Vault: A Hypnotist Walks Through His Hypnosis Process

Summary

The Bert Show – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Vault: A Hypnotist Walks Through His Hypnosis Process

Date: May 19, 2026
Featured Guest: Sean Wheeler, Certified Hypnotist (surehypnosis.com, hypnosisfundraisers.com)

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1. Overview

In this special vault episode, The Bert Show explores the realities of addiction, especially the struggle to quit smoking, as experienced by co-host Jen Hobby. The team brings in hypnotist Sean Wheeler to discuss the hypnosis process for behavior change, addressing skepticism, real-world effectiveness, and what actually happens during a session. The episode is centered around demystifying hypnosis for listeners while setting the stage for Jen's attempt to quit smoking with Sean’s help.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Struggle of Quitting Smoking (01:32–05:13)

• Jen Hobby's Experience: Jen shares her personal battle with quitting smoking, highlighting motivation, relapse, and triggers.

  • She had previously quit for almost four years, mainly motivated by wanting to have a baby.
  • Emotional stress led to relapse during her divorce (02:18).
  • Smoking quickly shifted from stress relief to habitual use in daily routines: “You connect it to...driving, having a cup of coffee...a glass of wine at night...after a meal...” (03:45–04:05).

• Attempts to Quit:

  • Tried Wellbutrin but stopped due to ineffectiveness/side effects.
  • Considered Chantix but was concerned after hearing about severe side effects, like depression and “cases of suicide” (05:03–05:13, Sean Wheeler).

• Need for Support: Jen and her coworker Josh considered quitting together to create accountability (02:39).

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Introducing Hypnosis as a Solution (05:15–06:41)

• Enter Sean Wheeler: Sean explains that hypnosis is often a “last resort” after traditional methods fail due to skepticism and misconceptions (05:36).

• Misconceptions: Many believe hypnotists make people “bark like a dog and quack like a duck,” or are “charlatans” (05:36).

• Success Factors: Hypnosis is effective for those with a genuine desire to quit. “I can’t come in and hypnotize somebody who has no desire to quit and make them do anything.” (05:56–06:21)

• What Hypnosis Does: It addresses automatic associations and habits, helping to reduce the frequency and strength of cravings and reframe smoking as unappealing. “You can make it to where those thoughts don't come as often… you’re thinking about it in a way that makes it unappealing to you.” (06:22)

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Practical Details of Hypnosis (06:41–07:25)

• Session Structure:
  • First session: ~1.5 hours, with 30–45 minutes of actual hypnosis (06:44).
  • People’s experiences vary; some report immediate, complete loss of cravings, others experience gradual improvement (06:56–07:25).

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Social and Environmental Triggers (07:25–08:22)

• Influence of Other Smokers:
  • Surprisingly, being around other smokers does NOT derail hypnosis success if the session truly addresses personal motivations and concerns.
  • Sean shares a story: After hypnosis, a client was able to hang out at her high school reunion among smokers “and she had no desire to do it. And that's not an exception. That's common.” (07:40)

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The Hypnosis Process Explained (08:48–11:23)

• Regulation and Training:
  • The profession isn’t formally regulated, so it's essential to research and choose hypnotherapists wisely (08:48–09:27).
• Pre-Hypnosis Exercise:
  • Session begins with a conversation and a visualization exercise, connecting personal motivation directly to craving triggers. “Every time they actually have a craving...they're aware of why they want to quit.” (09:47)
• Actual Hypnosis Mechanics:
  • Involves guided relaxation, focusing on breathing, gentle distraction, increasing body awareness, and then personalized suggestions. “Once the person...is to the point where they need to be, that’s when I start feeding you all the suggestions about the things that are important to you.” (10:47)
• Stage Hypnosis vs. Therapeutic Hypnosis:
  • Audience members stay in control but lose self-consciousness, so participation feels fun rather than forced or embarrassing (11:23–12:05).

