HYPNOTHERAPY
Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy uses deep relaxation and a light trance state to access the subconscious mind.
Clients are safely guided to discover past connections to current issues, patterns and blocks. Repressed emotions are released and beliefs that no longer serve are changed by the client while making new, healthier life decisions.
The work takes place in the subconscious mind where the original trauma(s) are stored so that healing and transformation occur faster than with traditional psychotherapy. Corrective experiences anchor the new, healthier choices, allowing healing to be experienced at the deepest level.
This method focuses on an ever-present link with the unconditional love in the client’s heart center. Each client’s spiritual connection is honored and strengthened in the process.
LEARN MORE ABOUT...
Intro Hypnotherapy Session
$50, 1-hr.
Hypnotherapy Session
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$150, 1.5-hrs.
Sessions can take place in person or online.
“I’ve recommended hypnotherapy to help ease chronic pain, lessen the side effects of chemotherapy, alleviate symptoms of autoimmune disease, and counteract anxiety and sleep disorders. Hypnotherapy can also be used to improve performance skills, as a form of analgesia or sedation for medical and dental procedures – even to stop hemorrhaging in accident victims. In general, I believe that no condition is out of bounds for trying hypnotherapy on.”
– Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D.
WHAT IS HYPNOTHERAPY?
The term "hypnosis" comes from the Greek word hypnos, meaning "sleep." Hypnotherapists use exercises that bring about deep relaxation and an altered state of consciousness, also known as a trance. A person in a deeply focused state is unusually responsive to an idea or image, but this does not mean that a hypnotist can control the person's mind and free will. On the contrary, hypnosis can actually teach people how to master their own states of awareness. By doing so they can affect their own bodily functions and psychological responses.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF HYPNOSIS?
Throughout history, trance states have been used by shamans and ancient peoples in rituals and religious ceremonies. Hypnosis as we know it today was first associated with the work of an Austrian physician named Franz Anton Mesmer. In the 1700s, Mesmer believed that illnesses were caused by magnetic fluids in the body getting out of balance. He used magnets and other hypnotic techniques (the word “mesmerized” comes from his name) to treat people but the medical community was not convinced. Mesmer was accused of fraud, and his techniques were called unscientific.
Hypnotherapy regained popularity in the mid-1900s due to Milton H. Erickson (1901 - 1980), a successful psychiatrist who used hypnosis in his practice. In 1958, both the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association recognized hypnotherapy as a valid medical procedure. Since 1995, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recommended hypnotherapy as a treatment for chronic pain.
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Other conditions for which hypnotherapy is frequently used include anxiety and addiction.
When something happens to us, we remember it and learn a particular behavior in response to what happened. Each time something similar happens, our physical and emotional reactions attached to the memory are repeated. In some cases these reactions are unhealthy. In some forms of hypnotherapy, a trained therapist guides you to remember the event that led to the first reaction, separate the memory from the learned behavior, and replace unhealthy behaviors with new, healthier ones.
During hypnosis, your body relaxes and your thoughts become more focused. Like other relaxation techniques, hypnosis lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and changes certain types of brain wave activity. In this relaxed state, you will feel at ease physically yet fully awake mentally and may be highly responsive to suggestion. If you are trying to quit smoking, for example, a therapist's suggestion may help convince you that you will not like the taste of cigarettes in the future. Some people respond better to hypnotic suggestion than others.
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There are several stages of hypnosis:
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Reframing the problem
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Becoming relaxed, then absorbed (deeply engaged in the words or images presented by a hypnotherapist)
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Dissociating (letting go of critical thoughts)
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Responding (complying with a hypnotherapist's suggestions)
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Returning to usual awarenessReflecting on the experience
HOW DOES HYPNOSIS WORK?
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A VISIT?
During your first visit, you will be asked about your history and what condition you would like to address. I will explain to you what hypnosis is and how it works. After answering your questions, I will guide you into relaxation, achieving a trance state. Some resources will be anchored which will support your further work. After experiencing heart-centered connection you will be brought back to the ordinary state of consciousness. The first session is designed to establish connection between us and the safety within which the work will be accomplished.
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In future sessions, you will be guided to return to the source of the issue that you’ve come to work with, regressing back to the ego-state of consciousness where old conclusions and behavioral decisions took root, establishing the patterns that you seek to change now. From that same ego-state you will use your resources to have a corrective experience and from a newly empowered place, make new conclusions and decisions for yourself. Where applicable, you will be offered a series of mental images and suggestions intended to change behaviors and relieve symptoms. For example, people who have panic attacks may be given the suggestion that, in the future, they will be able to relax whenever they want. I will also teach you the basics of self-hypnosis and give you the option of recording the induction and healing part of your session to use at home so you can reinforce what you learn during the session.
HOW MANY TREATMENTS WILL I NEED?
Each session lasts about ninety minutes – two hours, and most people start to see results within the first 1 – 2 sessions and resolve the issue within 4 - 10 sessions. Children are easily hypnotized and may respond after only one or two visits.
WHAT ILLNESSES OR CONDITIONS RESPOND WELL TO HYPNOSIS?
Hypnosis is used in a variety of settings -- from emergency rooms to dental offices to outpatient clinics. Clinical studies suggest that hypnosis may improve immune function, increase relaxation, decrease stress, and ease pain and feelings of anxiety.
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Hypnotherapy can reduce the fear and anxiety that some people feel before medical or dental procedures. For example, hypnosis may improve recovery time and reduce anxiety as well as pain following surgery. Clinical trials on burn patients suggest that hypnosis decreases pain (enough to replace pain medication) and speeds healing. Generally, clinical studies show that using hypnosis may reduce your need for medication, improve your mental and physical condition before an operation, and reduce the time it takes to recover. Dentists also use hypnotherapy to control gagging and bleeding.
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A hypnotherapist can teach you self-regulation skills. For instance, someone with arthritis may learn to turn down pain like the volume on a radio. Hypnotherapy can also be used to help manage chronic illness. Self-hypnosis can enhance a sense of control, which is often lacking when someone has a chronic illness.
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Clinical studies on children in emergency treatment centers show that hypnotherapy reduces fear, anxiety, and discomfort.
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Other problems or conditions that may respond to hypnotherapy include:
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Anxiety
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Depression
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Tension headaches
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Addictions
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Insomnia
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Bedwetting
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Fibromyalgia