Services Provided

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is a state of focused concentration and deep relaxation. It allows suggestions to bypass the conscious mind in order to reach the subconscious mind directly. Hypnosis puts you in a state that holds great potential for achieving faster results, by allowing you to access your subconscious mind. 

Hypnosis is totally natural and you actually enter "hypnosis" every night as you go to sleep. Hypnosis has had a bad reputation because of how it is portrayed in movies, but it is nothing more than a low brain frequency. As you enter sleep every night, you enter hypnosis, and stay there a few minutes until you go into an even lower brain frequency, and then deep sleep. You also enter hypnosis as you get absorbed in watching a movie or reading a book. 

Your subconscious mind controls more than 85% of your mind. All of your life experiences --past conditioning, good or bad experiences, beliefs-- have already been accepted as "truth" by the subconscious, mostly without your permission. These beliefs, whether you like them or not, and whether you are consciously aware of them or not, constitute the patterns and behavior that you operate by. For the most part, they run your life. 

Through hypnosis, negative and limiting behaviors can be accessed and replaced with positive, life-enhancing patterns. Hypnotherapy helps you focus, direct, and maximize your own inner power. It is a very effective, relaxing, and drug-free alternative for achieving personal change. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be hypnotized? 
Yes, everyone has the ability to be hypnotized. 

Will I lose consciousness or go to sleep? 
No, in hypnosis you are always consciously aware of what is being done and said.

Can I get "stuck" in hypnosis?
It is impossible. All trances end, whether by the Hypnotherapist or by the client. 

Will I do or say anything that I don’t want to? 
You are always aware and in control. You cannot be compelled to say or do anything against your personal, ethical standards, and/or desires. 

What does it feel like? 
Your body may feel asleep and very relaxed, and your concentration is so intense that you are not distracted by outside noises. 

How many sessions will I need? 
It varies with each person. Hypnosis is a very effective modality and usually takes much less time than any other method. I am committed to helping you achieve your goals in the least amount of time. 

From Newspapers and Magazines: The Power of Hypnotherapy 

Medical News Today 
"Alternative Therapies For Fighting Eczema Hold Promise,  But Dermatologists Caution They Are No Substitute For Proven Medical Treatments"
Source: American Academy of Dermatology
July 30, 2009

"Despite having access to some of the best health care in the world, many Americans with the most common form of eczema, known as atopic dermatitis, have sought relief from "alternative medicines." However, dermatologists caution that patients seeking alternative treatments to alleviate symptoms of this common, chronic, inflammatory skin disease marked by red, itchy rashes, risk developing more severe symptoms by delaying treatment." 

"...studies show that physical or emotional stress can worsen atopic dermatitis, and one study concluded that stress directly slows the healing of the skin barrier - or its protective outer layer. In another study, psychosocial stress and sleep deprivation were found to disrupt skin barrier function in healthy patients. "It is possible that some forms of alternative medicine, such as hypnosis and acupuncture, may help eczema patients by reducing stress," said Dr. Lio. "The areas of stress reduction and behavior modification are promising and deserve further exploration as a means to complement traditional medical therapies." 

 

"The Possibilities in Hypnosis, Where the Patient Has the Power"
By Jane E. Brody
November 3, 2008/New York Times

"My husband, Richard, smoked cigarettes for 50 years, having failed several attempts to quit on his own. When a friend told him in August 1994 that hypnosis had enabled her to quit, he decided to give it a try. “It didn’t work; I wasn’t hypnotized,” he declared after his one and only session. But it did work; since that day, he has not taken one puff of a cigarette. Gloria Kanter of Boynton Beach, Fla., thought her attempt in 1985 to use hypnosis to overcome her fear of flying had failed. “When the therapist brought me out, I said it didn’t work,” she recalled in an interview. “I told her, ‘I heard everything you said.’ ” 

Nonetheless, the next time she and her husband headed for the airport, she was not drenched in sweat and paralyzed with fear. “I was just fine,” she said, “and I’ve been fine ever since.” Like many others whose knowledge of hypnotism comes from movies and stage shows, my husband and Mrs. Kanter misunderstood what hypnosis is all about. While in a hypnotic trance, you are neither unconscious nor asleep, but rather in a deeply relaxed state that renders the mind highly focused and ready to accept suggestions to help you accomplish your goals. 

Hypnosis has been mired in controversy for two centuries, and its benefits are often overstated. It does not help everyone who wants to quit smoking, for example; then again, neither do other kinds of treatments. And the patient’s attitude is critical. " 

Writing in The Permanente Journal in 2001, Dr. Alman said that “useful potential” for benefiting from hypnosis “exists within each patient.” “The goal of modern medical hypnosis,” he said, “is to help patients use this unconscious potential.” Dr. Alman described a 65-year-old concentration camp survivor who repeatedly choked when she tried to swallow, though examinations of her esophagus revealed no obstruction. After three hypnotherapy sessions, her problem was solved. “I was liberated from my esophagus,” the patient said. 

 

"Harnessing the Mind to Manage Irritable Bowel Syndrome" 
By Karen Pallarito, HealthDay News 
February 15, 2008 

When drugs and dietary changes don't provide relief from the pain, bloating and other unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, patients may want to try a different approach. Recent studies show that using one's own thoughts in a process called cognitive behavioral therapy may help ease symptoms. Likewise, using hypnosis to visualize the pain and imagine it seeping away can be a powerful treatment strategy, too. 

