Help Even the Most Difficult Client Stop Smoking

The "How to Stop Anyone Smoking" Course by Uncommon Practitioners provides a comprehensive and powerful framework plus all the tools necessary to work with clients who smoke. It presents a psychologically supported approach like none other. The instructional videos and educational materials are clear and concise, the psychological framework and strong use of metaphor is supported by the sample scripts. I thoroughly enjoyed the online course and feel a greater sense of confidence in my ability to help a client stop smoking.

The psychology behind this approach and the strong use of metaphor is what resonated most with me. Separating the smoking/cigarettes from the client, teaming with the client against the smoking/cigarettes, helping them understand it doesn't fit with who they are at the core, and the strong metaphor examples provide powerful structure. The use of reframing and utilization of their rebellion against the smoking are simple to apply. I appreciate that you included the scripts, but encourage personalization with each client. The videos and module tests provide such added value in the learning process, and although I wasn't able to participate in the group sessions I am sure these are tremendously helpful as well.

The materials and tests were straightforward, and I was able to complete it in a few days. I can see how the script collection can readily be used for other addictions, or even other issues with slight modifications. I also gained some insight from watching the style of hypnosis used on the videos, and the techniques taught in this course are universal and can be used for most clients. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who works with or plans to help clients who wish to stop smoking.

I can't recommend this course strongly enough. Having been a smoker many years ago, I only gave up because it was obviously killing me. At the time hard information about how one gets inveigled into this self-destructive behaviour was not available. This course unravels the confusions and the self-deception in masterful fashion and is an education in itself.

This program enabled me to help a very successful businessman stop smoking after eight failed attempts on his own over ten years. He came to me fully aware of all the harmful and poisonous effects of smoking but that alone was not motivation enough! Using the information from this program, I enabled him to see smoking in a totally different light and that provided all the motivation he needed to be successful!

The course I originally did was heavy going and focussed on telling the client about all the damage he/she was doing. This course focusses on reframing and the positives - very refreshing and feels far more up to date. One client who said cigarettes were his best friends said after the session that they were now boring!

I found the course fantastic, it really explained the psychology and physiology of smoking/smokers. After the course I studied all your scripts in depth and formulated a foundation script that I work from. My session lasts 1.5 hrs and I have had a 100% success rate after only 1 session. My confidence grew after the first few successes and this does make a difference in how you go into a session (I still listen to your audio "success with smokers" at least once every few weeks. The positive re-framing flows more easily now when people are doubting if the therapy will work.

Feel good story (this was my 2nd client and it still makes me feel good every time I tell it). Jim came to see me a couple of months after I did the course. He was 74 and had been smoking since he was 14; he was up to 2 packets (40 cigs) per day. He had a multitude of health concerns and finally decided that he had to stop smoking in an effort to alleviate at least some of these concerns.

Jim had one 1.5 hour session with me and left my clinic as a non smoker. I saw him a couple of weeks later for a short follow up, not because he had resumed smoking but because he was fidgeting as he didn't know what to do with his hands. I phoned him a few times as a follow up to see how his health was - he was enjoying regaining his health.

A year or so after his session, I received a postcard from Jim from Rome, with a big "Thank You!". He said that he diligently placed the money he would have spent on cigarettes each week into an bank account (cigarettes in Australia cost around $20 for a pack of 20). In this time he had saved around $20,000 (a staggering revelation). It was the first time that he and his wife had afforded to travel and they had always wanted to go to Italy. He has been to see me for some healing sessions since his return - looking healthy and with the grin of a Cheshire cat! He is a great example that it is never too late to give up cigarettes and take up living again.

At the end of last year I signed up for Uncommon Knowledge's How To Stop Anyone Smoking online course. I have been a hypnotist for many years now and a practising therapist for about 10 and I found the approach in this course enlightening as it steps away from the norm, which is exactly why I really liked it. Having tested it out on several new clients, I can hand on heart say that it creates an excellent environment for building rapport and trust, it allows clients to explore the relationship with cigarettes from a very different angle and really digs into the fabric of the habit and lifts the wool that has been covering clients' eyes. I can highly recommend it for any new or existing hypnotherapists as an awesome tool to add to your kit.

