"Vaping became a real issue for my son, and honestly, I felt like I was losing him a bit. Nothing we tried seemed to work, and it was turning into constant tension at home. Working with Tara changed that. She connected with him in a way I couldn't, without pressure or judgment. I started noticing small changes and he seemed calmer, more like himself again. Then he told me he didn't even feel the need to vape anymore. That moment meant everything to me. I'm so grateful. Thank you, Tara, for helping us get our son back."
Mona
You Already Know Something Is Off
You probably didn't plan for vaping to become a daily necessity. Maybe it started at a party, in a friend group, to take the edge off a stressful semester. It felt manageable. Social. Even harmless.
For some people, vaping wasn't the starting point. It was the solution. You switched from cigarettes because it seemed like the smarter choice. Fewer chemicals. Less smell. A step in the right direction. And maybe it was, for a while. But now you find yourself just as dependent as before, and carrying an extra layer of frustration on top of it. You did the right thing, and it still didn't work.
That is not failure. That is what happens when a habit is addressed at the surface level but the underlying pattern stays completely intact. The delivery method changed. The subconscious driver did not.
Then one day you noticed you were reaching for it before you had even consciously decided to. Between classes. After meals. First thing in the morning. During any moment that felt slightly uncomfortable or boring.
That is not a character flaw. That is exactly how habits embed themselves. Quietly, incrementally, until they feel like part of who you are.
The problem is not that you lack willpower. The problem is that willpower was never designed to fix this.
Willpower operates at the conscious level. The habit lives somewhere else entirely. It lives in the subconscious patterns that were wired in through repetition, emotion, and association. That is why white-knuckling it works for a few days and then falls apart the moment you are stressed, bored, or out with the people you vape with.
Hypnotherapy works at the level where the habit actually lives.
What Makes Vaping Different
And Why That Matters
Vaping is not the same as smoking, and the approach needs to reflect that.
The culture around vaping is different. The identity around it is different. For many people, vaping is woven into social life in a way that cigarettes no longer are. It happens at gatherings, in shared spaces, in the small rituals that punctuate a university day or a work-from-home afternoon.
The subconscious associations are also different. Where smokers often connect cigarettes to stress relief or a break from work, vapers frequently connect their device to social belonging, creative focus, or emotional regulation in ways they haven't fully examined.
Understanding your specific relationship with vaping, not a generic one, is where this work begins. There is no standard script in my practice. Every program is built around your history, your triggers, and the subconscious patterns that are keeping the habit in place.
That is what makes this different from everything else you have tried.
"I started vaping in university and didn't realize how much it had just become part of my life. I tried quitting before, but it always felt too hard. Working with Tara felt completely different. Something just clicked. I wasn't constantly thinking about it or trying to resist it. It just stopped having that pull on me. It's been a couple of months now, and I feel so much more in control of myself. I didn't expect it to feel this easy. I'm really grateful I found Tara."
Rashid
Why You Haven't Been Able to Quit
You have probably already tried. Maybe multiple times.
Perhaps you deleted the app that tracked your pods. Set rules for yourself about when you were and weren't allowed to vape. Switched to a lower nicotine level and found it made no difference to the pull. Told yourself you'd quit after exams, after the holidays, after things calmed down.
None of it stuck. Not because you didn't mean it, but because none of it addressed the subconscious pattern driving the behaviour.
The habit is not in your lungs. It is not even really about nicotine, though nicotine reinforces it. It is about what vaping has been doing for you. The stress it seems to relieve, the focus it seems to create, the social ease it seems to provide. Those associations live below conscious awareness, and they are the ones sending the signal every time you reach for your device.
Knowing that is not just reassuring. For most people, it is the moment everything begins to shift.
Knowledge is Power
Understanding Your Habit Changes Everything
The more you understand what your subconscious learned, and why, the more control you have over it. Most people who struggle to quit vaping are not fighting nicotine. They are fighting a pattern that was quietly reinforced hundreds of times through stress, boredom, social situations, and emotion.
Understanding that is not just reassuring. It is often the moment everything begins to shift.
This is especially important for people who switched from smoking to vaping believing the habit was behind them, and then found themselves just as dependent. That was not a failure of character. The underlying pattern was never addressed. And that can be changed.
Understanding that is not just reassuring. It is often the moment everything begins to shift.
A Note for Parents
If you are reading this because your teenager or young adult child is vaping and you do not know what to do you are not alone, and this is not your failure.
Vaping among young people has become widespread in a way that has caught many families off guard. The devices are discreet. The marketing was deliberately designed to make them seem harmless. And by the time a parent realizes the extent of it, the habit is often already entrenched.
I work with teens and young adults across Canada, all online, which means sessions are accessible from anywhere and can fit around school and work schedules. My approach is non-judgmental, trauma-informed, and built around the individual, not a generic script.
The shift Mona described above, her son telling her he simply didn't feel the need anymore, is not unusual. When the subconscious pattern is addressed directly, the desire often dissolves rather than being suppressed.If you would like to talk through whether this could be the right fit for your family, I offer a free clarity call with no obligation.
Using Hypnosis to Stop Vaping, I Work With You To:
Identify the specific triggers such as social, emotional, environmental, that drive your vaping.
Disconnect vaping from stress, focus, boredom, and social situations.
Address the identity piece. Moving from someone who vapes to someone who simply doesn't.