Hypnosis treatment has been reported to improve symptoms of the majority of treated IBS patients in all published studies, noted UNCs Palsson. For patients who've tried the diet-and-drug regimen to no avail, Palsson said he would recommend either of these two psychological treatments. "If a patient's main goal is substantial relief of bowel symptoms, hypnosis is probably the better choice," he said, for the research literature strongly suggests that it improves the gastrointestinal symptoms far more reliably. 

 

"It's All In The Mind"
by Roger Dobson, The Independent
Published January 30, 2007

"One of the problems is the name,'' he says. "If we started off again with a name like neuromodulation, for example, it would be more readily accepted. The name hypnotism has so much baggage attached. Cognitive behavioral therapy is now reasonably well accepted, and so, too, is psychotherapy, but of the three, I would say hypnotism is potentially the most powerful. It is becoming a treatment of choice for IBS. "When I am dead and gone, people are going to suddenly realize that hypnotism is an incredibly powerful tool and question why it has been ignored for so long.'' 

Hypnotherapy is increasingly being used in a number of areas of dentistry, including dental phobia, teeth grinding and extractions and fillings. It has also been used for dental surgery that is usually done under local or general anaesthetic. 

Chest Pains: Up to one third of patients who have angina like chest pain are found to have normal coronary arteries, but many continue to suffer painful symptoms despite no evidence of heart disease. Non-cardiac chest pain is a problem because there is little or no treatment. 

Wound Healing: Researchers at Harvard Medical School have shown that broken bones and surgical wounds heal faster in patients who have hypnotherapy. Six weeks after breaking their ankles, patients being treated with hypnotherapy were three weeks ahead in their healing schedule than those who were just put in plaster. 

Cystic Fibrosis: According to a University of Michigan report, hypnotherapy can reduce symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, anxiety and other symptoms of cystic fibrosis. 

Snoring: According to Harley Street psychiatrist Dr Tom Kraft, snoring can be treated with hypnotherapy by suggesting under hypnosis that the sufferer turns on his side every time he begins to snore. 

 

"Dozing Off Without a Prescription"
by Hilary E. MacGregor, Times Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times
September 25, 2006

Whether meditating before bed or sipping a kava kava nightcap, more than 1.6 million Americans use some form of alternative medicine when they have trouble sleeping. 

Nearly 65% of people using alternative methods to help them sleep used "biological therapies," such as herbs or supplements, and 39% used "mind-body therapies," such as self-hypnosis, guided imagery or other relaxation techniques. Dr. Jay Udani, who runs the Integrative medicine Program at the Northridge Hospital Medical Center, said he would recommend anyone with sleep problems start with mind-body techniques such as self-hypnosis, meditation or guided imagery. 

 

"Quick Skin Care Quiz"
Dr.Ted A. Grossbard,  WCP News. Harvard Medical School
September, 2005

"Emotional factors can trigger skin problems, or they may worsen symptoms. While heredity, bacteria, viruses, hormones and chemical irritants play a clear role in many skin problems, mind and body always do an intricate dance together. If your skin condition doesn't seem to be improving, it may be time to determine the role that emotions are playing in your acne, psoriasis, rosacea or whatever skin condition you're experiencing."

"How important is the emotional factor in your illness? " "The more [it is a factor], the more likely you can be helped by such psychological tools as relaxation, imaging, focused psychotherapy, biofeedback and hypnosis and self- hypnosis. There is a substantial body of research, including many well-controlled studies, documenting how helpful these techniques can be. Mainstream doctors are more and more receptive as the newer research documents not only these tools effectiveness, but the specific physiological mechanism that allow the techniques to work. Enhanced blood flow, various immune system mechanisms, and stress hormones are often involved." 

 

"Hypnosis Works" 
Discover
November, 2004

“Over the years, a number of rigorously controlled studies have proved that hypnosis reduces pain, controls blood pressure, and can even make warts go away.” 
“The power of trance can no longer be disputed, a psychiatrist at Stanford University says. Now we just have to use it.”

 

“Experts Back Use of Hypnosis for Terminally Ill” 
Sunday Herald
October 31, 2004

“Six hypnotherapists have begun working with patients at Marie Curie’s Hunters Hill hospice in Glasgow and charity leaders claim that without an exception the treatment has benefited patients.” 

 

“Rethinking Hypnosis” 
Newsweek
September 27, 2004

“Despite widely held misconceptions about hypnosis (in part because of its long history as a type of entertainment), a growing body of research supports the ancient practice as an effective tool in the treatment of a variety of problems, from anxiety to chronic pain.” “[Hypnosis] has also been successfully as an alternative to sedation during invasive medical procedures like angiography.” 

 

“Hypnosis ‘Reduces Pain Cancer’” 
BBC News Online
September 10, 2004 

“Childhood cancer patients suffer less pain when placed under hypnosis, scientists have claimed.” 

“Dr. Christina Liossi, from University of Wales, Swansea, suggested there was even tentative evidence that hypnosis prolonged the lives of cancer patients.”

 

“Harnessing Mind Power”
Los Angeles Times
January 5, 2004

“At teaching hospitals such as those at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and Harvard Medical School, hypnotists work with some surgical patients to help speed recovery.” 

“…certified hypnotherapists now get referrals from physicians on cases ranging from irritable bowel syndrome and heart disease to managing the pain of childbirth and cancer. In some studies, 50% to 70% of people who have tried it say hypnosis has helped them to feel better or heal faster. Such reports have encouraged its use for everything from weight loss to smoking cessation, with varying results.” 

“In a 2002 look at 20 studies on hypnosis and surgical pain Mount Sinai researchers found that adding hypnosis to standard post surgical care sped recovery almost 90% of the time, in terms of pain, anxiety, and the need for painkillers.”