I loved the How to Stop Anyone Smoking course - it really gave me lots of new information and material to think about. I like the different ways the material is presented - some audio, some written and some video - and because you can go through things over and over again it is much more useful than traditional classroom teaching. Definitely worth doing.

Absolutely recommended! The greatest challenge facing most therapists is the application of theory. We know what to do, but often stumble when it comes to actually DOING it effectively. This program bridges the gap between theory and application, encapsulating a powerful, forthright, and successful approach that was shockingly easy to incorporate into my practice.

You designed the course with the user in mind, and it was blessedly free of academic psych-babble. I recently completed my MA in social psychology and my eyes now glaze over the moment I read dry academic rambling. This program was incredibly well written (a course that's actually for humans!!).

Uncommon U has utterly transformed the way I do therapy. Not that it's about comparison to others, but I'm enjoying a much faster and higher rate of success than other therapists I graduated with. A client who was addicted to opiates (OxyContin) has now been clean for a month. His health, vitality, and mood have improved a hundredfold. As an interesting side effect of our three sessions together, he is also noticing a dramatic reduction in anxiety and has also quit smoking. This has been the most all-encompassing victory in my career as a therapist so far.

Uncommon U has been a priceless resource. Much respect to you and your team, all the best!!

Having completed a number of online and offline courses (in marketing, hypnotherapy, and smoking cessation), I was anxious about beginning another that might leave me still feeling like a piece of the puzzle was missing.

There are no missing puzzle pieces in this course! From start to finish every detail is explained to you and provided to you in audio, video, and transcript. The support you receive for anything that might have been missed (and you'll struggle to find much that isn't covered) is second to none.

The team are there to respond in a very helpful and friendly way. They respond quickly and go to great lengths to help as much as possible. I was bowled over by that in particular, as with online courses it can often feel distant. Usually, most companies take your money, give you the material...and then really don't give a damn if you 'get it' or not. Not so with the team at Uncommon U! They care, they really care...and by the end of it you feel like you know them personally, which is very refreshing.

This is by far the best course I have done in smoking cessation. I thought I knew it all and that there was no other approach possible...I didn't! I have now completely turned around the way I deal with smoking clients. I used to panic about dealing with smokers, I would be anxious that I wouldn't be able to push them away from smoking and then dread the phone ringing for days after seeing them and hearing those dreaded words..."it didn't work"...

Uncommon U have shown me a far better way to approach smoking cessation, a way that puts me on the same side as the client so I am working with them, not against them as I was before. They have provided me with everything I need in this course to provide the very best of care, support, and help to smokers and also helped me to feel completely different about that phone ringing! I can't praise this course or the team highly enough.

The stop anyone smoking course was just so different from anything else. So well presented and understandable. It's not so much that it stops people smoking, as it stops people from BEING a smoker. That's the difference this course has.

I really enjoyed the training and felt that I learned a lot from the blend of written, audio and visual materials. It was particularly helpful in giving me an overview of what smoking is all about from the point of view of the smoker - we all "know" it's bad for us yet smokers persist in defying logic and continuing to smoke. Unlocking the reasons why people smoke and learning a range of approaches to help the smoker work against the smoking were key elements for me. All done with the usual clarity, precision and humour which Mark and Roger bring to every course.

I have worked with 3 clients since doing the course and all 3 are still non-smokers - the proof of the pudding I think!

The course is wonderful. I'm just starting the second section. I am so thrilled that someone finally agrees that you can't push smokers or expect them to respond after one session. I've been searching on my own to try to find some method that addresses the addiction/habituation without being so do-or-die, "you're either ready or your not" judgmental, making the client wrong, insensitive, impractical and dismissive.

So many therapists say that their smoking clients quit after one session. I've found that to be the exception so I ended up cringing in fear and confusion when I got a smoking client. I was so relieved to hear Mark say the same thing.

This is a much better approach and has some really wonderful information about the nature of addiction/habituation and how people are so different in their responses. I've always rejected the idea that you only take clients who are "ready."