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On relapsing:
  “It’s like an old crutch...It just becomes a habit after that.”
  —Jen Hobby, (02:21, 03:45)

• On motivation:
  “I really, really, really wanted to...I think I wanted to have a baby.”
  —Jen Hobby, (03:08)

• On risks of medications:
  "There have been cases of suicide. There have been a lot of lawsuits...in the first quarter of 2008 alone."
  —Sean Wheeler, (05:03)

• On hypnotist skepticism:
  “Everyone thinks they’re gonna get hypnotized to bark like a dog and quack like a duck.”
  —Sean Wheeler, (05:36)

• On the process:
  “You can make it to where those thoughts don’t come as often...when you do think about it, you’re thinking about it in a way that makes it unappealing to you.”
  —Sean Wheeler, (06:22)

• On group influence:
  “I was hanging out outside with them while they were smoking. And she had no desire to do it. And that's not an exception. That's common.”
  —Sean Wheeler, (07:40)

• On what it feels like on stage:
  “You know exactly what you’re doing, you just don’t care...you feel awesome and you’re having a blast.”
  —Sean Wheeler, (11:45–12:12)

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3. Key Timestamps

• 01:32 – Jen Hobby recounts her quit-smoking journey and relapses
• 02:39 – The importance of accountability and motivations
• 05:13 – Severe side effects of prescription cessation drugs
• 05:36 – Sean Wheeler introduces himself and addresses common hypnosis misconceptions
• 06:22 – How hypnosis can change thought patterns about smoking
• 06:44 – Length and structure of a hypnosis session
• 07:40 – Quitting despite social environments
• 09:47 – Step-by-step of a pre-hypnosis exercise
• 10:47 – The hypnosis session experience
• 11:23–12:12 – The feeling of being hypnotized in a show vs. one-on-one

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4. Tone and Style

The conversation is approachable, honest, and slightly irreverent—true to The Bert Show’s candid, supportive, and humorous style. Sean Wheeler’s insights come across as grounded and refreshingly direct, bridging the gap between skepticism and real-world application.

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5. Conclusion

The episode sets up an upcoming experiment, with Jen preparing to try a formal hypnosis session with Sean. The hosts promise to report back honestly on Jen’s success and encourage listeners interested in hypnosis for quitting smoking to do quality research when choosing a provider. The episode is part educational, part real-life experiment, and deeply empathetic to anyone wrestling with addiction.

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Links Mentioned:

• Sean Wheeler: surehypnosis.com, hypnosisfundraisers.com

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Note: This summary skips all advertisements and sponsor remarks, focusing exclusively on the episode’s main content and discussions.

Transcript

[Host]

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[Host]

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[Sean Wheeler]

This is the bird show.

[Co-host]

So I have seen this now with two of the wives in my life. One of my work wives, Jen Hobby and my legal wife Stacy, also going through the same struggle almost at the same time. And I hear the same words come out of both of your mouths, you know, like you want to quit, then you don't want to quit, and then you embrace it, and then you start smoking again and then you don't. And it's just, it really is a. It's a tremendous, tremendous fight.

[Jen Hobby]

Yeah, it's definitely a big struggle. I mean, it's an addiction like any other one that people, you know, deal with. Whether it's, you know, as simple as, like, sleeping pills or whether it's, you know, as Big and as bad for you as cigarettes. You know, for a while there, you

[Co-host]

were really strong about it. You're like, that's it?

[Jen Hobby]

Yeah, I quit for almost four years.

[Co-host]

Mm.

[Sean Wheeler]

Whoa.

[Jen Hobby]

Yeah.

[Sean Wheeler]

Didn't realize it was that long.

[Co-host]

And then what brings it on? Just a lot of stress. Like the divorce?

[Jen Hobby]

Yeah, just emotional stress and that kind of thing. And I think it's like. It's like an old crutch, you know, that you go back to or whatever, and then it becomes. And then it be. You know, then it's a habit again.

[Co-host]

And I know you want to quit because you came up to Josh last week while I was in the studio. You were looking for him, and you're like, you gotta come up with some kind of competition.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Jen Hobby]

Cause Josh has been trying to quit smoking, too. And so I was thinking. I was like, maybe we can try to do this together, and then we can kind of check in with each other at work every day or whatever. And. Yeah, because there does have to be some sort of accountability, like somebody that you're checking in with and that kind of thing, I think. I think you've got a really, really, really want to do it. When I was successful with it the first time for so long, I really, really, really wanted to.

