The benefits of hypnosis
I've learned that, while we may not always be able to change what happens to us, we can change our experience of what happens and how we respond. I help ordinary people with the every day problems of life.
Here are some reasons to consider private hypnosis sessions:
- most people feel good, relaxed, and energized after a session
- it's often a rapid way to get results (3-6 weekly sessions on average)
- hypnosis is inexpensive and non-invasive
- hypnosis is empowering!
As a consulting hypnotist, I'm primarily a coach, facilitator, and educator. I show you how to create and expand good feelings and cultivate a greater sense of trust and belief in yourself. I help you overcome any blocks or internal conflicts that may be keeping you from reaching your goals. And I teach you the art of self-hypnosis so that you leave with the skills to help yourself for life.
Who uses hypnosis?
Hypnosis is well-known and appreciated by many performers and top athletes, who often use hypnosis as part of their conditioning regime. But hypnosis is not just for Olympic medalists and Oscar winners. I've used hypnosis to help my clients achieve a wide variety of goals:
- Improved sleep patterns
- Increased confidence and a more positive outlook
- Relaxation and a greater sense of overall well-being
- More clarity around particular business or personal issues
- Better eating and exercise patterns
- Smoking cessation
- Reduced alcohol consumption
- Improved memory recall and the removal of test anxiety
- Pain management and surgery preparation
- Calm, comfortable natural childbirth
- And more.
About complementary medical uses for hypnosis
Hypnosis can be complementary to the fields of medicine and psychology. If you are a health care provider or a patient, and you would like to try hypnosis -- to help manage pain, reduce stress, prepare for surgery, improve self-esteem, etc. -- I am happy to support you. There is a growing amount of literature on the efficacy of hypnosis on conditions like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), fibromyalgia, insomnia, and in reducing the symptoms caused by conventional cancer treatment. All medical and mental health patients need to receive their doctor or psychologist's written referral before I can offer sessions. (See more on my limits below.)
Please read: Limits with Inner Wellness Center services
Hypnotism is not a licensed profession. As a consulting hypnotist, I am not a licensed mental health practitioner or a medical doctor. The services I render are held out to the public as a form of motivational coaching combined with instruction and training in hypnosis with the understanding that ALL hypnosis is self-hypnosis. I do not represent my services as any form of health care or psychotherapy, and despite research results to the contrary I make no health benefit claims for my services.
If you have pain that has not been diagnosed, or if you have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or any mental illness, or medical condition I will work with you only upon referral from your mental or medical health care provider. Obtaining referrals is a simple process. Please contact me if you would like assistance. In this way, your caregiver and I can be a team working together safely and legally for your benefit.
Fees/Insurance
I do not accept insurance, and most insurance companies do not reimburse for hypnosis. I keep my rates reasonable at $70 per 1-1/2 hour session paid by cash or check at the beginning of a session. Six-week comprehensive programs are only $299, which is a heavy discount. My pricing encourages people who want to make important change to commit the time and effort, so they can be successful.
"Can I be hypnotized?" Almost always, Yes!
Hypnosis is simply the intentional induction of the natural trance state. Contrary to popular thought, hypnosis is not mind control, nor is it a rare ability that only some people have. If you can follow instructions, you can be hypnotized.
Hypnosis works because we are "wired" this way. We go in and out of light states of hypnosis every day. Have you ever been driving somewhere and forget long stretches of the road you traveled because you were lost in thought? That's called "highway hypnosis," and it happens when a part of your attention becomes absorbed in thought. Even though you are not aware of it, another part of your mind is driving the car safely.
Most people feel that hypnosis feels both "weird" but also somehow familiar. Taking ourselves into hypnosis intentionally can feel a bit like entering that "twilight" state we are in before we fall asleep or when we are beginning to wake. The conscious, protective part of the mind is always present and can abort the session at any time.
As with most things, there are some people who are more easily hypnotized - people who are good at focusing and imagining tend to be the best (kids are great!). But just about anyone can be hypnotized to a satisfactory level for therapeutic benefits. And because hypnosis is a conditioned response, everyone gets better with practice.
How do you hypnotize someone?
