Have you or someone you know tried hypnosis therapy?

Besides the guy in Office Space. How did it go?

The wife did to overcome her travelling fear. It kinda worked

A friend tried to quit smoking.

Waste of time

My stepfather, who happens to be a cynic, tried it over 20 years ago to stop smoking. He had been smoking for 40 some years (cigarettes and tobacco pipes). He had two sessions and never smoked again.

My best friend is an intelligent, strong-willed lady. She tried to give up smoking. Finally she went to a hypnotist to quit. Believe it or not it worked. Several months later, her dad passed away and she took up smoking again. The hypnotist offered a discount on repeat customers. She did go back and again it worked.

To say its a waste of time is to not understand it at all. It is only a waste of time to get hypnotized for behavior modification if you dont really want to change and think it is a magic bullet.

Nobody can MAKE you do anything you dont want to, but hypnosis can help you access deep relaxation and the subconcious mind where you can access alternate ways of being, and change old patterns.

It isnt mind control to change you. So for me it's very relaxing and I was surprised at the answers that came up from within me so easily, even though I really wasnt expecting it to work. Helped connect me with the subconscious. THis will only make sense to you if you have tried it btw, but you can try it, it is safe as long as the practitioner knows what they are doing.

I have heard that regressions can be dicey when done by amatuers, but never experienced that firsthand.

edit
amembal thats just not true that 'no one can hypnotize you if you have inhibitions/fears' There are special inductions designed just for that. and 98% success rate-sounds like a sales pitch

I practice clinical hypnotherapy, and it does work on addictions, phobias, and other psychosomatic ailments. The cooperation of the subject is very important in hypnotherapy, if you are not willing or have some fear or inhibitions about hypnosis, no one can hypnotize you.
I have cured a lot of ailments like fears, exams, bad dreams, neck pain, addictions, and many more.
The results were great. Though I have had only about 98% success, I can say, overall hypnotherapy is great and it works.