This book is a revolution for NLP Practitioners and Hypnotherapist who run or have clients for weight reduction. It guides you throughout 12 sessions, comes complete with scripts, a CD, which contains a workbook for the client. Each session is tailored for the client and therapist, with practicial tips and how to succeed in keeping your client focused and on the path to weight loss, without them

The WHY program which has been established by Judith Pearson is amazing, the guidelines for the program are easy to follow, simple and have profound results on clients, who in my clinic have reduced in weight! It is an asset for any therapist who has clients that want to reduce weight. An extra tool in my bag.

Here is a `how to' book that those who are interested in the subject of obesity will appreciate. It is designed to help a therapist conduct an eight session program with a client and comes complete with a series of handouts in the book, session by session, and replicated on a CD for ease of printing. Innovative and practical.

Judith Pearson has provided a complete package that starts with the client interview through to reframing, self-hypnosis, stress management, motivation and exercise. A sample of a Consent Agreement is provided along with Self-Hypnosis templates for the client to use.

Hypnotherapy scripts are provided for motivation, making sensible food choices, 'pulling it all together' and self-hypnosis and the sections on NLP provide a range of techniques that are easy to understand and utilise.

The book provides a wealth of information that will be most useful for the practitioner and is one I'd highly recommend.

A superb read with straight forward examples on using hypnotherapy to control your weight. I'm a Clinical Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner, and I regularly use this book as a reference guide - you won't be disappointed!

Andy Garland, YOU-¦bethebestyoucan

Excess weight and obesity affect 129.6 million people in the United States. The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (2005) regards obesity as a “chronic medical disease with serious health implications.” The health risks related to obesity include heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, stroke, sleep apnea, gout, osteoarthritis, joint problems and gall bladder disease.

The total health care costs of $99.2 billion (1995) include hospitalization for injuries and weight-related illnesses, weightrelated disability payments, lost work days, doctors visits and recovery time.

If you are interested in helping this segment of the population using hypnotherapy and NLP to control weight, then this book is a MUST read for you.

Judith Pearson, PhD. has put together a weight reduction program called WHY

W = WEIGHT
H = HYPNOTHERAPY
Y = YOU (CLIENT)

This manual encompasses all areas of setting up your business; working with clients (before-during-after) to achieve weight reduction; scripts; client workbook; practitioner checklists and many, many helpful guides for you to achieve success in your business and with your clients.

The manual is divided into three parts:

Part I ” What You Need to Know before You Begin.
Detailed step by step instructions on how to prepare yourself before beginning the program and how to market the WHY program.

Part II ” Conduction the Eight Sessions of the WHY Program.
Each of the eight sessions with your client is detailed with scripts; notations on what should be achieved in each session; how you can help your client achieve success; reframing; training in self-hypnosis; emotional eating; sensible food choices; relationship with food; boosting motivation to exercise; putting all this together for lasting results.

Part III ” Enhancing Success
Includes coaching the stuck client (with scripts); NLP language patterns; follow-up sessions; tough questions and answers about the WHY program; thoughts about addictions and compulsive eating.

The manual also gives you complete instructions on how to adjust the program to meet the specific needs of each client; scientific studies on the benefits of hypnotherapy for weight control; samples of many forms and marketing brochures; definition of NLP; benefits of exercise and recommendations to curb compulsive eating.

In the preface Judith Pearson states:
“If you have ever doubted your ability to help clients with effective weight management, you are not alone. I once had the same reservations myself. Now that I have a method for working with people who are obese or overweight, I don't feel that way anymore. The WHY program gives me quite an advantage because it allows me to serve a wider range of clients and expand my clientele. I want you to have that advantage too. This is a tested program that can produce results if you follow the instructions in this manual.”

There are so many innovative ideas in this manual that it is impossible to list all of them. If you are interested in increasing your clientele base to include people striving to manage and control their weight then you definitely need to read this book. Included with the manual is a CD of the client workbook.

This book and accompanying CD gives therapists a fully-scripted comprehensive plan to facilitate a weight reduction program for their clients.

The book is an easy read that takes therapists through a step-by-step process giving clear and detailed instructions.

To join the program, clients are asked to commit to 8 sessions - not just verbally but by paying for all eight sessions at the start of the program.

