Chances are, you’re experiencing a battle between the conscious and subconscious mind. The conscious part of our mind houses logic, rational decision-making, and willpower. But did you know that this part of our mind makes up only about 12% of our total brainpower? The remaining 88% is ALL happening on a subconscious level. Let’s say you want to lose a few pounds but almost every night before bed you eat a few bowls of cereal. You may consciously understand that this habit isn’t supporting your weight loss goal. But, your subconscious mind (whose job is to keep you safe at all times) says in essence: “But this makes me feel comfort, safety and pleasure.” In order to change an unhealthy habit we have to build positive associations to a new behavior at the subconscious level, first. Using relaxation techniques, imagery and the power of suggestion, hypnotherapy is a fantastic tool to “reprogram our software.” So what is hypnotherapy anyway? Many people are curious about it, but hesitate because of what they’ve seen on television or stage shows. The most challenging part of my job is explaining to people that hypnosis is a very normal and natural state. What if I told you that you already go into hypnosis several times a day — would you believe me? Have you ever missed your freeway exit because you were zoned out? Been overcome with emotion at the movies? Fallen madly in love? You know that twilight state right before you fall asleep at night? If you answered yes, then congratulations! You’ve already been hypnotized. Typically, a client comes to a hypnotherapist for assistance with personal development goals such as increasing confidence, focus, breaking a habit, improving health, wellness, weight loss, stress relief, etc. Whatever the goal, hypnosis is an incredibly effective tool to assist with reprogramming the subconscious mind on a deep level. Remember, it takes 21 days to create a new habit and then a minimum of 3-6 weekly, consecutive sessions to yield the best results. Always check into the education and background of a new hypnotherapist before committing to a session, and choose to continue working with someone with whom you feel a sense of trust and rapport. Although the mind may drift, you should still be able to hear everything that is being said to you during the session. A hypnotherapist specializes in general self-improvement and behavior modification. They are not licensed by the state as healing arts practitioners, and cannot diagnose or treat medical or psychological conditions.