I always knew that some kind of segmented approach was needed but I couldn't get a firm handle on how to structure it. This seems really great and I'm already using it with a smoking client. It also seems as if it works for any other addictive/habituative behavior.

This way it seems that the pressure is taken off both client and therapist for perfect, immediate results. It also seems that both the cognitive brain function AND subconscious brain function are used to support each other, which has always been my preference. I find that people do better when they know what to expect and why and, more importantly, how to handle it in the recovery process.

Kudos to Mark and Roger. Please forward this to them. If I had the money, I would gladly pay twice as much for their courses and consider myself lucky. I'm very grateful.

I really enjoyed doing this course and looked forward to each session I spent working on it. I found all the setting up instructions easy to follow and even fail proof...which for me is a big deal because it has been easy for me to get muddled up with following computer instructions in most other instances (I'm in my 50's and only have basic computer skills at this stage).

I really liked the check list at the beginning of each section... I got a buzz each time I ticked another step off and looked forward to the next step. In NLP we call this 'chunking down' and for me it had the effect of feeling steady progress. My ability to learn and retain the information was hugely aided by the multi-sensory system presentations - video presentations, audio and written and even kinesthetic with using the computer and ticking off the steps. I even liked the on-line tests for each section...they were relevant questions, achievable and the results are instantly available (very cool)!

The approach of gradually separating the person (client) from the smoking as part of their identity totally makes sense to me and focussing on care and respect for the power of people's beliefs is also congruent with my understanding of people.

All in all I will continue my professional development with Uncommon Knowledge because it is a fantastic learning resource for me and encompasses the NLP presuppositions, Human Givens and Erickson style hypnotherapy.

I've just completed your 'How to Stop Anyone Smoking' online course. Thank you so much for a compelling, well thought out, highly enjoyable, and informative programme. The content is presented in an easy to follow manner, is very engaging, and I especially liked how some elements are revisited throughout the different sessions.

The Uncommon approach is certainly different to the way I was taught - as a regression hypnotherapist - however, I can't wait to utilise the unique insights, tools, and strategies with my next smoking cessation client.

Completing your course was a pleasure. I have taken a number of smoking cessation courses, and have been helping smokers become non smokers for over ten years. Your insights are unique and your instruction refreshing. I feel that I have gained some new and promising tools and strategies for my clients. Thank you for all of your work. Fine job.

Thank you so much for this course. There is such a wealth of knowledge here that I had not been exposed to before. I feel well equipped to work with addictions and ready to create metaphors. I used one of the metaphors for a client with disease and she is improving! So glad I found this course. Working with a smoking (really a nonsmoking) client tomorrow. Before I dreaded it, now I am excited to work with this client.

The materials are superb. I love the written material and being able to follow along with the video or audio while reading. It is perfect for my style of learning. Rather than taking notes, I can highlight and notate the written materials...fabulous! Also, love the full session recordings. Really, I cannot say enough about what I have learned, not just with this program, but others that I am taking as well as the wealth of information on your site and in your emails.

I believe that I am listening more carefully and reframing. Reframing is so critical and while I do it, I found that I lacked confidence having never been a smoker, almost like I was a fraud, you know, "who am I to help these people quit!" But the program helped me understand the nature of the smoker and I believe the single most important factor that smokers have shared with me, that never came up before, is how "stupid" they feel for smoking and ashamed that they cannot quit by willpower alone. To free them from that misconception by helping them understand that the habit is a pattern of association and not a straight nicotine addiction, has freed each one of the guilt they felt and low self-esteem that developed around smoking. It is amazing.

A client came to me recently and had quit many times and for long periods of time, 5 years, 8 years, etc., but somehow she always returned to smoking. Now, she suffers from Peripheral Artery Disease and has had to undergo an angioplasty procedure. Furthermore, she was hiding the fact that she still smoked from coworkers, her doctors, and family members. She felt deep shame and disappointment in herself for continuing to smoke. After the session, upon coming out of the trance she began to cry. I allowed her to compose herself and process her tears before I asked what she was feeling. She said she never realized how much of her identity was falsely linked to smoking and how she felt free of it for the first time. She has no doubt that she will never smoke again.