It is guaranteed that clients lose at least 16 pounds by the time they have completed the program - an amazing claim. This claim is made possible by another term/condition of the program - that the client must lose a minimum of 4 pounds between each of the last 4 sessions - if they have not lost the 4 pounds they cannot book another session! However, no time limit is given for the client to complete the course which 1 actually thought went against the grain of the discipline.

Other conditions of the program are that the client must have visited their GP beforehand and be committed to both a nutritional program and exercise program.

The 8 sessions of the program consist of 4 NLP sessions followed by 4 Hypnosis sessions. 2 of the Hypnosis sessions must be recorded for the client to take with them to use in their own time. Contained within the CD are all the forms and scripts needed for running the program plus a client workbook containing all their homework and tasks to complete between sessions. Judith utilises NLP techniques from Basic to Advanced, whilst Hypnosis sessions are mainly Suggestion Therapy.

It is recommended that all other client issues such as Self Esteem, Confidence, be dealt with in separate sessions, which I imagine could be necessary for many clients if they wanted to achieve long term results.

I balked at a couple of sentences in the book - In reference to an overweight client; -˜Ben lumbered into the office' and another reference to a client already taking -˜too much room' up on the chair - I questioned if these descriptions were really necessary.

One section for debate, -˜A Moment of Truth', asks the therapist to take a look at themselves and ask if they are healthy, fit and at an ideal weight to offer such a program with integrity - I nearly dropped my crispy duck pancake at that one.



I do like the concept of this book, and think for many clients a disciplined program would be welcomed by them to in order to keep motivated. However, after reading Judith's client feedback section I do question its efficacy long term. The program is relatively new and I'm sure more results will emerge in time to demonstrate how effective this program can be.

One can't fault Crown House for its astute publisher's instinct of what would not only sell in the professional therapy field, but what would actually benefit a therapist's practice. The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program, authored by Judith E. Person, is no exception. This glossy paperback is an excellent practitioner's manual for therapists looking for a multiple session weight loss format or perhaps on the look out for additional information to add to their existing programme.

The WHY manual which incorporates a generous mixture of hypnotherapy and NLP techniques and information to help clients achieve their weight reduction goals. Not only offering well-researched, practical advice, scripts and suggestions to run a successful eight-session weight loss programme, but also some suggestions as to how to market the programme to potential clients too. Based in Virginia, USA, Judy Pearson is an experienced counsellor and coach that has helped her produce a fine manual that at the very least offers a one-stop shop of therapy ideas.

The accompanying CD is so concise, it includes a plethora of ready-to-print documents for the therapist to use complete with session checklist and tasks, ensuring session objectives are met. There is also a ready-to-print client workbook that can be bespoke covered, and adding an even more professional look includes a range of client homework assignments that complement and more importantly reinforce the work carried out in the sessions themselves.

Sometimes a publisher's blurb can stretch the facts when describing an author's work ” not in this case. Crown House say “this manual tells you everything you need to know to help clients reduce their weight.” and it does exactly what it says on the tin. A great book and in a format that we will no doubt see additions to this new “Practitioner's Manual' series. The WHY book is an effective, well researched, easy-to-follow, weight loss programme that could form the basis of a whole range of multi-session formats. Similar “licensed' programmes are sold for ten times the price, and offer little, if any, more information.

As an NLP Practitioner and a Personal Trainer I found the book quite fascinating.

Although the introduction felt very long, it was very thorough at what was being put across.

Judith has obviously research and worked with all the issues in her book. She has covered every thing down to the legalities.

I do not generally deal with very obese clients as a personal trainer. I think if I was to I would try the whole WHY program.

I would definitely use some of the programme with my clients who have eating disorders, who are not happy with their weight, the way they look and those who need stress management.

The self-hypnosis is a great part of the program too. It has given me new ideas and new ways in working.

There is so much an NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner can learn and use from this book. There is nothing I would add.

It is a well structured programme that I am sure plenty of practitioners would use without hesitation, especially with the growing obesity problems we are facing in the UK.

What I really liked about it was that Judith included the whole lifestyle and not just the diet side whereas most other people only focus on the diet side as well as using NLP and counselling.

She has included plenty of resources for the practitioner to use so you cannot ask for more.



Great book and I shall keep it as one of my main bibles of resources.

