What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a scientifically verified modality shown to help client’s change habits and behaviors.

Proven benefits of therapy are:

  • reducing, eliminating, or managing ailments, like pain management,

  • overcoming fears and phobias,

  • reducing depression and anxiety;

  • increasing or enhancing improvements, including performance, self-esteem, concentration, and motivation.

Hypnotherapy is a state of heightened focus and suggestibility, kind of like a deep state of relaxation or mediation.  The hypnotic state is natural and can occur throughout our day like when we daydream or get lost in thought or deep in reading a book.  It taps into your subconscious mind which can make it easier to reprocess and reframe our concerns helping promote positive change. 

My role, as your hypnotherapist, is to aid you in accessing your subconscious mind to work toward your goals but you have the choice to accept or reject any suggestion and you have the power to end the induction at any time by simply opening your eyes and returning to your awakened state.

THE PROCESS

The process of hypnotherapy is a collaborative effort that does not happen without your consent. Initially, we will meet to answer any specific questions you have about hypnotherapy, discuss what you need help with, define your goal and the points or suggestions that you feel will help you get there, as well as identify any potential barriers. After that, we can perform some exercises and relaxation techniques before we schedule your first session. At your first session, we will review your goal and agreed upon suggestions. Once you are ready and comfortable, we will start by guiding you through a progressive relaxation exercise. This exercise is meant to allow you to relax deeply and completely, enabling your conscious mind to step aside so your subconscious can engage with the suggestions, in the form of stories, metaphors, or guided imagery, that we discussed and agreed to at the beginning.

What is Group Hypnotherapy?

  • Group hypnotherapy is where we conduct a session for multiple people at the same time to experience the same thing. Someone might just want to experience the positivity and relaxation offered through hypnotherapy or it may be a group focused on the same behavior change, like quitting smoking.

  • Scheduled by Request

    Group hypnotherapy isn’t for everyone since we generally use a specific script for the group rather than created for each individual.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does hypnosis really work? How does it work?

Yes! Hypnosis induces an altered state which may include focused attention and heightened suggestibility allowing the hypnotherapist to work with the subconscious mind to address the client goals, concerns, or behaviors.

Can hypnosis help me stop ___________?

Yes! Hypnosis has been used to successfully help people overcome habits, addictions, and change behaviors. The success of this is connected to the client's motivation and receptiveness towards change. Please note, if a person is not ready to change or does not believe they can change, hypnosis is not likely to help make any long-term change.

Will this help me get to the “root cause” of a problem?

Hypnosis offers an avenue for exploration by accessing the subconscious mind. It can aid in uncovering or connecting to repressed memories or emotions that could be connected to the problem. It is not a substitute for mental health counseling.

i saw a stage hypnosis show and it sure looked like the people on stage were under some kind of mind control. what’s that about?

Ah, those hypnosis shows! I admit I think some of them are well done and funny, but in fact they don’t have much to do with therapeutic hypnosis.

It’s important for you to know that you won’t do anything you are uncomfortable with, and you won’t accept a suggestion that isn’t right for you. This is one of the reasons I take the time to do an initial consultation with you. The better I understand your goals, and the better I get to know you, the better I can craft a session and suggestions that your subconscious will accept.

A stage hypnotist is trained to look for people in the audience that will be comfortable being the center of attention and making people laugh. I’m trained to listen to the way you speak about your goals and determine the best way to help you achieve them.

i think i am very analytical, so it’d probably be difficult to hypnotize me, right?

I enjoy working with analytical people. I’m pretty analytical myself, so I get how your mind works!

My job is to find the best approach to help you into hypnosis, and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the experience! While some analytical people do best with a technique to distract or tire the mind, many do very well with a relaxation technique because it feels so nice to let your mind and body relax! Because you are analytical you may have a little more mind chatter – or random thoughts. That is perfectly fine. That is your conscious mind, and since your conscious mind is already convinced to make these changes, I’m not concerned about what it is doing. Just let yourself become aware of the thought, and then let it drift away. Over time, that will happen less and less. I’m very easily hypnotized, but I still get mind chatter from time to time.

what if i can’t be hypnotized?

Everyone with normal brain function can be hypnotized. Your mind goes in and out of hypnosis all day, every day. We’re just going to do it intentionally, to create a specific change.