Rewrite the subconscious story that says you need it to function or to belong.
Build self-hypnosis tools you can use independently when a craving arises.
Ensure you are not trading one habit for another.
Why Work With Me
I hold a degree in Psychology from Carleton University (1992) and have spent the decades since building a clinical foundation that goes well beyond standard hypnotherapy training.My credentials relevant to vaping cessation include:
• Certified Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist (C.Hyp), Daybreak Institute, 2025
• Clinical Hypnotherapy, National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), 2020 - six-year member
• Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) Level 1, PESI, 2025
• Anxiety Certification - CBT, Exposure and Response Prevention, GAD, Panic Disorder and Phobias, PESI, 2024
• EMDR: Complete Foundational Training, PESI, 2024
In an unregulated field where training varies enormously, this is what it looks like when the work is grounded in genuine clinical depth.
What to Expect When You Work With Me
Every program is personalized. There is no standard script and no one-size-fits-all approach. Your history with vaping is unique, and your program will be built around it.
Your free clarity call comes first. A no-obligation conversation to see if this is the right fit. If it feels right, I will walk you through next steps from there.
The program includes four sessions:
Session 1 - Initial Consultation and First Hypnotherapy Session (90 minutes)I build the full picture of your history with vaping: when it started, what it has been doing for you, what previous quit attempts have taught us, and where the real subconscious work needs to happen. This session includes your first hypnotherapy experience and coaching resources to support you in the days that follow.
Sessions 2, 3 and 4 - Core Hypnotherapy Sessions (60 minutes each)Building on your first session, I work progressively deeper with the subconscious patterns driving the habit and dismantling triggers, disconnecting vaping from the emotions and situations it has become tied to, and reinforcing your identity as someone who no longer vapes.Every session includes self-hypnosis techniques you can use independently between appointments and long after the program ends.
Investment
The complete four-session program is $650.
This includes your 90-minute initial consultation and first hypnotherapy session, three one-hour core hypnotherapy sessions, self-hypnosis techniques to use independently, and coaching support throughout.Additional sessions are available after completing the program for clients who want continued support.All sessions are conducted online, which means you can work with me from anywhere in Canada or anywhere in the world.
Who Is This For?
My approach to help you quit vaping works particularly well for people who:
• Started vaping socially and didn't realize how dependent they had become
• Have tried cutting down or quitting and found something kept pulling them back
• Feel like vaping no longer fits the person they are becoming
• Want a drug-free approach that addresses the root, not just the symptom
• Are a parent concerned about a teenager or young adult who is vaping
• Are ready to stop for themselves, not because someone told them to.
That last point matters most. The clients who get the best results are not necessarily the ones who have tried the most times. They are the ones who have decided, quietly and completely, that this is for them. When that decision is genuinely yours, what I can help you achieve is remarkable.
"I'm really glad I went to Tara for this. I got into vaping pretty casually, but it slowly turned into something I depended on more than I wanted to admit. I didn't like that feeling, but quitting never seemed to stick. Tara helped me understand what was actually going on with my habits, instead of just trying to force myself to stop. That made it feel doable. At some point I stopped reaching for it. No big struggle. It's been a few months now and I feel like myself again."
Janie
Frequently Asked Questions
Does hypnotherapy work for vaping cessation?
Yes. The subconscious patterns that drive vaping, including the triggers, the associations, and the identity, respond very well to hypnotherapy. Many clients find that the pull simply dissolves rather than being suppressed. This is very different from relying on willpower or switching to a lower nicotine level.
Is vaping the same as smoking when it comes to hypnotherapy?
The subconscious mechanics are similar, but the triggers and associations are often different. Vaping tends to be more socially embedded and tied to specific emotional states like focus or stress relief. The program is built around your specific history, not a generic smoking cessation script.
How many sessions does it take to quit vaping?
The program is built around four sessions. A single session can create a real shift, but four sessions create lasting change because the subconscious work compounds in a way that a one-off appointment simply cannot replicate.
How much does the vaping cessation program cost?
The complete four-session program is $650. This includes your 90-minute initial consultation and first hypnotherapy session, three one-hour core hypnotherapy sessions, self-hypnosis techniques, and coaching support throughout.
Can I do hypnotherapy sessions online in Canada?
Yes. All sessions are conducted online, which means you can work with Tara Gilligan from anywhere in Canada or anywhere in the world. Online hypnotherapy is just as effective as in-person work.
Do you work with teenagers who vape?
Yes. Tara works with teens and young adults across Canada online. The approach is non-judgmental, trauma-informed, and adapted to the individual. Parents are welcome to reach out on behalf of their child and the free clarity call is a good place to start.
What if I have tried to quit vaping before and it did not work?
Previous quit attempts did not fail because you are weak. They failed because they addressed the conscious craving but left the subconscious patterns intact. Hypnotherapy works at the level those attempts never reached.
Can you help with nicotine pouches as well as vaping?
Yes. The same subconscious patterns apply to nicotine pouches, vaping, and cigarettes. The triggers, the identity, and the associations can all be addressed through the same approach.
Ready to Stop?
You already sense that vaping doesn't belong in the life you are building. You have probably known it for a while.
The clarity call is free, there is no obligation, and it is just an honest conversation about your history with vaping, what has kept you stuck, and what is actually possible when you are truly ready.