This book is a busy therapist's dream. Not only is it well researched and a truly accessible read, it provides in one volume a whole programme for weight management, including scripts and a CD. It does exactly what it says on the cover ” why the author developed the programme in this way, what to do and how to do it. Well worth the investment!

This book is a must for any therapist working with weight reduction issues. It is unbelievably detailed and thorough, with Judith Pearson sharing her entire programme with us from beginning to end.

As well as the actual contents of the programme, the book also contains a marketing strategy and publicity materials, advice on client intake, and even examples of scripts, worksheets and other related documentation. (A CD with worksheets is attached to the book)

Pearson guides us through the various NLP, Coaching and Hypnotherapy techniques that make up the programme with clarity and obvious expertise. She writes for the therapist ” putting herself in their shoes, and pre-empting all their possible questions and concerns.

Despite being extremely detailed, the book is remarkably easy to read. Judith Pearson engages us right from the start when she talks candidly about her early experiences as a therapist, and in particular, her struggles with clients who wanted to lose weight. She describes the initial difficulties and challenges which eventually led her to develop the WHY Programme itself.



An excellent resource ” like discovering a treasure trove!

This manual is a real gift to anyone using hypnotherapy and NLP to help clients reach their ideal weight. The eight main sessions are well structured, and in addition the manual gives advice on marketing, client relationships, help with stuck clients and suggests answers to difficult questions. I will definitely be using the material, and highly recommend the book to everyone in the business of hypnotherapeutic weight reduction.

For someone who has spent a considerable amount of their time in administering full time professional hypnosis and NLP, refining the quickest slimming hypnotherapy techniques that will foster permanent results for the rest of the client's slim life, this book is a revelation. I can guarantee that nothing of it's type has been seen before, I know this because I looked everywhere for it! This replaces I will make you thin as the foremost book on this subject in the market today. Can someone please send a copy back to Manchester 2002 for me? This is the most definitive book on weight loss and hypnotherapy / hypnosis I have seen. In the world of slimming, hypnosis has had perhaps a bad reputation, I believe from my own slimming and hypnosis clinics that I run in Manchester that this could be from the old school techniques that appear to focus on simply supplementing traditional hunger suppression / direct suggestion paradigms. E.g. “You are not feeling hungry” and “Chocolate tastes like rotten eggs.”

“I will make you thin' was, of course, a revelation as it brought the intuitive hunger-signal based methods to thee mainstream consciousness - all though I know it owes a lot to a few less well known books such as “the habits of naturally slim people'. “Weight, Hypnothearapy and You' is targeted at the Hypotheerapist and NLP practitioners though. It outlines a full 12 session, perhaps a little too comprehensive, weight loss plan. The book not only outlines various hypnotherapy sessions such as exercise motivation and self esteem, dealing with the issues underlying emotional eating it also outlines how the hypnotherapist can build up their entire business around weight control.



I believe quite a few therapists will like to pick and choose from the 12 sessions available, each with it's own script, as per needed by the client. Innovative use of techniques such as Midlines to help clients uncover un-useful beliefs and the swish technique is welcome, as is the inclusion of a CD containing all the scripts handouts pro forma you could wish for.

This book is a busy therapist's dream. Not only is it well researched and a truly accessible read, it provides in one volume a whole programme for weight management, including scripts and a CD. It does exactly what it says on the cover " why the author developed the programme in this way, what to do and how to do it. Well worth the investment!

If you are a clinician serious about offering a weight reduction program and you have only one book in your library, Judith Pearson's The Weight, Hypnotherapy and YOU Weight Reduction Program must be it. This is the comprehensive A-to-Z manual for handling clients who are suffering from our present obesity epidemic. Based upon recent secondary research, Dr. Pearson has compiled the best “how to” guide for clinicians that I've seen for quite some time. This book provides a turn-key guide complete with protocols, scripts, a limited explanation of various NLP techniques, and even provides a CD with client handouts.

As she quickly points out, her program is for clinicians who are qualified in hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. I agree. Those who attempt to apply her multi-session program without adequate training could do a disservice. On the other hand, rather than qualification, she prefers to use the term “certification.” Considering the lack of standardization in hypnotherapy certifications, which range between 20 and 300 hours, and NLP certifications, which range from quickie “listen-to-my-tapes-and-come-to-my-ten-day-class” to tedious nine month courses, I'm afraid that there is too much divergence to use certification as the only qualification gauge. Nevertheless, I think we are in basic agreement. Also, I applaud her suggestion about working (or at least starting by working) under supervision.

