How to use this guide
These steps are for anyone in Visalia who has decided to stop smoking or vaping and wants to work with a coach, a consulting hypnotist or a group program. Go through them in order. Each one is short, and most can be done in a single sitting.
Step 1: Pick a start window, not a perfect day
Look at the next month and choose a week that isn't already overloaded. Avoid a stretch with a big deadline, a move or a family event if you can. Having a window rather than one fixed date leaves room for the provider's schedule.
Step 2: Map your smoking or vaping day
For three or four days, jot down when and where you smoke or vape. You'll likely see clusters: first thing in the morning, in the car, on breaks, after meals.
Then mark the times you already go without. In California, Labor Code section 6404.5 prohibits smoking tobacco products in an enclosed space at a place of employment, so for many Visalia workers the hours indoors on the job are already gaps. If you study or work at College of the Sequoias, its catalog states that smoking is prohibited on all District property except designated parking lots, which shapes the day on the Visalia Campus on South Mooney Boulevard and at its Hanford and Tulare centers. Those gaps are useful information for your plan.
Step 3: Decide which format suits you
Think about how you like to work on a change:
- one-on-one with a coach, in person or by video
- with a consulting hypnotist
- in a group that meets on a regular schedule
There's no single right answer. Choose the one you're most likely to stick with for the whole program.
Step 4: Talk with your doctor if you have questions about your physical condition
If you are pregnant, take daily pills, or have other concerns about your body, check in with your own doctor before you start. A stop-smoking provider is not a substitute for that conversation.
Step 5: Build a short list
Use the directory to find two or three providers that offer your preferred format. Read how each describes their approach and how many sessions they usually plan.
Step 6: Ask the same questions of everyone
Contact each provider and ask:
- how many sessions, how long each, and over what period
- whether video is available
- what support exists between sessions
- whether they work with vaping as well as cigarettes
- the full cost and cancellation policy, in writing
Using the same questions makes the answers easy to compare.
Step 7: Choose and book the whole block
Pick one provider and schedule every session before the first one starts. Put them in your calendar with reminders. If your hours change with the season, tell the provider now so you can plan around busy weeks.
Step 8: Prepare your surroundings
Before your start date, clear out ashtrays, lighters and spare packs or pods from your car, desk and home. Tell a few people what you're doing and when. Plan a replacement for the smoke break you're most attached to, such as a short walk or a call to a friend.
Step 9: Show up, even on hard days
Attend each session, including the ones you'd rather skip. If you slip, tell your provider at the next session instead of cancelling. Adjusting the plan is a normal part of the process.
Along the way: Plan for the moments that catch you off guard
Most people can name their predictable moments, like the morning coffee or the drive home on Mooney Boulevard. The harder ones are surprises: a stressful call, a celebration, running into a friend who smokes. Sit down with your provider and list three or four of these, then decide ahead of time what you'll do instead, whether that's stepping away, drinking a glass of water, texting someone, or simply waiting ten minutes. Write the plan on a card or in your phone so it's there when you need it, and revisit it at each session as new situations come up.
Step 10: Look back at the end of the program
When the sessions are done, review your log from Step 2 against how your days look now, and talk with your provider about any follow-up. Keep whatever routines have been useful.