The process of hypnotizing someone is not as mysterious as it might seem. Always remember it is not the hypnotist who has some kind of power over someone -- hypnosis is a type of relaxation of the nervous system that the client allows for themselves because they choose to be hypnotized. Through repetition, the response becomes conditioned, enabling the client to go into hypnosis very quickly and easily.
To help someone enter the state of hypnosis, I use what is called an induction technique, and it can vary depending on the preferences and personality of the person I'm working with. Usually, I use different suggestions to build on the ideas of physical and mental relaxation, gradually encouraging the client's attention to turn inwards.
As a client gains experience and trust in hypnosis, with their approval I can simply drop their hand and tell them to Sleep! and they can take themselves into the state of focused concentration quickly.
Hypnosis and spirituality/religion
The client-centered hypnosis I practice is not spiritual in nature, however, it is compatible with almost all religious and spiritual traditions, except the few that teach it should be feared. Hypnosis is about putting people in a more intentional relationship with the power of their own mind. Like meditation or visualization, it does not require that the client have any religious background, but clients who bring a religious preference are honored and respected for what they believe. Hypnosis can also help the client experience the benefits of his/her spiritual beliefs more fully.
Answers to common hypnosis myths
There are many misperceptions about hypnosis. In truth, all hypnosis is really self-hypnosis, and the hypnotist is like a hypnotic guide. The client is always in control, and in my office, we are a team working together. Here are some common myths to debunk, many of which are largely a product of the entertainment industry.
- Hypnotism is not mind-control -- You can always choose to emerge from a session if you choose. You will only accept the suggestions that fit with your value system. You are always in control.
- Wild claims about hypnosis (on the internet and other advertising) that seem to promise the impossible should be regarded with extreme skepticsm. While I am continually amazed at the power of our minds to create positive change, I believe "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I also believe in research-backed claims and truth in advertising.
- A person can not get stuck in hypnosis -- There have been cases reported where a person might enjoy the experience so much that they don't want to emerge right away, but the client is always in control.
- Hypnosis is not hard to enter, or only for gifted people -- Like most things, some people enter deep states of hypnosis easily right away, some people only achieve light states without a lot of practice, and most of us are somewhere in between. Almost anyone with average intelligence can be hypnotized. The most important factor is trust. That is why rapport between the client and hypnotist is so important.
- Despite appearances to the contrary, stage hypnotism is not mind control -- Some stage hypnosis is pretend where the audience members are simply going along with the show, and some is authentic. An audience member who truly experiences hypnosis wants to, at which point it is possible to hallucinate etc. Many of us have a part of ourselves that likes to be "on stage" and in the all-for-fun atmosphere of a stage hypnotist, it can be a perfect setting to experience enjoyable hypnosis for some people.
- Hypnosis is not "truth serum" -- You won't reveal any secrets that you do not want to share. Again, you are always in control.
- Is hypnosis the same as sleep? -- No, hypnosis is very different from the sleep state, although the earliest practitioners did not realize this at first. Hypnosis is a focused state of awareness that induces a heightened state of suggestibility. Occasionally, someone may drift off to sleep during a hypnosis session. This is most common if the person has had difficulties with sleep (perhaps due to pain/stress) and is overly tired. My sessions are interactive, so this is rare, but if it happens, I simply gently wake the client up.
- Does hypnosis always work? Like anything else, hypnosis is not 100% effective for every client and every issue. Clients who receive the most benefit from hypnosis are motivated to make changes. After discussing their issue or goals with the hypnotist, they should have a positive expectation. It's also important that clients have a good rapport with the hypnotist, and that they get any lingering questions/concerns about hypnotism answered, so they can relax into the experience. The best sessions occur when all these factors are in place and the client can adopt a "go with the flow" attitude.
Free 30-minute consultation
To get good results, it's important you feel safe and comfortable with me and with the idea of hypnosis, so I offer free 30-minute consultation sessions. During our consultation session, we can relax over a cup of tea, and you can tell me more about your issue or goals. I can talk more about hypnosis and why it works and answer any questions. Together we can decide whether hypnosis may be right for you.
Call 360-593-2214 to schedule an appointment.
