FAQ
WHAT DOES HYPNOSIS FEEL LIKE?
Hypnosis can feel different to different people. Some people feel light and floaty, some people become more aware of their body, some people become less aware of it. Hypnosis tends to increase the imagination and give people a greater awareness of their feelings. Having a hypnotherapy session can feel intense at times, as the feelings that are under the surface all the time are revealed more fully. Our subconscious will only give us as much as we can handle, so even if you had an incredibly traumatic childhood, it will give us a piece at a time to work with- however much is right for you at the time of our session,. And during the session we can change the feelings to ones of safety or peace or whatever your subconscious leads us to.
Hypnosis can also be used for relaxation or more surface-level or less intense work. I love that hypnotherapy can get right to the core issue and help create deep shifts in one's emotional health, and I also know that that isn't for everyone. Between us talking about it beforehand, and your subconscious giving you as much as you want to explore and no more, we can tailor each session so that it is right for you.
DOES HYPNOTHERAPY WORK ON EVERYONE?
Some people take longer to relax into it, but there are ways around that if relaxing isn't the way to go for a specific client. Art or music can be a good tool for accessing the subconscious without the pressure of relaxing if the client doesn't feel good at it. But almost everyone is capable of being hypnotized, excluding only people with serious brain issues that prevent them from orienting to reality. Some examples of hypnosis that most of us access every day is upon first waking up, right before falling asleep, when lost in a book or a show, or many times when driving. If you've ever gone on a long car drive and realized you spaced out for a few miles, or got home without remembering how you got there, it's likely because you were in a natural state of hypnosis. I like this example because it shows how easily we can come out of hypnosis as well; if a car were to come out of nowhere while you were driving in trance (a word for being in hypnosis), you would likely be jerked back to the present and be able to react to the threat. Similarly, we won't ever get stuck in trance or be unable to respond to physical threats while in trance. Our conscious mind is still there, its just relaxed, and it is able to come back to the forefront if we need it.
WHAT TYPE OF THINGS DOES HYPNOTHERAPY WORK BEST FOR?
Hypnotherapy can be part of a treatment plan for virtually any mental health issue, and the ones I have experience and resonance with are depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar, borderline personality disorder, addictions, and some eating disorders. All of these also require medical care, and I need to know that a client is receiving medical care for any of these issues before beginning hypnotherapy with them. I find it works really well in tandem with Western medicine, for instance I use hypnotherapy personally for my own depression, healing the core beliefs and narratives and traumas that contribute to it, and also take an SSRI because part of my issue is chemical. I know hypnotherapy can be enough to overcome some forms of depression, and some day I may be able to live life depression and medication free, but as of now my symptoms are well controlled and my life is fulfilling with the mix of hypnotherapy and medication.
Hypnotherapy tends to be more efficient than traditional talk therapy, being more effective over shorter periods of time. It works really well for things like situational depression, helping make a tough decision (to change careers, to leave a spouse, to have a child, etc), insomnia, headaches, chronic pain, social anxiety, nightmares, and many other things. There's not much it doesn't help, as shown below by a number of studies. The type of hypnotherapy varies depending on the need of the client, so we can usually cover one issue per session, and more than one session for long term issues like addiction or chronic pain or depression, though there is typically a shift that happens with each session even if it doesn't "fix" the problem.
Studies here: https://silo.tips/download/hypnosis-reseach-summaries#
WILL YOU MAKE ME DO SOMETHING WITH WHICH I AM NOT COMFORTABLE?
Nope, never. All hypnosis is self hypnosis, and you will still be in full control of what you do. Stage hypnosis perpetuates this myth, and the hypnotists know that all hypnosis is self hypnosis. There's a reason they ask for volunteers, and weed out people who are not as receptive and open to doing silly things on stage. You won't do anything you're not okay with under hypnosis, unless you tend to do things you're not okay with under normal circumstances. (And if that's the case, we could do a session exploring that and helping change whatever core belief has you behaving in a way you don't feel comfortable with).
IS HYPNOTHERAPY REGULATED?
Anyone can call themselves a hypnotist, but to be a hypnotherapist one must have gone through training for it. The American Counsel of Hypnotist Examiners is the main governing organization, which I am certified through, as well licensed through department of health.
WHAT DOES YOUR VOICE SOUND LIKE?
I recorded a 7 minute long relaxation and "return" so you can hear my voice and guided relaxation style. I tried to make this sample very broad and accessible to everyone, so in session it would be more personalized, and in between the relaxation and return we would use hypnotherapeutic techniques to help heal or solve the issue you'd like to work on. If you are interest in hypnotherapy but don't like the relaxation part, we could also use art or music or cards to access the subconscious mind directly.
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DO YOU ACCEPT MY INSURANCE?
I don't currently accept insurance, but I would like to. If you want to pursue hypnotherapy with me and have an insurance plan that covers it, please reach out and I'll see what I can do about contracting with that insurance plan.