Right now, as we’re chatting you are most likely in Beta brain waves – very alert. You’ve probably had many experiences of sitting in a meeting or classroom and discovering that your mind has wandered. You’ve probably enjoyed daydreaming, too. Those are moments that your brain slips into Alpha brain waves. That is light hypnosis. If you’ve ever gotten lost in a good book or watching a movie or even a fire in a fireplace, and completely lost track of time, then you were in Theta brain waves. This is also that feeling of being almost asleep, but not quite. That is deep hypnosis. And of course, you’ve been asleep, which is Delta brainwaves.

We can get a lot of work done in either Alpha or Theta brain waves. Some hypnosis techniques work best with lighter, mid-level or deep hypnosis. Part of my job is to work with whatever level we achieve today. The most important thing to know is that you cannot do this wrong.

how does virtual hypnosis work?

Virtual hypnosis is done through a Zoom meeting. An invitation will be sent and you will log on at the designated time. You should be in a quiet place where you can relax comfortably (preferably reclining) with minimal disruptions on a phone, tablet, or home computer with audio and video.

what is the benefit of a virtual session?

There are several benefits to using a virtual session: 1) Most people feel safer and more secure in their own space, 2) Some people feel it is easier to relax without someone physically next to them while their eyes are closed, and 3) There is no need to travel anywhere so you can continue to enjoy the relaxed state after the session.

what will i feel? what does it feel like to be hypnotized?

Everyone experiences things in a unique way, but in general you will feel your mind and body relaxing. You may find that your body feels very light, as if you can float. Or you may find that your body feels very deep, as if you are sinking into the chair. You may find that you are able to clearly focus on each word I say, or you may find yourself drifting deeper and missing out on some of my words.

You may find that you are very visual and you see everything I talk about. Or, you may find that it is more of a sensory experience for you. Or, you may just relax and listen to my voice. The most important thing to know is that you cannot do this wrong.

what should i expect during a session?

Each session is unique. A typical session involves a discussion of goals and concerns and getting your consent to move forward with the session. You are always in control. We would then do the induction leading to the relaxed state which can include various techniques like progressive relaxation or imagery. The hypnotherapist would offer the suggestions based on your goals and explore any relevant items. We work together and you can typically recall the experience.

How often should the sessions be done? how many sessions do i need?

This varies depending on the person and the issues and goals being focused on. Some may only need a few sessions while others may need a more extended plan. No two individuals are the same so no experience or plan is the same.

I like to do the first couple of sessions weekly, and after that we will adapt to whatever works for your schedule and budget.

How long is each session?

Sessions typically last between 40 and 90 minutes but may vary depending on the person.

is there a guarantee? how will i know it worked?

I don’t offer a guarantee. Every journey is unique, and together, we will take that journey to completing your goal. You’ll know it has worked when you have achieved the specific goal we’ve set together.

what if i get stuck in hynosis?

Because brain waves aren’t static, it is impossible to get stuck in any set of brain waves. For example, we don’t get stuck in sleep. If I were to stop speaking and leave the room, one of two things would happen. Most likely, after a couple of minutes you would open your eyes and wonder where I went. If you happened to be tired, you might drift into a short nap, and then you would open your eyes and wonder where I went.

can you help me forget a terrible experience i went through?

The process of hypnotherapy is more about reframing and reprocessing than forgetting. Hypnotherapy can aid in coping by impacting the response and the perspective related to the memories.

will i remember what happened during they hypnosis? what if i go to sleep?

Most of the time you will recall what we did in the session. It can be a bit like recalling a dream, so you may wish to bring a journal to write down any important thoughts.

It is possible that you will drift down into deep theta brain waves and not recall everything. If that happens I will be happy to give you an over view.

While it isn’t common for someone to fall asleep in my office, it does happen on rare occasion. This is usually because the client is very tired, or perhaps has been sick. More commonly, it feels as though you were asleep because you went deep into theta brain waves. If you open your eyes when I ask you to, or take a deep breath when I ask you to, you are in theta brain waves. If you don’t, even after I prompt you a second or third time, then you may have fallen asleep! Not to worry though, as your subconscious doesn’t go to sleep and continues to get the benefit of the session.

what if i recall something that is awful and i hadn’t remembered it before?

This is a possibility. In those cases, hypnotherapists are trained to handle the memories and address them in a way that promotes healing through reframing and reprocessing.

We can reduce the association of the memory so that when it does come up it has less and less power and impact. We can associate the memory with peaceful or more positive experiences to help the client make peace with the memory.

This isn’t a particularly common event, but if it does happen it means that your subconscious feels that you are ready to deal with it. And we will do that together.  That might mean that we move through what comes up and allow it to be released and healed, or if in that moment you prefer, we can move away from it to something that feels safer.  If we move away from it for now, we'll come back to it when you're ready.