How to use this plan
This guide breaks the process into steps you can start this week. It applies to cigarettes and to vaping. You don't need to finish every step before reaching out to a provider listed on this page; many people book a first conversation around Step 4.
Step 1: Pick a start date and write it down
Choose a date within the next two to four weeks. Avoid a day you already know will be stressful, like a deadline or a family event. Put it on your calendar and tell one person you trust.
Step 2: Spend a week noticing your patterns
Before your start date, keep a simple note on your phone. Each time you smoke or vape, write the time, where you are, who you are with, and what you were feeling. After a week, look for the three or four situations that come up most. These are the moments your plan needs to cover.
Step 3: Use the smoke-free places you already have
Boise gives you a head start. The City of Boise says smoking and vaping are prohibited in all city parks and within 20 feet of the Boise River Greenbelt, apart from designated areas in Ann Morrison and Julia Davis Parks and at city-owned golf courses. Indoors, Idaho Code section 39-5503 says no one may smoke in a public place, a publicly-owned building or office, or at a public meeting, with listed exceptions such as bars and tobacco retailers. On Boise State property and in university vehicles, Policy 9110 covers smoking, nicotine and electronic smoking devices, including vaping.
Plan your first days around those places. A morning walk on the river path, lunch in a city park, or an afternoon in a campus library puts you in settings where lighting up is already off the table.
If you live with someone who smokes, talk with them before your start date. Ask whether they would be willing to smoke outside, away from doors and windows, and to keep packs and devices out of shared spaces. You don't need them to change their own habits to make your plan hold; you just need fewer surprises at home.
Step 4: Decide what kind of support you want
Look at the three formats listed on this page: one-on-one coaching, consulting hypnotists, and group programs. Ask yourself whether you want regular accountability, a structured group, or a few focused sessions. You can also combine formats.
Step 5: Contact two or three providers
Ask each one how sessions are structured, how many they usually plan, the total cost, and whether they work by video. Ask what they expect from you between sessions. Write the answers down so you can compare them side by side.
Step 6: Talk with your own doctor or pharmacist
Before your start date, consider a conversation with your own doctor or pharmacist about the options available to you. They know your history and can talk through choices a coach or hypnotist cannot.
Step 7: Prepare your space
The day before your start date, clear out cigarettes, lighters, vape devices and pods from your home, car and bag. Wash the jacket you usually smoke in. Stock up on things to keep your hands and mouth busy, such as water, sugar-free mints or sunflower seeds.
Step 8: Plan for the hard moments
Take the triggers from Step 2 and write a short plan for each: what you will do instead, who you can text, and where you can go for ten minutes. Share the list with your provider at your first session.
Step 9: Keep your appointments through the first month
The first few weeks bring the most change to your routine. Keep the sessions you booked even on days you feel fine. If you slip, tell your provider honestly and adjust the plan rather than starting over from nothing.
Step 10: Review and adjust
After a month, look back at your notes. Which strategies helped, and which situations still catch you off guard? Decide with your provider whether to keep the same schedule, space sessions out, or try a different format.
A note on this directory
We list independent providers and don't run programs or check credentials. Compare, ask questions, and choose what fits your life.