. Go ahead.

Jessi:
Just with your last words there: be kind to yourself. Is self-talk something you work on?

Chris:
So the hypnosis is definitely much more than just positive self-talk. Positive self-talk and positive affirmations are great. We want you to master them. We want you to get good at them. But that's something known as auditory digital and it's just in the head. We're talking back and forth with ourselves in our head: can to cannot. So what we really need to do is we need to collapse that into one decision. And that is why if a person's doing that internal debate in their head. That's what Fritz Perls called a top dog/underdog debate. And if they're debating, “Well, I kind of like smoking, but I kind of know I need to quit.” That's what's going on in their heads. So, we need to collapse that to one decision. And usually the visual channel. when we actually see it visually, that actually helps more. And then, of course, that's the tip of the iceberg. All the other tools of hypnosis are the rest of the iceberg.

Jessi:
I'd like to hear more about these hidden talents that you're writing your book on. So, how do you bring those out in hypnosis?

Chris:
Right. So, when we're relaxed and calm, it's weird how we just start to notice. How our brains give us solutions more quickly. Have you ever noticed that maybe after a short nap or waking up in the morning, you go, "Oh, wow. Wait a minute. There's a solution to that and I just I wasn't even thinking about." Or when you're not looking for your lost keys, that's when you find them.

Jessi:
Yeah. You know, it's always in the shower for me. It's terrible.

Chris:
Yeah. Mhm.

Jessi:
I can't write. That's when I get my best ideas.

Chris:
Right. That's the challenge. You got to have a dry erase board outside or something. Or a recorder, you know, voice record your ideas.

Jessi:
So, you get in that hypnosis state and you're able to bring more awareness to the whole spectrum of someone.

Chris:
Yes. It's called a resource state when we're really resourceful. And usually what we want to do is we want to find a new anchor that is a positive one. An actual healthy anchor that will help remind that person's nervous system, “Oh, I do know how to XYZ. I do know how to do social interactions more calmly or whatever, as an example.

Jessi:
Well, that's beautiful work. Thank you.

Chris:
I appreciate your interest in it.

Jessi:
So, I kind of stole your last word there. Anything else you want to leave off on for the listeners?

Chris:
I would just strongly suggest calmly decide if it's time for you to change, what are the real reasons that it's time for you to change and write them down. Notice them, face them. Be bold, by the way, about facing those. But then the very next step is please decide to notice that it is possible to let it be easy and fun. And get curious about it being easy and fun because it is.

Jessi:
Well, thank you so much for being here and for sharing your knowledge with all that about hypnosis. Because like I said, it's something that I haven't really understood and I'm sure other people are curious. People would want an easy, fun way. Who wouldn't?

Chris:
So, thank you so much and I appreciate you sharing.

Chris:
Thank you so much. Appreciate being here with you.

Jessi:
All right, take care everyone. See you next week.


End of interview.


Jessi:

I hope today's story inspired you as much as it did me. When we hear stories like this, it's a powerful reminder that change is possible. If you're ready to start taking those steps for yourself, I'd love to help.

I put together a free minicourse called How to Survive a Craving to help you access tools to get through temporary cravings and hold fast to your true desire to quit smoking. This course is the stuff I wish I knew when I was practicing quitting, and I've put what worked for me in one place for you. You can grab the minicourse right now by visiting honoryourheart.net/craving.

Until next time, remember to treat yourself with kindness and to cherish the gifts of your heart. I'll talk with you soon. Thank you.

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