Lessons On Kicking The C**p Out Of Cigarettes

Hypnotherapist Kevin Alderson, a University of Calgary professor, lost his father and a friend to smoking-related illnesses, his father to lung cancer and his friend to pneumonia, brought on by standing shivering outside in the cold, just to have her cigarettes.

Alderson first became interested in hypnosis when he and a friend attended a stage hypnotist’s show as teenagers.  His friend took part in the show and Alderson was amazed that he didn’t remember what he’d done.

This fuelled his desire to understand how suggestions and subliminal messages in marketing, films and books could trigger ideas and even persuade people that smoking was a ‘cool’ thing to do.

Alderson has always been particularly interested in helping people to stop smoking and now, after 25 years of doing hypnotherapy, Alderson is helping bring his methods to a wider audience with the launch of his new book ‘Breathe, Freedom! Lessons on Kicking The Crap Out Of Cigarettes.’

The book is woven round the life of a teenager called Freedom who face daily challenges in his life, much like a smoker trying to give up.  Intermittently woven into the story are metaphors and suggestions to help the reader to think differently about smoking.  The book also includes some additional tricks to help wannabe ex-smokers take their mind off the cigarettes.

Alderson’s therapeutic method includes finding the person’s real motivations to quit and helping them to carry them around with them so that they can bring them to mind whenever they feel they may want a cigarette.  They also need to change their routine, read the book and keep a positive mental attitude.  Providing the client wants to quit, Alderson sees no reason why the methods shouldn’t work.

The book is available at the University of Calgary bookstore, Self Connection Books, Pages on Kensington, Mount Royal College bookstore, and McNally Robinson.

Share This