[Co-host]

What was different then? What was making you really, really, really want to do it back then that you can't seem to find now?

[Jen Hobby]

I think I wanted to have a baby. Okay, so that was motivation.

[Co-host]

Right.

[Jen Hobby]

Because once you get knocked up, you can't do that anymore.

[Co-host]

Well, allegedly.

[Sean Wheeler]

Some people would argue it's fine.

[Co-host]

Tracy.

[Sean Wheeler]

Oh, God.

[Co-host]

Cigars. Different. So let me ask you this. Then when you said you started smoking again, when it gets really stressful for you, Like, I mean, anybody can understand that during a divorce, you're stressed out, so you lean on the cigarettes again. When do you start realizing that, okay, this isn't about stress anymore. This is just about me digging smoking cigarettes.

[Jen Hobby]

I think probably almost right away, because it just becomes. It just becomes a habit after that. And then you sort of connect it to all these different things in your life. You know, you connect it to. I know people connect it to driving, or you connect it to having a cup of coffee, or you connect it when you're having your glass of wine at night or, you know, after a meal, there's all kinds of different things that it sort of, like, attaches.

[Host]

It.

[Jen Hobby]

The habit attaches itself to. And then I think it. That's how it kind of starts.

[Co-host]

Then once it gets in your system, I mean, then It's.

[Jen Hobby]

And you enjoy it.

[Co-host]

It's a drug, and it's hard to get off of.

[Jen Hobby]

It's painful. Totally.

[Co-host]

So what have you tried to get off of it besides going cold turkey?

[Jen Hobby]

Let's see. The first time, I tried some Wellabutrin. This is probably what, maybe four or five years ago. I took it for two weeks, and it just. I didn't really like it. And it's not even supposed to work for two weeks. So then I quit without it. But I remember looking at a bunch of different websites and reading a couple different books at the time, which definitely helped because I was, like, focused and on the mission.

[Co-host]

And now it's just. If you were gonna do it, you're planning on going cold turkey.

[Jen Hobby]

I mean, people have suggested all kinds of different things to me, like that Chantix stuff, but then I've heard about really bad side effects from that stuff.

[Co-host]

What is that, a drug?

[Jen Hobby]

Mm, it's a prescription Medic.

[Sean Wheeler]

And then what are the side effects?

[Jen Hobby]

I've heard that you can get really depressed.

[Co-host]

For how long?

[Jen Hobby]

I don't know.

[Sean Wheeler]

Suicide.

[Co-host]

Really?

[Sean Wheeler]

Yeah. There have been cases of suicide. There have been a lot of lawsuits. Just in the first quarter of 2008 alone. Of course, it's something that I follow a lot. I don't know if people know who I am.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Let me introduce you here.

[Sean Wheeler]

I would like to introduce you to Jesus. Yes, it is a drug.

[Co-host]

This is Sean Wheeler, and He is from surehypnosis.com and we brought him in today to try to work his magic here on Jen Hobby. And I'm assuming a whole bunch of people come to you throughout the year, and they're like, I've tried everything else.

[Sean Wheeler]

Yeah, exactly. I'm the last thing that they try. Because everyone thinks that they're gonna get hypnotized to bark like a dog and quack like a duck. And they don't know if people like me are charlatans or just taking advantage of them. So there's a lot of skepticism and a lot of fear. So usually after they try all the other stuff, they come to me and they're like, I've tried everything. I'm gonna give hypnosis a shot.

[Co-host]

What's your success rate?

[Sean Wheeler]

You know, I don't have exact percentages, but it's high. Meaning that, like she said, the person has to really want to quit. And I can't come in and hypnotize somebody who has no desire to quit and make them do anything. But if they have a strong desire, it's something that can help them make it easier, meaning the things she's talking about, like the being in the car and having a cup of coffee. And when you get stressed out, all those associations make it really difficult to quit because you're having to battle with these thoughts all day long.

[Jen Hobby]

Right.