While her program, which she names “WHY” as an acronym of her title, is an eight session program, she is not necessarily insisting that practitioners become locked into her specific treatment structure. She admits that various clinicians may want to vary their protocol in order to accommodate different skill levels and additional training. Furthermore, she fully addresses how to safely deviate from her methodology should the clinician detect an additional pathology or co-morbidity that needs to be addressed immediately. Considering this flexibility, I feel that her core concept of a multi-session program using a mixture of hypnosis and NLP is both valid and sound.

Dr. Pearson's book reeks of professionalism and ethical considerations. As it should! It is apparent that she is a “been there, done that” type of clinician who writes and speaks from a level of authority that can only come from extensive experience. Indeed, her anecdotal success stories reflect well on her sincerity and competence.

Despite my rave support of this must have book, I have just a few of observations that one might consider. First (and rather trite) is that I wish that she had chosen a better title. I'm of the belief that a great book such as this should have a catchy title of no more than four words. On the other hand, the book does have what appear to be two great subtitles on the front cover. Secondly, in her excellent appendices she backs up her recommended therapeutic structure with citations of well respected research. While I know that these reflect the current attitudes toward hypnosis research, such endeavors tend to treat hypnosis as a monolithic, independent variable rather than a complex field with several valid schools of thought and a multitude of techniques. Lastly, I must point out that I take exception to her comment that Ericksonian Hypnotherapy is the most common methodology. This may be true among the Ericksonians in ASCH. However, there are many hypnosis skills beyond Ericksonian and Guided Imagery. Unfortunately, too much research has been traditionally limited in the choice of interventions, concepts, and scope. Regardless, this point is not a criticism of Dr. Pearson's wonderful book, but rather of the current state of hypnosis research.



While there are several successful, multi-session weight reduction programs in the realm of hypnotherapy and NLP, this book most definitely sets the standard for clinical “how to” manuals. It will be difficult for any serious clinician to read this book without leading them to re-evaluate their practice.

How refreshing!

Here is a book that quite simply does exactly what the title suggests it does. However, the reader can unexpectedly revel in its completeness and professional approach to linking NLP and therapy into a weight control package for clients. The book advocates the therapist enhancing passion and belief within those wishing to lose weight and this book will leave you energised, excited and eager to make a difference.

Anyone who has worked with clients that want to lost weight knows how difficult and frustrating it can be. Many of these clients are looking for the “miracle cure' or “magic wand' and can easily lose motivation, self sabotage or just give up when the going gets tough.

But Judith Pearson's book changes all that. This is way more than just a run-of-the-mill “how to book' to help the client lose weight.

Sure, it contains materials, resources and practical tips and techniques for helping clients to success. But it also includes a CD which has on it a Client Workbook, homework assignments and readings for the client ” in fact all the handouts that you need for your clients. And if that wasn't enough, Judith also gives you tips and ways to market the program to enhance and expand your client base.

It's called the WHY program, but definitely has the WOW factor for me!



***** (5 out of 5)

A truly magnificent, thorough and PRACTICAL manual that all NLP and Hypnotherapy practitioners can utilise with the greatest of ease. Judith Pearson's WHY Program is really expertly designed, easy to follow & well written.She gives everything needed to help ensure successful weight reduction and management for your clients. A totally comprehensive program that I, for one, will be implementing immediately in my practice.

I have just reviewed a new book soon to be published and released from Crown House Publications. It is from Judith Pearson, Ph.D., with a Preface by John Burton, Ed.D. and it is entitled, The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program, or the WHY program for short.

Reading the pre-publication manuscript reminded me so much of the Coaching Program that Michelle Duval created for Equilibrio and which she shares and describes in the Meta-Coach Training System. Here Judith has done the same for Weight Reduction, that is, this book offers a complete package for the person who wants to make this his or her focus.

How are the two similar? Both take a very highly ethical position about people in creating a legitimate, proven, and balanced program. Judith provides a way to qualify clients or rather how to work with people to help them self-qualify to see if they are ready for it. As you probably know, far too many weight reduction are more concerned about selling the program than ethically enabling people to succeed by helping them to get ready and by telling them the truth about the challenges.

