Worry and Anxiety

Over the years I have had clients who were bothered by needless worry. Some worries or concerns we have are certainly rational. "Mary" was overly concerned around the holidays with people coming over. She never liked being the center of attention. At an early age she experienced a traumatizing event (a near drowning) which put her at the center of attention in a negative way and probably was the source many of her worries. In (and out of) hypnosis she was able to reframe that event, put the experience in proper perspective, and understand at an unconscious level that being the center of attention can be useful. She is a lot more comfortable with dinner parties and the holidays.

Sleep Disorders

There are many reasons people have difficulties in sleeping. "Kathy" came to me because of her inability to sleep well. She was taking some sleep medication but did not like the side effects. After questioning it became apparent that the stress of being the owner of a business was causing her to try to work through problems during her attempts to sleep. I helped her separate those aspects of her life that would be important a year later from those that needed immediate attention. She learned to put herself in a trance, while at work, for a few minutes that lowered her stress levels. She was amazed at how quickly she began sleeping much better.

Since most people can be easily hypnotized it is interesting to note that the depth of trance can vary from one person to another. The depth of trance can vary within each person from one situation to another.

People often ask if hypnosis would be helpful to them. The answer depends on several factors. What is the skill of the hypnotherapists? How motivated is the client? What is the particular problem? Hypnosis is not magic. Some problems can be resolved amazingly easy. Other problems require some time and patience. 

I like to begin with a new client by introducing some ego strengthening. When a person realizes his or her strengths, change is much easier. I almost always record the hypnosis part of the session and give it to the client for reinforcement listening at home. In the second session I always teach the client how to use self-hypnosis. Part of every session, I make sure the client knows how to use some basic skills like reframing, opportunistic based thinking and changing perceptions. In some cases it is necessary to take the client back to the times when situations occurred (called age regression) so resolution can occur.

I like to see a client four times. Each session lasts about two hours. I charge $200 for all four sessions. If only one session is needed the cost is $75. If a client has questions and is unsure of how hypnosis may be of help I recommend a free consultation. For about a month I keep very close tabs on my clients to make sure they are achieving the results they want. I do this through the internet and/or phone calls.

How do you know if you have been in hypnosis or can be hypnotized? There are three elements that occur in hypnosis. The first is the ability to focus (which we all have). The second is accepting or giving yourself suggestions. The third is using your imagination. When you experience these three there is usually a change in sensations. We experience these three elements throughout our lives (usually, but not always unconsciously) in positive or negative ways. When the experience is positive I call it a positive trance. People ask me for help when the trance is negative and feelings are overwhelming. Most people can be easily hypnotized. The exceptions are paranoid people who I never see, or people who think they can be controlled by the hypnotist (usually based on misinformation in movies or stage shows). People do vary as to the depth of their trances. The skill as a hypnotherapist is putting people in a trance and more importantly what you do with someone when they are in a trance. People are often in a trance and don't realize it because it is something similar to what they have experienced before or they have expectations that do not match their reality. The important thing I ask my clients is do they recognize the positive changes that have occurred since they have met with me. I hope the answer is yes.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy has been proven to be a safe procedure that will help people with a variety of situations. Some examples are:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Sleep Disorders
• Immune Strengthening
• Smoking Cessation
• Weight Reduction
• Performance Problems
• Fears

Normally, I would see you in my office, however, with the advent of video-chatting we can use hypnosis in the privacy of your own home. For additional information, please email me at jerrysanger-at-gmail.com, or call me at (805) 459 6172.