ABSTRACT
There is a paradox present in hypnosis and psychotherapy. Jay Haley (1963) described this paradox in terms of the hypnotist's seemingly contradictory message: "I can only hypnotize you by you hypnotizing yourself: I can only help you by you helping yourself." Essentially, the message emphasizes the responsibility and control on the part of the client, which are then shared with the clinician. If I say to you, "Here. I am giving you control of me," then who is really in control? If I have the control, then all I am really doing is suspending my decision to
exercise my choices and instead using yours. I remain free, though, to begin exercising my choices again at any time I either have to or want to.
