Start where you are
This guide is for anyone in Rochester or nearby who is thinking about stopping smoking or vaping and wants outside help with it. It lays out an order of steps, from understanding your own routines to choosing a provider and setting a start date. Take the steps at your own pace.
Step 1: Map a normal day
For two or three days, jot down each time you smoke or vape: the hour, where you were, and what you were doing. Don't try to change anything yet. You are building a picture of your patterns so that a provider can help you plan around them.
Step 2: Mark the places where rules already apply
Go through your list and note which moments happen indoors at work or in public places. According to the Minnesota Department of Health page on the Clean Indoor Air Act, cited below, the act restricts smoking in indoor public places and workplaces, and vaping has been covered since 2019. Those hours are already smoke-free by law.
Then note what happens outdoors. The same page says the act does not regulate outdoor smoking, though some cities and counties have their own ordinances. Outdoor breaks are often where routines are strongest.
Step 3: Check your campus or workplace policy
If you study or work at Rochester Community and Technical College, read the college's Tobacco Use and Sale policy. It bans smoking, tobacco use and vaping products on college owned, operated or leased property, including parking lots and athletic fields, with an exception for use inside a private vehicle. Other employers in town may have their own policies; ask your human resources office for a copy.
Knowing these rules lets you count parts of your day as already settled, so your plan can focus on the rest.
Step 4: Decide which kind of support appeals to you
Think about how you like to work on a change:
- One-on-one coaching, if you want a single person to plan with and check in with.
- Sessions with a consulting hypnotist, if you are curious about a relaxation-based approach. Ask exactly what happens in a session.
- A group program, if you would rather go through the process alongside others.
You don't have to be certain. Many people try one approach and later add another.
Step 5: Contact two or three providers
Use the listings on this site to find providers serving Rochester. Ask each one:
- How many sessions do you plan, and over what period?
- Do you meet in person, online, or both?
- Do you work with vaping as well as smoking?
- What is the total cost, and what is included?
- What happens if I slip partway through?
Write down their answers. Be wary of anyone who makes firm promises or says the process will be easy.
Step 6: Pick a start date with your calendar in mind
Choose a date that is not in the middle of a stressful week. A Monday after a quiet weekend, or the first day of a new class term at RCTC, can give you a natural reset. Share the date with your provider and with one or two people you trust. Telling someone close to you makes it easier to ask for support on a rough afternoon, and it gives them a chance to avoid smoking or vaping around you for the first stretch if they are willing.
Step 7: Plan the hard moments
Look back at your Step 1 notes and circle the outdoor breaks, the drives and the evenings at home. For each one, decide with your provider what you will do instead, such as a short walk, a call, or a change of route.
Step 8: Check in and adjust
After a couple of weeks, review how it is going with your provider. Keep what helps and change what doesn't. If a format isn't a good match, it is reasonable to switch, for example from one-on-one coaching to a group, or to add video check-ins on busy weeks. If you have questions about your health, talk with your own doctor or pharmacist.
About this directory
We list independent stop-smoking coaches, consulting hypnotists and group programs so you can compare them. We do not run sessions, and we do not check providers' credentials. The choice of provider is yours.