You provide the absolute best hypnotherapy training available. Truly there is none better that I have found. I have been to NYC and spent weeks undergoing training by professional therapists, as well as other online programs; nothing beats the training and knowledge received from Uncommon Knowledge. Worth its weight in gold! Absolutely love you all, from Mark and Roger to all the staff that support the programs. Exceptional people and exceptional service.

How to Stop Anyone Smoking' is a course that changed the way I think, feel and behave about smokers. It made me understand the habit from the inside and gave me a new mindset about them. I knew this course was good before I took it, because some of the materials they used to market it made me quit smoking. So, after I saw that it worked on me, and it was only one good crafted metaphor, I thought this is it, this is a course I must have. So I had. And it was a great experience, from the beginning till the end. It is a new and creative approach, and its knowledge expands even beyond the smoking habit. I am still learning from this course and I'm sure I'll find new things again and again.

I've had only one client for stop smoking so far and it was a success, even if it didn't seem like it when he left the session. Being my first client for this, I was so nervous and I used the material from the composite session to prepare myself. Before I made the appointment for the session, I sent him the 'Get Ready to Quit Smoking' material. Well, my client's motivation was just curiosity about hypnosis and how could it make him stop. So, at least that's what he said. He even told me at the beginning, 'I have tried this and that for stopping, and it worked for a while. Now I want to try this hypnosis and if it doesn't work, no problem.' :)

The session took about 2 hours, pre-talk and hypnosis, and before he left I told him that some people are able to stop immediately after the session, and others need some more time, and I want him to give me a call and tell me that he had quit.

The very next day he left me a message that he is craving like crazy and I suggested we should meet again to talk about other stresses in his life. Well, as we approached the date of the next session, he left again a message telling me that after one day he couldn't smoke, even if he wanted to. He had tried and the smoke made him feel sick. So, that's my story and it made me feel good!

Mark and Roger are great teachers, I feel like they are around me when I need some inspiration. I look forward to the other courses on Uncommon U.

The course is very well put together, professional, and will appeal to all learning styles. My background is 20+ years in learning and development so it takes quite a bit to impress me! I would recommend this course to other therapy practitioners. It's all good, assistance is easily accessible, Mark is welcoming and the materials are very professional.

The course was extremely comprehensive and I'm not sure how it could be improved. Love the way it is set out - easy to navigate, no time-wasting. It is all excellent content. It is not just how to, but why, so it makes sense and is easy to adapt to the client's individual needs. The live demonstrations are incredibly useful. I have learnt so much from watching Mark in action. I also very much appreciated having both audio and text versions to study the material.

I've found that most people only require one session with me using this material but it would be helpful to have even more ideas about how to deal with smokers who are particularly resistant.

One client, in particular, emailed me with this lovely feedback:

'I visited you nearly two weeks ago for a hypnotherapy session to stop smoking and I thought I would send you a quick update before I head overseas.

The last two weeks has been very stressful, we sadly had to admit my father into a nursing home due to his dementia making him quite violent, abusive and delusional, work was chaotic due to going on long leave and having to hand over to someone who was covering my job (so having to make sure everything was in order/perfect for them not to have to stress) and also getting everything finalised for my operation.

I have not smoked a cigarette or desired a cigarette since my session with you. I am feeling really good and on top of the world.'

How is that for a feel-good story?!!

This course covered everything that a therapist needs to know in helping someone stop smoking. There is no need to wonder about the efficacy of what you are doing or to fumble with lots of bits of information that you have gathered from all different sources. It is a one-stop shop of quality resources. It really gives you the confidence to practice and know that you will get results in a very short space of time.

Recently, I had a particularly challenging new client, who presented with a number of complex issues. She was seeing a psychiatrist and psychologist, but wanted to see me to stop smoking. Initially looking at the client on paper, I was concerned that smoking was the least of her worries and I wasn't at all sure that I could successfuly concentrate just on her goal to quit. The strategies I learned gave me the capabilities to focus in on the smoking and cover it from several angles. As an off shoot, she reported to her psychologist that she had significantly reduced her drinking as well. Bonus points!!!