Judith also has created a comprehensive program that addresses all aspects of weight reduction, from the psychology behind over-eating, the financial investment for setting up the program, the medical considerations for a client, the questions about food, nutrition, exercise, etc. Yet there's more. This book is not for the person wanting the weight reduction, it is for those who facilitate the process, for Coaches, Therapists, and NLP Practitioners who want to create a commercially viable business. That's what the book is truly about. In this Judith has provided so much that helps one to do precisely that (another big similarity to Duval's formatting her international coaching organization, Equilibrio).

What is in the book? What does Judith offer? As a quick summary, she offers the following:
And if that wasn't enough, there's even more. The book presents the goals, outcomes, trouble areas in each of the 8 sessions and then moves on to describing a “stuck” client and what to do, how to use NLP and Meta-State patterns (Meta-Yes, Mind-to-Muscle, Genius, the Itinerary of Change by Denis Bridoux, etc.). She provides dozens and dozens of great questions using the Meta-Model and the Mind-Lines models. She identifies the key meta-programs in over-weight clients and relates how to use the meta-program distinctions in communicating and working with them.

• Marketing materials and advice, including a Brochure you can use on the WHY program.


• A format of 8 sessions for weight reduction with complete details on each session.


• Suggestions for how to package and sell the value of the program.


• Complete hypnotic scripts of the 8 sessions along with instructions on how to incorporate the trance or hypnotherapy into the process.


• Copies of all of the paperwork necessary for creating a successful business including disclosure statements and checklists.


• Action plans for tasking the client week by week and checklists for your own records.


• Processes for getting a full commitment to the client to make the program as successful as possible.


• How to facilitate and enable a client to understand and use trance in the process.


• How to facilitate self-hypnosis after the program.


• How to get testimonies from clients.

She offers a chapter on the use of hypnosis, how to teach and induce trance, and provides an appendix on 16 ways to induce a hypnotic state. She even has a chapter on commonly asked questions about the WHY program that you can use when being interviewed on radio or television or when presenting the program in an Intro. Evening in your community. The book ends with an extensive list of research on the use of hypnotherapy for weight reduction and weight loss in general.

And there's even more. She has also created an entire workbook (The Weight, Hyponotherapy and YOU Weight Reduction Program ” Client Workbook) which goes along with this book. This workbook then becomes the 8-week learning manual for the client! In it she provides the reading materials for the client, worksheets for the daily tasking assignments, and supporting material so that the client walks away with a very useful resource in hand and which can be used to sustain the changes over time. How about that?

So with all of that, is there anything that I didn't like regarding the book? Yes, in fact, there was. While she listed Games Fit and Slim People Play in the bibliography, there's not a single reference to in the entire text especially when she describes in session five how obese and over-weight people tend to eat for emotional reasons. That would have been a great place to mention the neuro-semantics of eating and the psycho-logics of psycho-eating. But alas, that is not mentioned. Also, in describing the Itinerary of Change pattern by Denis Bridoux, there's no mention that Denis developed that pattern from the Mind-to-Muscle pattern which I created. It would be nice to mention the source on that one.

Beside those little flaws, this is a great book and one that I cannot recommend too highly. If you are a Coach, Therapist, or NLP Practitioner and you want to create a highly successful and commercially viable business working with weight reduction as your chosen niche” this book is an absolute must! You can use it as almost as a business plan for how to run your business and what to do in your business. The book incorporates the Neuro-Semantic principle of “apply to self” as Judith invites the person working in this area to apply the processes and principles to self in order to create credibility.

In writing this I have also been privileged to write a blurb for the book. This is what I wrote for CHP (Crown House Publications) as they bring this book to the public:

The WHY program that Judith Pearson, Ph.D. has created offers a comprehensive approach in using NLP, Neuro-Semantics (Meta-States), and Hypnotherapy to coach a client to succeed in losing weight and gaining fitness and health. Yet she offers more, far more. In her book, Dr. Pearson has created an exceptionally well-designed program for a coach, therapist, or practitioner to run a commercially viable business in weight reduction with these tools and models. I highly recommend this book and this program. There's nothing like it on the market that has the critical success factors embedded in a frame of high integrity.