Hypnosis CDs are often used to help people make changes in their lives. Used properly and conscientiously, they can be powerful and effective tools that can help you achieve the change you want to make in your life.

Typical topics covered by hypnosis CDs include:

• weightloss
• Give up smoking
• Improve confidence, either in general or in specific situations, for example, in interviews or when giving presentations/public speaking
• Overcome common phobias, such as the fear of flying
• overcoming insomnia
• Stress reduction and anxiety management.

They offer a relatively inexpensive alternative to face-to-face therapy. They require a degree of discipline and are therefore not suitable for everyone and some problems are best dealt with face to face, but for some people they may work just as effectively for certain conditions or problems. They can also be a useful backup (a bit like a battery charger) to complement any face-to-face hypnotherapy session.

Professionally produced, high-quality CDs will include a user guide to help you get the most out of them, and some companies offer email support as well. Some programs have specific instructions or optional extras. As a general rule, the following guidelines apply to all hypnosis CDs, regardless of who produced them and regardless of what they are about:

• Make sure you are in a safe environment: if you are driving a car, operating machinery, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, stop and listen later when it is safe to do so. Even if you’re a passenger, stop the CD and listen to it later (unless you’re wearing headphones) so your driver can focus on driving safely.
• Schedule time to listen to the CD regularly. At the same time every day. Be sure to allow enough time to listen to the entire recording without interruption.
• Pay attention to the environment: private, quiet, undisturbed. Pay attention to (dim) lighting and seating (make sure you have a comfortable chair, sofa or bed), which will fully support you while you relax.
• If you can, use headphones to listen to the CD. This will help intensify the experience and when using bilateral sounds and/or double inductions you will get the most benefit.

Hypnosis CDs are not quick fixes. They can be a powerful and effective alternative to meeting with a therapist face to face. The more effort you put in, the more you’ll get out of. So when you buy a hypnosis CD, be sure to schedule enough time to listen to it regularly. You would do that if you were meeting with your therapist in person, so be sure to do this when you meet with your ‘virtual’ therapist.