Having taught management and marketing for 25+ years, I was impressed by the course structure and pleased by its beautiful approach. I LOVED it, and it really works. The multimedia approach kept my interest throughout. I am enjoying working with my clients more, as I have eliminated my role as the "heavy." I have used the idea of a lousy tenant and abusive partner to great effect.

I just loved the positivity of the whole course, as I have for the last 5 years always used negative suggestions to my clients. Not Good... It was great to learn especially when you finished the course and did the test then waited anxiously for the results then found that you could go onto the next lesson...That was my greatest expectation... about the course...Thanks Heaps...

The course covered everything I needed to feel that I could confidently nail a quit smoking hypnotherapy session. I love the use of metaphor and emphasis on building rapport as such an effective therapeutic skill. I had a smoker quit in one session and refer a friend - couldn't be happier.

A very thorough and professionally presented course. The content was excellent and it was great that there were separate downloads for marketing! I liked the modular approach to the course - I was able to split my learning up to fit into the time available. It was great too to have different elements to the learning, watching client videos, listening to discussions and being able to read notes too made it a great and accessible course, catering for various learning preferences.

My results when I first started working with smokers who wanted to stop were hit and miss. After taking the course my approach changed and now I can Stop Anyone Smoking. I even worked with a married couple, each one at a different time on the same day, and both stopped.

Before this course, I had quit accepting smokers because very few quit, and there was so much resistance. But both smokers who have come to me since this course quit easily after one session with no resistance, and found it easier than they could imagine. I got a referral from my doctor before I even finished the course, so I had to schedule him far enough out to finish the course and review it all!

The first is in his mid-70's and had smoked for over 50 years. He had tried hypnotherapy twice before with no luck, but his doctor referred him to me. He has emphysema and doubted he could quit, but he had to try something. He quit easily in one session and just passed 6 weeks smoke free. His doc says he is like a new man now and raved about me. So I know I will get more referrals from this doc.

The second has smoked for over 25 years, never going even a whole day without tobacco in some form or another. He also quit in one session and has just passed two weeks smoke free. As a bonus, he was having insomnia and nightmares, which have stopped due to some post-hypnotic suggestions I threw in. He has been posting his progress on Facebook and is so proud of himself.

I did employ the "rebel against the tobacco companies" strategy before, but just in passing. Now it is the heart of the session. Siding with the smoker more, and using the crossroads and mountain of cigarettes analogies is powerful too. I live in the mountains, so I give them the choice between the mountain of cigarettes or the ability to hike and enjoy our beautiful mountain scenery. As a result, both clients told me they suddenly want to spend time outdoors more (even though it is cold!). I have them tell me what their heart and their lungs would say, and what their adult self would say to the kid about to smoke for the first time. Boy, they use harsher words than I ever would, and it is coming directly from them.

The course was very user-friendly and easy to follow. I was dubious about the effectiveness of online hypnotherapy courses, and whether people could easily quit in one session, but this was well-written, easy to follow, and so far, the results have been just as promised. I appreciate the session for the therapist to have confidence, and I feel it has really helped during my consultations to have confidence in selling the session. Now I no longer need it, as I can see the results for myself! Smoking cessation has gone from being my least favorite session to my favorite, because the results are quick, tangible and, as you say, you literally save lives. It is incredible to watch the clients go from coming in scared and doubtful, to leaving so elated and excited for the future. The marketing materials are very well produced too. You have thought of everything! I would advise people to buy the hard copy too. It was useful to just review the highlights quickly before a session, especially at first and if time passes since the last smoker.

As a beginning hypnotist I can only highly recommend this course and for 3 reasons. First, the background about smoking habits and how to separate the person from the cigarette. Two, in real sessions you can see how to integrate this knowledge in the hypnosis session with the client. And three, which was for me the most important one: self confidence to go out, advertise myself and just do it, with amazing results!

I live in Egypt and I have a man cleaning our house, an Egyptian with basic knowledge of English. He smoked two packs a day and didn't particularly want to smoke. But I couldn't see him give his money and life away to cigarettes anymore, he is such a hardworking person who does everything to get his children a better education and chance in life. So I 'forced' him to be my first client/guinea pig. And to his big astonishment (and mine as well to be honest) he left my house as a happy relaxed non-smoker!