[Sean Wheeler]

So what the hypnosis can do, if the hypnotist knows what they're doing, is you can make it to where those thoughts don't come as often, meaning the person can forget about it most of the time, and that when they do think about it, you're thinking about it in the way that you did four years ago or when you quit, which is that you're thinking about it in a way that makes it unappealing to you. That's what we do.

[Co-host]

So how long does the actual hypnosis take?

[Sean Wheeler]

Well, it takes. The session takes about an hour and a half the first time I work with somebody, and the actual Hypnosis may take 30 to 45 minutes of that.

[Co-host]

And then what will she feel? Just no desire for smoking.

[Sean Wheeler]

There's a range. And I want your listeners to know, to be honest, people respond differently. I've had clients who smoked for 30 years pack and a half a day who quit and had no cravings and had no withdrawal. And I've done interviews with them. They're on my website. And so the thing is that some people, after being hypnotized, will experience an improvement, but it's not like magic like for those others. So everyone responds differently. But if the person has a sincere desire, it's something that will help just about everyone.

[Jen Hobby]

Now, humans are pack animals, and we have our friends. And a lot of times smokers are friends with smokers. And sometimes, you know, people who didn't smoke smoked again because they were around friends that smoked. So if somebody's trying to quit smoking, but everybody around them is still a smoker, is it more?

[Sean Wheeler]

Doesn't matter.

[Jen Hobby]

Doesn't matter.

[Sean Wheeler]

I actually just got an email yesterday from a woman that I hypnotized this summer to quit. And what she said in the email was, two weeks after her session with me, she was at her high school reunion. And at the high school reunion, all of her smoker friends were there. And she was really worried about it beforehand. She was thinking, am I going to be able to not smoke around all these people? And she was so surprised that when she got there, she didn't have to fight it, she didn't have to resist it. She was hanging out outside with them while they were smoking. And she had no desire to do it. And that's not an exception. That's common. And when I do the session with people, what we do is we actually integrate those worries and concerns, whether it's having a few drinks and losing your inhibitions, whether it's having a stressful thing coming up. Jennifer's really bad about losing our inhibitions.

[Co-host]

Oh, yeah, you're gonna be in there all day.

[Sean Wheeler]

Many people do. And once we talk about these things and you address them, because it's not just like you hypnotize someone and you say cigarettes are gonna taste bad. And, you know, you send them out, which is what I think a lot of people think hypnosis is. What it really is is an understanding of what your concerns are and what's important to you. And when you're hypnotized and you're hearing those things in a way that sticks, in a way that resonates, and so you don't forget about it later on.

[Co-host]

Now, do you need some kind of practicing license to do this?

[Sean Wheeler]

Nah, strangely, and I wish it were regulated, but being certified as a hypnotherapist or as a hypnotist is very easy. It's not regulated by the state. There is no licensure. In the same way that someone would be a counselor or a psychiatrist or a psychologist. Not at all. But there is a way, if you're looking for a hypnotherapist, to find out whether or not they've been appropriately trained to see how much time they put into it, where they studied, and also to talk about their experience. So, you know, as a consumer, you have to be very. You have to be careful, and you have to do your research to find somebody who's good. But if you do that, then chances are the person's gonna be able to help you.

[Co-host]

Can you give us just a little sample? Like, obviously, we can't do the whole session here on radio. It's take much longer than that.

[Sean Wheeler]

It would bore everyone to death and people would crash into each other on 400.

[Co-host]

But I'd sure like to, like, hear what the first min minute or two sounds like. Like, if you and Jen were alone in a room together and you were actually, we weren't here, and it's just you and Jen, how does it all go down?