I have thoroughly enjoyed doing all the courses and this one was just as brilliant as all the others.

I love all the formats in the way you teach as it kept me interested and motivated. I really liked the idea of learning how to be there for the client and how not to take resistance or relapses personally.

Understanding the importance of reframing and metaphors have been real 'aha' moments for me too. As always (through all the courses) I am beginning to truly see and understand the vital importance of having our basic needs being met also.

It is empowering for me to have and to know how to use these skills as I know from now on that I will be a much better therapist because of them. Thank you both so much :-)

I'd just like to say how helpful I found the course when I had my client last Thursday - it really was a difference of night and day from the old approach I was using to help clients to stop smoking.

I felt that I knew how to go about all aspects of the session - my client really seemed to benefit from it and I found the whole experience enjoyable.

Prior to doing your course, I actually dreaded getting a 'stop smoking' call, as I felt ill-prepared and always found myself in a battle of wits with the client (which the client always won!)

I wanted to say that I really enjoyed the course. I found it very comprehensive, with great resources and I was very impressed, I guess not what I expected from an on-line course.

It has really added to my confidence in dealing with future smoking clients, giving me a clearer idea of what to do and techniques to try so thank you.

Having just had my first smoking cessation client, I can honestly say that the How to Stop Anyone Smoking course has given me knowledge, confidence, and a skill set that I haven't had before. The session flowed well and allowed me to incorporate many of the learnings from the course in a natural way.

I had been putting off treating clients who wanted to stop smoking, as I believed it was too complex a problem. The course was easy to learn and very helpful, I had no difficulty with it, and had been wondering how easy it would be to learn on the computer as opposed to being in a room with other students. It was straightforward.

For a short time of study with this course, I feel I have learned more than I did in two years of trying to understand what I would call the 'bottom line' of how this particular habit (smoking) can be understood, dealt with and eliminated. And I would highly recommend any courses from Uncommon Practitioners. Thank you both.

I loved the layout of the course and the different ways of learning. There are some great ideas and mind shifts on how to talk and understand smokers. Any questions I had were answered quite quickly and Mark and Roger are always willing to help you. There was full support in this course and for me this course was well worth investment as I'm always picking up new insights the more I go over it.

I loved this course as it consolidated all the best re-frames out there to help clients stop smoking. The fact I can go back and review the material really helps strengthen my knowledge from what I've learned so far. Plus there is a lot of content and it will take time to fully assimilate it all. I feel much more confident speaking to potential clients about this topic now. Sessions are also more fun because I have so much more knowledge to draw from. Thanks Mark & Roger!

I think the Uncommon U learning platform is fantastic. I've signed on for Uncommon Practitioners TV and so far love the concept. Being able to view therapy sessions (repeatedly) is of great value to me. It's already increasing my confidence in several ways. I look forward to seeing the client commentaries.

Resistance with two clients on the same day traumatised me to the point of wanting to throw both dear ladies off the couch so that I could clamber on with an ice pack on my troubled brow. However, I recovered enough after a strong black coffee to begin searching the internet for help and fortunately found Uncommon Knowledge. So glad I did, because amongst the many teachings (with the emphasis on conversational hypnosis), I found what I was looking for to overcome the resistance problem.

I changed my inductions to incorporate the Uncommon Knowledge style with immediate success. What I have learned on this course so far has opened my eyes to even greater success using these techniques, whereby, clients are treated with the greatest respect in the shortest time so that they go home with their feelings and control intact. Thank you all at Uncommon Knowledge for all your hard work, so pleased I found you!

Variety of methods used to enhance learning. Great content and structure. Marketing package was very useful to me. Quick response, caring attitude, professional customer support. Big thumbs up!

Thorough, highly recommend to any hypnotherapist choosing to increase their confidence and business.

Just imagine that you can discover the step-by-step lesser-known secrets to exponentially increase your success rate with smokers. Uncommon Knowledge reveals these secret methods and much more. Tremendous investment. Thank you