[Sean Wheeler]

Well, the thing I do first, actually, before we even do any hypnosis and we talk for about, you know, 30, 45 minutes or an hour, we just chat, like in normal conversation. But before we do any hypnosis, what I do with people is a little exercise that actually involves helping them to think about how they'd see themselves as a person Once the smoking habit was no longer a problem for them. Really clarifying that through visualization. And once they have that clear picture of what that is, we actually connect it, tie it directly to the stimulus, meaning the craving thought, so that every time they actually have a craving, every time they think about a cigarette, they're aware of why they want to quit. And when you're thinking about it in that way, you don't want to smoke. So we do that before we even do any hypnosis. Now, the actual hypnosis. Well, I can slow my voice down and talk to her in a way that would help her to relax, but chances are that's going to make people on the freeway kind of drift over and become a little bit too relaxed. But what it typically is, you don't have a stopwatch or anything like that. All I do is I say, close your eyes. And once I have them close their eyes, I have them focus on their breathing. And then I start to talk in a way that distracts them. Meaning I talk about things that are happening around the room. I talk about things that they might be thinking about, have them become aware of their body for a few moments. And then once you get them nice and distracted and relaxed, well, then there's some visualization that takes place. And then once the person, in my judgment, is to the point where they need to be, that's when I start feeding you all the suggestions about the things that are important to you. That's when I start giving you the suggestions about how it's going to be, what you want to do. And in that state of mind when you're relaxing in that way, like I said, the stuff really sticks in a way that it doesn't when you're just having a conscious conversation. Is that when you can put the stuff in there about clucking like a chicken? Exact. Exactly.

[Co-host]

I've been hypnotized in one of those comedy shows before. And if you haven't been hypnotized, what happened to me was I was always in control of what I was doing, but when whatever he was asking me to do just felt like the most fun thing in the world. So I wanted to do it. Exactly. But I didn't have to. Like, I knew I was in control to not cluck like a chicken or talk like, you know, the way I

[Sean Wheeler]

describe it when I do those shows, Because I do those shows, too. And I volunteered in Them, and I've done them as a hypnotist, is that I say, you know, you know exactly what you're doing, you just don't care.

[Co-host]

Right.

[Sean Wheeler]

Meaning you don't have the self conscious awareness of like, oh, this person's judging me and that person thinks I look stupid. That's gone. And it's the coolest thing in the world because the people who are in the audience who are too chicken to get up there on stage, they don't know that the people on stage are having more fun than anyone else in the room.

[Co-host]

Right.

[Sean Wheeler]

They think that they're being controlled and manipulated. But when you're hypnotized in that show, you feel awesome and you're having a

[Co-host]

blast and you're loving it and you know exactly what you're doing.

[Jen Hobby]

It sounds cool.

[Sean Wheeler]

Yeah, it is cool.

[Jen Hobby]

You get hypnotized all the time.

[Sean Wheeler]

When I first saw it, Wendy wants to get hypnotized before she goes out on the weekends. I thought it was scary. Like when I first saw a show in college, when I was in college all those years ago, I didn't volunteer. I was like, I'm not gonna be looking like a fool up there on stage. But later on, when I learned how to do this and then I went to a show and I tried it, it's like, man, it's a piece of cake. And it's fun. And every time I go to a hypnotist show now, I went to one, like a month or two ago at the punchline, I jump up on stage and volunteer. And it's a party. It's a good party.

[Co-host]

It's a total good time. All right, so here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna go trial by fire here. We'll set up an appointment with Jen and you cool. If she's okay with it.

[Sean Wheeler]

That's the most important thing.

[Co-host]

The first thing we need to do is hypnotize her to say yes to all of this. And when she says yes, then she'll do a whole session with you and then people can follow along and see if it works for her.

[Sean Wheeler]

Perfect. Sounds good.

[Co-host]

But if it doesn't, we'll be totally honest with them also.

[Sean Wheeler]

Absolutely.

[Co-host]

Okay. And we'll have a link on over to Sean Wheeler, too. It's pure hypnosis dot com.

[Sean Wheeler]

That's right. And hypnosis fundraisers dot com.

[Jen Hobby]

Great.

[Co-host]

And today's Great American Smoke out. Right? Yeah.

[Host]

Yes.

[Co-host]

I think people are trying at least for a day to see what it's all about.

[Sean Wheeler]

That's right.

[Co-host]

Thanks for coming in Sean.

[Sean Wheeler]

Thank you. Appreciate it being here. This is the Birch show

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[Host]

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[Sean Wheeler]

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